Enzo the GreatAn American ExpeditionNew Haven, Kansas → Pittsburgh → Gulf near New Orleans
One man, one shelter dog, and a second chance measured in miles—from Kansas to Pittsburgh on foot, then Pittsburgh to the Gulf by canoe.
No polish over the truth. No fake totals. Just the road as it happens.
Verified public update
Today, honestlyRoadside dispatch
“Thirteen miles down today. My feet are tired, Enzo earned a White Castle slider, and the front tube is leaking again. We are still moving.”
Warm, tired, and working our way across Indianapolis after two wet days.
The route to date
The map shows walked ground—not a live GPS pin. Current camps, private hosts, and future sleeping locations are never posted in real time.
Public location is intentionally broad and delayed. Campsites and private hosts are never posted live.
About 1,200 miles on foot through the part of America most people pass at 70 mph.
Roughly 2,000 river miles through the Ohio and Mississippi, learned one honest decision at a time.
The truth at the center
I started walking because an alcohol relapse cost me nearly everything, and I did not want to lose my dog too. On May 13, 2026, rock bottom became a place to stand. This is not expert advice or a victory lap. It is recovery lived in public.
Kansas and Missouri
The walk began before I was ready. The cart broke, the weather turned, strangers helped, and Enzo kept showing up.
May 13, 2026
I stopped pretending I could manage the drinking. Sobriety, prayer, and the next right step became the daily work.
Heat, storms, Indiana roads
Blisters, anger, bad shoulders, repairs, and ordinary gas-station endings test the story more honestly than any speech.
The next chapter
Pittsburgh is not a finish line. It is where the work changes shape, and where River School has to become judgment on the water.
This is not “look how strong I am.” It is: I fell again, Enzo stayed, Jesus met me there, and we got up.
Enzo’s dispatch
Enzo is a shelter dog, camp companion, cart inspector, emotional anchor, and occasional roadside comedian. He is not pasted onto this story. He is why it began.
Walk across America. Earn the snacks. Meet one thousand girlfriends.
On one of the worst no-shoulder stretches in Indiana, I was wound tight enough to explode. Enzo flopped onto his back and started wiggling beside the road until I laughed. That counts as recovery too.
The whole expedition
Real miles, real weather, worn shoes, dangerous shoulders, towns, helpers, and the cart that keeps needing one more repair.
A canoe, an upper Ohio launch, and enough humility to study tow traffic, navigation rules, charts, weather, and every gap still left.
Relapse without glamor, faith without performance, and the small daily proof that anger, fear, and pride do not have to make the next decision.
Learning in public
I am not presenting myself as a river expert. I am building the knowledge stack in public so the dangerous gaps are visible before Enzo and I launch.
River School · Week 2
Signals express intent. Radio language can be local. Clarify before moving.
Open lesson →
River School · Week 2
Know the narrow-channel rule, understand downbound traffic, and never use a rule to justify impeding a tow.
Open lesson →Needs along the road
Needs change fast. Every item is date-stamped, public locations stay broad, and private offers go only to RC’s inbox.
A safe yard, church lawn with permission, or dog-friendly legal campsite along the eastbound route.
East of Indianapolis toward Ohio · Updated 2026-08-02Local river knowledge, load-test space, safety mentorship, and practical gear help before Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh and the upper Ohio River · Updated 2026-08-02The front tube is leaking. A replacement keeps the cart safer and easier to control.
Indianapolis area · Updated 2026-08-02Feed a Dog a Bone is always direct through Cash App or Venmo.
Trail angels
Send the practical details privately. Please use a city or general area here; never post a home address in public comments.
People who carried part of it
Mario came back through a lightning storm. Trooper Clark got us off I-70. Churches, welders, motel clerks, recovery friends, and people with cold water have changed the route.
Trail angel · Indiana
He and his daughter had already brought treats and water. When the lightning arrived, he came back on his own and got us out of it.
Read the story →Partners + supporters
The expedition is grateful for real support already offered—from local road help to Pittsburgh river mentorship and canoe preparation with Esquif.
Press, partners + contact →The road, unfiltered
New videos, River School, small victories, wrong turns, faith, anger, laughter, storms, repairs, gas-station endings, and whatever Enzo decides the episode is about.
Feed a Dog a Bone
Enzo has walked every mile beside me. A few dollars can mean food in our bag, a tube under the cart, or a safer place to stop. If you want to help keep two tired animals moving toward the river, feed a dog a bone.
No public support total is posted right now. RC can add one only after verifying it manually.
Share this mile
Documented along the way
From people walking beside us
No approved entries are public yet. That is more honest than filling it with pretend supporters.