Thanks for visiting to learn more about us and our Trekking the Planet expeditions.

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After 25 years in the IT industry, we took early retirement with the twin goals of seeing the world and giving back. In 2012 we embarked on a 424-day around-the-world Trekking the Planet RTW journey to raise geo-literacy in K-12 students. If you are an educator, learn more about our materials here. Prior to that trip, we traveled to over 40 countries on six continents, most of it using independently organized itineraries.

Since our around-the-world adventure, we have spoken at numerous schools and civic groups about geography and travel.  In 2016 we completed a 1,828-mile trek along the Pacific Crest Trail (TTP PCT). We visited 27 U.S. National Parks during 2017, while camping and hiking more than 400 miles over four months (TTP NPS). In 2018, we completed four multi-day treks in Europe, totaling over 500 miles (TTP Europe). Since 2019, we have hiked over 1,000 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail and the Arizona Trail in the U.S. West (TTP U.S. West). We completed the PCT in 2023.

In 2022 we trekked in the British Isles (TTP British Isles), hiking about 700 miles over four months in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. And in 2023 we trekked 800 miles on the California Missions Trail, visiting the 21 missions along the historic Spanish “Alta California” network.

Hiking has been a part of many of our trips, and we have completed overnight treks in countries on all six of the world’s populated continents. A highlight of our travels was taking our then 13 and 10-year-old children on a four-month, around-the-world trip, visiting five continents. We called this trip Cosmos. This journey included several overland segments, covering significant portions of Africa, India, and Australia by ground.

We saw how these trips impacted our children. Through our Trekking the Planet journeys, we want to raise geography education awareness by sharing information with students about the places that we visit and the activities that we are doing. Our hope is to instill a greater curiosity about the world in others, especially in young people. Sandy is a published writer, and Darren is an experienced endurance athlete. When we aren’t traveling, we spend time at our home in Palm Desert, California.

New to Trekking the Planet?

Along the right-hand side of most pages, you will find our Take Me To section. Here you can view any of the topics below. Take a look at what interests you to learn more about our Trekking the Planet journeys:

Trekking the Planet RTW: Learn about our original TTP journey, in which we traveled to 53 countries on six continents over a 14-month period. Read about the culture and natural significance of our expedition.
Trekking the Planet California Missions Trail: During 2023 we trekked the 800-mile California Missions Trail to visit the 21 missions that were established by Spain between 1769 and 1823. As we hiked, we learned about the cultural significance of the missions and viewed California’s diverse natural beauty.
Trekking the Planet British Isles: In 2022 we circumnavigated the British Isles to trek 700 miles over a four month period. We traversed some of the region’s iconic national trails on eight multiple-day hikes. Along the way, we visited cultural attractions, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, national parks, and Areas of Outstanding Beauty.
Trekking the Planet Arizona Trail: During the past four years we trekked about 500 miles of this 800-mile national scenic trail, including hiking rim-to-rim through the Grand Canyon.
Trekking the Planet Europe: In the summer of 2018 we traveled to Europe to trek 500 miles in seven countries over a three month period. As we completed four multi-day hikes, we focused on the cultural and natural significance of the places that we visited.
Trekking the Planet PCT: In 2016 we hiked 1,828 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail. We returned in 2019 and 2021 to complete 618 more miles in California and Washington. Finally, in 2023 we completed the rest of the trail. Read about the natural highlights of our travels.
Trekking the Planet NPS: During 2017 we traveled to 27 U.S. National Parks over a 4 1/2 month period. Our focus was on visiting some of the lesser-known parks and hiking as much as possible to discover the unique natural beauty of each place.
Trekking the Planet U.S. West: In 2019, we trekked over 500 miles on trails in the U.S. West, including sections of the Pacific Crest Trail and the Arizona Trail.
Preparation and Insights: See how we plan our expeditions and navigate through each journey's logistics. This category also features our impressions and insights as we travel around the world. We also provide a behind-the-scenes look at what it is like to be on the road for an extended period of time.
Education Materials: Use our Geography Navigator to search through our 60 Education Modules, Destination Dispatches and Expedition Videos that we published while traveling around the world.

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