Outdoor Travel: Cycling the Underground Railroad
These days we like to throw around words like "freedom" and "escape" in explaining the lure of travel. Truth is we hardly know what they mean; working the 9 to 5 is the only slavery we've known. But with a new route following the Underground Railroad, Adventure Cycling is looking to connect travelers to a time when those words meant something real.
The 2100-mile journey starts in Alabama and snakes all the way up to Ontario, passing Civil War sites and crossing the Ohio river--one of the former dividing lines between slave and free states. AC promises the trip will transport riders emotionally as well as physically, as they follow in the footsteps of the many men and women who trekked north in search of freedom.
This is the second year of the guided ride, and so far there's still plenty of room to join in. Participants roll out of Mobile on April 27, taking the journey at an average of 53 miles a day, and reach Owen Sound on June 13. If you want to take it at your own pace, AC also sells detailed maps for the UGRR route.
Related Stories:
· Adventure Cycling: UGRR 2008 [Official Site]
· Biking coverage [Jaunted]
Leave a Comment
Not yet a member? Click here to become a member.
Already a member? Login below: