During the summer of 2003, Charley and I took a road trip across the United States and Mexico. We left St. Louis on June 29th and returned on September 12th. So, are we nuts? For a dog and a guy, Charley and I are actually pretty normal. He is a very intelligent, intensely curious 7 month old Golden Retriever puppy. I am a Missouri businessman. We both love life, people, and just about everything else but cats.

I was inspired by the John Steinbeck novel Travels with Charley in which he took his trip across the U.S.A. and recorded his uniquely personal experiences. After several years of "thinking about it", I finally took a similar road trip with my dog in a motor home and realized my longtime goal of experiencing the vast beauty of America and its people.

In order to make our trip more meaningful, Charley and I gave back to many of the communities we visited by making donations to local children's charities. When we arrived at the charity, Charley played with the kids while I toured the organization and met with the director. If we believed in what they were doing, we made an initial donation and then issued a challenge to the community. We matched, up to a certain amount, what the charity was able to raise over the 4 weeks following our visit.

Children are our future. They're innocent, they need our help, and society as a whole benefits when we take action. I can personally vouch for the integrity and effectiveness of each of the organizations listed under "Visit Charities", and have made donations to each of them. They're all doing great work every day to positively affect the lives of kids. Please visit the charities and view pictures and descriptions of the various charities and make a donation if you are led to do so.

May your own adventure be exciting, rewarding, and cat-free. Cheers!

John T. and Charley