Can a dog be happier than when it’s riding in its master’s car, head poked out the window, chops flapping in the fresh breeze? Well, perhaps when it’s riding on the back of a bicycle.

Mike Minnick and his loyal companion, a rescue dog named Bixby, arrived in Friday Harbor as part of their epic bicycle tour, with a noble cause.

“The back of my bike is the ultimate car window,” Minnick said. “It’s fun to make your dog happy,”

Although Bixby wasn’t the inspiration to start a bike tour, she propels the trip forward. What started as a dream, sparked by a chance meeting with two brothers making a documentary about off grid living and bicycling across America, has turned into a crusade to find homes for rescue dogs in the places Minnick and Bixby visit on their bike.

When the pair arrives somewhere new they attract all types of curious people. Their website, www.wheresbixby.com, is painted on the side of the bike. Once they have gained some attention, Minnick connects with the local animal shelter, conducts an interview with an adoptable pup from the point of view of Bixby, and posts it on facebook. This form of promotion is part of Minnick’s deliberate plan to help place rescue dogs in permanent homes.

“I’ve been through so many shelters and it’s gut wrenching,” he said. “I want to show people the absolute loyalty that comes from having a best friend like this.”

Bixby’s latest subject in her string of interviews is Xena, a dog at Friday Harbor animal shelter.

Since Minnick and Bixby set off from Lubec, Maine, the easternmost town of the continental United States, they’ve helped dozens of dogs get adopted.

The trip has also been one of self-discovery for Minnick. Meeting new people from all over the country, who donate to the cause with the occasional warm shower and meal, has, he says, “restored his faith in humanity.”

Making it happen

For two years Minnick planned and worked to make a cross country bicycle tour a reality. He lived in an abandoned school bus and worked as a bartender near Big Ben National Park, where he met the inspirational bicycling brothers.

In May 2013, in his mid-30’s, Minnick was ready to go. He quit his job and sold everything he wasn’t taking on the trip. He hadn’t pedaled a bike since high school, and decided to ride the bike, now packed with 250 pounds of gear and a bed for 50-pound Bixby on the back, from Texas to Arkansas for a family reunion. The trip was 600 miles, and he didn’t know if he could do it, he was out of shape and had just quit smoking.

It was during this trip he gained the confidence he needed to take off cross country, Bixby in tow.

The journey

The pair’s official starting off point was Lubec, which they left on Sept. 7, 2013. The goal was to make it to Key West, Fla., by the new year. Taking the coastal route, Minnick caught ferry fever. Every chance they got to hop a ferry was taken. Cape cod, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, Long Island, Outer banks—those are just a few of the archipelagos visited.

The duo stayed in the southern part of the country through the winter, finding odd jobs here and there to continue funding the trip. Donations also keep them going. Minnick hopes to find the right sponsor and allocate percentage of the proceeds to animal rescue organizations. Bixby also receives special treats and dog food from donors.

“You couldn’t imagine the amount of bacon she gets,” he said.

Getting back in the saddle

Minnick may be having the time of his life with his best friend, but the trip hasn’t been without pitfalls. The original plan was to ride from Maine to Wash. in summer 2013, but when Bixby dislocated a disc by jumping on the bed in a New Jersey hotel room she needed three months to heal, which pushed their plans back–and south.

Just a few weeks ago the pair accepted an offer for a tow up an 11,000-foot pass in Colorado. The towline broke and Minnick suffered knee and shoulder injuries. Bixby escaped unscathed and as Minnick hobbled to his feet, Bixby was already sitting on the ground with a stick in her mouth, ready to play.

They had to hitch-hike out of the mountains and were unable to continue west on bicycle.

They arrived in Bellingham by car and once Minnick felt well enough the pair pedaled on to Anacortes, where they hopped a ferry to San Juan. Minnick is still nursing his injuries but plans to be in Southern Cal. by the New Year.

Minnick and Bixby have traveled 6,300 miles on bicycle, through 25 states in the past year. They average about nine miles per hour.

“I don’t look like your average bicycle guy,” he said. “I set out to change my life.”