Wait! Don’t put that winter active wear away just yet. If you’re planning a trip to the Dolomites during the summer, you might just need it. There is often this misconception about “sunny Italy” being, well, warm all the time. But it’s a long peninsula that experiences true seasons and isn’t always…

I'm not writing any new material by saying that Paris is a magical place. The amount of history, creativity, fine art and architecture in this ever-gray city is astonishing. In fact, deciding what to do with only 24 hours in such a culturally rich place can be overwhelming. Here's my recommendation…

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 pa…

All right, I realize I’m not about to unleash a revolutionary statement here, but the fact is, Tuscany has some amazing bike routes. Even if you haven’t been there, I bet you’ve seen postcards. The real thing looks just like that! No—even better! It didn’t take me much time in Tuscany to realize thi…

Much like the US, Thailand has dramatically changed the way it grows food with the introduction of modern agricultural practices. And in northern Thailand, there's a huge movement to go back to small, organic and sustainable farming. There's a local farmer leading the Thai food revolution--Jon Janda…

For many of us, the brain’s parsimonious nature seems to record time with less fidelity as we age. What happened in 2004? 2006? Do we remember a hundred things? A thousand? Ten? All is not lost! We have the opportunity to bring back that “child’s mind” of discovery, growth, novelty and lush memories…

DROP AND GIVE ME TWENTY! That's right, I'm talking about calisthenics: simple body-weight exercises that utilize the force of gravity. Push-ups. Pull-ups. Dips. Squats. Lunges. It's an age-old method used by militaries, athletic teams and high school gym teachers alike.

The other day a guest asked me how we're able to hire such amazing leaders with such consistently exemplary values. He then asked whether we specifically recruited for values, which prompted me to review the criteria we use to screen leaders.

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 A…

Whether you're on Backroads' Belize and Guatemala multi-adventure trip or traveling on your own, head to Belize for stunning beaches, abundant wildlife, lush forests and Maya ruins. You can also get some fantastic rice-and-beans or beans-and-rice (yes there is a difference). As someone who's lived i…