They might be from Central Florida but Howard Blount and Jerry Woods are more familiar with the rivers of Europe than they are with Mickey Mouse.
Travel partners Blount and Woods are the faces of Backroad Planet, a travel website and blog for the economical adventurer. Blount, who retired from teaching this past June after a 35-year career in the Plant City area, made his first post on the travel blog in September of 2013.
“I was looking for what I wanted to do after I retired,” Blount said.
The simple hobby has turned into a travel obsession.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
At first, Blount and Woods began their travel adventures by taking trips to state and national parks, filling stamps in the park passport books along the way. The two frequently chose to take their journey off the beaten path during day trips and road trips by stopping to see locations that couldn’t be found on the interstate. It’s part of the reason they came up with the name Backroad Planet.
“We did not want to limit ourselves to just the United States,” Blount said. “We figure, the whole world has backroads.”
“You’re not going to have a bad experience,” Woods added.
“We prefer to immerse ourselves in local culture,” Blount said. “We prefer authentic experiences.”
Woods is from Missouri and moved to Mulberry with his family when he was 12. Blount’s parents were missionaries. Growing up, he lived in Mexico, Chile and Paraguay. With a mix of experiences, the two balance each other out on their trips, with Blount serving as the passenger-seat navigator and expert planner, always with an itinerary on hand. Woods, the driver, is more spontaneous. Together, they have expanded their day trips into longer road trips, visiting Pennsylvania and New Orleans before traveling abroad.
They started getting noticed online after they took their first fly-drive in Costa Rica in 2013, which was Woods’ first trip out of the country. After flying to Costa Rica, they rented a car and drove throughout the country, blogging about their adventures. They detailed their visits to both La Paz Waterfall Gardens in Vara Blanca and Villa Hermosa, as well as posting helpful tips about flights, sights and accommodations for frugal travelers.
TRAVEL SPONSORSHIPS
The website has gained popularity, so much so that the two have started to receive sponsorships for their travels. They recently returned from the 15-day Grand European Tour with Viking River Cruises, where they traveled from Amsterdam to Budapest on the Rhine, Maine and Danube Rivers. They have already been invited back.
Blount and Woods believe the trip was fate. Last summer, they had paid to go on a river cruise in Switzerland. They were touring windmills on the first day of the trip in Kinderdijk when Blount suddenly started seeing black spots in his right eye, followed by a gray veil at the bottom of his eye. His retina had torn and detached. They had to fly home so Blount could have surgery.
They missed the rest of their trip.
Six months later, they received the offer for the Grand European Tour from Viking River Cruises.
Unlike most traditional cruise ships, river cruises take place on smaller ships across noteworthy rivers instead of oceans, typically stopping at a different port every day. Those on the cruise sleep and eat on the ships.
“As far as Viking River cruises go, they are everything they claim to be and more,” Blount said. “You get to meet a lot of neat people. You eat dinner with different people.”
The offer, which they received from the vice president of Viking’s public relations company, came as a surprise. Typically, travel bloggers make pitches to different companies in order to receive a sponsored trip. They can write about their experiences with a cruise line, airline or hotel in exchange for reduced airfare or free tours. In this case, Viking approached Blount and Woods. They felt as though the proposed trip was their redemption.
“There are people who do this as a hobby, and then there are those who do it as a business,” Blount said. “We’re kind of in between.”
The ship that the two traveled on, the Viking Mimir, was one of the brand new river cruise ships. In addition to stopping at one or two ports per day, the cruise also had guided tours.
“They have really good tours,” Woods said. “They go to places you’ve never heard of.”
Woods and Blount consider themselves to be history nuts. They were impressed with the number of castles, palaces and cathedrals throughout Europe, especially within two stretches of the Rhine river. They are fans of UNESCO World Heritages sites, which recognize sites with historical or scenic value.
“If it’s historical, we’re there,” Blount said. “There are castles and cathedrals and palaces everywhere. Pick a town in Europe, and they’ve got a cathedral.”
Although Woods and Blount have been offered another sponsored trip with Viking River Cruises, they are unsure of where they want to go next. In the future, they hope that they can take a trip where they stay for longer than a few days, getting more than just the overview of a country. For now, though, they are happy to be back, even if it’s just for a short time.
“Plant City is changing and evolving,” Blount said. “It’s nice to come home.”
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.
AND COUNTING
So far, Backroad Planet has been to the following countries:
Netherlands
Austria
Costa Rica
Germany
Hungary
Jamaica
Slovakia
United Kingdom
SWEET SERENDIPITY
It’s hard for Blount and Woods to pick just one favorite moment out of their travels. The two enjoy serendipitous moments that happen unexpectedly. One favorite memory they have is driving through the oak tree-lined streets of Tallahassee, listening to Elton John Live in Australia. Somehow, they said, it was the perfect soundtrack for that particular moment.
FUNNIEST MOMENT
Woods’ daughter had planned to get married in Washington, D.C. at the Jefferson Memorial, but her wedding plans were interrupted by the government shutdown. Luckily, she was able to secure a more intimate spot. The ceremony was performed at the Capitol on House Speaker John Boehner’s balcony.
A TASTE OF HOME
On their trip to Costa Rica in 2013, Blount and Woods stayed at Villa Hermosa, owned by California native Wendy Holt. Throughout their stay, Holt served Blount and Woods a home-cooked meal every day — from Belgian waffles to banana pancakes, complete with a beautifully set table.
Luckily, penny savers don’t need to leave the United States to get their favorite flapjacks. Blount and Woods are also fans of the Sugar Mill restaurant, where customers can make their own pancakes, located in DeLeon Springs State Park in Florida.
FIVE WAYS TO GET SOCIAL
Website: BackroadPlanet.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/BackroadPlanet
Twitter: @backroad_planet
Instagram: @backroadplanet
Pinterest: Pinterest.com/BackRoadPlanet