general question about bicycle specs

Hello,
I am curious what others think about a good all-round bicycle for
touring. I have been out of cycling for about 6 years now. When I did a
tour in 1999 I just made some changes to my mountain bike as shown he
http://cyclingtrip.com/main_pages/bike/index.html

I still have that bicycle and find it to ride very well. I liked the
ability to take it and the BOB trailer over rough surfaces in remote
areas. I've even been off road bouncing around a bit. It handled very
well and I felt comfortable passing cars in tight corners going downhill
in the Canadian Rockies.

If I decide to get a replacement, I'm wondering what is currently
available and what I should be looking for?

Thank you,
wade