Stories from Bernie's current trip - a mule voyage from Canada to Mexico
January 25, 2007
For months I’ve been welding and painting the Lost Sea wagon into existence. It’s my vehicle of choice for the upcoming voyage from Canada to Mexico. Then today it hit me.
The Lost Sea Wagon reflects the ever-changing spirit of travel at RiverEarth.com.
The Lost Sea Wagon and mule Polly
How one travels is all about change, about mood – about where you are in life. If you wanted to get to the West Coast you might opt for a plane today, a car tomorrow. You might stay in B & Bs along the way if you were feeling flush – or Motel 6s if your were feeling less so.
On my 2004/2005 coast-to-coast road trip, I opted for a tipi, a mule called Woody and a black and white pony named Maggie. I traveled slowly, on average eight miles per day, focusing on moving across the land as simply as possible, making the time to see America at the speed of my forefathers.
Woody and Bernie debate tipi lodging
Foxtrack Training Center
Southern Pines, NC 2004
Okay, so there were some historical differences. Grandfather Harberts never poured a bottle of Adams flea and tick killer into a mule’s ear – or rode said beast through a Taco Bell drive-through. (Memorably, however, he fled Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl in a De Soto painted “Chinese Gold”. My dad paid the $12.35 gas bill to get to California)
A look inside my traveling home of 12 1/2 months on the road.
To the point, four and a half years ago, when I struck out on that cross-country adventure, my heart just wanted to walk across the open land. And walk it did. Miles and miles and miles at a time.
Now, a few years later, my heart wants to roll across the Great Plains and look for fossils. That’s why I built a wagon. That’s why I’m heading out for the Lost Sea, that expanse of sea that covered the United States’ midriff 80 Million years ago.
So what’s the wagon like inside? Well come on in. Just duck so you don’t whack your head on the door sill. It’s only four feet high.
This is my home now. Yes! A real, honest to goodness home with all the comforts (a cozy place to sleep) with none of the discomforts (no mortgage – it’s all paid for). In the photo above you’re looking at my bed.
Now you’re looking at my work counter. The ventilated area below it is my cargo hold, where I’ll carry copies of my children’s geography book “Woody and Maggie Walk Across America”. The holes cut into the partitions allow air to circulate through-out the length of the wagon. That way, I can sell fresh books from my wagon and let folks share in the real spirit of mule wagon travel. Oh, right, it’ll help me pay for my trip as well…
Yes, there’s even an easy chair! At the end of the day, I can curl up here and watch mule Polly fill her tank in a pasture. Now that’s traveling luxury.
And best of all, there’s even a place to sneak a nap.
Okay, so you’re probably catching on how I’ve made the wagon seem larger by moving the furniture between photos, sort of like realtors do to make houses seem larger. Is it the sign of a frustrated small home owner?
Nope. I don’t need a larger abode. My wagon’s magically ample for me and my current traveling spirit.
So how are you moving these days?
Bernie
RiverEarth.com
“Woody and Maggie Walk Across America” is a children’s geography book that features something unusual about each state Bernie visited on his 12-month cross-country ride.
“Woody and Maggie Walk Across America” front cover
Bernie wrote half of it – and Woody and Maggie handled the rest. If young readers don’t remember Arizona for the saguaro cactus, they’ll remember it for the naked green giants that can’t get their shoes back on.
Arizona: What Bernie saw (L) and what Woody and Maggie saw ®
So it’s an entertaining read. But it’s a geography book at heart and meant to teach children about the United States. Exercises at the end of the book help young readers identify each state by shape, location and characteristic.
Pages of exercises help young readers navigate the United States
“Woody and Maggie” is big (8 1/2” X 11”), bold (lots of primary colors) and all the pictures and maps are hand-drawn. It’s engineered extra-tough for hands that tug, not turn, pages. Printed on heavy paper (100-lb stock)and saddle-stitch-bound with an extra-thick cover (120 point board) and dust jacket, this is one expedition-grade piece of literature. Perfect for ages 3 – 7. Or any adult who loves adventurous geography books!
“Woody and Maggie” Back Cover
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