T@B RV
After much correspondence, the people at Dutchmen Manufacturing helped us design a one-of-a-kind program focusing on the T@B RV. It’s got what we need to make the road feel like home — a bed, heat and AC, a working kitchen– and it doubles as a safe place for Mister to hang out if he can’t join our adventure for the day. Unlike a flimsy tent, the Tab keeps us safe and comfortable. Being that it’s designed to be much lighter and more versatile (and way better looking, I’d like to add) than the average RV, it saves on gas, too. Best road trip necessity ever.

Emotibles
Katie and I recently befriended a talented young husband and wife duo right in our own neighborhood. Jonathan and Kate gave us these fascinating earphone charms they designed themselves. We could tell right away they were onto something special. Agreeing that the emoticon-inspired characters on the charms are “strangely expressive,” Katie and I decided to take a bunch of them on the road with us to give to people we meet.
Emotibles.com is a fun website, too. You can create (OMG!) new Emotibles, then turn them into iPod charms, stickers, post-it notes, all kinds of stuff. Take a minute to penetrate the impossibly deep mind of a chihuahua by making an entry in the “Mister’s Moods” Design Contest.

Jou Jou
This Manhattan-based fashion company has been so kind to Katie. They kept sending her more and more clothing, and now almost the entirety of her wardrobe for the road trip is provided by Jou Jou. Coats, pants, jeans, vests, all kinds of cool stuff. Luckily for everyone involved, Katie looks amazing in Jou Jou clothing.

Mio
The GPS that keeps us from driving off the face of the Earth is provided by Mio. Finding great places by chance is part of the fun. Getting out of them when our welcome is up can be puzzling, so it’s nice to know that at least we have a competent navigator in the car. We’d be lost without it.

Chaco
One of us suffers from flat feet, the other has high arches (can you guess which painful dilemma belongs to which person?). Both of us get a little queazy thinking about the amount of animal skin that goes into making mass-produced footwear. Luckily, Chaco provides us with durable, supportive, environmentally friendly shoes and sandals. We wear the heck out of ‘em.

Doggles
Doggles are famous as the first and only eye protection just for dogs. In addition to doggie sunglass, they gave Mister some smart outfits, harnesses, and even a sleeping bag that has become his favorite cuddle-up spot. Mister would never wear anything that he doesn’t like; when he sees that it’s time to put on his Doggles his tail wags so hard that he can’t keep his back legs planted on the ground.

Wawa
Where we’re from, everyone knows that Wawa is the best convenience store / deli / coffee brewery / pit stop you can find. They’ve got cheap gas and lots of surprisingly tasty fresh-made food. For all you unfortunate folks who’ve never seen a Wawa, you should drop what you’re doing right now and find one. Take a road trip if you need to, because it’s worth it.

Pinder Bags
It was when Katie doled out a small fortune on a MacBook Pro that we happened upon Pinder Bags. They make strong, sleek carriers designed specifically for laptops. These bags are made with super durable fabric — ballistic nylon, seatbelt nylon for shoulder straps and handles, and soft padding to keep that MacBook (or PC laptop) snug inside. We have two computers, but about five different Pinder Bags because we like them so much.

Chili’s
They gave us a gift certificate. Thanks, Chili’s!

Thank You!

Special thanks to: Julia Roberts, Robby Mancine, Joyce Mancine, Jann Cognata, Dave Cognata, Brian Ratcliffe, Kate Dawes, Amanda Zadroga, Aunt Sandy, Debbie Galant, Liz George, Annette Batson, the husbands of those three fine ladies, Zack & Ava, Baristanet.com, T@B, Jonathan & Kate at Emotibles, Anne Prince, McPaul Smith, Jenny Blankenship, Jenn Schiffer, Mikey Coo Palendrano, Aunt Kathy & John, Lou & Larry Zeimer, Uncle Lee, Mark’s Grandma, Alex, Chris and Vincent from Berwyn, Il., Jill for being our first road trip friend, Mark Juhl for the pull-out couch, Mike Kirk, Jen & Michael Cogliantry, Leigh & Troy Kreienhop, Fritz for towing us out of the mud in the middle of the night, the Dudes: Erik & Nathan, Marcy & Pete, Veronica Callahan, Marisa Chaples, and everyone who followed stopkatie.com over to Wanderful.us (you guys are the coolest).