About Us

Meet Ashton, the founder of Expedition Trips, avid explorer, and passionate eco-traveler. After spending a glorious decade exploring the world, from Antarctica to the Arctic, and most places in between, Ashton decided to help others discover the wonders of our planet. Specializing in small ship and expedition-style travel, Ashton continues to be inspired by the incredible experiences people can have exploring the most remote and spectacular destinations and it brings him joy and gratitude to help people realize their wildest travel dreams. He believes that nature is a gateway to inspiration, and that when travel is done right, people can’t help but become ambassadors for the places they explore. (Which is win-win for the planet and our travelers) When not traveling, Ashton enjoys spending time with his amazing wife, Hillary, their four teenagers, and great friends. He feels fortunate to be surrounded by so much love.

Chris grew up in the woods and waterways near the Chesapeake Bay. Fishing, camping and canoeing from an early age led to a passion for adventures in the natural world. After moving west to Oregon, the urge to travel became too much to resist and Chris bought a backpack and a ticket to Europe. He returned to the Pacific Northwest three years later after traveling around the world, counterclockwise. Since that time, he has traveled extensively in Europe, Asia, and the Americas following his mother’s advice to “never take the same road twice." When a chance to work on expedition vessels in the polar regions presented itself, Chris could not resist. After a few years and dozens of trips to the Arctic and Antarctica, he finally decided to settle down in Seattle and enjoy adventures closer to home. As an avid rock climber, skier and backcountry adventurer, Chris loves living in the wild and beautiful Pacific Northwest. Since joining the Expedition Trips team, Chris channels his still-powerful wanderlust into helping others achieve their travel dreams.

Ashley grew up in the outdoor town of Bend, Oregon, where her thirst for adventure and off-the-beaten path experiences ignited at a young age. She has a deep passion for the mountains and enjoys snowboarding, backpacking, fly fishing, hiking with her German Shepherd Grizzly, and of course, traveling. She is a huge lover of animals and the outdoors and believes, as her dad would say, that nature will always provide you with a gift. After visiting the Canadian Rockies and Baja as a kid, her travels continued at the age of 19 when she spent a month discovering Europe by train. Since then, she has backpacked around Hawaii, circumnavigated Iceland in a camper van, explored the jungles and islands of Belize, hiked around the stunning landscapes of Alaska, and most recently, experienced the true wildness and epic beauty of Antarctica. At Expedition Trips, she thoroughly enjoys helping others plan amazing adventures.

To say that traveling is one of the most important things in Christine’s life would be an understatement. A deep sense of curiosity and passion for adventure has taken her to 39 countries + Antarctica and counting. From Moscow to Milan and Tel Aviv to Istanbul, there isn’t a single place she’s visited that she hasn’t been able to appreciate. Exploring various cultures, engaging with others from diverse backgrounds, and experiencing firsthand the world’s natural beauty are at the core of what she values most in life. She believes that her purpose is to inspire others to step outside of their comfort zone so that we, together, can ultimately make the world a more culturally competent place. When Christine isn’t traveling abroad, she enjoys visiting America’s National Parks, reading a new novel, watching live music, and going to karaoke with friends. Christine is thrilled to be assisting travelers with the journey of a lifetime exploring some of the most remote and wildly beautiful places our planet has to offer.

Paul is an avid surfer, snowboarder, and outdoors-man who loves to combine his outdoor passions with international travel. Some of Paul's most memorable travel experiences include swimming with pink dolphins on an expedition in the Amazon, surfing in countries as varied as Ireland to Costa Rica, and traveling on Safaris in South Africa. Professionally, Paul has worked within the travel industry serving fellow adventurers across a range of roles, and always looks forward to the opportunity to apply his travel experience and excellent service mentality to enrich the trips of our clients.

Hailing from the Midwest and now residing in the south, Keri brings her passion for efficiencies, processes, and top-notch service together with her love for travel, nature, and wildlife to Expedition Trips.  As a wife and mother, she knows the importance of making memories that last a lifetime.  With her attention to the finest details and a zest for planning, she ensures each of our clients is provided exceptional service conducive to creating these memories through their experiences.  When she’s not assisting our clients, you can find her enjoying her passions for cooking, baking, hiking, gardening, and traveling with her family.  She has traveled extensively throughout the Caribbean, and various parts of the US including Hawaii and Alaska, as well as Mexico and Canada.   She most recently traveled to the Galapagos to experience the incredible wildlife, unlike anywhere else on Earth, and the strikingly beautiful, rugged, remote terrain. A self-confessed lover of people, great food, and craft cocktails, she looks forward to helping people fulfill their dreams of travel to our many spectacular destinations. She feels truly fortunate and blessed to say that she “loves her job” and can’t wait to work with you on your first or next adventure.

Monica has lived out of a suitcase for most of adulthood and has loved every minute of it! As a professional theater actor/singer/dancer for 30+ years, she has performed in big and small towns in every state in the U.S.A. plus Canada, Mexico, and Singapore on-tour and in regional productions. For pleasure, she has cruised the Inside Passage of Alaska; embarked upon a European Transatlantic voyage; and scuba dived all over the Caribbean. An avid hiker, she annually hits the trails out West. While performing in a hit show in Las Vegas for 7 years, she took great pleasure in being a local guide to visiting friends and family. She has a BFA degree in Theater (Directing/Performance/Dance) and is also a Voice-over Actor. Passions include spontaneous adventures, being of service to others, and the great outdoors - precisely why she loves being a part of the Expedition Trips team!

Gretchen’s love of international travel began with a student teaching program in New Zealand. She followed that with a year in South Korea, teaching English as a Second Language, then did her own language study in Central and South America. The more she traveled, the more she wanted to travel, so she trekked for a month in Nepal, road-tripped through Western Canada, then sailed on a four-month voyage around the world with the Semester at Sea program. She also earned her PADI certification in Thailand, rode horses in Iceland, and camped in the Wahiba Sands desert of Oman. She was with Expedition Trips from 2004-2008, and with them traveled to Antarctica, the Galapagos & Peru, Alaska, the Arctic, and the Mediterranean/Atlantic Coast of Europe. Gretchen has since honed her skills as a genealogist and an author and has had two books published: one humorous memoir, and one novel of Historical Fiction (The Operator, William Morrow 2020). She has returned to the travel fold and balances her creative writing with the satisfying structure and analytical detail required of expedition trip planning, bringing with her a never-ending enthusiasm for world travel, small ships, polar regions, and penguins.