Along the Way Explores Pursuit of Curiosity, Connection from the Road

Bill Whitacre’s debut book blends photography, short essays reflecting on decades of travel

EAGLE, ID, UNITED STATES, February 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Somewhere between taking his first bite of a guinea pig empanada and stumbling into a banana auction in Zambia, Bill Whitacre’s first book was born.

Whitacre’s debut, Along the Way: A Journey Into Curiosity, Purpose, and Perspective, draws from over a decade spent on the back of a motorcycle, riding across 50 countries and six continents. Rather than a traditional travelogue, the book blends travel photography with short reflective essays that explore how curiosity shapes perspective and human connection.

“If there’s one thing that’s shaped the way I move through the world, it’s a need to understand what I’m looking at,” Whitacre writes. “Not just to see it, but to ask what it means, where it came from, and how it fits. That kind of curiosity doesn’t always lead to answers, but it does lead to people, places, and stories I never would have found otherwise.”

Whitacre’s curiosity has carried him through moments both extraordinary and uncomfortable: racing 1,500 miles through freezing rain and 40-mph winds to make it home for a board meeting, battling food poisoning in the Gobi Desert and swapping stories over meals and drinks with strangers in Peru, Slovenia, Argentina and Estonia.

“That’s how connection really happens, especially on the road, especially across cultures,” Whitacre writes. “Ask enough questions and eventually people will show you who they are. What they value. What they believe happens after they die. What goodness means to their family.”

Along the Way began as a storytelling project designed to bring lessons of connection and perspective into Idaho high school auditoriums and classrooms. It later expanded to university campuses, club events and industry gatherings, eventually growing into a multimedia platform featuring short essays, photographs and videos from Whitacre’s travels. Along the Way compiles many of these experiences into a single volume.

Whitacre is a first-time author with a background in agriculture and business leadership. Originally from Missouri, he has served as chief executive officer at Research Seeds, Inc., a Land O’Lakes subsidiary, and later at J.R. Simplot Company. He and his wife, Joan, live in Idaho, where they raise sheep, cattle, and quarter horses on Outrun Farms, LLC.

Along the Way is available for purchase online for $39.95. A portion of all book sales will be donated to Backcountry Discovery Routes, a nonprofit that works to protect and expand access to backcountry roads throughout the United States. For more information, please visit the Along the Way website.

Beth Berger
WellTold Studio
+1 859-806-9562
ceo@welltoldstudio.com

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