Lady Long Rider

Syracuse, NY

It rained all day on my way into Rome, NY.  I was cold and wet, looking for a place to get out of the rain and fix a hot meal, when I came upon Erie Canal Village, a museum village.  And there I spied a pavilion, picnic tables under a roof, adjacent to their social hall, so I pulled to have a look, intending to have dinner and get back on the road.  But the pavilion was not empty.  On one of the tables sat a bright and lively woman with an outdoorsy look about her.  Her tent was set up under the roof, and her two horses grazed off to the side.  I asked if she would be spending the night there and she replied "yes, and the night before as well".  She invited me to join her. 

You may have heard of this fascinating person.  She has appeared in the media to tell about crossing the continent by horse.  She has logged more than 20,000 miles since 2005 and isn't finished yet.  Her current plan is to ride to Maine to winter there before heading to the west coast through Canada.  We shared stories about how people respond to nomads like us.  Her adventuring self speaking loudly and clearly to the wanderer in me.  I ended up spending the night in the warm, dry social hall.  I even got to watch two beautiful horses while Bernice got a ride into town to use the wi-fi at McDonalds.

Lady Long Rider is someone I will not soon forget.  A unique and inspiring individual to say the least.  You can find out more about Lady Long Rider at www.endeofthetrail.com.