by David Flint
With cars and trucks whizzing by on Route 22 in Petersburgh, Ernie and Chris Bessette were in no hurry. The just plodded along in their two horsepower vehicle at their normal speed of 20 miles per day. That speed might be diminished depending on how often they stopped to chat with curious bypassers.
[private]The Bessettes, who are enjoying their retirement, were travelling from Fort Edward to visit friends in Chatham in Columbia County. The wagon that Ernie, a welder by trade, built, is pulled by their two faithful Percherons, Dan, 5 years old, and Duke, 6 years old. They carry everything they need in the wagon including feed for the horses. They also sleep in the wagon, usually invited by landowners to stop for the night
Miles Fly By
They figured about two weeks for this journey. They planned to stop in Berlin to visit with Wally O’Neil, an old school buddy of Ernie’s. This trip is relatively short compared to some of the adventures they have been on in past years. They have been up through Lake George and Crown Point and over into Vermont. Back in 1986 they journeyed by horse and wagon all the way across the country to California by way of Lake Tahoe.
Ernie grew up on a farm, and managing horses is something that’s been in his blood. The Percherons, he said, are very docile and laid back. “The more you use them, you get to a point where you can just put them on auto pilot,” he said.
Travelling at this rate of speed gives one time to really appreciate the scenery and what’s going on around you. Ernie said he and Chris had been to 49 states but found no place any prettier than the country they had just been passing through in Petersburgh. Besides enjoying the scenery, Ernie loves to meet and talk with people. “It’s not the destination; it’s the gittin’ there,” he said.
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