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Casey's Cowtown - Dodge City, KS
2007-10-24 23:01:00
The dogs got to run and play while we stayed down for a couple of days in Dodge . Crowds of people usually fill the fenced area behind Casey’s Cowtown, so the large area had plenty of room for the dogs to run around off their leashes and for us to setup the horse panels. Casey’s Cowtown is a restaurant known for their great steaks and friendly family atmosphere. read more
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Garden City - Dodge
2007-10-23 02:41:00
The wind was blowing and the clouds where dark when we arrived at the Finney County Fairgrounds in Garde n City . We settled in and set up our cooking stove to make a bit to eat. We ate then took a walk around. In the morning, Bill rode out from the fairgrounds and sent Brenda and I on ahead to Dodge . I followed her, we stopped in at a gas station, and Brenda asked to barrow a phone book. She began making calls to find a place for the night. With no luck she asked the casher where the Dodge rodeo/ fairgrounds where located.  We then drove to the grounds to see if we could find someone to ask permission for us to put Blackie there. While talking to the Chamber of Commerce they mentioned that Casey’s Cowtown Steakhouse might have a location for us to stay, so she got their number and gave them a call. They where more then happy to let us setup the panels in the back. After setting up we went out to find Bill and Blackie. We brought food and water for both horse and rider. Bi...
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Right Column not displaying correctly in IE7
2007-10-20 18:37:00
I'll replace the theme when i have time...tell then try Firefox.
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Crazy House - Garden City Kansas
2007-10-20 04:05:00
The ride from Lakin to Garden City was quick and uneventful. Blackie continues to show improved energy because of the Merit Feed he is eating. He has also gained back a lot of the weight he lost in the desert. When we stop at Crazy House on the northwest edge of Garden City, we are met with warm enthusiasm. Brian Shaw is the first person we speak to and he is willing to help us find a place to keep Blackie. The store is bustling with people here to take advantage of the clearance “tent” sale. The prices are already reasonable and the clearance prices are so low I only wish I had the money to take advantage of them. As I wait for Bill, I take some time to play with the dogs. It doesn’t take Bill long to get here as our last stop was only six miles out. When he arrives, we go talk with Brian to see where we will be this evening. He greets Bill with a hearty handshake. He then tells us we are welcome to put the panels up behind the store, we are then treated to a surp...
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Conestoga Energy Partners - Pioneering the Future
2007-10-17 23:04:00
Click Picture for Gallery --> The truck has been out of commission for a couple of days now. Luckily, we just happened to be in the town of Garden City when the breakdown occurred. Yesterday Bill and I took my car to go see the Bonanza BioEnergy Ethanol Plant here in town. While there, we met husband and wife team Dusty and Angie Richardson who invited us to take a tour. Angie guided us through the process of turning plant material such as corn into ethanol. Check out Conestoga's website to learn what their company name means. As one might expect, the process is nearly exact to making a high grain alcohol except the product must be 100% pure. Corn is fermented to produce alcohol, then the solids are removed and finally the remaining water. Click this Wikipedia link to learn about ethanol as a fuel. Our team feels the weight of high fuel prices everyday. I believe that making the switch and/or supplementing ethanol with gasoline could be important for our future. Ethanol is a ren...
More About: Future , The Future , Partners , Erin

Lakin Kansas - Kearny County Saddle Club
2007-10-17 19:57:00
Click Picture for Gallery --> In Lakin Kansas we stayed at the Kearny County Saddle Club . There we enjoyed some great shade trees and some chili we made. We asked a few people about staying there and were met with a warm welcome. The hospitality in Kansas is outstanding. read more
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Syracuse KS - Camped at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds
2007-10-15 21:56:00
Click Picture for Gallery --> The wide shoulders of the roads here in Kansas are superb for traveling by horseback. The brush is mowed short so that obstacles are easily visible. One of the major problems Bill has had to deal with while riding along highways are the large numbers of beer bottles hidden in the brush. He flinches every time he hears one crunch under Blackie hoofs. A piece of glass in the sole of his foot, the frog, or a piece in the bulbs of his heels could cause a crippling injury. read more
More About: County , Hamilton , Rounds

