2008-06-10T12:06:06Z http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/ ©Equitrekking LLC http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/150/G%C3%BCzelyurt%2C-Turkey.html 2008-08-27T18:29:27Z

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’s 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, ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/149/Avanos%2C-Turkey.html 2008-08-25T20:19:50Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/148/Chavusin-Village%2C-Turkey.html 2008-08-21T06:48:02Z

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 carvedinto ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/147/Kiliclar-Valley%2C-Cappadocia.html 2008-08-20T07:12:50Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/146/Baglidere-Fairy-Chimneys%2C-Turkey.html 2008-08-18T07:41:12Z

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.

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/145/Big-Island-Paniolo-Celebrations.html 2008-08-15T07:36:54Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/144/Cappadocia%27s-Dereyamanli-Valley%2C-Turkey.html 2008-08-14T09:02:33Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/143/Cappadocia%2C-Turkey.html 2008-08-12T07:42:38Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/142/New-Travel-Photos-Posted.html 2008-08-10T06:01:30Z

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.

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/141/Cooper-River%2C-AK.html 2008-08-06T06:00:17Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/140/Darn-Good-Salmon%2C-Alaska.html 2008-08-04T17:12:52Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/139/Kenai-Fjords-National-Park%2C-Alaska.html 2008-08-02T08:42:16Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/131/Seward-Horse-Ride%2C-AK.html 2008-07-21T17:11:08Z

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, ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/129/New-Equitrekking-Video-Podcast.html 2008-06-23T07:24:09Z

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.

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/128/Snow-Canyon-State-Park%2C-UT.html 2008-06-20T03:17:57Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/127/Antelope-Island%2C-UT.html 2008-06-24T08:18:22Z

The Quarter Horse Thoroughbred cross that I rode, Sawdust, had been in various movies and was super well trained, necessary when rounding up bison. The free roaming bison on the island look ancient, but are fast moving. You have to be careful when working them, so that you and your horse don’t getcharged. ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/126/Capitol-Reef-National-Park%2C-Utah.html 2008-06-13T06:14:58Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/125/Bryce-Canyon%2C-Utah.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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, ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/124/Rio-Frio-Cave%2C-Belize.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 RioFrio ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/123/Blancaneaux-Lodge%2C-Belize.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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. ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/122/Jungle-Ride%2C-Belize.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/121/Virginia-Hunt-Country-Stable-Tour.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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, ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/120/Mountain-Equestrian-Trails-Orientation%2C-Belize.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/118/Belmopan%2C-Belize.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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.

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/117/Banana-Bank-Lodge%2C-Belize.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/116/Belize-Medicinal-Ride.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 outplants ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/115/Arenal-Volcano%2C-Costa-Rica.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/114/Hot-Air-Balloon-Ride-Costa-Rica.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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, ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/113/Costa-Rica-Tree-Climbing.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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. ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/112/Costa-Rica-Frog-Sanctuary.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/111/Rolex-Three-Day-in-Kentucky.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/110/Costa-Rica-Beach-Ride.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/109/Costa-Rica-Farm-Ride.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/108/Costa-Rica-with-Centaura.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/107/Mont-Tremblant-Skiing.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/106/Montreal%2C-Quebec.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/105/Dogsledding-in-Mont-Tremblant.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/103/Ranch-Mont-Tremblant%2C-Quebec.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/102/North-Hatley%2C-Driving-a-Horse-Drawn-Sleigh.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/100/North-Hatley%2C-Quebec.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/98/Wildcatter-Ranch%2C-TX.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 theearly ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/82/Equitrekking-on-Public-TV-Across-the-Nation.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/90/Cherokee-Horse-History.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/89/UVM-Morgan-Horse-Farm.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/91/Great-Smoky-Mountains.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/92/Rock-Climbing-and-Downtown-Asheville%2C-NC.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/93/Biltmore-Estate%2C-NC.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 enjoyover ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/94/The-Importance-of-Wearing-a-Helmet.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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.

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/87/Sea-Island-Nature-Ride.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/88/Day-Two-on-Cumberland-Island.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 competefor ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/86/Wild-Horses-on-Georgia%27s-Cumberland-Island.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/84/Beach-Riding-on-Sea-Island%2C-GA.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 ...

http://www.equitrekking.com/Blogs/2/Darley%27s-Travel-Blog.html/Blog/85/Equitrekking-Hits-the-Road.html 2008-06-10T12:04:25Z

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 ...