It was as part of a wagon train, with 26 participants and four teams of horses. And, said Bain, it was three and a half days of comraderie that just doesn’t seem to happen anymore. There were no televisions, no computers. The kids spent time interacting with each other and experiencing some of the things that early settlers did.

The wagon train camped three nights at prearranged locations; one evening was spent singing around the campfire, another eating authentic frontier foods cooked over a fire – beans, potatoes and gravy, and a variety of desserts.

Bain built his own covered wagon on an old wagon base. It does have some modern – but well hidden – amenities, he said, like a gas stove built into a drawer in the side.

One thing that was not modern was the engine. The wagon was pulled by his team of Morgan/Belgium horses, Captain and Flicka. All the horses were of special concern during the hot days, Bain pointed out. His own wagon carried 400 gallons of water for hourly drinks, replenished daily.

Three days on the road...but a trip to remember and look forward to next year.