Trip Leaders

Imagine blasting down an icy slope, blinded by fog and flat light, nothing protecting you besides a helmet, goggles, and a spandex speed suit. Enter Hahnenkamm Streif: the world’s most demanding and dangerous downhill course.

As a former Glasgow bartender, I’ve spent most of my working life writing lists of “cool Scottish stuff” on napkins for passing tourists. I couldn’t be more excited to give you some bona fide inside knowledge that will bring your Caledonian adventure to life!

Half the size of Switzerland, yet brimming with attractions - from Venetian coastal resorts in the south to the majestic Julian Alps and emerald-green lakes in the northwest - Slovenia is a hidden jewel still buried in misunderstanding

The moment we stepped out of the vans, we were absolutely swarmed with smiling, laughing and shouting children. Dani, one of the Backroads Trip Leaders, originally from Spain and one of the friendliest people I’ve ever met, swam through the sea of children to get to me and said, “Hey man, you’ve got to fly the drone, the kids will LOVE it.”

It might seem ironic to highlight the benefits of disconnecting from technology via an online blog, but I'm not here to say technology is bad. On the contrary, smart devices help us connect with others, allow for new learning, and can provide deeper insights into topics as diverse as politics and science. But when do the scales tip in the other direction? At what point does constant connectivity begin to do more harm than good?

A Backroads trip is unlike any other vacation. As an athlete all my life, and an avid CrossFitter, I want to remain active when I travel: hiking mountains, biking along the coast, kayaking hidden coves and exploring the scenic back roads of the world.

Working as a Backroads Trip Leader in Tuscany certainly has its perks. Besides the great food and wine, there is a fabulous cycling culture supported by an excellent infrastructure of well-paved and well-marked roads. Over the years I've created a list of my favorite rides in the region, some featured on our Backroads trips and others a combination of local favorites. Here are my top five bike rides that showcase the best of the heart of Tuscany, the idyllic region between Florence, Arezzo and Siena.

It is easy to express the beauty of Alaska in words but seemingly difficult to articulate the impression this place leaves on the soul. Some say, once you visit Alaska you will never be the same. Not always such a dramatic life change but often times a subtle shift. It is the encounter with the wild that often times brings you closer to your true self.

One of the reasons I joined Backroads as a Trip Leader a decade ago was because it was one of the only active travel companies that had trips in Norway. Growing up, my father always loved studying our family genealogy and especially our Norwegian roots. He and my mother had visited Norway in search of family roots on their European travels back in the 1970s, when they were first married. So Norway was an obvious choice for a family trip abroad, back in 1998. On that trip we followed the family tree down to the roots but could only find the small valley our family had come from. Nothing much came from the trip other than a deep feeling of connection for myself and a little more context for our family heritage.

The Spanish love their ham. I just never realized the profoundness of their devotion until I first stepped into a local cervecería (bar). To say I was astounded by what I found would be an understatement. The sheer volume of pig legs hanging from the walls and ceiling... the bar sported more pork parts than pints!