Fox 31 Denver Interview
2007-10-15 05:09:00
Shaul Tuners Blog - Blog with the anchor and her viewers Online Article & Video - and video - Read the article and view the story run on Fox 31 Denver read more
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Our Ford truck just died, again.
2007-10-15 00:21:00
Our Ford truck just died, again. This is third time on this trip that it has had a major problem. We're not sure what exactly is wrong. Our insurance company is gonna have it towed to the dealer tomorrow. If its the same problem as we had in Pocatello ID then the computer brain died again. In that case the parts warranty should cover the repairs. But the bad thing about this is that they will have to send the burned our computer to the factory, something about each computer being unique to the truck. I guess we'll find out tomorrow.
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Granada - History & Hospitality
2007-10-12 22:12:00
Click Image For Gallery --> Bill saddled up Blackie and rode out of Lamar. We traveled east on 385 and made our way to Granada . The traffic was somewhat heavy but otherwise the ride was smooth sailing. I drove up ahead to search for an internet connection. I often end up driving around looking for an unencrypted wireless network, although most major hotel chains have wireless internet, so that’s usually my first choose.  Small towns don’t usually have hotels, so I then have to search for internet. I met back up with Brenda in the after noon and we asked some locals about a place we could camp out for the night. Lucky there was a open field right in town that was perfect for us. We got settled in and where getting ready to call it a night when a visitor came to see us. It turned out to be the mayor of Granada. She was very nice and directed us to a local restaurant called Chez W. DuVall’s Restaurant & Shoppe. There we met owners Myrna and John DuVall. re...
More About: History , Hospitality , Spit , Ality

Sand & Sage Rodeo - Lamar
2007-10-11 23:44:00
Click Image For Gallery --> When we rolled into Lama r we found the Sand and Sage rodeo grounds busy getting ready for collage rodeo that night. We set up the panels and got settled in among all the fancy shinny horse trailers with living quarters. Brenda told Bill, “Our plain little trailer sure does look like a covered wagon compared to those.” As the action started to gear up, Brenda suggested that Bill saddle up Blackie and give him a play day, socializing him with the other horses. Blackie loved watching the other horses in action. It probably made him remember his days as a roping horse. Brenda got up on Blackie while we watched the events but she couldn’t get her feet in the stirrups. As she was sitting there, watching the action one of the bucking horses ran right up to the fence in front of her bucking. Blackie freaked out a bit thinking it was going to come through and hit him. He backed up and turned hard. Brenda had to spin him to keep from running i...
More About: Rodeo , Odeo

The Current Situation
2007-10-10 20:44:00
Our down time waiting in Strasburg set us back quite a bit on our time scale, though it was important to meet with Fox 31 as it is urgent we improve our visibility so that our journey will be more appealing to potential sponsors. They plan to air the story tomorrow morning (Oct. 11th) during the 9 a.m. hour. We hope that someone will see our potential and the greater goal of enhancing the image of our great country as a positive endeavor. Though we are weary, we continue forward uncertain of the future. The morning following our interview with Fox 31 News Reporter Shaul Turner, we traveled via trailer back to Limon where Bill and Blackie had stopped days earlier. Having been out in open country before, we essentially limited our exposure and availability to internet access, which at this point could prove to be a serous  mistake. The decision to continue driving was made. Traveling southeast from Limon we took US-287 down to Kit Carson and then headed east on Hwy 40. That night...
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Our Funds are Running Critically Low
2007-10-06 22:54:00
We have had numerous donations from private individuals, some of whom had little to spare. We have also received sponsorship in the form of feed for Blackie, vehicle repairs, and boots and other gear for Bill. At this time, we are roughly half way to our destination. Bill does not want to stop and I believe he will continue tell we can no longer feed the horse, our selves, and our fuel hungry vehicles.
More About: Running , Funds , Ally , Critical , Critic

