I've been lucky in my time as a Backroads leader to have some amazing guests, like Andy Russell. If that name rings a bell, it's because Andy was an NFL star in the 1960s and '70s. It was day three of our trip and Andy and I were riding along a gorgeous stretch of road. Something shiny coming from Andy's handlebars caught my eye, so I took a look: a ring. It looked like a Super Bowl ring. I had to ask.... Andy, who hadn't mentioned anything up to this point, grinned a little grin and told me his story, and what a story it was!

Oh, Canada...such a beautiful landscape, which we get to ride our bikes through! While the land of the maple leaf is known for its incredible scenery, what you don't often hear about is the fantastic cuisine that can be found here.

If you’re lucky enough to visit Italy, then you undoubtedly need to experience one of Italy’s great initiatives, agriturismos. If you’re lucky enough to travel to Italy with Backroads, we’ll take you there. For lunch! Agriturismos are farms with lodging for travelers.

As a Backroads trip leader, I often get asked what is my favorite city in the world. Many of my peers answer, "Oh, that's tough..." For me, it's not tough at all. It is, without a doubt, Barcelona.

It's not often in life you get an opportunity to see how loved you are. The opportunity to be reminded just how lucky you are. There are birthdays, but then those are almost obligatory. Random moments caught in time when someone tells you how much you mean to them…