I
think we solidified the plan sometime in California. The plan was for us to
split up, for good this time. We finally faced the fact that our interests
were completely different and we would be better off traveling solo. We decided
to separate in Washington. If I had to do it all over again, I would have
split up sooner. I really enjoyed traveling alone with my horse. I could go
where ever I wanted, camp where ever I wanted, etc. - no worries.
The reason why we wanted to separate in Washington was because Cuchullaine
O'Reily lived there and we were on our way to meet him and take a short break.
He tracked us down while we were travelling in California. He was, and still
is, a long-distance horse travel enthuseist. He himself road a horse through
Pakistan. He is the brains behind The
Longrider's Guild. He and his wife, Basha, have created an outstanding
website devoted to long-distance horse travel. A tremendous amount of research,
over 20 years, has gone into its making. I am humbly honored to be a part
of it.
After staying with Cuchullaine for a couple of weeks, we had itchy feet to
continue along our now divided trail. When the time came, Dawn and I just
simply rode away - in the direction of the Olympic National Park. I was exhilerated!
I had traveled solo before, but now I was a seasoned longrider of three years.
My first destination was Port Townsend, located on the upper eastern most
point of Washington's Olympic Peninsula. I met some wonderful people there,
among them a woman who built her own wooden boat and sailed around the world
in it for 5 years! I also met a boat captain and his family, and a wonderful
woman who accomodated my horse and I, and who I dubbed "Auntie-Grandma".
I stayed for about a month. Port Townsend became my favorite town in all of
the United States.
Port
Townsend, with a new friend.
