A quest across the country, Cowboy style - meet the White family

Lucus and Levi White have a tale to tell. The brothers are currently on a four year journey, to go from their home in California across the country to the Atlantic entirely on horseback and funding the journey by working their way from place to place. Traveling with their parents Joshua and Terra, along with five horses - and counting - a pony and three dogs, the Whites state the goal for this journey is to “meet all creeds and colors and ways of life.”

Left to right:

• L-R: Lucus, Levi, Terra and Joshua White. Photos provided by their website, LLManquest.com.

• The White family share the pioneering legacy of their ancestors, travelling across the country on horseback and surviving as they go.

“We started this journey in an attempt to make time slow down,” says Joshua White. “We wanted to spend as much time with our sons as we can, while we can. Might be a little bit of a selfish quest for me … I regret some of the time I’ve missed with them pursuing monetary gain. I used to think that monetary and material achievements were the measure of success, but I’ve learned that is not the case.”

The boys - as they’re called only for now, their website isn’t called “manquest” for nothing - describe their time learning to navigate, find water, provide food where possible, take care of animals and work with the people in whatever place they find themselves. The family described this journey as one big lesson in humility, as a large portion of their journeys rely on the kindness of strangers; asking directions, finding water and work are all, as the Whites say, “helped along by the graciousness of the people and by the grace of God.”

Joshua and Levi ex- pressed gratitude for a specific example of that graciousness when they entered Kanab; their caravan had the chance to cross the bridge over the Kanab Creek, and the Whites were thankful for an escort and road detour from the Kanab Police Department, as well as for the kind treatment from the people that helped them pass. With access to water and plenty of grass near the old reservoir, the Whites took the chance to refresh and resupply in Kanab before heading toward Page. The family offered some pony rides and help shoeing and training horses in the area to earn their keep.

“It’s a profound feeling, seeing my sons turn into my heroes.” Says Joshua. “We started this journey hoping to help them become good men, and they’ve done more than that, they’ve become my heroes.”

The hope for the end of the journey is to produce a film documentary or a written biography that will fund Lucus and Levi’s college admission. The Whites share their story through journals and videos on LLManquest.com.