Hey there side doorbells, we're just around the corner from the launch of our new season.

But in the meantime, we figured what better way to celebrate the waning days of summer than

with an adventure tale, an epic camping trip on horseback in the name of history.

We're bringing you a story about two horses named Chicken Fry and Badger,

who set out to retrace the hoofsteps of the legendary pony Express.

Now if you're not familiar with the pony Express, in 1860, the fastest way to get a message to a

family member, partner, or colleague was not by text but by hoof, specifically a ponies.

In just 10 short days, the pony Express delivered mail between St. Louis, Missouri and Sacramento,

California. Relay chains of riders and their ponies rode more than 1800 miles of the American West.

And although it was the quickest way to transport mail at the time, it only lasted 18 months.

It's downfall, the telegraph.

But how does such a short-lived delivery system become such a huge piece of American nostalgia?

Well, our friends at the outside podcast bring you that story.

The outside podcast is produced by the editors of Outside Magazine and brings the magazine's

adventure storytelling to life in audio. So, saddle up, here's Michael Roberts from Outside podcast.

Years ago, when I was living in New York City, I had this fantasy of riding a horse

right down park avenue. I imagined an enormous snowstorm that shut down traffic in Manhattan.

And somehow, I get a hold of a horse, a big one, and I go galloping down that urban canyon.

Then I pull up outside a bar downtown and go in for a whiskey.

Kind of silly I know, I blame my childhood afternoon of watching reruns of Benanza.

I'm Michael Roberts, and over my years at Outside, I've worked on a number of stories about people

who had much bolder fantasies than mine and actually saw them through. People who sailed or

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