Darley's Travel Blog

For the past year, we've been giving away free round trip plane tickets to Iceland, courtesy of our sponsor, Icelandair. Well, now it's time to pick the Grand Prize. Only seven days remain until we pick the Grand Prize winner, who receives roundtrip travel on Icelandair to Reykjavik, Iceland (winner and companion - 2 tickets) to ride horses on a Viking Horse Safari for 2 provided by Ishestar, a Blue Lagoon Tour for 2 and more.

Find out more and sign up at Equitrekking.com

I just finished compiling a new Equitrekking bloopers reel from footage from our first 26 episodes from PBS. I was working on it for the Daytime Emmys. It was a lot of fun to look through some of this footage.

It was my final night of horse camp at Meadowbrook Stables. Sad... I rode wonderful Dirk for our group lesson, where we did some flat work, worked on getting five strides between two jumps, which Dirk had no problem doing, and then were able to design our own jumping course. Dirk can do flying lead changes, which was fun to feel. It was super hot and the flies were vicious, so after riding, I gave Dirk a bath. Then Dirk indulged in grass and carrots.

The whole camp went to a local Mexican restaurant ... ...

Last night, Anne from Meadowbrook Stables talked about her experience living in Pakistan, where tent pegging is a popular equestrian sport. She showed footage that she filmed of local competitions This link has some nice photos so you can see the intensity of the sport and info on tent pegging.

Then, just before a big storm, we had a jumping lesson. I rode Dirk, whizzing around the ring at a canter to do a little course. It was a lot of fun and a challenge, as I tried to make sure to take each turn ... ...

Day four of horse camp at Meadowbrook Stables began with riding. Dirk was great, and I'm feeling more and more confident on our jumping courses. It was really hot, so I gave Dirk a bath after riding and walked him to some grass, before he had a session with Full Circle Equine Service, an Northern Virginia Vet who is also an Equine Chiropractor and Acupuncturist.

Dr. Jana Froeling checked Dirk to see where he might have some sensitivity or pain and then got to work, stretching Dirk by using something ... ...

If you think that it's weird to have a horse dentist, think again. Unlike our human teeth a horse's teeth are continuously growing (up until they are in the 20's). Depending on their diet and how they are wearing their teeth down, they may need a little help balancing their mouths.

Besides getting to feel inside a horse's mouth, which was really cool, I learned a lot of interesting things. Some horses may need their teeth brushed. I asked the question about this and the answer wasn't surprising, as ... ...

I just got back from my first day of horse camp at Meadowbrook Stables. It was a lot of fun! I'm in horse camp for adults, mind you. It's a week long after work thing. We start each night with an educational session-- a lecture-- and then have a group riding lesson.

Tonight Diane introduced us to responsible horse ownership, and we learned about some pretty interesting health topics and potential horse ailments- proud flesh, mineral oil mash (why, how and when) and more.

Next we broke up into small ... ...

In my area of Washington, DC this week is DC Week for the Animals. There are over 70 events celebrating animals, including horses!

A few notable organizations in the area... ReRun, Inc., which helps rehabilitate ex-racehorses so that they may go on to second careers. On our visit to the Secretariat Center in Kentucky, we were able to learn more about life for Thoroughbreds after they leave the track and the challenges trainers face in retraining them. Check out our video from the Secretariat Center. ... ...

I started out riding with a group of about 10 other riders on Hank, a Quarter Horse. Mark took us around various parts of the ranch, including over to Beaver Pond, through Horse Creek and up to a spot with views of the glacier covered Wind River Mountains and the highest peak in Wyoming. I talked with some of the other riders, many of whom had been to the ranch before, which is not a surprise. Generations of guests have been coming to T Cross.Mark explained more about the area and the variety ofterrain ... ...

We are very excited to announce that Equitrekking on PBS has received two Daytime Emmy nominations! Equitrekking is nominated for Outstanding Special Class Series with Chip Ward as Executive Producer and Darley Newman as Producer and Host. We were also nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Single Camera Photography for the work of our talented cinematographer Greg Barna.

Equitrekking is broadcast on PBS, the network that brought home the most nominations with a total of 56.

The Gower Peninsula in Wales is a really neat place to explore on horseback, as the beaches are very wide and dramatic, surrounding by huge, mossy cliffs. In this short video, Olive Edwards of Parc le Breos and I did some faster riding on Three Cliffs Beach. After that, we visited an old supposedly haunted church and a beautiful old castle, all within riding distance of the beach.

This segment is part of our Equitrekking Wales episode, premiering now on PBS stations across the country. The song that ... ...

Below is my account of learning to ride an Icelandic horse in Iceland. Also, here's our latest video clip from Iceland with more information on Icelandic horses, and don't forget to check out ShopDarley.com for the Equitrekking Iceland season two dvd and Iceland inspired bracelet.

While lots of people will be tuning into the Kentucky Derby this weekend, there's also the chance to see more horsey programming. The new season of Equitrekking is debuting in cities across the United States. You can check for your local listings on Equitrekking's station finder. Here's a rundown of some areas where you can watch.

Boston- Sundays at 2:30pm on WGBH, channel 44, starting May 3 with Southern Spain.

Kentucky on KET

Saturdays at 1:30pm on KET1 and Wednesdays at 5:30pm on KET2.

Saturdays at ... ...

It was really beautiful to horseback ride in the Appalachian Mountains of Quebec this past autumn. The leaves were changing. Dany Garant, my local guide, told me local legends about hidden gold in the mountains. We rode to a spot where we could pan for gold, and I actually found some!

This video clip is from our new Equitrekking's Quebec City and Beyond episode starting now on PBS.

