See the U.S.A. in your – covered wagon?
by Jim Crawford

CAVE CREEK – It’s a long way from Plankinton, South Dakota, to Cave Creek–almost 1,500 miles.

That distance, however, is a mere drop in the bucket for Ron and Teresa Dakatah, who recently passed through town in the couple’s  personal recreational vehicle on their way to parts unknown.

The Dakatahs have been touring the western United States since 2002 in an “Amish motor home,” as Ron calls their covered wagon drawn by four horses.

Yep, a covered wagon.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, people wouldn’t give you a second look if you passed by in a wagon loaded with your personal belongings. But it’s a different story in the 21st century, when we can drive a thousand miles in one day or fly from Phoenix to New York in a few hours.

“We’re working to love people the way Jesus loved people,” Teresa said during a water stop along Carefree Highway. “We’re working to get the stick out of our own eye.”

“We’ve been to Oklahoma, Iowa, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico,” Teresa said. “We’ve been on the road for five years. People have been pretty good most of the way. We get some who are a little grumpy.”

The couple travels with two wagons and six horses. The rear wagon, pulled by two of the horses, is their supply wagon, storing hay for the horses and carrying a handy generator.

Their horse‑drawn home was purchased in Montana for $600 and remodeled.

Inside are all the amenities one would find in a cozy motor home. There’s an elevated bed, where a vicious, man‑eating Chihuahua stands guard. In front of the bed is a tiny kitchen housing various supplies and a cook stove.

“We even have a stereo and a TV,” related Teresa. “Actually, it’s a car radio, but it serves us just fine. Everything we own is in the wagons.”

Police do not present a problem, as the wagon is legal– running on rubber car tires because the original iron‑banded wooden wheels are illegal in some places.

“We’re required to have the orange triangle reflector on the back,” she explained. “We put the orange flashing light on top for our own protection.”

A Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputy cruised by and stopped, but just to tell the couple to be careful. He sure wasn’t going to issue a speeding ticket. The Dakatahs usually travel about 20 miles per day.

“They’re usually pretty nice,” she said of the police. “We’re not doing anything illegal.”

Southern Arizona is likely to be scratched off the couple’s must‑see list, according to Ron.

“We’ve been in Phoenix visiting my son for the last two months,” he said. “We’ve been here for the experience, but we probably won’t be back.

“People think this is a cheap way to go, but it costs about $20 a day to feed the horses. You put $20 worth of gas in your car and you can go a lot farther than 20 miles. The Social Security check won’t cover the feed.”

The Dakatahs usually park the tiny caravan along the side of the road or on vacant lots at night.

“It’s easier to get water up north,” she pointed out. “And the horses usually have plenty of grass to eat at night.”

City dwellers might shudder at the thought of doing something so bold as seeing the world 20 miles at a time in a covered wagon.

“I just wanted to see my own back yard,” Teresa said. “A lot of people do it with a tent and a bike. I wanted to really see it. We have no intention of stopping.”

The curious can’t resist giving the strange sight a once‑over during a pit stop. The couple patiently answers questions about their odyssey.

“We won’t know ’til we get there,” Ron replied to a man who asked where they would stay the night.

One lady presented Teresa with a bag of apples she’d purchased– a treat for the horses.

In exchange, Teresa gave the lady one of the potholders she’d knitted to thank strangers who show their kindness on the road.

“Take it,” Ron urged the woman. “That’s what she does.”

It’ll take approximately two and a half months to reach Plankinton, where the Dakatahs will refit their wagons and ready another team of horses for the next journey.

“We’ll fix the broken stuff,” Ron said. “We’ve got horses to train. A good team usually depends on the attitude and disposition of the horses. Some of them just can’t do this. We’ve got a pretty good bunch now.”

There are probably a lot of people out there, not to mention horses, who couldn’t do it, either.