The Southwest is one of the world's great outdoor adventure playgrounds. Here are five reasons why this region should be at the top of any travel bucket list.

It's the most important question you'll be asked in New Mexico: red or green? A classic New Mexican cuisine, the state's red and green chile peppers are legendary—and spicy!

My name is Rue Mapp. I’m the founder and CEO of Outdoor Afro, and this was my first-ever experience with Backroads. I experienced so much during my Backroads trip that I just can’t stop talking about!

What is it about Death Valley that gets such a hold on people and inspires them to live in what might be called the most inhospitable place in our nation? 

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?

In the 1920s Coco Chanel ushered in the era of the deep dark tan. With her blessing, the tan became a symbol of languorous luxury, rather than a sign of peasant toil under the Tuscan sun. Isolated and rocky beaches along the French and Italian coasts became magnets for the sun-seeking glitterati and their requisite yachts and cocktails. While the farmers whose ancestors hailed back to the Saracens and Romans worked the hillsides with their primitive hoes, the modern Riviera was born.

As you travel through Ireland, one given is that even the tiniest of towns will boast at least one Irish pub—and more likely, they’ll each have a few.

Backroads was honored to have Rue Mapp, founder of Outdoor Afro, join us last fall on a multi-adventure tour through South Carolina & Georgia.

Check out our video to get reacquainted with a tried-and-true classic, the Backroads titanium Touring Bike.