Stagecoaches, Could You Travel in One?

Hi there! Kit Morgan here. Today I had the pleasure of being spotlighted by A Taste of Romance Book Club. I have a new release, you see, and much of the book is set around a stage stop. Now, this particular stage stop is owned by some very interesting folks, but you'll have to check the book out for yourself to find what that's all about. But during my spotlight, we got to talking about what it would be like to travel by stagecoach, and boy oh boy, did we have fun! One of the things we talked about of course was the history of the stagecoach. For instance, how far could a stagecoach travel in a day? At an average speed of five miles an hour, they could travel 60 - 70 miles a day. Just think of all that jostling around on rough roads. The reactions to this, of course, were varied. One gal said she'd need motion sickness pills. Another said she was claustrophobic and allergic to dust. She obviously wouldn't be going anywhere. And quite a few pointed out the fact that they'd be bored to tears. So I livened it up a bit and asked if they were traveling with a few chaps, how it might be different. Well, this was met with

varied responses:

1. "Good grief, just look at them! I'm not getting into a stagecoach with those guys!"

2. "So long as I had a gun ..."

3.  "Those guys probably stink, so a perfumed hankie would be a must."

4.  "Sign me on! I'm sure one of those fellows would be a charmer and fun to chat with!"

5. And my personal favorite: "One is probably a flirt and very charismatic but shows complete respect because his mama raised him to protect and cherish women. Another thinks all women are silly, useless creatures and looks down his nose at them. The third fellow is hiding something. Sounds like a fun ride! All aboard!

It's a good thing some of us were not born in the 1800's!

Then we talked about the horses, how far a team could travel in a day. About thirty miles, walking most of that, with short breaks here and there. I myself have ridden twenty miles in a day with no problem. A fit horse can travel farther.

Then came the question of what to do if the stage got robbed. As calling 911 was not an option, other things came up. Like, yelling "help" very loudly. Along with "Shoot the varmints!" And of course, everyone came up with which favorite book hero they'd like to be rescued by! But back in the day, Brother Whip (the stagecoach driver) would have to take care of things and hopefully got some help from courageous passengers.
Drivers were called various names. Brother Whip was one, or just Whip.  If a driver drove a freight wagon with oxen, he was often called a Bull-Whacker.
Stage coaches were operated across Europe and North America. The coach would travel between stops called "stages" where passengers could get food and drink and the horses could be changed out for a fresh team. That's how the term stagecoach came about.

After talking with readers for an hour on the subject of stagecoach travel, many of us decided to steer clear of time machines that might whisk us back to those days of dust, stagecoach robbers, oddball passengers and lack of motion sickness pills! I suddenly find myself in the mood to go car shopping...

If you'd like to check out my latest release and read about life and romance at a stage stop, check out Dear Mr. White. on amazon