The Dog Went over the Mountain: Travels with Albie; An American Journey

Before his 65th birthday, Zheutlin (Rescue Road) and his nine-year-old rescue retriever mix Albie set out on a journey across America. Inspired by John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley, he drove 9,000 miles in six weeks, beginning in New England. Zheutlin detoured from Steinbeck’s route in a few places—a drive along Natchez Trace parkway, a side trip to Woody Guthrie’s hometown in Oklahoma, and a stopover in Louisiana to visit the organization that united his family with Albie. The object was to “share a more lighthearted, heartfelt, and dog-friendly tour of America.” He doesn’t dive as deeply into the social issues as Paul Theroux (Deep South) but also doesn’t avoid politics, race, and animal abuse when it came up. Covering a leisurely 200 miles a day, the author and Albie stay in mostly budget motels and with friends, and eat at pet-friendly cafés while visiting with restaurant owners, a California state senator, musicians, and tourists along the way.