-
Annandale
Annandale is the suburb of D.C. that Chris McCandless grew up in. His Father was a high ranking engineer for NASA until he and his wife started their own company and worked from home. This is were conflicts from a young age Chris was hidden from the fact that his father had a child that was younger than him, he lost trust in his and had grew angry from his dad has told him. -
Emory University Hospital
After finishing High School in Virginia with exceptional grades, Chris attended Emory University for four years. The last time his parents and sister ever saw him was at his college graduation. His parents planned a surprise visit months after his graduation only to find an empty apartment. The anger his family had given had led to the decision to throw his conformity to pursue what he wanted truly. After finding out what his father had done in the past he truly couldn't stand his family. -
Detrital Wash
Here, in the desert below Lake Mead, Chris McCandless's car was found after being tossed around in a flash flood, with most of his belongings still in. Chris was camped a few feet above the main channel of the Detrital Wash. His once reliable Datsun, however, was not starting, and in his impatience he drained the battery and abandoned the car. Instead of just trying to fix his car he just left the car, a strange decision, yet him reaching out of idea of rational led him to just leave everything. -
Willow Creek
Willow Chris got a ticket for hitchhiking near this place, which is in the gold-mining country east of Eureka. Chris gave his Annandale address uncharacteristically when the officer demanded to know his permanent residence. The unpaid ticket appeared in his parents mailbox. Chris spat in his parents faces by giving them the ticket showing that he was still alive and out living a life that they would never imagine their son would be living. -
Slab City
Chris meets up with the couple Jan and Bob again. Chris becomes even closer to the couple. Chris also attracts a young girl named Tracy, who is seventeen at the time. She develops a crush for Chris, but it is hopeless because Chris is too old for her and he is also leaving the camp ground soon. Chris leaves Slab City with more love for the couple than he had when he arrived. He developed a comfortable life again, he doesn't want a life like this, and like that he continues to travel. -
Cut Bank
Chris meets Wayne Westerberg, a friend that gives him a job. He once again reinstates a comfort life for the time being spending time with a new friend. -
Morelos Dam
Chris reached the Morelos Dam and the Mexican border. Worried that he would be denied entry because he was carrying no identification, he sneaked into Mexico by paddling through the dam’s open floodgates and shooting the spillway below. Chris is willing to risk it all for the journey. -
Galveston
Chris had almost died from a storm in Mexico, Chris once again risking it all. -
Grand Canyon National Park
Chris camped at the bottom of the Grand Canyon with Thomas and Karin, a young German couple who had given him a ride. He is along for the ride wherever the journey takes him, still completely in journey at this point. -
Needles
Chris hitches a ride with a trucker all the way down to Needles, CA, where he hikes along the Colorado River. He was excited to reach the Colorado river, he could've never imagine it would be that soon living his previous college life. -
Los Angeles
For the next six weeks after coming back to the U.S., He roams the western united states and enters Los Angeles to get an I.D. and a job but feels awkward and annoyed in society and feels compelled to hit the road. At this point Chris had completely immersed himself as a person with no identity, showing that freedom without figure is possible. -
Las Vegas
It is recorded in his journal that on February 27th, 1991, McCandless buried his money and I.D. in the desert outside of Las Vegas and entered the city to find a job. He works in an Italian restaurant for a few months until he again feels displaced in society and goes back on the road. He puts himself back into society until he feels the need to leave again. -
Bullhead City
Arizona where Chris stays for two months, flipping burgers at McDonald’s. Chris’ coworkers remember Chris as a responsible, but rebellious worker, who would always show up, but worked slowly at the grill and resented wearing socks and shoes to work. He wanted to work but refused certain rules. -
Salton Sea
An accomplished leatherworker, Franz taught Chris the secrets of his craft; for his first project McCandless produced a tooled leather belt, on which he created an artful pictorial record of his wanderings. Learning as he goes along the journey. -
Carthage
Chris's final major stop before he heads north to live out his long awaited Alaskan wilderness fantasy. He goes back to Carthage to visit his good friend Wayne Westerberg, who he met a year and a half earlier. He spends the last half of March, 1992 working for Wayne in a grain elevator. In the very end of March, he begins hitchhiking north. He is ready for a new journey, he feels something new need to be fulfilled. -
Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park
Chris waits out a 3 day blizzard at a truck station in Liard River, BC. He is picked up by a trucker named Gaylord Stuckey who drives him up to Fairbanks, a 3 day drive. A free ride to continue up north. -
Fairbanks
He spends 3 days in the library at the University of Fairbanks, studying up on edible plants and wildlife in the nearby region. He buys a .22 rifle, a rather small caliber gun for the Alaskan wilderness. Finally, Chris sends his last postcard ever not to his family, but to Wayne Westerberg. He realized this is the true freedom he had wanted all along and to live against societal rules. -
Stampede Trail
Dropped of by Jim Gallien on April 28th, 1992 on the edge of the Stampede Trail. When Chris arrived in late April, there was still a strong layer of ice covering it and he crossed with ease. A few miles in, he came across an abandoned Fairbanks City Transit bus that was used in the 50's as a shelter for a construction crew. Chris spent the next five months living out of this bus in complete isolation. His last breath was taken, living the life he wanted.
