Quebec City, Quebec

I was able to spend a night in Quebec City before we took off to ride into the wilderness. The city is very European and a great city to explore on foot. I walked around in the old section of town, with its cobblestone streets and historic architecture. I shopped on Petit Champlain, a pedestrian only street, where there are lots of stores that sell craft items. I passed wood sculptures, jewelry, clothing and kitchenware shops. I stopped in one café for a cappuccino, sitting outside in the sun to enjoy the ambience of the busy streets. I then visited a bakery and chocolate shop, Madam Gigi’s, with a ton of homemade chocolate goods. I tried a port filled truffle, that literally exploded in my mouth and a piece of chocolate filled with crème Brule. Isabelle, who is a master baker, told me about the different recipes they use to create so many different desserts. Yum. Next, I strolled along the promenade up by Chateau Frontenac, the city’s main landmark, to watch the ships cruise the St. Lawrence River.

Land Between the Lakes, KY

Today, I rode Lisa Darnell’s 12-year-old mare, Misty, at Land Between the Lakes, a popular recreation area in Kentucky. The land is literally a peninsula surrounded by a lake. Randall Mitchell, the park naturalist, led us out to learn about the history of the area, along with Lisa and her crew from Equine Adventures, the park concessioner who rent horses and lead trail rides. You can bring your own horse to the park or ride out with Lisa on her horses. As this is a recreation area, folks are encouraged to come and be active in the area. Lots of people camp here and make their own fun by fishing, riding horses on and off the trails, riding atv’s or hunting. Lots of people recreate on the lake too, which is vast and beautiful.

Barren River State Park, KY

Today we rode with Lisa Deavers, a naturalist at Barren River State Park in Western Kentucky. Lisa pointed out the myriad of wildflowers, like the pretty blue phlox, as she explained the history of this area. We would normally get to ride down to the lake, but because of rain, the lake was too high, so we had to stick to the wooded trails. This part of Kentucky was called the Barrens by European settlers who believed that the land was unfit to grow anything. Where today there is forest, there were once tall grasslands. So tall, in fact, that early accounts by settlers say that on horseback they couldn’t even see over the grass. The land wasn’t in fact unfit to grow anything. The Native Americans in the area were practicing controlled burning and keeping the land as grassland. This made it easier for them to see and hunt the bison who once roamed this area. The wooded trails here area serene and close enough to our next destination, Land Between the Lakes, that you could combine to two on a trail riding trip.

Kentucky Horse Park, KY

One of the highlights of my visit to Kentucky was the Kentucky Horse Park. I had imagined that it was a Disneyland for horse lovers and it is. There are breeds from around the world, museums, shows and even riding. We didn’t ride here at the park, but took in the parade of breeds, admiring the beautiful black Friesians and Marwari, visiting the Draft horses, and the retirees in the Hall of Champions.

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.

Globe Inn, Dumfries, Scotland

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 his grave and the house where he grew up.

Jane, who manages the pub, is passionate about Burns. She took me on a tour before I had a pint in the smaller bar room, where I got to talking with some locals. One man, Robertson, who is an American living in Scotland, had his adorable collies with him. Dogs are allowed in most pubs in Scotland. Robertson and his Scottish wife Emma run a local B&B called Ferintosh. One of his favorite pubs is the Globe, because of its history and because it’s a local’s place.