Limon Colorado - Family Roots
2007-10-03 20:53:00
Click Picture For Gallery --> The pace of the traffic is steady as I sit here watching the cars and tractor-trailers pass one another on either sides of the highway. From a couple hundred yards away, the vehicles don’t seem to be going all that fast, though I know the speed is 75 as I drove the stretch yesterday. We have been down the last couple days and backtracked to within 30 miles of Denver; we drove here to meet with a reporter with Fox 31 News. The decision to come to Denver wasn’t an easy one, and we stayed at a hotel for a few days in Limon called the Tyme Square before heading this way. Owned and operated by Jayne Ashcraft, her husband, and other family members, the Tyme Square has a modern look, though there is a sense of family that you don’t often find in such a setting. I got to meet Etta Ashcraft (I will call her grandma Ashcraft) and learned quite a bit about her and the family. read more
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Woodrow Baptist Church - Strong Community Bonds
2007-09-30 18:28:00
While traveling south on the highway from Brush, Colorado we came to the small hamlet of Woodrow. The town consists of a Post Office, a coffee shop, and a Baptist church. I stopped at the Post Office to inquire about a place to camp for the night. The Postmistress called the wife of the Minister of the church and they agreed to let us stay for the night. I then went back out the highway to meet Bill for what would be the first and only rest stop of the day. We were only able to find one place big enough to get the truck and trailer off the road. I told Bill where we would be staying and after he and Blackie had rested for about 45 minutes, we continued on. read more
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The Crossing Memorial
2007-09-28 04:50:00
Click Picture Fore Gallery --> When Officer Ron Richardson told me about The Crossing memorial, he said that in 1961 a passenger train traveling 80 mpr hit a school bus. What I later learned from Mayor Gilbert Marin when I returned from taking pictures of the memorial, was that officer Richardson’s wife was a survivor of the accident. The Rocky Mountain News has a full featured article on their site; click this link to learn more about the incident, those that survived, and those that lost their lives and their families. You can find this memorial on county road (CR) 52, between CR 43 and 45 off highway 34 which runs east from Greeley Colorado; yet before Kersey. read more
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Kersey - Fort Morgan: Journal Entry 33
2007-09-28 03:44:00
Click Picture Fore Gallery --> On a Saturday afternoon, after a very long day, we were looking for a place to stay for the night. Now that we are in an area where there is very little or no public land, we have a much harder time finding suitable places to camp. On this particular day, we turned down a road toward a lake that we found on our Colorado road map. After a couple of miles, we came upon a nice place. We weren’t sure what lay in wait for us farther down the road so we stopped and Bill walked up to the house to ask about an area to camp. The owner invited us to stay on his place, which was very nice. There was pen for Blackie with soft, sandy soil for him to roll in. read more
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Kersey Pizza - A Great Place to Meet People
2007-09-28 01:05:00
Click Picture Fore Gallery --> While waiting for Bill, Brenda and sat in front of Kersey Pizza . I went in to get a soda and explained our journey. When Bill arrived father and son owners, Barry and Brian treated us to some great pizza. We soon began meeting locals caming in to get pizza, ice cream, burgers, etc. Kersey is about 10 miles east of Greeley on highway 34. Brenda: “That was a neat place.” read more
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Island Grove Regional Park & AgLand in Eaton
2007-09-24 03:40:00
While in Greeley, we stayed at Island Grove Regional Park . Brenda talked to the Director of City Parks while Bill was riding and he introduced us to Keith Thim. Keith showed us where we could keep Blackie and later when Bill arrived, the two spent some time talking. Keith was very accommodating and we enjoyed our short time there. Although there where not any events going on when we were there I did learn that they host the worlds largest 4th or July Rodeo. The park is used for many other events including concerts, demolishion derbies, and just about any other event you can imagine. This park is beautiful and I hope to visit during one of their events. Bill and Brenda received 20 bags of Equine Merit Active Pelleted Feed; one thousand pounds. The two drove to AgLand in Eaton to purchase 2 bags. When they heard about what Bill was doing, they wanted to give us two pallets! Unfortunately, we don’t have room for that much. They saw the journey Blackie is taking as an opportunity...

