LEE COUNTY, Fla. -- Traveling across the country can be tiresome, but imagine doing it on a bicycle for three years! That is what one man and his dog have done, and they are currently spreading a message across Florida on a cross-country journey.
On open highways that stretch endlessly towards the horizon, Mike Minnick treks on. "Dreams are like sticks, you just have to chase them," he says.
And for the better part of three years, Mike has been peddling and chasing his dreams. And helping him along the way is his faithful dog Bixby.
"We were inspired by a couple of guys who we met who were in Big Bend National Park, a year and a half into a cross-country bike ride." And that inspiration led this dynamic duo on a 20,000 mile, 3-year journey of discovery.
And while the two live on the road, he says they are always home. "I say home is were your dog is."
Mike and Bixby have traveled all over the continental United States . He credits their safety to a rubber chicken.
Stopping in several cities along the way, Bixby is always making new friends. And over the three years, their journey has brought awareness of how much love and affection adopting a shelter dog can bring. "If I can do it, anybody can. I mean, you know I was a completely out of shape, chain smoking bartender, kind of lost in life...in Austin, Texas. And I've turned into this sort of peddling guy with a dog and a rubber chicken that is a force for local animal shelters."
With a year left in this tour, Mike looks towards the open road and the next city. Eager for what lies ahead.
Mike and Bixby left Matlacha on Tuesday morning and hope to make it to Tampa by Wednesday evening. To learn more about their journey, visit wheresbixby.com.
