Life on the Road: Adventures of a Professional Tour Leader with Chris Patrick
Nov. 20, 2026 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
What if your career meant spending thousands of days on the road, leading people on adventures across North America? Professional tour leader, speaker, and author Chris Patrick joins Madison West Middleton Rotary to share the stories, challenges, humor, and life lessons from more than 20 years in a profession most people never knew existed.
About the Program
Chris's story begins not with a lifelong plan to work in travel, but with an ordinary career and an unexpected opportunity that eventually led him down an entirely different path.
He'll take us behind the scenes of becoming a professional tour leader — from the training required to lead a group to the realities of being responsible for travelers hundreds or thousands of miles from home.
Drawing from more than 20 years of leading small-group adventure tours throughout the United States and Canada, Chris will share memorable experiences from the road, the personalities and unexpected situations he's encountered, and what he's learned about leadership, people, travel, and life along the way.
His presentation combines entertaining stories and humor with a look at how taking an unconventional path can lead to experiences and opportunities you never expected.
About Chris Patrick
Chris Patrick is a professional tour leader, speaker, and author who has spent more than two decades leading small-group adventure tours across the United States and Canada.
He is the author of the upcoming book I'll Tell You on the Way: What It Takes to Lead Small Group Adventure Tours, which draws on his experiences and lessons from thousands of days spent traveling with groups across North America.
Guests Are Welcome
You do not need to be a Rotary member to attend. Come hear a fascinating speaker, meet members of our community, and see what Madison West Middleton Rotary is all about.