Interview with Don and Mary Bradbury

Name: Don and Mary Bradbury

Age (be as vague as you wish!): 71 and 66

Where are some of the places you’ve gone with ExperiencePlus! or with other groups?

Experience Plus
Costa Rica, Butterflies bicycles and Beaches
Italy, Little tour in Tuscany
Croatia, Hopping Islands of Dalmatia Plus

Other Organized Rides (to name a few)
Colorado, Ride the Rockies
California, Solvang Classic

How did your love of the outdoors develop?

The outdoors lifestyle goes way back. Hiking, camping, bicycling a paper route and serious skiing by the time I was in middle school. Then came college, dropped everything except skiing in Stow, Vermont. We got married and continued skiing while we took up small sailboat racing to add to our sun exposure time. We moved into a cruising sailboat to explore the southern California coast and did bare boat chartering in Honduras, Caribbean, Tonga and Fiji.

We didn’t get back to serious cycling until we got caught up in triathlons in the mid 80’s. Later we lived in Colorado for 7 years and outdoors life meant single track mountain bike riding and hiking the 14ers and numerous smaller ones. Oh yes. Skiing was still a priority, and we did enough that I stopped counting runs.

Now it’s bicycling, swimming, jogging and weight work to stay in shape enough to enjoy these tours.

So much to see, so little time. A cliché, but true. We really enjoy different cultures, the people, foods, beer and wines and the challenge of the whole process of communicating and finding ones way around (with exercise).

What is your favorite travel destination and why?

Our favorite destination is the next one. There are so many places in the world to see; even though past good times beckon return we look forward to new experiences. But Italy is our favorite overall of the places we have been.

What is something you are always sure to bring along when you travel—maybe an essential item or a good-luck charm—and why?

Of course the credit card, then a map and a local language dictionary and phrase book. Also a small World Atlas so we can plan the next trip.

What’s the most exciting adventure you’ve had while traveling?

Probably our most exciting adventure would be the Africa safari we did with friends, seeing a huge spectrum of animals and birds and visiting non- tourists Masai villages, markets and schools.

Do you have a particular piece of travel wisdom to impart to your fellow traveler? Any lessons learned that you would like to share?

We like to arrive a day or so before serious touring starts when the time difference is 8 hours or more. It helps us to acclimate and get the most out of the trip.