In this new video clip, I went searching for the Loch Ness monster on horseback in Scotland as part of our Equitrekking Scotland episode. The sun was shining. I was on a spirited horse, normally used for endurance riding, and though we didn't see Nessie, I enjoyed this scenic area of Scotland.

Check your local listings to watch the Equitrekking Scotland episode on PBS now and check out the new Darley Scotland inspired jewelry collection at ShopDarley.com

On ShopDarley.com, you'll find products that spring from my travels for the Equitrekking television series, including fine art photography with equestrian and travel themes by Chip Ward, whose photographs comprise the Equitrekking Travel Adventures on Horseback coffee table book, DVD's and more. I am excited to have this shop online!

In New York City, Equitrekking will regularly broadcast on Wednesday nights at 11:30pm starting tonight, April 15th, and starting May 7th, you can also catch some episodes on Thursday nights at 7:30pm on WLIW, Channel 21. For a full listing see WLIW's website.

We have a new station finder on Equitrekking.com to locate Equitrekking on other PBS stations across North America.

We've added lots of great riding vacation destinations to Equitrekking's Travel Guide, which has been featured in the Chicago Tribune and other great media, including many new destinations in Uruguay and Ireland. Equitrekking's Travel Guide and Equitrekking.com, the companion to our PBS series, serve as a resource for travelers who want to try horseback riding on their next vacation.

Over the weekend, we also put up some fun Behind the Scenes video podcasts available for free download in the iTunes ... ...

I did have fun though, as we headed up the cattle and moved them on out. They were a pretty easy bunch, but that’s probably because their gaucho has trained them so well. We had more pastries back at the house before leaving.

El Charabon is a working ranch that raises cattle and Hampshire Down sheep. After eating and learning more about life in Uruguay from Jorge and Graciela, the owners, we went to bed. The power had come back on briefly, long enough for us to finish downloading our HD footage.

Luckily, I had just gotten into bed when the lights went out again and I was in utter darkness. I live outside of Washington, DC in an urban area, so it never really gets totally dark. Here in the countryside of Uruguay, it does, ... ...

We arrived in the rain to find Graciela, who gave us a tour and then presented us with a medley of decadent pastries and teas. We had one amazing pastry called Torta Frita, which I was told by several people in Uruguay is typically made on rainy days. It’s like a light funnel cake sprinkled with powdered sugar or a big airy donut. Greg, our cinematographer, and I each had three!

Alicia from La Salamora has been so kind as to email us the recipe so that we can make this decadent pastry at home in ... ...

I felt like I was exploring an unchartered territory, as we cantered through the shallow water on the shore. I was on a smooth Criollo horse, the native breed here in Uruguay and much of South America. We had ridden through an area of dunes down to the beach, where there were a variety of birds, besides seagulls for us to watch.

Alejandro pointed to the rocks jutting out of the sea in the distance, to show how dangerous the shores of Rocha have been throughout history. He told stories of shipwrecks ... ...

Before entering the valley, where we would walk to avoid disrupting the historic stone structures, Alicia and I had to first ask permission. Alicia led me to a stream where we dipped our hands in the cool water and then took a sip to see if we would be able to enter. I wasn’t sure that drinking from the stream was a good idea for a traveler like me, so let my local guide Alicia do that part. This was sufficient to get us the good energy we needed to hike into the valley.

I have been in many places, ... ...

Leaving the castle, we rode through herds of cattle under a beautiful blue sky decorated with puffy white clouds. We did a bit of trotting to make up time and that’s when I realized that my stirrups were a little too long for me, as I felt a little off balance. I told Alicia, I would need to raise them a bit when we stopped. There’s no posting in the saddle here. They ride more like American cowboys, and I have found that how well I ride here does depend on the smoothness of my Criollo horse. ... ...

Drinking mate is a social thing and it’s meant to be shared. That means that Alicia made a mate and passed it to me. We would be drinking the mate, passing it back and forth, out of the same straw. This was a little strange to me at first, because I am very American when it comes to thinking about germs. I asked Alicia about this and she said that people in Uruguay are very healthy and then laughed. I took a sip from her straw.

I was feeling the caffeine as Alicia and I rode out from La Salamora ... ...

The traditional style saddles here are flat and wide and covered with sheepskin, making them comfortable to sit on, but since they are so wide I also felt a bit unstable at first. I am used to American English and Western saddles that have a more rounded seat. You really have to find your balance on the sheepskin saddles. They ride with longer stirrups here in Uruguay, and I opted to have mine brought up a bit, but still had some trouble gripping with my legs at first. My horse Manteca, a ten-year-old ... ...

Sandrine and Jason told us about their decision to leave their lives in London and move to Uruguay, a bold move for the young couple. The two are very hands on and have worked hard at building their estancia and guest business. I would imagine that it would be very hard work to run a farm that produces so many things, but also very rewarding to sit down at the end of the day and literally eat the fruits of my labor.

Every time we fly somewhere internationally, there is some baggage incident and this trip was no exception. Greg, our cinematographer’s, bag didn’t make it, so we got creative and rigged the equipment that we had to make things work for our first shoot in Montevideo.

We left the airport and drove into Montevideo, a port city, and headed to the Mercado del Puerto for lunch. This market is a real meat market with lots of restaurants that serve grilled meats cooked on these massive, wood burninggrills. ... ...

I am pleased to announce that Equitrekking's Costa Rica episode has been selected as the First Place Prize Winner for the Best Travel Broadcast for the 2008 North American Travel Journalist Awards (NATJA) Competition. The Best Travel Broadcast category covers radio, television and podcasts.

The Equitrekking Travel Adventures on Horseback book has won the Merit Award for Best Travel Book. First prize in the Travel Book category went to Travel % 26 Leisure Magazine’s '100 Greatest Trips: Third Edition.' ... ...

