HITCHHIKING - 45,000 Miles to Alaska

Description of my NEW book...

A young boy grows up reading outdoor magazines, adventure books, and watching astonishing images on the television. Then, in 1960, he embarks on an amazing journey as a hitchhiker, traveling 45,000 miles through 44 states and three countries before settling down in Alaska. An astonishing memoir of a true character, Chuck Wirschem’s four year odyssey across North America is an extraordinary tale of adventure that symbolizes the essence of America: freedom.

An avid hitchhiker since the age of nine, when he would stay after school to play sports and then thumb rides home afterwards, setting out to explore the world, hitchhiking was a natural fit.

From 1960 through 1964 he chases girls in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, explores the beaches of California and Mexico, experiences the World’s Fair in Seattle, and the unveiling of the Space Needle, explores New York City on less than $10, heads for Hawaii, ends up in Alaska, and buys an airplane-BEFORE learning how to fly it.

The remarkable adventure of a real American original, Wirschem’s jaw dropping tale will remind you of the great possibilities of life if you are courageous enough to know they are sitting right next to you, waiting for you to take a chance. Full of humor and humanity, Hitchhiking 45,000 Miles to Alaska is a unique journey unlike any other you’ve ever experienced.

Chuck’s biography...

Chuck Wirschem grew up in Muskegon, Michigan, and earned both a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and a master’s degree in Geography from Western Michigan University. A teacher in Anchorage for over 20 years, he was also a pilot tour guide for 23 years with Alaska Skytrekking. He has traveled, hiked, and biked on six continents, skied the top 50 ski areas in North America, pedaled his bike from Los Angeles to Savannah, Georgia, landed his Cessna 185 on the North Pole and Greenland, and has flown 9,000 hours all over Alaska in a Super Cub and Cessna 185.

He currently lives with his wife, Kelly, in Alaska and looks forward to many more adventures, including those with his son and daughter who were both raised in Alaska. They share his passion for beachcombing, float trip fishing, and ski trips all over Alaska.