After six years as a Trip Leader, Angela Rice still considers traveling with Backroads her dream job. "Cycling around France all summer, Turkey in the fall and New Zealand for the winter; what more could one want?" Beyond epic bike rides, she loves to share experiences of new cultures, languages and people—be it over a bottle of Bordeaux red or on a fern-lined South Island trail. And in Turkey, another highlight is adding belly dancing to the activity list! "It's an art form I've practiced many years, and I have so much fun sharing that with our guests—on a gullet sailing through the Aegean no less!"

A Trip Specialist several times over, Vincent Soyer is a globetrotter through and through. He's traveled all over the world, leading Backroads trips from South America to Southeast Asia, and nearly every European destination. Though he loves adventures worldwide, Argentina and Spain are home for this Frenchman. When he's not on the go, you can find him green-thumbing in his San Juan, Argentina, garden or soaking in the mountain views from a quaint Pyrenees hamlet.

Steph Zakaib is originally from Montreal but got hooked on the Canadian Rockies after spending her summers during undergrad in Jasper. After completing her BA in environmental studies and biology, she made the Bow Valley her home. Five years ago she heard about Backroads and decided it would be a great way to share her beloved adopted home with other outdoor enthusiasts. She now leads all summer in the Canadian Rockies. Come winter, she heads to Costa Rica. And to top it off, she also manages to find a little time to squeeze in a few trips in France and Argentina. "I've loved every region I've led in, but the sheer luxury and decadence of France makes it a favorite—with great riding, excellent wine and food."

Jackson Hole isn't a bad place to spend a summer—or six! Just ask Andrea Richards, our Yellowstone & Tetons Regional Expert. Things Andrea loves about her job: "Meeting new people; being part of families' travel experiences together; exploring fabulous places during my time off... and well, there's something really satisfying about putting together the beautiful picnic spreads that Backroads is famous for!" Though this natural-born mountain girl splits much of her time between Jackson and Lake Tahoe, she occasionally gets tempted off to other locales like Italy. Wine, pasta and the Mediterranean Sea are in Andrea's near future. Biking in Sicily, anyone?

Pam Fritz recently led her 150th Backroads trip! As a regional expert, trip specialist and trip leader, Pam contributes to Backroads trips in myriad ways, and has a great time doing it. "I love being active and outdoors. Calling the mountains or the rainforest or the ocean my office is pretty awesome." When she's not bouncing between continents, Pam returns to Costa Rica. She loves introducing Backroads guests to her adopted home. "Backroads offers guests the chance to be active, but also to delve into the more intricate parts of a region or culture, so you're not just biking by." This fall she can be found hiking and cycling through wild game reserves in southern Africa.

It's been 20 years—and some 300 trips—since Paul's first Backroads trip, camping on the Russian River in California. And during this time he's surprised even himself by falling in love with Chinese culture and the joy of riding a bike through its sometimes crazy countryside; doing more laps around the South Island of New Zealand than anyone in Backroads' history; learning about world religions by working in Bhutan and Bali, where he became fascinated with prayer wheels and Hindu gods; living each summer in the San Juan islands, knowing the way the light looks on the water at all hours of the day, from all viewpoints, like a local knows it. Come and join this Backroads legend in his element!