Rachael Dunlap, who blogs for National Geographic's Intelligent Travel blog, just posted her take on our PBS travel television series, Equitrekking. Check out what she has to say in The Intelligent Travel Blog.

Also, check out our Costa Rica video clip in the new issue of Ralph Lauren magazine. In Costa Rica, we had a great time riding with Monica and Esteban of Centaura. This clip shows our beach ride and the ride to the famously furious Arenal Volcano.

Here's a reminder to come to this weekend's Adventures in Travel Expo at the Washington, D.C. Convention Center. On Saturday, February 21st at 2:30pm, I'll be speaking and showing high definition footage of our travels at the Adventures in Travel Expo at the Washington, DC Convention Center. This is a big travel showcase that is open to the public and a dreamy way to plan your next trip. I'll be speaking following Samantha Brown, who has been on the Travel Channel for years.

You'll hear about some ... ...

Find out more about Hawaii's Paniolos, or cowboys, in an interview with a Paniolo Hall of Fame Inductee.

It was time for my carriage driving clinic. The equipment was a bit intimidating at first. Once you find out the function for each piece of tack, it makes sense, but I wouldn't want to have to tack up Trotter again on my own--not just yet at least.I would be taking a carriage driving clinic with Nancy, who trains horses at the equestrian center in carriage driving and used to harness race herself. We would use Trotter, a 12-year-old Standardbred, who was first used on the racetrack and later by the ... ...

Though I am only here for a day, lots of people visit Priego de Cordoba and rent homes in the area or stay with locals in small inns and B and B's. We passed a quaint B and B's as we walked from the church to the old Moorish section of the city, Barrio de la Villa.

The immaculate white washed homes in the historic area are charming. The streets here are definitely not vehicle friendly, as they are quite narrow. At times I could stretch out my arms and touch the walls on each side of the street. Ilooked ... ...

This hacienda life isn’t bad. Good food is grown out in the countryside with nice olive oil and wine. There are horses and lots of room to ride. It is typical for some Spaniards to stop for a snack on the trails. Our snack consisted of Iberian ham, manchego cheese, olive oil chips and manzanilla, a type of dry sherry. We then rode to a further historic hacienda where we had a late, long, Spanish lunch before venturing into Seville.

From where we started the ride, I could see a few towns in the distance, the ocean and mountains. We would end high in the mountains, with views of the snow capped Sierra Nevadas, pine forests, green mountainside, and only one farmhouse in sight.

There is also a lot of shopping. Vendors from all over bring clothing, jewelry, saddles, chaps and more. SICAB happens every year and is a great place to see some of the most beautiful Spanish horses in the world. Plus, it’s in Seville, a fun city to explore on foot.

Thomas helped us all get on our harnesses and hard hats and taught us how to open the carabineer with one hand (we would need to do this later, so that we could use the other hand to hang on). We would be attached to a series of cables that run up the side of a mountain and climb up to see some gorgeous views.

Tonight we had dinner at the local landmark, the Fairmont in Charlevoix. The food was very good. I tried some of the locally produced cheeses, as well as a sweet strawberry tart. There aresome ... ...

At one point, Emily, a local veterinarian who rode with us, said that we should take a few minutes to backtrack and ride along the shore. The mist had lifted, but the clear views probably would not last long. We picked up a trot and headed to the coast, past the cows and horses in the fields, who curiously followed us. It was low tide, but still pretty, as we were able to see the tree covered coast wrapping around in the distance.

I rode Sunny, a 10-year-old tan quarter horse and Danny was on Rocky, also 10 and a Quarter horse. The horses were great. We left the ranch and crossed two streams before getting to a long flat stretch, good for some cantering. Sunny was fast and fun.

There are tons of different rivers in this area, that is also known for its maple syrup production. Danny’a family, who have been leading riders here for over 15 years, have their own sugar shack and manufacture their own maple syrup. At a high spot ... ...

On the grounds of the ranch, there is also a large cross on the top of a hill. This cross was placed there by a priest in the 1950’s, who wanted to put the area on the map. At night, it is lit up by lights. When they were digging a hole in the ground to put the cross up, they found valuable metals, including lead and baratine, which spurred mining on the ranch grounds.

We had lunch on top of the hill, taking in the views, before heading to the shore of the St. Lawrence River and Bic NationalPark. ... ...

Leaving Quebec, we took a ferry across the St. Lawrence, for some truly great views of the city.

Cigar, who won almost $10 million on the track in the 1990’s is one of the stars at the Hall of Champions. When we came to visit him, he had just been seen by a dentist and had been given a sedative, so was not totally up to his usual self. Staring at this horse with his shiny coat and perfectly proportioned body, I thought of what a good life these retirees have at the Kentucky Horse Park. They basically hang out and eat grass, being pampered by the staff here.

We picked the historic Globe Inn, where Scotland’s famous poet Robert Burns found his inspiration, as a pub to highlight while in Scotland. Robert Burns used to ride his horse here to drink, eat, write and stay in an upstairs room where at one point he had an affair. Burns is called the “ploughman poet,” and wrote such poems as “Auld Lang Syne” and “My Love Is Like a Red Red Rose.” Dumfries is a pretty big town with lots of pubs, restaurants, shopping and Burns spots, including hisgrave ... ...

I rode a mixed breed of horse named Drummer Girl, who must have had some cob in her. She was great. It was really foggy in the morning, which made the dirt lanes that we rode along quite mysterious. There are great views of the countryside here, but the mist obstructed these. There have been a lot of misty mornings on our trip, but then again, we are in the British Isles. We rode to a glen that took us along an incline from the bottom of the trees to the treetops and a pretty waterfall. We trotted ... ...

