Stories

Connection is at the heart of every adventure. We bring travelers together and forge meaningful bonds with the communities we visit. Dive into the stories that make us who we are—from our incredible Trip Leaders to our inspiring guests and more.

Tom riding on coastline of Mallorca
May 4, 2022

A Note from Tom: Spring in the Mediterranean

We just got back from Mallorca and Menorca, where, as you can see in these photos shot by Liz, I had a smile on my face for the whole week.

Read more
Yellowstone & Tetons Family Multi-Adventure Tour - Bigelman Group Photo
October 21, 2021

My First Backroads Family Trip: Yellowstone & the Tetons

When my husband asked me how I’d like to mark my 40th birthday, my answer was to go on an action-packed adventure with him and our three kids. A vacation where there is something for everyone seemed like the ultimate challenge.

Read more
Biking Across America - Winslow Arizona
February 24, 2021

Biking Across America: A Backroads Guest Story

When Marty Perlmutter's good friend Roy passed away from multiple myeloma, Marty decided to bike across the USA from coast to coast to raise awareness of the disease in honor of Roy.

Read more
Tom Hale biking with his kids - Backroads
September 9, 2020

E-biking in California: Lessons from a Ride with my Daughter

Here’s a riddle: three people go out on a bike ride. One of them is me, a lifelong runner and fairly avid cyclist. The other two are my daughter Avery and her boyfriend Matt, both casual bike-riders. Avery and I ride side-by-side, chatting for most of the climb, while Matt zips ahead. Somehow we’re all able to have a great ride despite our different backgrounds in biking, and no one thinks the ride is too challenging or too easy. How is this possible?

Read more
Hiking in the Canadian Rockies
May 6, 2020

How a Backroads Mom Raised Two Champion Cyclists

In honor of Mother's Day and all the inspirational, kind and strong moms who keep things running smoothly (both at Backroads and in life!), we wanted to shine a spotlight on one of our favorite moms in our Backroads community. Meet Alison Iles, a former Trip Leader and current mom of two champion mountain-bikers in Canada.

Read more
Tom & Liz Hale
March 27, 2020

A Message from Tom Hale

There's no doubt about it—these are difficult times. As I write this, I'm at my home in the Bay Area with my wife Liz and the kids. Like everyone else in California and so many others worldwide, we are sheltering in place and learning to adapt to new realities that would have seemed hard to believe just a short time ago.

Read more
Tom Hale with Backroads in India
January 21, 2020

Tom Hale: My Year with Backroads

As the founder and owner of Backroads, people often expect me to have some special insight into how our trips run. It's true that I was a Trip Leader in the earliest days of Backroads, but nowadays I'm busy running the company from Berkeley and every chance I get to visit the field is precious. Ah, for the footloose days of being a leader.

Read more
Group of Backroads cyclists
December 16, 2019

Our Big Greek Family: Solo Travel with Backroads

We were 19 strangers meeting for the first time at the airport in Heraklion, Crete. We all had a common passion for cycling, hiking, seeing the world, and eating great food. Our easily identifiable Backroads jerseys came in handy while we were waiting for each other's arrivals.

Read more
Backroads Leaders in Biking Gear
November 16, 2018

The Life of a Backroads Trip Leader

I’ve been a Backroads Trip Leader for seven years and one of the most frequent questions I’m asked by my guests is, “What’s the life of a Backroads Trip Leader like?” It’s a simple question, but not an easy one to answer. When I applied for a leader position at Backroads, I had no idea of the complexity of this job and how much it goes beyond any regular work environment.

Read more
October 31, 2018

What Is a Yeti?

In 1921, British explorer and politician Charles Howard-Bury spotted massive footprints while on an expedition to Mount Everest. His Sherpa guide informed him that they must be those of the “metoh-kangmi,” the rough English translation being, “man-bear snowman.” From this, the world first heard of the abominable snowman, or yeti, one of the most persistent and widely known legends of our time. But where did this folklore originate before being introduced to the West? And why does it persist today among the people who call the mighty Himalayas home?

Read more