Here's another pitch. You might consider touring on a tandem. Especially recommended if you are unequal in strength on the bike. Stoker and I have been backpacking together for 35 years. This year, because of my back, we're trying bike touring instead of our usual backpacking expedition. The attachment below shows our bike loaded for a two week bike and dayhike tour through the Redwoods. Honest, that's all we need. Full camping and cooking gear in there. Trail shoes and light pack in there, clothes for both modes as well as passable town clothes. About 30 lbs. in addition to our normal dayride equipment. Going out forever, we'd take front panniers, too, for some more clothing variety.

Advantages: light! One tandem weighs less than two touring bikes. Only one set of racks and panniers. Share the work equally, no question about it. Very much fun being that close all day. We can talk comfortably. Some teams use headsets to aid in that. Fast. We cruise at 18 or so on the flat, loaded, and wife is 61 and never was athletic. Comfortable. Captain sits in the middle of the bike, very cushy, while stoker has a telescoping shock seatpost. Flashy. People love them. Cars give you extra room and wave. Everyone smiles when they see a tandem. Stoker also smiles and waves. Stoker navigates, so captain can pay attention to the road. It's a rolling party.

Disadvantages: Tandems are relationship accelerators. Whichever way yours is going, it'll get there faster on a tandem. That can go in either column. Tandems are expensive, though not necessarily more than two bikes, especially if you add the equipment. If something breaks, you are both stuck there. You can't put a tandem on a bus and they are tricky to fly with. They wear stuff out faster than a single, but not necessarily faster than two singles.

On the subject of touring philosophy . . . I've always found travel to be about people, not places. The tour is the spark for interaction. That's the fun of it, and it's very addictive.