It happened 50 years ago this summer. Do you remember? Did you see any of the five wagon trains that retraced their trails from West to East to Valley Forge, PA to celebrate our Bicentennial?

An article in Western Horseman magazine about the Wagon Train sparked the interest of our adventurous mother. She planned running the caverns without us around our summer help. She wanted Chipley, myself and two fellas that worked at the caverns, Kent and Jeff, to join us for this month long adventure.

We four teenagers loved horses and a month off from summer work sounded great. Especially a month of seeing the country on horseback and being a part of this unique countrywide Bicentennial celebration.

She invited the Southern Train to camp on our property, Endless Caverns in New Market, VA. They arrived on June 10, 1976. Colonel Toby was the Wagon Master.

What a day it was! None of us had ever seen so many wagons, teams of horses and outriders. It was spectacular!

They camped one night. I remember as the host for the night we were to have a bit of entertainment. Mom wrote a little play about John Sevier. Not a Broadway show, but fun just the same as all pitched in.

Early next morning was heard our Wagon Master Colonel Toby call out loudly, ” Wagons Ho!”

When the sounds of hooves, harnesses, wagon wheels and men telling their teams to “Git up!” began to fill the air.

There we joined in the ride and an adventure of a lifetime.

We have our strong, adventurous mother to thank for this remarkable ride. Mounted on her Saddlebred, Snip, she was the force behind we four teenagers to make it the entire 370 miles to PA. Her strength and determination carried us to the end of the trail.

Riders were invited to ride for as long as they wanted. Some rode for a day, or several days. We rode to the end—Valley Forge, PA. Arriving July 3, 1976.

Truly the ride of a lifetime. Thank you, Mom.

P.S. This was not the only adventure our mother went on. She and Carl canoed 1,000 miles on the Mackenzie River and the next year 1,400 miles on the Yukon River in the Northwest Territories of Alaska. Life was and is a great adventure.