A north-east couple have been praised by the mayors of two US cities after impressing them with tales of 21 years of Stateside holidays.
Andy and Sandra Stewart first caught the travelling bug when they visited his aunt in Florida in 1998.
Mr Stewart then made a handful of trips over as part of his work teaching health and safety and, since then, the Oldmeldrum couple have returned every year.
So far the pair have visited 37 of the 50 states, collecting a state-shaped fridge magnet of each when they pass through.
And they have planned out the next three years of holidays so they can cover all 50.
Mr Stewart said: “I’m not a tourist-y person, I like real life and properly seeing the country.
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“But going to the US has become a passion of mine. I love the lifestyle over there and their imaginative approach to life.
“There’s such a level of choice with everything and everyone is very friendly.”
Earlier this month, while Mr and Mrs Stewart were driving through Arkansas, they stopped off at a visitor information centre and got to talking with the staff.
And enamoured with the couple’s two-decade love affair with the country, they called in tourism bosses to give them a warm welcome to the state.
Every year they select one group of lucky travellers and shower them with gifts as part of a state-wide travel and tourism week.
The civic heads of Fort Smith and Van Buren presented the Stewarts with special proclamations and a range of locally-made food and drink.
Mr Stewart said: “It was phenomenal, they made proclamations and presented us with free gifts, including a hotel stay and a trip to where Elvis had his hair cut while he was in the military.
“They turn these places into museums, identifying what’s going to be important in the future and preserving them.”
And he added: “I always have a yearning for getting back across there.
“The whole thing has been a fantastic voyage.
“I only started because I thought it would be enjoyable going across the US and then, gradually, I cam to think it might be achievable to see the whole thing.”
