Back on the road

Bob Skelding is back on the road with a new wagon and a new team traveling the old-fashioned way. This is his third trip across country by horse and wagon.

Bob Skelding and Denise Jacobs take a short rest in Leachville as they make their way across country by wagon. (Town Crier photo/Revis Blaylock)

Skelding made it from New Hampshire to Mississippi on trip two when an accident destroyed his wagon, killed two of his horses, and sent him to the hospital.

His bones mended and nine months later he is back on the road for trip number three. He was traveling through Northeast Arkansas Christmas week where he and Denise Jacobs, their horses, and dog named Clementine spent the Christmas holidays in Black Oak with a local family.

They arrived in Arkansas from Missouri on Dec. 21 coming through Leachville and on to Monette before making a stop in Black Oak.

"Some people like to travel at 70 miles per hour but we prefer going three miles per hour," Skelding said. "This is something I have always wanted to do. I enjoy seeing new places, meeting new people."

They have been on the road for six weeks and traveled about 600 miles. Their journey began Nov. 14. The first leg of their trip will take them from Indiana to Texas. The second leg of their trip will take them from Austin, Texas, to the west side of the Continental Divide. They plan on going north up to the west side of the Rockies and on to South Pass back to Indiana. At 15 to 25 miles a day, the trip will take about a year.

They both said they are in no hurry, they are just enjoying the journey.

Skelding is an author and has a book published about his first trip. He has a website, wagonteamster.com. His adventures are posted daily, along with pictures of places and people they have met along the way.

His second book is underway and should be ready to go to print this fall. He has a sneak preview posted on his website.

"We stop occasionally and sell books but we enjoy meeting the people," he said

His family and friends can keep up with his journey daily on his website. Just look under "Where's Bob?"

His horse-drawn RV is well equipped with a shower, stove, sleeping area, and refrigerator.

He is living his dream and enjoying every day of it. According to his travel journal posted, he enjoyed visiting as they traveled through Caraway on to Lepanto and Marked Tree.