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 on 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.