Avery Hale Smith of Backroads

Curious about biking or hiking through a region rather than driving past it, we turned to Avery Hale Smith, who practically grew up on a Backroads trip: her father founded the active travel company in 1979. She shares what she’s learned from years of traveling—and shaping trips—on two feet and two wheels, from women-only pilgrimages in Bhutan and along the Camino de Santiago and family trips where kids get to see their parents being curious and fully present, to biking through the temples of Angkor, picnicking on a glacier in the Italian Alps, and riding among elephants and giraffes in Botswana.

Tell us about you/your company.

I’m the Chief Experience Officer at Backroads, where we’ve spent more than four decades designing and leading active trips around the world. On our Biking, Hiking & Walking and Multi-Adventure trips, the idea is simple: get out into the world under your own power and experience a place in a more personal, up-close way.  Think hiking in the Dolomites, biking through Japan and adventuring through national parks.

I grew up with Backroads. My dad, Tom Hale, founded the company in 1979, so from the get-go I was immersed in travel, outdoor adventure and the energy of building something from the ground up. Family trips and studying in India showed me firsthand how travel can bring people together and completely change the way we see the world.

Before joining Backroads, I focused my career on business development and customer experience. That prepared me to build on Backroads’ long-standing approach to thoughtful growth and strong teams, listening closely to guests and employees, and turning insights into action. Today, I oversee sales, marketing, finance and people & culture.

What’s the entry level to talk to you? 

Trips typically start around $3,000 per person, and most fall in the $4,000 to $7,000-plus range depending on where you go, how long you travel and the style of accommodations.

Backroads tends to click with people who want to really get out into a destination. If biking through a region sounds better than driving past it, chances are we’re a good fit. We handle the logistics so our guests can stay in the moment and experience each place at a pace that feels right for them.

What is the sweet spot of your expertise?

My sweet spot is connecting the big-picture guest experience with the details that bring it to life. I’m always thinking about how a trip feels to a guest, not just while they’re traveling but starting from their first interaction with us all the way through to what they remember years later.

A big part of my job is figuring out how we keep evolving while holding on to what makes Backroads distinctive. That involves everything from how we design trips and support them operationally to the leaders we hire and the thoughtful touches guests may not consciously notice, but that make the whole experience feel personal and effortless.

The Backroads magic is a deeply human effort, but it’s also one that’s supported by a strong technology backbone. I’m passionate about that intersection, finding the just-right balance between technology advances and human connection. It’s about using digital tools to help our teams stay efficient and responsive while creating more personalized experiences for our guests. Adventure travel will always be about connection and discovery. Our role is to keep enhancing the experience to meet evolving guest expectations.

A few favorite experiences/trips/itineraries you’ve planned that best represent your philosophy… 

From the outside, we may look like an active adventure company, but internally, we think a lot about how connection is at the heart of everything we do.

One of my favorite examples is our Women’s Adventures, which I’m proud to have helped shape. The goal was never simply to design trips “for women.” We wanted to create experiences where women could be active and feel a strong sense of connection and community.

Trips like Bhutan and our Taste of Camino de Santiago hiking adventures bring that idea to life because they offer a sense of pilgrimage for women looking for more than a vacation. What I love about these trips is that they create so many different kinds of connections, to a place, to a culture, to yourself and to the people you’re sharing the experience with. Traveling on foot also creates a great balance between conversation and reflection.

For me, our Family Adventures are probably the most personal expression of the Backroads philosophy. As a kid in the ‘90s, I was on our first family trip to Yellowstone. Now, as a mother of two, I get to see our Family Adventures through another lens. I think about how travel shapes kids, but also about what happens when an entire family steps outside its usual routine and experiences something new together. Kids get to see their parents being curious, adventurous and fully present. There’s a level of connection and camaraderie that develops, and the memories they build become part of the fabric of that family.

From biking and kayaking through Maine’s Acadia National Park to rafting and hiking in Costa Rica, we design our family adventures with every generation in mind. Kids, teens, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles; each family member might engage with the trip a little differently, but everyone comes away with a shared family experience and stories for years.

Favorite hotels/lodges/houses you love and go back to again and again…

The places I find myself wanting to return to all have one thing in common: they have a really strong sense of place.

Hotel Tennerhof in Kitzbühel, Austria, is a great example. It has all the things you’d want from a luxury hotel, but what makes it special is its character. It feels more like a welcoming alpine retreat than a large five-star property. Every room is different, with family-owned antiques, beautiful fabrics and unique details that make it feel lived-in and personal. There’s a warmth and authenticity that’s hard to find and impossible to fake.

El Encanto in Santa Barbara is another favorite. It has that classic California charm without feeling formal or overdone. It sits high in the hills, with these sweeping views over Santa Barbara and the water. I remember coming back from a long but beautiful hike and heading to the hotel terrace for afternoon tea. Sitting there in the sunshine, taking in the view with a cup of tea and finally giving my legs a break, it all felt pretty perfect. It was such a simple thing, but the whole experience just stuck with me.

