After more than 30 years of running trips in Hawaii, backed by a team of highly experienced Trip Leaders and an amazing network of local experts, we're just going to say it: you won't find a more thoroughly researched, carefully designed and seamlessly executed trip on the Big Island - or any of the islands.

My love affair with the national parks began when I was 9 years old. I learned at that young age that the best family memories are the ones where we shared an adventure, where we set off and explored something new and exciting together. Those are the memories of my childhood and of my parents that I still carry with me today.

Happy 200th birthday to the bicycle! While today we rely on bikes for exercise, commuting and touring the wine country, the bicycle originated in difficult times. It all began in 1815 after a large volcano erupted in Indonesia. So much debris was ejected into the atmosphere that global temperatures cooled and crops around the world were ruined. This also meant starvation for animals, and in a pre-automobile era, left the problem of how to transport people without horses.

In the 38 years since I founded Backroads, I've found a great deal of pride in knowing we deliver the very best active travel experiences. I'm passionate about what we do and what we stand for. No matter who you travel with, you deserve the best possible trip. If you ask the right questions, and hold your responders to their answers, you are much more likely to be successful. Here are the top questions to ask when choosing a biking, hiking or multisport adventure.

When I decided to embark on my first Backroads adventure, I was not a biker. I was not even particularly athletic. I was a 24-year-old, newly single teacher in Tampa, Florida. I had just spent months planning the June wedding of my dreams, but I knew something was not right. I called off my engagement and was at a loss of what to do with my newfound freedom. My summer of 1988 was now wide open.

Many of our trips have a Michelin-starred restaurant (or two!) as part of their program. Speaking just for France, we work with more than 20 starred restaurants! While it can take more than a year to get a seat at one of these prestigious tables, Backroads guarantees that you'll get to enjoy this incredible cuisine. We work hard to create a privileged partnership with these restaurants and have a unique experience at their properties. More than just a dinner, a Michelin-starred meal is a moment and a souvenir that stays in your mind for years!

At Backroads we're lucky to admire the world from a wide range of elevations. I've surveyed the Backroads Trip Leader community and reflected on my own hiking memories to pick seven of the most breathtaking hikes in the United States. Each of these trails offers that "pinch me" scenery and an unforgettable challenge. Plan one a year or one a month! But don't go without seeing these iconic vistas.

I feel fortunate to be here now. I feel fortunate to be working for Backroads, a company that doesn't gloss over the realities of the world but instead offers its guests a closer, authentic and unfiltered look. Cuba and its people have now become something personal to me - more than news headlines and pages in a history book. It's the taxi driver, the pigeon-flyer, the port foreman and all the others who have helped me paint this beautiful portrait in my mind of a vibrant country full of hopeful people marching toward an uncertain future.

According to a local saying in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria, "Those loved by God are brought here"--a sentiment easy to understand as the Bavarian Alps can seem like heaven on earth. For my family (myself, my Backroads husband and our toddler), it's our favorite place in the world to play and relax.

I've traveled with Backroads on eight unforgettable adventures and from my first trip to Vermont, I was hooked! I could write a book about why I love Backroads, but this is a blog, so I'll pare it down to a few reasons why I continually choose Backroads over any other adventure travel company.