Emilie Kip Baker was a woman ahead of her time. Born in San Francisco in 1857, she grew up in a wealthy family and received a private education, which was uncommon for women then. Baker was a natural adventurer and a writer from a young age. She embarked on her first solo trip at the age of 20, traveling across the United States by train and writing about her experiences for various publications.
Baker's passion for travel and adventure only grew from there. She traveled to remote corners of the globe, including China, India, and the Middle East, when it was uncommon for women to travel alone. She was often the only woman in her party, and her presence was met with surprise and curiosity by the people she encountered on her journeys.
Baker's travels were chronicled in several books, including A Daughter of the Snows, published in 1902, which documented her experiences in Alaska during the gold rush, and Through Persia by Caravan, published in 1898, which explored her journey across Persia. Her writing was marked by a keen sense of observation, a deep curiosity about the world, and a genuine love for travel and adventure. She also wrote articles for popular magazines of the time, such as Harper's, The Atlantic, and McClure's.
Baker's work as a travel writer was not without its challenges. As a woman traveling alone, she often encountered suspicion, hostility, and even danger. She was once arrested and accused of being a spy while traveling in China and narrowly escaped being sold into slavery while traveling in Central Asia. Despite these challenges, Baker remained undeterred and continued to travel and write throughout her life.