Londolozi, in South Africa’s Sabi Sand Game Reserve, is in a category of its own. It’s an incredibly beautiful place, but what stands out to me is how much thought and intention goes into every part of the experience, from the guiding and conservation work to the warm, personal hospitality. I left feeling connected not just to the landscape and wildlife, but also to the people behind it and the larger purpose.

The most memorable meal you’ve had while traveling… 

For me, the most memorable meals are about much more than the food.

One of my favorites was a Backroads picnic in Champagne. At the end of a morning ride, we rolled up to find a beautifully set table waiting for us, with local cheeses, fresh bread and Champagne all framed by the same beautiful landscape we had just biked through. I swear everything tasted better because of where we were and how we’d gotten there.

I also love cooking classes because they let you experience a culture through its food. In Ravello, Italy, we made burrata and linguine alle vongole from scratch, and I had a similarly memorable experience cooking with a chef in Vietnam. Cooking with locals gives you a glimpse into traditions, flavors and everyday rituals, and helps connect you to a place.

Sometimes it’s the unexpected moments that make food memorable. After a cold, rainy hike in Scotland, we ducked into a little hut for tea, scones, clotted cream and jam. We were chilly and wet, so sitting by the fire with a hot cup of tea felt extra cozy. Looking back, the weather is actually what made it so special. If it had been a sunny day, I probably wouldn’t remember it nearly as clearly. Instead, that simple tea break ended up being one of my favorite memories from the trip.

A few not-to-be-missed favorite experiences in your region(s) of expertise… 

When I think about my favorite active travel experiences, a few instantly stand out. One was a picnic on the Dente del Gigante glacier in the Italian Alps. Up there, you’re surrounded by towering peaks and this incredible Alpine scenery. The landscape was so spectacular I kept having to remind myself it wasn’t a painting or a photograph. Then, right in the middle of it all, we sat down for a simple outdoor lunch. Perfection.

Cambodia was memorable in a very different way. We’d spent the day biking through the Angkor temple complex, and afterward, we were invited to participate in a traditional water blessing. Going from the physical experience of riding to this quiet, reflective moment gave the day a depth that went far beyond sightseeing. It stayed with me long after the ride was over.

And in Botswana, I had one of those only-with-Backroads experiences: riding a bike through the landscape while elephants and giraffes moved through their natural habitat around us. It was equal parts thrilling, humbling and surreal. Even now, it’s hard to put into words what it felt like to be so immersed in that environment.

Those experiences are so different, but they all capture what I think Backroads does best, which is to help people experience a place actively and in a way that creates a real connection.

Underrated location, overrated location, personal favorite, recent discovery?

Underrated: The Bavarian Alps. They tend to get overshadowed by the Swiss, French and Italian Alps, but they have a character all their own. You still get alpine classics like glacial lakes, dramatic scenery and big mountain views, but with colorful towns and storybook castles, small family-run guesthouses and Bavarian culture. It has everything you want from the Alps, but it feels a little more unexpected.

Overrated: Positano. It’s stunning, but it can be tough to see past the crowds. I’d rather find a quieter corner of the Amalfi Coast where I can have a leisurely lunch at a family-run restaurant and hike a quieter coastal trail.

Personal Favorite: India & Tuscany. India is complex, vibrant, challenging, generous and completely unforgettable. I studied globalization and sustainability there, and it’s a place that continues to challenge me and expand my perspective.

Tuscany is another favorite, but for completely different reasons. The hype is real. The scenery, the food and the slower pace of life are so easy to love, and I always leave wanting to return.

Recent discovery: Cyprus. Between the biking, that beautiful coastline and the island’s rich history, it checks all the boxes for me. The best part is that it still feels relatively untouristed, kind of like Mallorca before it became such a popular destination.

The hardest-working item you always pack…

Packing cubes, no contest. They’re not the most exciting thing in my suitcase, but they might be the most valuable. They keep me organized and make hotel hopping so much easier. Once you start using them, going back feels a little like choosing chaos on purpose.

And I never leave home without a good baseball cap. It earns its place in my bag on every trip. It’s great for sun protection and, if I’m being honest, my go-to fix for a bad travel hair day.

What is something you wished we all knew or were better at as travelers?

Leaving space on the itinerary. As a Type A travel planner by nature, I completely understand the urge to maximize every minute. But I’ve learned that some of the best parts of a trip happen when I leave a little room for the unexpected.

The sweet spot is having a plan without treating it like a legally binding contract. You want enough structure to make the trip feel thoughtful and seamless, but not so much that you can’t wander down an interesting side street, spend an extra hour at a market or stop at a cafe because the coffee smells amazing.

I’ve found that the moments I remember most are rarely the ones I meticulously planned. They’re the detours and the spontaneous moments.

How do you want people to reach out to you?

mediarequest@backroads.com; 800-462-2848; @averyhalesmith; IG: @backroadstravel; FB:: @BackroadsActiveTravel