Blair Castle has been the seat of the Dukes and Earls of Atholl for over 700 years. This large, white castle looks like it is out of a fairy tale, especially when a couple of times a day a man dressed in a kilt and Highland garb steps outside to play his bagpipes. The music can be heard throughout the estate grounds. Blair Castle still retains a private army, the Atholl Highlanders, which Castle literature claims is Europe’s only remaining private army. They are merely for show today and to help ... ...

We arrived late last night to Lochill Riding Centre, which is on top of a hill near the towns of Castle Douglas and Kirkcudbright and not too far from Dumfries. We drove in a heavy rain along a windy, narrow road lined on each side with high hedges. I have asked several people about the point of these hedges, as for us, they are too close to the roads and cause us to miss some of the pretty views. Most folks have told me that the hedges are for protection from the elements and so that those on the ... ...

Andrew, who runs the distillery, showed me around and talked about how whiskey is made before we had a tasting. I didn’t know that whiskey had so many flavors. It can be aged in different wooden casks, giving it a unique taste. For instance, I tried a whiskey that had been aged in a sherry cask and was good. I also liked the whiskey that had been aged in an old cask that once held spiced rum. All of the whiskey’s that I sampled cleared my sinuses. I didn’t like the peaty tasting whiskey’s, ... ...

When in Scotland, there are certain things that I feel that I have to try. One is golf. We left our flat for Castle Stuart Golf Course for a golf lesson from Fraser, a former pro, who is helping to build the new course here. The course is not yet open, but will be this spring, so I was getting a golf lesson and a sneak preview.

I grew up in a big U.S. golfing area, Myrtle Beach, and actually did take lessons as a child. I hoped that golfing would be like riding a bike. The golf course is new, but ... ...

I've had several emails from people who have requested the recipe for the dutch oven peach cobbler that Barbara Kennedy of Cowgirls Forever and I made in the Arizona episode that is broadcast in our new season now on PBS. We rode our horses from the B and B where I was staying in Cave Creek into town to eat at the Buffalo Chip restaurant. Barbara put me to work making the cobbler, but the results were delicious. Here's the recipe.

Peach Cobbler

14" Deep Dutch Oven

28 Briquettes

1 stick ofbutter ... ...

Check out what the Budget Travel magazine's Beth Collins, has to say about our new book, Equitrekking Travel Adventures on Horseback!

Today we took to the water with Adrian Shine, an expert on Loch Ness. We met him at his Loch Ness Exhibition Center in Drumnadrochit, where our crew learned about the history of Nessie sightings, as well as plausible explanations for these. The Exhibition Center has multiple rooms that show short documentaries on the Loch. These shorts go into the history of Nessie ... ...

Candy said that her area reminds her of the Lake District in England and I agree. There is lush, green pastureland dotted with sheep and cows plummeting to grand Loch Ness below. If you want to ride with Candy, make sure that you are an experienced rider. She is a pretty serious endurance rider herself and has a small number of horses that she is training. You’ll ride one of these horses, so be ready to go, go, go. These are not nose to tail trail horses. Candy takes out a small number of riders. ... ...

We were able to ride our horses into a small nearby town and hit the pub. We parked our horses outside and were able to sit at a table beside them, where we ate toasties and drank cokes. Toasties are what they call toasted sandwiches over here. This pub had the best toasties that I have had on the trip. The ham was warm and the cheese was perfectly melted. We also had chips (welsh speak for American fries)It was the perfect way to end my time in Wales with our horses at the pub!

Shawn is Welsh and grew up in speaking Welsh as her first language. She explained that like accents in the U.S., accents in Wales change from region to region, which makes sense. Those folks in North Wales tend to speak Welsh more and have a thicker Welsh accent than those in the South.

We rode over a small stream before getting to a grassy area, where we warmed up with a few nice canters, before climbing higher up. We passed through the bracken, which was already starting to turn brown in preparation ... ...

Please join us next week on Thursday, October 16th from 5:30p-7:00p for a book signing and reception for our new book Equitrekking Travel Adventures on Horseback at Rizzoli Bookstore in New York City. (31 West 57th Street)

Here's a brief description of the book, which chronicles our first 13 episodes: "This companion to the American Public Television series Equitrekking proves that the world's most beautiful views are often best seen from atop a horse. This gorgeous book features dozens of scenicrides ... ...

Carol, a local rider, provided the horses to Don and me. I rode Big Red, a Rocky Mountain Horse- smooth and big- a real sweetheart. We started at the big black barn, where riders can bring their horses and board them during their time at the village. We rode down to the Shawnee River to an old mill site by a waterfall. The Shakers were a Christian religious group who believed by getting back to the simpler things in life and trying not to sin you could get closer to God. The Shakers were celibate ... ...

We trotted and cantered and walked along the top of a ridge with views of both coasts of the peninsula before reaching the King Arthur’s Stone. Some claim that this is a Neolithic tomb, but other purport that it is not. Whatever its origins, for quite some time people have made pilgrimages here. Olive told me that there is a legend that if a single woman crawls three times around the stone on her hands and knees that she will find her true love shortly thereafter. It’s pretty rocky around the ... ...

While the crew was filming, I decided to take my torch (British speak for flashlight) down the dimly lit hall that led to a pitch-black dungeon. It was really erie to walk the hall alone in the dark. I will tell you that I only got down a few of the stairs that lead to the dungeon before I chickened out. I thought that I heard something. Perhaps a ghost from battles past.

Ifor had some of his riders bring out two stallions and a mare. The riders and their horses pranced around a nearby field. These horses moved very well. They had big, beautiful expressive eyes, typical of the breed, and wild flowing manes.

At one point, the two riders on the stallions got a little too close to each other and the stallions decided to show their might to each other, but thankfully there was no contact involved as the riders handled their mounts quite well. My favorite part of the visit ... ...

