Hannah Lauzon grins at her companions, not seen in this photo, as she prepares to ride Meadow the horse down Hollywood Boulevard. Lauzon, Meadow, her fiance, Kevin Harvey, and Olive the dog are traveling throughout the United States.
LAUREN DELGADO / Daily NewsPublished: Wednesday, January 22, 2014 at 18:09 PM.
FORT WALTON BEACH — Meadow the horse grazed quietly Wednesday afternoon on the lawn of the Emerald Coast Rescue Mission, oblivious to the small crowd watching and the motorists who slowed down to stare.
“My vehicle is fueling,” joked Hannah Lauzon, Meadow’s owner.
Meadow and Lauzon are accustomed to the stir caused by a rider and a large black and brown horse heading down highways and streets.
Meadow, Lauzon, Olive the dog and Lauzon’s fiancé, Kevin Harvey, have spent almost four months traveling by foot, horse and bicycle through the Southeast.
“We’ve got most of your alternative methods of transportation covered,” Lauzon said.
They started their journey in North Carolina, They have no set destination or end date in mind.
A few days ago they met a fellow wanderer, Robert Riness, near Santa Rosa Beach and teamed up for the long road ahead. Riness’ bike hauls a small trailer with a solar panel on top, adding to the eclectic caravan.
"It's a full on dog and pony show," Riness said.
Riness’ trip will end in Texas, but Lauzon and Harvey hope to see the rest of the country on a musical tour. They call their folk music band “Five Cent Fiddle.”
“We wanted to see if the U.S. was still hospitable,” Lauzon said. “We found there are lots of good people in the world.”
Their music attracts people, but Meadow is usually the conversation starter.
They have camping gear, but Lauzon said that most the time locals give them a place to stay and a bite to eat.
They stayed with a local family Tuesday night with Meadow in the backyard.
The first few months of traveling were difficult, Lauzon said. They’ve since gotten over the soreness and better organized their gear.
“The less stuff, the better,” she said.
They haven’t had any problems so far. A horse is still a vehicle in most towns, Lauzon said.
“God bless America. “It’s still horse country.”
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Lauren Delgado at 850-315-4445 or ldelgado@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @LaurenDnwfdn.
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