The nation’s first president George Washington was certainly the most revered person in young America and maybe the most beloved chief executive the country has ever had.

When Washington was president, most people only knew him by reputation or that he was the commander of the army that won independence from Great Britain. As president, Washington traveled — making three long trips to New England, Long Island and Rhode Island and the South to talk with the people about the new government and get a feel for what Americans were thinking.

Almost 230 years later, renowned history author and Pulitzer Prize finalist Nathaniel Philbrick, along with his wife and dog, followed Washington’s path. His new book is Travels with George – In Search of Washington and His Legacy.