Jason Davis, the KSTP-TV, Channel 5, veteran journalist whose travels for decades have taken viewers to locales down the highway and to the ends of the Earth, announced his retirement Monday.

Davis, host of the popular show "On the Road," said in a report on www.kstp.com, "I'm not moving on to do other things. I've run my course, and I've achieved what I needed to achieve. There are only so many stories out there; I find it more difficult each week to find stories that are interesting and new to me."

His last day on the job will be May 30.

Since 1979, Davis and his news crews have visited more than 35 countries and even the North Pole, bringing him numerous awards and induction into the Minnesota Museum of Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

"I'm most proud of creating a franchise that is something people enjoy, is successful, and touches people emotionally," Davis said. "There are thousands of stories that we've told, and that's a legacy that won't go away."

Looking ahead, Davis said in the station's web report, "I would like to travel with my wife rather than travel with a photographer."

Born in London, Davis left home at age 15 to join the British Merchant Navy. After visiting more than 50 countries, he settled in Australia, where he began his television news career in 1968.

After a brief career stop in Phoenix, Davis joined KSTP in 1976 as a reporter.

The "On the Road" host has been to the battlefields of Kuwait and Iraq, and he visited the North Pole with adventurer Will Steger.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482