There are lots of other guests from the U.S. and Britain here at Cae Iago to ride as well. A few of them come yearly, which is nice to hear. Leslie, who runs Cae Iago and is a really good cook, keeps everyone well fed with big breakfasts, nice packed lunches for the trails, afternoon tea and sweets and a scrumptious dinner.

Charlie led me down the road to a spot where we would begin our climb into the Cambrian Mountains. We trotted and bit. I was able to find out more about the area, as we passed ... ...

She led us to the deserted city of Kayaköy in the town of Kaya. On the ride there, we passed lots of small farms, stone fences and family run restaurants. We also passed Roman tombs and had the chance to do a short canter down some suitable roads. Kayaköy was once a town inhabited by thousands of Anatolian Greeks. The Greeks were forced to abandon it during the population exchange agreement between the Greeks and Turks in the 1920’s. Norma talked about this book, “Birds Without Wings,” which ... ...

Our new third season of high definition episodes debuts on PBS stations across the nation this month, taking viewers horseback riding in extreme destinations including snowy Quebec, along the border of Arizona and Mexico and deep into the jungle in Belize. Episodes in the new, third season include Costa Rica, Kentucky, Arizona, Belize, Texas, Southern Quebec and Utah.

You may watch the season three video on our homepage, as well as other video of horseback riding around the world.

Please check your ... ...

Ahmet’s stables in Guzelyurt are right on the edge of the village. We arrived the night before to pick our horses for the next days trek. I have ridden a lot of different breeds, but before this trip to Turkey had not ridden many Arabians. This breed is prized for its endurance, spirit and intelligence, and I was a little worried before I traveled here that the horses might be too spirited! I am glad to say that the Arabians that I have ridden in Turkey have been just right. For the past few days, ... ...

Every Friday in Avanos, there is a large market where everything from fruits and vegetables to carpets to spices to household items are sold, so we took a break from the saddle to check it out. Ahmet took us fruit shopping. Now, this is a small town and the market was amazing and huge. The produce was beautiful.

Ahmet introduced me to a woman from a surrounding village who was at the market to sell her produce. She is Alevis, a people whose faith is related to Islam as well as other traditions. There ... ...

Chavusin’s old rock homes and churches are carved into a large high, cliff. They are situated in what looks almost like a castle. We were able to ride up on top of these dwellings, stopping below the St. John the Baptist Church from the 7th century. Above us there were also these cubbyholes carved into the rocks. These are what the locals call pigeon houses. They paint the rocks around these indentations red to attract pigeons to these spaces. The locals collect the pigeon droppings and use them ... ...

The scenery changed on our ride through Kiliclar Valley on our way to the Red and Rose Valleys (Gulludere and Kizilcukur) in Cappadocia, Turkey. Here there are white ice cream cone formations and narrow passageways between the white domed rocks. Our horses took the sometimes challenging rocky terrain with stride, much more surefooted than I would have been on these trails.

The lookout point over the Red and Rose Valleys wowed me, and Ahmet said it was one of his favorite spots as well. It was late ... ...

People are so friendly and generous in this part of Turkey. A man who owns a nearby vineyard offered our horses water on the trails. After our horses drank, we rode over to an apricot tree, where we picked sweet apricots from the branches, before continuing our trek.

On my trip to Hawaii's Big Island, I was able to ride with cowgirls at Parker Ranch (see photos from Hawaii's Big Island here) and hear stories of the rigors that wannabe cowboys were put through in order to become Parker Ranch Cowboys. Parker Ranch is an institution on the Big Island. This large cattle ranch, has been in existence for over 160 years. This year, 2008, is the year of the Hawaiian Cowboy, the Paniolo. During the next couple of weeks on the Big Island and at Parker Ranch, many events ... ...

Our first stop was Dereyamanli Valley, where fairy chimneys abound, with a visit to Yamanli Church, a 6th century Christian church. The church was interesting inside. Like many of the churches and homes in Cappadocia, it is carved out of a rock.

Riding through Dereyamanli Valley, I noticed a lot of small vineyards. In Cappadocia, a lot of people have their own little vineyard. The soil is fertile from the area volcanic activity, making it a good place to grow grapes. We met an old woman working her ... ...

In Cappadocia, we will be riding with Ahmet Diler of Kirkit Voyage, who organizes horseback riding and other adventure activities in Cappadocia. He grew up in Avanos, where we will base ourselves for the first part of the trip. Ahmet is a horse lover, whose takes great care of his Arabian horses. Many are a mix of Arabian and Barb and many are full Arabians.

Ahmet picked us up from the airport and we drove to Avanos to visit the stables and scout for the upcoming days. We’re staying in Kirkit Pension, ... ...

We just posted more photos from our recent equestrian travels in Belize, Costa Rica, the Big Island, Quebec and Texas. Check out our horseback riding adventure travel photos on Equitrekking.com's photo page.

We went horseback riding on the Cooper River today with Alaska Horsemen Adventures. The Cooper River is on the Kenai Peninsula. It’s a beautiful area of mountains and glacier fed lakes, well known for its wonderful fishing. Michelle, our guide, took us through the Chugach National Forest, where moose had taken chunks out of the trees, we saw a brown bear from afar (the only safe distance) and our film crew got shot at a couple of times!...by mistake.

I rode a Paint horse mix in her teens namedHarley ... ...

Alaskans take full advantage of having warmer weather and sunlight by playing outdoors in the summer. Bree asked me to do the same, so after our day of riding and our dinner, we headed out on her speed boat to see the salmon headed upriver to spawn off of Bear Lake.

A plane landed on the lake, a common occurrence in Alaska, while we were out there. With the mountains in the distance, it was a beautiful way to end the night, under a bright sky in Alaska.

