Explorations All Over

What makes the perfect vacation? Is it the destination? The hotel? The food? The activities? Or could it have more to do with understanding what kind of traveler you are? In this Season 2 finale of Explorations All Over, I sit down with travel advisor Dee Koger to explore how our personalities, preferences, and travel styles shape the vacations we choose—and the memories we bring home. Our convers...

In this immersive episode of Explorations All Over: Far Flung Adventures, Russ takes you from the streets of Istanbul to the skies over Cappadocia, through the ancient city of Ephesus and into the everyday moments that ultimately changed how he and Duncan viewed Turkey — and perhaps how they saw travel itself. Featuring: • the sounds of Istanbul’s call to prayer • bustling spice markets and hidden...

For many trips, I’ve traveled with a purpose. I wanted to learn something.  Understand something.  Come home with a story that explained not just where I went — but why it mattered. French Polynesia was different. This wasn’t a trip about meaning or growth.  It wasn’t about checking boxes or chasing experiences. It was about letting go. In this episode of Explorations All Over , I share what it fe...

Travel reviews are everywhere. Five stars. One star. Glowing praise. Brutal criticism. But what do those ratings actually mean? In this episode of Explorations All Over , Russ steps away from a destination story and looks at something almost every traveler relies on when planning a trip: review sites . Drawing on nearly two decades of experience as a bed & breakfast and boutique hotel owner—an...

Uganda isn’t usually the first place people imagine when they think about Africa. For us, it became one of the most humbling experiences of our travels. In this episode of Explorations All Over , we journey into the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for a mountain gorilla trek — an experience that demanded patience, effort, and a willingness to give up control. There were no guarantees we would see anyth...

Ancient Faiths, Modern Worlds is not an episode about geopolitics or theology. It’s about what happens when travel quietly reshapes the way we see belief, belonging, and one another. In this episode of Explorations All Over , I take you through sacred spaces across cultures and continents — from the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Masada, Vietnam, Antarctica, and Dubai. Along th...

Antarctica isn’t a place most people plan to visit. And that’s exactly why this episode isn’t about planning a trip. In this episode of Explorations All Over , I reflect on what happens when you step into an environment that doesn’t accommodate you — where scale breaks your sense of proportion, silence carries weight, and life unfolds without regard for human presence. From misjudging the size of...

 In the Glow of Christmas is the first episode of Explorations All Over Season 2—and the beginning of a more immersive way of traveling together. Rather than focusing on schedules or daily itineraries, this episode invites you into the atmosphere of Europe’s Christmas markets along the Rhine. From the warmth of mulled wine cradled in your hands to the glow of lights reflected on cobblestone street...

What do you do when the sun refuses to set? Join Russ as he sails north — way north — past the Arctic Circle into the Land of the Midnight Sun. From Bergen to the North Cape, this voyage along Norway’s rugged coast promised postcard-perfect scenery, endless daylight, and a little too much similarity onboard. In this episode, Russ and Duncan discover: The surreal reality of sunlight at 2:00 a.m. —...

Trains. Most people think of them as part of the daily grind — commuting, delays, and crowded cars. But rail travel can also be magical, maddening, and unforgettable. In this episode of Explorations All Over , Russ takes you along on four very different train journeys: 🚆 VIA Rail “Yellow and Blue” (Canada) – A cross-country ride through the Rockies and across endless prairies. 🚆 Paris to Barcelo...