Name:   John & Sandy McCarty

Family members (include children and spouses):   Kelly & Jim, Kevin & Jennifer, Chris & Lydia, Karen and grandchildren - Joshua & Adrienne, Kyle & Erin, James & Jared, and Kolby.

Age:   We are 71 & 70 or as we like to think - old enough to know better, young enough to try.

Where are some of the places you’ve gone with ExperiencePlus! or with other groups?   We’ve been on bike tours to Greece and to Italy with ExperiencePlus! and thoroughly enjoyed them both.  We started with a bike trip to Ireland. We’ve also traveled to China, France, Switzerland, New Zealand and Australia as well as short visits to many of the countries on the Baltic.

How did your love of the outdoors develop?   Sandy: It started with a camp out when I was first married – on the ground with no tent - and I cried all night. We camped while the kids were growing up which they say were some of their best memories. We didn’t begin biking or hiking until we retired in 2001 and moved to Colorado.

What motivates you to travel to far-off places? It combines the opportunity to see new places and cultures up close while meeting new & exciting travel companions.

Where is your favorite travel destination, and why?   Possibly Ireland – it was our first bike tour and we had only been biking for a year, but it started our desire to see other places at the ground level where you can really experience the "feel" of the country (Sandy: even though I walked many hills on that trip – now I’m down to only a few).

What is something you are always sure to bring along when you travel – maybe an essential item or a good-luck charm – and why?   An active interest in people and places, a positive outlook, deodorant and Ibuprofen.

What’s the most exciting adventure you’ve had while traveling?   The evening the train between cities in China stopped unexpectedly for 2+ hours and there was not a light to be seen outside the car. There was a lot of talking in Chinese but no one spoke English so we could not find out what was happening. Then we pulled into the station very late and had to worry whether or not our transportation to the hotel was still going to be there.

Do you have a particular piece of travel wisdom to impart to your fellow traveler? Any lessons learned that you would like to share?   Bring all quick dry lightweight clothes (wool socks take days to dry).  Don’t let the idea of a bike tour scare you, with a little training you can do it and enjoy it (even if you have to walk some times). You don’t need to be a hard-core biker to have a great time.

What is the most unique or meaningful souvenir you’ve ever brought home from and ExperiencePlus! Tour or from another trip?   Sandy: The memories are what I remember the most.  From Ireland it was the little old man who came up to the car and asked in his marvelous accent “Are ye lost me darlin?”. In Greece it was the family crushing grapes in a small village and the 9 year old girl who brought me a bunch of grapes.  In Italy it was the smell of Jasmine in the villages (it gave me the incentive to persevere just when I was running out of steam)

Describe the best meal you have had while traveling?   Again, each country has its unique memories.  In Ireland it was Sticky Toffee Pudding and a fish pot pie in Dingle, in Greece it was Ouzo, in Italy it was Limoncello (which we didn’t discover until our final group dinner – and it was a daily ritual from then on), in China it was the amazingly many ways to cook tofu and an invitation to a dinner at The Great Hall of the People with thousand year eggs.

Do you have movie or book recommendations?   Sandy: My interests lean toward the lighter books, mysteries. John: I like the perspective on western civilization that the history books of Thomas Cahill provide. Also I go to the movies once every 5 or 10 years and so my recommendations are Dances with Wolves, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and The Ballad of Cable Hogue.

Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.   Sandy: It’s probably no great secret, but I need a push to get out of the house and bike, hike, ski, etc.  But I’m always glad that I did it.

What question do you wish we had asked, and how would you have answered?  Where do you want to go next?  A bike and/or hike tour in Scotland.