Most of the boat tours take the good part of a day, so you want to be prepared just in case the seas get rough. I took motion sickness medication just in case, since I do spend most of my life on land. The tour took us through Resurrection Bay and to the Pacific. The waters can be rough, but we lucked out with relatively smooth seas.

We cruised to the massive Holgate Glacier. It calved twice while we sat in the waters nearby. Calving is when giant chunks of ice fall off of the edge of the glacier. ... ...

I rode a five-year-old Tobiano Paint horse named Orca, who was wonderful. Bree rode Max, a big, black 16-year-old Percheron Quarter horse mix. We rode by Resurrection River on our way to the beach. As our crew filmed, Bree talked about growing up in the small town of Seward and pointed out Mount Marathon, where there is an annual Fourth of July race up the mountain and back down. Yes, people do travel here to run up and down a mountain. It’s a tradition. Bree has run twice now. I don’t know about ... ...

Check out my new video podcast in the iTunes music store. For free, you can get tips on great horseback riding destinations and great horses around the world, behind the scenes of our PBS travel series, and more.

Snow Canyon has towering white and red Navajo sandstone canyons, juxtaposed with lava rocks. All along the ride, Patty tested my imagination and gave me some insight into hers by pointing out formations that looked like bears, the gopher from Caddy Shack, an eagle head and more. We rode to a spot where a couple of falcon nests were constructed in a rock wall, but alas, no one was flying around for us.

We rode through a trail through a sandy wash and were lucky enough to see a beautiful white flower ... ...

After expending some energy with the bison, Ron told me about the original settlers on this island, who were commissioned by Mormon leader Brigham Young to tend to horses, cattle and sheep on the island. The livestock were used to entice settlers to move to the area. When newcomers would arrive, they might be given a horse or cow as a sort of incentive for moving to Utah. The original ranchers on the island had a hard life. We passed by various buffalo chips, which Ron said the ranches would useas ... ...

As we rode, Pat told me all about the Native Americans, outlaws and Morman pioneers who rode through and settled Capitol Reef, called “Land of the Sleeping Rainbow.” The colors of the rocks and cliffs here are striking. We rode to petroglyphs created by the Fremont people, ancient Native Americans who lived in the area. Pioneers saw it fit to sign in here too and Pat told some stories from their journals. Surrounded by tall canyons on each ride of us, we were riding through a spot where people ... ...

We were blessed with blue skies, as I mounted “The Kid,” a 10-year-old black Quarter Horse Thoroughbred Cross. The Kid was a great partner for my ride. Tawn, of Canyon Trail Rides, guided me on his horse Wiggy. Tawn said that a lot of people get nervous as they begin their descent into the canyon, because of the drop off on the other side of the trail. I felt safe on The Kid, as he had ridden this trail a thousand times and was probably more sure-footed than I would have been on foot. What makes ... ...

I felt like Indiana Jones as we hiked to the cave. Ronnie pointed out different trees and their uses, including the Sapodilla tree from which chicle is harvested. Found in tropical rainforests, the chicle from this tree was harvested to make gum products like Chicklets.

At the large entrance to Rio Frio Cave, stalagmites hung from the ceiling. The cave is interesting as you can see clear to the other side. Ronnie tells me that caves, like this one, were sacred to the Maya. They believed that itwas ... ...

The resort is eco-friendly. The Privassion River provides hydroelectric power to the resort. Fruits, vegetables and flowers are grown in a beautiful organic garden. There are two restaurants from which to choose. One has Guatemalan food and the other has Italian. Horses are born and raised at the lodge. They found that they were not able to get the type of horses that they wanted in Belize so have started to breed horses here at the stables themselves. In Belize, the Mennonite community uses a lot ... ...

My guide Trevor, whose family moved him from Texas to Belize when he was very young, talked more about the forest, having grown up riding through it. I can’t imagine growing up in this remote part of Belize without electricity and being home schooled. What a fascinating life and so neat to hear about it while riding here!

Trappe Hill Farm was our first stop. Located a ways down a side road off of Route 50, this farm has about 30 horses, which are trained for racing (on the flat and steeplechasing), foxhunting and endurance riding. They also had a couple of foals that were adorable. Though we missed the swimming demonstration, there is a pond outside where the horses do swim. On the tour, the Northern Virginia Animal Swim Center and Stables also has a pool, used for conditioning and rehabilitating horses.

Though Trappe ... ...

We were a little frightened upon arriving at the lodge. As we were eating dinner by lamplight, someone drove up and ran into the open air dining room. A neighbor had been bitten by what they believed to be a poisonous snake and needed help. Being in such a remote location, the hospital was about an hour and a half drive down a bumpy dirt road. Once at the hospital, it wasn’t a guarantee that they would have the anti-venom. Belizeans have a root that you can pick from the forest and when you chew ... ...

Belmopan consists of a grocery store, small, one story homes and lots of embassies, including a very big, new American embassy. It was interesting to think of this as a capitol city, because it is so tiny, but then again, Belize is a small Caribbean country.

John pointed out a tree sacred to the Maya people, as we continued through the jungle. John sent one of the wranglers ahead of us to use his machete to cut away forest which was impending upon the trail. The machete seems to be the accessory of choice here, as the jungle grows fast.

We then rode through the beautiful and slow growing teak trees to a Maya site. These sites are scattered throughout Belize. There are so many that they can’t excavate them all, because it is too expensive. We rode over ... ...

We were able to ride out with Albert, a local who works at the ranch and knows the rainforest plants very well. Since he was a child, Albert has been using plants from the forest to cure his ailments. He learned how to do this from his mother, who learned it from hers. As we rode, Albert pointed out plants to cure everything from headaches to diabetes.

We came upon a giant ant pile filled with cutter ants. Albert stomped on the pile to get the large soldier ant to come out. Once the big ant did,Albert ... ...

