Christian and Diedra Muniz prepare to ride across the US on a coast-to-coast trail next month
MOUNT LAUREL - Honeymoons tend to be a joyous occasion when newlyweds escape to somewhere for some alone time and relaxation. However, one local couple has decided to forgo the typical vacation in pursuit of an adventure of a lifetime by traveling across the United States by riding on horse and donkey next month.
"It was pretty much my idea," claimed Christian Muniz, a 25-year-old resident of Cinnaminson. "I came across an article on the American Discovery Trail and I said, 'that's what we should do for our actual honeymoon, like do a long distance trail or something.'"
At first his wife Diedra, who is 27 years old, seemed to just brush off the idea since Muniz explained he tends to be the dreamer and she the realist. However, the couple married last spring and didn't take an actual honeymoon after their wedding, so making plans for an adventure led Diedra to begin researching the idea and it developed into a reality. And the idea to ride instead of hike stemmed from her love of horseback riding which she had begun teaching to her husband.
"We've both been lifelong adventurers..." explained Christian. "And with this, we've both figured it was the best time to do it because afterwards we might not have an opportunity to do so."
The unique team consists of the Munizes, a thoroughbred racehorse named Buffy, a riding donkey named Sancho Panza, and their poodle-boxer mixed dog, Caleb.
"He [Caleb] was going to go anywhere we go whether or not we are hiking to Tahiti or staying inside watching a movie," remarked Diedra.
Both Buffy, who is 12 years old, and Sancho Panza, who is only 5 years old, were recently purchased but have melded wonderfully with their new family. They are currently being stabled at Mount Laurel Animal Hospital where the couple volunteers.
All three animals will be carrying gear and food -- even Caleb who at 8 years old has been training daily and even walks at a faster pace than the donkey. The team will be packing lightly as to lessen the strain on the animals with long distance riding and will be camping along the trail.
The American Discovery Trail spans 15 states, crossing multiple state parks and national forests, for a total of 6,800 miles. It's made up of a connected system of trails that collectively form the only non-motorized coast-to-coast trail in the United States. At times the trails are connected by following along the roadsides and also splits into two sections, a northern route and southern, between Ohio and Colorado.
The couple will start the trail at Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware with a goal of ending in Point Reyes, California. To help plan and better prepare for the journey, they have been reaching out to various long riders in each state that have completed the trail or the portion within their state.
One person the Munizes have been in contact with is Samantha Szesciorka, a longrider in Nevada who organizes trips along the trail as part of a program to help adopt wild horses. Because of the arid and mountainous terrain, the Nevada portion of the trail is often considered the toughest part. Difficulties such as having enough water or finding areas for animals to graze tends to discourage many people from even attempting the trail altogether.
"I get a lot of emails from people that want to do long rides but they never come to fruition," said Szesciorka. "But Diedra and Christian are actually following through and they seem like they will achieve it"
Outside of the desert regions of the trail, there are other perils the team is prepping for. Injury is a real possibility, for both the couple and animals, during these long treks and could halt the trip altogether. And various wildlife along the trail has caused some worry, and a need to bring protective tools like bear mace. However, their best preparation for any unexpected encounter is to learn as much as possible, explained Christian.
Despite everything that could go wrong along they way, they are optimistic about their adventure. Both of the Munizes plan to take time to learn another language, and Diedra even hopes to finish writing a book or two that she has recently started.
They both also joke about their biggest goal of hoping to survive the journey, but the thing they look most forward to in their adventure is that the trip will further strengthen their relationship.
"One of the big differences between Christian and I is that I'm really fast pace and he's more like go-with-the-flow," explained Diedra. "So I'm hoping this trip will bring me down more to his speed."
The couple will embark on their journey on March 5, and will chronicle the trip via a blog, itsourbigadventure.com, and through social media under the same name. However, even with all the extensive planning they've made for the trip, they've yet to finalize their plans once they get to the end of the trail. The possibilities have ranged from talks about riding back to even just flying home while shipping both Buffy and Sancho Panza. The young couple is content with deciding on all the potential choices once the time comes.
"Who knows," remarked Diedra, "we may get to there and maybe just go to Mexico next."
Anthony Medina may be reached at amedina@njadvancemedia.com. Follow South Jersey Times on Twitter @theSJTimes. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.