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Backroads Milestones
A Brief History of the World's #1 Active Travel Company
| 1979 |
Tom Hale founds Backroads.
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| 1980 | Tom Hale is Backroads: leading bike trips through Death Valley, Northern California, Colorado, Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, Canadian Rockies, Puget Sound, and Bryce, Zion and the Grand Canyon; answering phones; driving vans; and repairing bikes - all while working part-time cleaning fondue pots. |
| 1983 | Tom's lawnmower, car and power tools rebel—Backroads' corporate headquarters vacates Tom's garage and moves to more spacious quarters in a San Leandro, California, warehouse. |
| 1984 | The fun continues year-round when winter trips to Hawaii are added. |
| 1986 | Backroads bicyclists venture Down Under with a new bicycling trip in New Zealand. |
| 1987 | Backroads guests traverse the tundra when Alaska is added. They warm up Backroads’ new Baja trip, bicycling along the Sea of Cortez. |
| 1988 | Mountain bike trips (in Idaho's Sawtooth Mountains) are introduced, as is another continent—Europe. Backroads bicyclists begin exploring the pleasures of France's Loire Valley. |
| 1989 | Backroads celebrates its 10th anniversary by adding special departures for families and solo travelers and by expanding geographically—to the Northeast—with new trips in Vermont and Virginia. Horizons are further broadened to include Asia and a trip in China. With all this broadening, corporate headquarters once again outgrows its digs and moves to Berkeley. |
| 1990 | The charms of the Old South are showcased with new trips in Louisiana and North Carolina. |
| 1991 | Elephants and longboats join Backroads' modes of transportation as part of a new bicycling trip in Thailand. |
| 1992 | Backroads steps out with the introduction of walking and hiking trips. |
| 1993 | Winter wonderlands become part of the Backroads experience, with the introduction of cross-country skiing vacations. A mountain biking trip in Costa Rica launches Backroads in Central America. |
| 1994 | Backroads turns 15 and celebrates with the addition of even more activity—the Go Active Sampler vacation, featuring mountain biking, in-line skating, trail running and tennis, among other activities. |
| 1995 | Backroads mountain bikers test their fat tires in South America—on a new trip in Chile and Argentina. |
| 1996 | Backroads unveils a program of 19 multisport adventures—trips that combine biking and hiking with other activities such as kayaking, rafting and snorkeling. Oh, and it's happened again—corporate headquarters needs more room and undertakes an expansion of its Berkeley home. Backroads also goes online with a Web site in cyberspace, which presumably, one cannot outgrow. |
| 1997 | Active adventurers travel to South Africa to hike and safari in luxury on Backroads' first African trip. |
| 1998 | Families and solo travelers have more to choose from than ever, with 67 itineraries featuring special departures for solo travelers, and 23 featuring special departures for families. Morocco and Nepal join the hit parade of Backroads destinations. |
| 1999 | Backroads commemorates its 20th anniversary by adding 20 new trips—two multisport, five walking and three bicycling itineraries. The wine regions of Chile and Patagonia, the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan and the Lake Como, Umbria, Parma Valley and Puglia regions of Italy are but a few of the new destinations ripe for exploration. Backroads also introduces Millennium trips, six memorable adventures to celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime event. |
| 2000 | Backroads dives into the millennium with the introduction of multisport itineraries that focus on aqua activities such as sea kayaking, rafting, snorkeling and boating. Backroads' new Active Gourmet collection features itineraries that blend exhilarating activity with an opportunity to explore the culinary arts. New destinations include Denmark, Hungary, Vietnam, Japan and the French Alps, just to name a few. |
| 2001 | Golfing makes its second appearance in the Backroads trip line-up after premiering in 2000. Now links lovers can bike, walk and golf in Ireland as well as in the Canadian Rockies. A Cooking and Walking Soujourn adds spice to our tasty menu of trips in Provence. Other new adventures debut in Bordeaux, Portugal, Canada's Prince Edward Island, Vermont and Wyoming. Trips Exclusively for families and solo travelers boom in response to guest demand. |
| 2002 | Thirty new trips highlight Backroads' 23rd year. Asia is hot, with new adventures in Tibet, India, Thailand and Nepal. And families rule, with 20 new trips designed for active travelers of all generations. More multisport with golf makes an appearance in Bordeaux. |
| 2003 | Backroads introduces Easy Explorations & Epic Journeys. Easy Explorations are ideal for both first-time and experience active travelers who want to vacation at a more relaxed rhythm. Epic Journeys are a collection of two-wheeled adventures with special appeal for cyclists who contend that the long way is the best way. |
| 2004 | Backroads celebrates its 25th Anniversary! Backroads introduces Epic Walking on France’s Mont Blanc, Easy Biking in Bordeaux. Maine Walking, Alaska Multisport, and more. |
| 2005 | Backroads offers a new way to travel actively: Casual Inn Trips, featuring comfortable and cozy hotels and inns. New Backroads destinations include Sicily, Quebec, Kauai and Colorado. More family trips added during popular vacation times. |
| 2006 | Guests are offered even more choice with Adventures Beyond—trips with added dimensions that make them extra special. For example, an active safari in South Africa & Botswana and trekking in Bhutan. The number of Casual Inn Trips more than doubles. Backroads introduces its new custom-made titanium bikes. |
| 2007 | New in Europe: biking and walking trips through Hungary, Slovakia & Poland; biking in Italy’s Piedmont region and much more. A new walking & hiking in Tibet & Yunnan; Wine Country weekend bike trips and new family adventures worldwide. Backroads is now open seven days a week! |
| 2008 | Backroads branches out with 12 new “Insider Trip” destinations that take guests deeper into a region’s culture. New active trips include mountain biking in northwest Argentina, biking in Italy & Slovenia, biking in Oregon’s Crater Lake area and multisport camping in California’s Redwood Empire, home of the big trees. |
For more information contact Holly Woolard, 800-462-2848 ext. 156