To ride here, is to ride among lava rocks, listen to the rumblings of the Volcano, see the smoke billowing from the top of the cone and see the lava billowing down its side, especially at night. Arenal can throw rocks the size of cars and its flow has been known to change direction.

We also visited nearby hot springs, but non-touristy ones. The heat of the springs is determined by how active the volcano is that day. On our day, the volcano apparently wasn’t really, really active, though it was a ... ...

I felt like we were floating as we rose up over the pineapple fields and lush green environment and headed for the rainforest. Though it is the dry season, to me everything is still really green here. You can get pretty close to the tree tops as you float over the rainforest. We did! It was early morning, so we heard the sounds of the rainforest waking up; monkeys and birds called out. We saw parrots and macaws flying below us and even a sloth.

As we rose higher, the cows in the distance looked so ... ...

Climbing up was like climbing the rope in gym class, but harder, as I weigh a lot more than I did then and don’t seem to have a lot of upper body strength. There is a rigging system so that you use your legs and upper body to climb, which once you get the coordination of it all, is hard, but not impossible.

The hard part for me was that we were filming it, so I had to keep stopping and hanging in the air, while we got different angles, meaning that my legs got a little cramped. It also gave metime ... ...

Today, we went to a frog farm that is not open to the public with Esteban of Centaura. The owner raises rare frogs, but the neat thing is that the frogs are left to hop along in the rainforest, so if you walk quietly through, you can spot many of these neon colored frogs. We stealthily walked through the rainforest in search of these small frogs. Beside the trails, there were a lot of them. You have to look closely, but you can find these bright green and black frogs, whose skin and delicate arms ... ...

The day was not without its obstacles. As I write this, we nervously await word on the condition of fan favorite Lainey Ashker and her horse Frodo Baggins who experienced an unfortunate fall early on. It's never easy to see a rider fall. We wait breathlessly for both to get up. Unfortunately Lainey was airlifted to a local hospital and Frodo Baggins received on the spot emergency veterinary care, before he was taken away. They will remain in our thoughts.

It look all of us a little while to get our horses to go into the water. My horse Pinata was very afraid of the waves at first, but we were able to get in after a few tries and after some of the other horses got in as well. We were able to stay on the beach through sunset, a beautiful end to our beach ride.

Esteban rode Chocolate and Monica and her brother Sebastian rode along with us. The area just around the farm is really diverse, with rolling grasslands where cattle graze to fields of pineapple and sugarcane to rainforests, rivers and the grand Arenal Volcano.

The thing about riding in Costa Rica, is that you can really let loose and ride fast. The saddles that we used were McClellon saddles with a nice cushiony seat, ideal for long days in the saddle. Esteban told me about how many people in the ... ...

Centaura’s horses are amazing. They are well trained, responsive and riders can have their pick based on what they want to experience on their adventures. Centaura specializes in custom riding vacations and offers other adventure activities through Serendipity Adventures. This means, I’ll not only be riding on the beaches, at the base of Arenal volcano and in the countryside of San Carlos, but I’ll also be climbing a twelve story tree, going hot air ballooning and visiting a frog farm andseeing ... ...

Braham, my instructor went through the basics again with me. He picked a nice, easy, long trail. On a normal run, it would have taken us 20 minutes to get down. Filming made it take 1.5 hours. It was fun along the way though and I definitely want to go back to Mont Tremblant for some more skiing.

After the lesson, Braham and I put up our skis and walked over to Le Shack, a place in Mont Tremblant’s colorful village that is known for its poutine. Yes, I tried the poutine, a comfort food dish eaten ... ...

I really like Old Montreal. We stayed at Place d’Armes Hôtel, a hip, boutique hotel, which though modern, has managed to maintain it’s rustic brick interiors as well. The location was great, right in the center of Old Montreal, so we were able to go to a nearby pastry shop, Café Europea, and try these neon macaroons, which give a nice sugar boost in the afternoon. They were light and airy, but also tasty. They were filled with different fillings, like caramel apple whiskey flavoring, hazelnut, ... ...

After a big breakfast, I didn’t want to leave the warm fire, but meandered over to the barn with Josee to meet my horse for the ride and my riding partner, Daniel Locas. Daniel would be riding Yanni and I would be on Judy, a mixed breed. Judy loved to go fast, but also listened very well, making her a pleasure to ride. We headed out onto the snowy, well groomed trails around the ranch, past the frozen Black Banks River with views of the beautiful Laurentian mountains all around. We varied groomed ... ...

For dinner, Jacques’ wife cooked up a delicious pastry filled with buffalo meat, zucchini, broccoli, couscous, salad with smoked salmon, bred with fresh homemade pesto, and cake for dessert. Everything was made with organic ingredients, making me feel healthy after a day on the trails.

After a cozy night in my cabin, I awoke to another great meal. Breakfast consisted of eggs, pancakes, potatoes and ham and spinach, black tea, and toast. We toured around the town, seeing a covered bridge and other ... ...

Jacques has about 20 horses and several cabins for guests looking to stay and ride in the area. I rode Tom, a 7-year-old Canadian mixed breed. Tom was wonderful and a good looking black horse. Jacques keeps his riding trails groomed in the winter and the horses have studs on their shoes, so that they can keep their traction on the snowy trails. We took off into the quiet woods, past an old sugar cabin and towards a large field, where we could try some faster trotting and cantering. Many of the trails ... ...

Riding at the ranch is diverse. We headed through fields of tall grass and mesquite trees, towards hills of oaks and up to a point where you had great views of the Brazos and Cooper Rivers. There's a lot of history in the area relating to Native Americans, 1920's wildcatters looking for oil and the early frontiersmen who lived and worked here in Texas. You still ride by old oil tanks that are sprinkled throughout this part of Texas.

