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by Pattie Baker (Author)
A solo budget travel memoir across the United States-10,000 miles by bike, buses, trains, and WWOOFing on organic farms.
If you've ever dreamed of solo* travel across America, taking a meaningful journey on a budget, or starting over later in life, Round America with a Duck is a bold, funny, and deeply reflective adventure that proves it's never too late to follow the call of the road.
On the cusp of turning 60, Pattie Baker sets out alone to cross the United States-traveling more than 10,000 miles by bicycle, public transit, and WWOOFing (working on organic farms in exchange for room and board). With a $20-a-day budget and a rubber duck named Disco strapped to her handlebars, she embarks on an unconventional journey through a country at a crossroads during one of the hottest years on record.
This is not a traditional USA travel guide-but readers interested in solo travel in the United States, budget travel, cycling across America, WWOOFing experiences, and sustainable farm life will find both inspiration and real-world insight woven into every mile.
From a repurposed tobacco farm in North Carolina to an eco-spiritual alpaca ranch run by the Dominican Sisters of Peace in the Midwest, from a homestead in Boulder, Colorado to a Krishna temple with the largest llama rental herd in Utah, and a lavender farm in the high desert of California, each stop offers unexpected connection, humor, and perspective. Along the way, she comes face-to-face with climate realities, community resilience, and the question of what it means to live with purpose in a world in crisis.
Fast-paced, funny, and philosophical, this is more than a travel memoir-it's a story about aging boldly, trusting the journey, and rediscovering hope through movement, land, and human connection.
Perfect for readers who love:
- Solo travel across America and transformational journeys
- Budget travel and long-distance backpacking
- Cycling across the United States
- WWOOFing, organic farming, and sustainable living
- Environmental awareness and climate-focused storytelling
- Women's midlife and later-life adventure memoirs
Meet unforgettable people. Travel differently. And maybe-just maybe-find a new way forward.
Warning: May inspire spontaneous road trips, cross-country bike rides, and deep conversations with strangers (and livestock).
* Well... not entirely solo. With a duck.
