Quick links: [2001: World trip] [2009: 160-mile walk] [2012: South America] [2014: 180-mile tandem bike] [2015: Mountain home] [2017: Princess lecture cruise] [2018: Mississippi River cruise] [2019: Viking lecture cruise] [2020: Regent world cruise] [2022: Viking Europe river cruise] [2024: Viking world cruise]

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http://www.worldtrippers.com

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   Please scroll down to read about all of our adventures!


Cruise Ship Enrichment Lecturing

We have found exciting retirement careers aboard cruise ships, where Russell is a Guest Enrichment Lecturer and Gail is a Workshop Host. Here is a schedule of our upcoming cruises. Note that this list is subject to change, but we keep it up to date.

Because these are “working” cruises, we will not be blogging about them on worldtrippers.com. But if you would like to find out more, please send us an email!


Viking TV

We are on TV! We have hosted several programs on Viking TV, the online channel for Viking Cruise Lines. You can watch replays below!

Postcards from the Grand European Tour


The Story of Highway H2O – From the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean


Gods, Heroes and Monsters – Thrilling Tales from Greek Mythology


Fascinating Facts about the Mona Lisa – Tidbits You Never Learned


Tulip Mania – The Bulb that Sprouted the First Stock Market Bubble



2024: We take a 121-day Viking world cruise
(last updated May 11, 2024)

In January 2024, Gail and Russell were contracted to lecture and teach for an entire 121-day world cruise. Our vessel was the Viking Neptune.


2022: We take a two-week Viking European river cruise
(last updated May 13, 2022)

In April 2022, Gail and Russell set out on a 14-day European river cruise from Amsterdam, Netherlands, to Budapest, Hungary. Our vessel was the Viking longship Vili.


2020: We take a 131-day Regent world cruise
(last updated March 22, 2020)

In January 2020, Gail and Russell set out on a 131-day world cruise. Two months in, the coronavirus outbreak brought the cruise industry and the entire world to a standstill. Instead of world trippers, we were suddenly world wanderers.


2019: We lecture aboard a Viking cruise ship
(last updated May 7, 2019)

In April 2019, Gail and Russell were invited to lecture aboard a 14-day Viking Ocean cruise around the western coast of Europe from Barcelona, Spain, to Copenhagen, Denmark. Our vessel was the Viking Jupiter, on its maiden-year voyage.


2018: We travel the Mississippi River on a paddle-wheel steamboat
(last updated September 23, 2018)

In August 2018, Gail and Russell celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary (four months late) by taking a one-month cruise all the way up the Mississippi River from New Orleans, Louisiana, almost to Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota. Our vessel was the American Queen, a modern-day paddle-wheel steamboat.


2017: We lecture aboard a Princess cruise ship
(last updated May 27, 2017)

In May 2017, Russell was invited by Princess Cruises as a guest enrichment lecturer aboard the Pacific Princess, as it made a 17-day journey through the Panama Canal from Los Angeles, CA to Fort Lauderdale, FL. Together, Russell and Gail presented a series of lectures titled “Adventure of a Lifetime,” about our family’s many adventures.


2003-2015: We build our own Home on top of a Mountain
(last updated October 13, 2015)

In the Spring of 2003, Russell, Gail, and our children Cameron (12) and Joss (10) purchased 50 acres of property on a mountain top in California’s gold country. In the fulfillment of yet another crazy fantasy (i.e., mid-life crisis), we decided to build an entire house by ourselves – without a General Contractor, and without any previous knowledge of house building. After two years of planning and waiting, we finally began construction in the Spring of 2005.


2014: We take a 180-mile tandem bike ride
(last updated May 31, 2014)

In May 2014, we shared a birthday adventure! Five years before, Russell made a 160-mile solo walk from our mountain home in California’s gold country to our primary residence in the Bay Area. This time, Russell and Gail made the trip together in celebration of both of our birthdays. And this time, we did it on a tandem bicycle.


2012: We take a one-month Trip around South America
(last updated March 19, 2012)

In February-March 2012, Russell and Gail celebrated being empter-nesters by taking a 30-day cruise aboard the Star Princess. We flew into Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The ship cruised down the east coast of South America to Cape Horn. It cruised back up the west coast through Central America and Mexico before landing in San Francisco, California.


2009: Russell takes a Walk… for 160 miles
(last updated June 10, 2009)

In May 2009, Russell celebrated his 50th birthday. In honor of this event, he walked from our mountain home in California’s gold country to our primary residence in the Bay Area – a total distance of 160.18 miles – over a period of 12 days. (As Gail said: “At least it’s better than him buying a red sports car.”)


2001-2002: We take a one-year Trip around the World
(last updated July 16, 2002)

In July 2001, Russell, Gail, and our children Cameron (10) and Joss (8) embarked on a one-year trip around the world. For this "once-in-a-lifetime" adventure, we took one suitcase and one backpack each, walked out of our front door, and did not return again until twelve months later.


We hope you have as much fun reading about our adventures as we had experiencing them!