I am enjoying the fact that everything is bigger in Texas here,by ... ...

Starting in January, we are excited that stations across the nation are scheduling a new season of Equitrekking. You may watch a video promo at Equitrekking.com.

Some listings of note include:

Albuquerque airs season two on KNME onThursdays at 7:00pm beginning January 10th and repeating on Saturdays at 7:00pm, also simulcasting the HD version on the HD channel on Saturdays at 7:00pm.

Boston on WGBX on Sundays at 4:30pm, starting Sunday, January 6, 2008.

Charlotte on WTVI on Saturdays at 5pm beginning ... ...

If you ask a Cherokee tribal member how long they have lived in this area of Western North Carolina, they will say that they have always been here, that the Creator put them here. If you ask an archeologist or Dr. Barbara Duncan, like we did, she will say that evidence dates the Cherokee as having been here for thousands of years. No matter what you believe, the Cherokee have been in Western North Carolina for a long time. They have deep rooted traditions and culture and a great history with horses. ... ...

Steve Davis, the Director of the University of Vermont Morgan Horse Farm, is a bundle of energy, whose passion for Morgans is evident from his handshake. We were joining Steve for a tour, and I was interested in meeting a foal or two.

Steve took us over to UVM Opie, a three-month old bay colt, who will be auctioned off in UVM’s yearly raffle in October. After seeing Opie, I purchased 10 raffle tickets.

Steve has been working at the UVM Morgan Horse Farm for over 34 years, so has had a hand in naming ... ...

Today we enjoyed riding in the Great Smoky Mountains with tribal members from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. I rode a Tennessee Walking horse, which was a first, and really liked its smooth gliding gait through the shaded mountain trails.

Forrest and his wife, Ashley, who train Tennessee Walking horses and are lifelong riders, let me, Doug and Chip (our crew) borrow horses for the ride. We would be riding and filming, which would be a logistical challenge on steep and rocky mountain trails. ... ...

So today, I took a break from the saddle to explore downtown Asheville's arts, restaurants and shopping and spend the afternoon rock climbing at Chimney Rock Park. No, I have never gone rock climbing before, and yes, I am still in one piece. It was a lot of fun and certainly a challenge.

Asheville is a nice mix of urban culture in a small area. We used the Chestnut Street Inn as our jumping off point. The Chestnut Street Inn is owned by a young couple, Eddie and Jesse, who had great recommendations ... ...

Today I went horseback riding on the Biltmore Estate, enjoying the grounds, trails and horses from an insider's perspective. It was a hot day in Asheville, NC, and with dry roads, we kicked up a lot of dust as we headed over to the equestrian center.

If you want to ride at the Biltmore, you can enjoy over 100 miles of surrounding Appalachian trails and many choices. Anyone can take a Western style trail ride at the Biltmore. Riders can also bring their horses to board at the stables and enjoy thetrails, ... ...

I am frequently asked to speak or write about safety for riders. Of all the tips I offer for anyone anywhere, the most basic applies to every rider every time you saddle up: Wear a helmet. Read more.

I just got back from riding with Stacia Hendricks, a naturalist on Sea Island, who took me out for a nature ride on the beaches and into the varied ecosystems of Sea Island. I rode Charlie, a very large Belgian Draft horse. At almost 18 hands high, I would certainly be getting a bird's eye view of things during our journey.

We rode over the Black Banks River and hit the wooded trails that lead to the wide, sandy beaches of Sea Island. There is a rich diversity of bird life on Sea Island. We passed ... ...

Today we ventured out to see more of the horses and wildlife on Cumberland Island. The horses on Cumberland travel in family groups, usually with a dominant stallion. Because the island is for the most part undeveloped and subtropical forest, there are not many grazing areas. The horses must compete for the few grassy grazing areas on the island, the majority of which are the lawns of the few houses and historical buildings or ruins scattered around the island. Fresh water is supplied by an aquifer ... ...

Today was fantastic! I spent the day touring Georgia's Cumberland

Island with naturalist Fred Whitehead, who has an intimate knowledge of the island's "wild" horses and varied ecosystems.

Roughly the size of Manhattan, Cumberland is a small island off the southern Georgia coast and boasts 17.5 miles of pristine beaches. It is no more developed today that it was in the early 20th century, as large landowners and now the National Park Service have tightly regulated development on the island for over ... ...

Well, I am sitting here with a sunburn after a very full day of beach riding on Sea Island. During my ride, Sarah, who was leading our small group of three down a wide sandy beach under a bright blue sky, said that it couldn't get any better than this. I have to agree.

Sea Island is one of the barrier islands off of Georgia's coast in a grouping known as the Golden Isles. The Sea Island Resort has been welcoming guests to the island retreat for generations, and people have been riding on the island ... ...

Today, I began my travel adventures on the East Coast, riding horses from the state of Georgia to the state of Vermont and filming for the Equitrekking™ television series.

Equitrekking is the first travel television series to explore the globe on horseback. Our new six-part series begins broadcasting nationally on Public Television in 2007. We're filming in high definition, in order to capture the beauty of the horses and scenery of each place that we visit.

We've already filmed in Ireland, New ... ...

Our new series begins broadcasts on PBS stations this winter. We have just put up a season two video promo, so that you may have a sneak peak at some of our adventures. Happy New Year!

We woke up at 5AM to make the three hour drive to Kipahulu. Along Hana Highway, we stopped to watch the waves crash on the cliffs and to take in the waterfalls and pools that dot this area of rainforest.

Keoni would be taking me out along with two other visitors. Keoni grew up in the area and has a deep connection to his Hawaiian heritage. He would serve as out Alaka’i or guide into the rainforest. Before riding, Keoni sang and prayed a traditional oli or call to his ancestors.

Maui Stables has about ... ...