An intrepid Stockport explorer has made a daring attempt to travel to every state in the USA.

Joe Ryder, a travel writer, has written a book series about his experiences travelling the states with his family.

The expedition initially started as a 'chaotic' three-week road trip, but quickly turned into a 'long-term mission' to explore the length and breadth of the country, from arid Arizona deserts through to the heaving metropolis of New York.

In his book series, 'Back Soon, Gone to America', he recounts his and his family's experiences with a blend of "humour, travel writing, and cultural observation".

The series aims to capture "the unexpected reality of family travel across America from a distinctly British perspective".

Speaking of his inspiration for the book, Joe said: "In my heart of hearts, I have always been a writer. I hadn't actually written anything, but that was a minor detail.

"I suppose I needed a subject to make me work that hard, and America turned out to be that subject. Cass had the stronger ambition to visit, and the place definitely deserved a book, with its contradictions, its scale, and the characters you meet along the way."

He draws particular inspiration from Bill Bryson and Dave Gorman - so fans of those authors will find much to enjoy in Joe's books.

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The first book, Gone to America: 50 to go, is out now, available in Waterstones and all major eBook retailers.

It follows Joe and his family through the scorching highways of the US, from the bright lights of Las Vegas to vast open landscapes and unfamiliar roads.

In this volume, the family begin to discover that travel rarely goes to plan and that's exactly where the best stories are found.

The next volume comes out in Summer 2026, and picks the journey up again in the deep, vast and unpredictable Midwest.

Joe has been fascinated by America since his childhood, viewing it as "an almost mythical place".

He said this trip helped him discover its reality and, his travels through it proved both 'surreal' and 'transformative'.

And far from being a one-off tripper, Joe has been writing and travelling all his life, keeping a pen and notebook with him everywhere he goes.

The paperback edition of Gone to America: 50 to go is available for £9.99 in paperback and £7.99 in eBook.

Buy it from Waterstones here.

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