3 New Galleries: Click Pictures for Galleries
2007-09-22 23:46:00
Kersey Pizza - Kersey Colorado This is where I'm at right now! We didnt expect to be in Kersey very long, but we got to talking to people coming and going after we ate some pizza. We meet father and son Barry and Brian and chefs / cashiers / waitresses Kendra, Kendra, and Danel. Greeley Colorado We stayed at Island Grove Park in Greeley for two nights. During that time i was able to use the internet there to get the pictures and stories uploaded for Cheyenne. I wasnt able to get as many pictures while there as i would have liked. There will be a proper blog entry soon. Nunn Colorado We meet Dan and Dixie Rapelje in the town of Nunn Colorado. We parked the trailer at their place and they made us dinner and breakfast the next morning. They also  brought us some water and apples for Blackie the while we where at Island Grove Regional Park in Greeley. They also gave us some of their exotic fruit juice (I'm not sure of...
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Our Time in Cheyenne Wyoming: Part Three
2007-09-22 01:31:00
Click Picture Fore Gallery --> The Wrangler in Cheyenne heard about Bills journey and invited him to come and visit their store. The Wrangler is the Cheyenne store for Corral West and they rigorously maintain that their store used the name “Wrangler” before another company used the name. Store manager Pat McGee and her Ariat representative presented Bill with some cloths and boots to keep him warm and keep his feet in the stirrups. This store has everything western, and prides itself on the quality items they offer the working cowboy. The Wrangler is known far and wide as the store for western apparel. Bill: “What a store, thanks for the support and friendship!” We also contacted Dr. Fox of the Tristate Large animal Hospital. We asked Dr. Fox to give Blackie an examination to confirm that his health was sound. Dr. Fox went out of his way to ease our concerns and gave Blackie a complete examination and updated his health papers... Bill: “Dr Fox is on...
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Our Time in Cheyenne Wyoming: Part Two
2007-09-22 00:02:00
Click Picture For Gallery --> The same evening we go into Cheyenne Bill contacted the local police department as he often does. He does this to organize his next step. Each town or city we travel though is different. Local law enforcement is often the best source of information regarding the traffic, laws and frequently places to stay. Occasionally Bill is surprised. He called only to inform them of what he was doing, yet once the CPD heard about our journey, they told Bill that two mounted police would accompany him through town. read more
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Our Time in Cheyenne Wyoming: Part One
2007-09-21 01:52:00
On the 16th Bill made it about 8 miles outside of Cheyenne at the end of the day. It was drizzling on and off when I found him. I drove Bill and Blackie to Cheyenne Frontier Days. We set the horse up with food an water and let our dogs run about and play for awhile.  We then drove to The Historic Plains Hotel. Earlier that day Brenda and myself where looking for accommodations for Blackie and ourselves while Bill was riding on highway 130. Of course, the first priority is always the horse. If we find a place for him, we usually can stay where he is if we need too. Straight away Brenda found the grand Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo/ event center. Anyone who loves the western sprit must see this place. They have lots of great stuff to see. Check out their Schedule of Events page if you want to visit. We asked around for the person we needed to get in touch with for accommodations for Blackie. Everyone was very helpful and we soon found the grounds caretaker; a very nice guy. Findi...
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Rendezvous Lodge
2007-09-16 20:27:00
Taking highway 130 south of Saratoga, Bill rode to the Rendezvous Lodge . We met some great people there. We were planning to camp at a Forest Service campground we saw on the map. The first thing we asked was, "Can we keep a horse here." read more

Announcement: Bill Rides through Cheynne Wyoming
2007-09-16 20:04:00
Monday September 17 (tomorrow) at around 10am, Bill and Blackie will be riding through Cheyenne with two mounted police. They will pass the The Historic Plains Hotel, where we are currently staying.
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Rawlins to Saratoga: Journal Entry 32
2007-09-16 00:59:00
It was morning as we left Rawlins, we had a police escort through town. Bill rode down Main Street through the historic district. We then went through Sinclair, and then Bill will got on a dirt, right- of-way track along Highway 80. Millie loves to follow the horse. read more
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Web Site News: Blog Toplist Submission
2007-09-14 04:16:00
I have been submitting uncoveringamerica.com to some blog toplists to improve the site visibility in the internet jungle. I would appreciate it if everyone would vote for us on blogtoplist.com using and feedbase.net. You can rate the site at and feedage.com, and “BUMP” the site at and subscribe to this site at (equal to a vote I think). Thanks! read more
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New Galleries For Wyoming
2007-09-13 18:18:00
Vee Bar Guest Ranch - Laramin "Sprint sucks." Brenda has been documenting her ongoing battle with Sprint, fed up with being constantly transfered and calls being dropped while on the phone with Sprint representatives. She spent hours on the phone and was cut off 3 times, never getting anything accomplished with this company on this day alone. Vee Bar Guest Ranch This ranch is surrounded by miles of rolling hills covered in grass stretching out to the horizon. Rendezvous Lodge Brenda stopped in at the Rendezvous Lodge to ask where we could keep Blackie; the camp site we planned on staying at didn't allow horses about 5 miles down the road. Saratoga When we arrived in Saratoga we found friendly people and a relaxing public hot spring. read more
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Rawlins - Escape the Big City: Journal Entry 31
2007-09-09 20:07:00
Click Picture for Gallery --> We entered Rawlins Wyoming and headed for the fair grounds. The Grounds keeper showed us around and told us where we could keep Blackie. The fairgrounds where not being used and we found that the accommodations perfect for the traveling horseman. The grounds are well kept and it is apparent that this place is a part of Rawlins heritage. read more
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Rock Springs: Journal Entry 30
2007-09-06 19:47:00
We set Blackie up at the Sweetwater County Events center and fairgrounds in Rock Springs. We also camped out one night at the fairgrounds; got some pictures there. We met a couple who helped us get hay. While talking to them we discovered that they where from Salt Lake City. Flying J provided showers for us and we also bought a grill and other some other necessities at Walmart. We then talked to the Hampton and told them of the journey and our previous stay with the Hampton in Mountain Home. They made available a room for two nights. This is truly an outstanding chain of Hotels; they offer breakfast every morning with a variety of foods from hot egg dishes to fresh fruit salads. The coffee bar is great too. read more
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