The Route Part I: Underground Railroad
My trip will begin unofficially in Central Florida and will first comprise a boring ride up I-95 and I-10 toward Mobile, Alabama. The drive is only a short six hours, but since having the SUV as part of the trip I plan to take advantage of the added flexibility. That includes the ability to stop off in the Panhandle and meet a Facebook Friend of mine.
Like millions of others across the globe I have developed some longstanding, albeit cyber based friends via the Facebook platform. Over the years, I have met several in person. No, no, not for Facebook hook-ups, but people with the same interests, beliefs, and values. Many of these people are folks that at first glance, you might not think have anything in common with a dreadlocked, black man. As the saying goes, books are thicker than their covers.
My friend, Frankie Cee, is an older white gentleman. A strong patriot and conservative man, Frankie is my brother from another, lighter hued mother. I cannot wait to meet him in person and chat about our shared love of America, firearms, and apple pie. Meeting people like Frankie is something I will repeat throughout the miles on this trip.
America is a beautiful country that I plan to experience and showcase in this newsletter, but its strength lies in its people. People of all stripes and colors. I plan on talking with as many as will converse with me.
After seeing Frankie, we will make our final way over to Mobile, Alabama. Mobile is the starting point for the Underground Railroad route as created by the Adventure Cycling Association.
While there is no true “Official” starting point for the historic route’s slaves traveled under cover of darkness to freedom, Mobile is the site where the last slave ship, The Clotilda, is reported to have docked in 1860. It seemed a fitting starting point for the map route the ACA developed and wines through 11 states, ending in Owen Sound, Canada.
I spoke with Virginia Sullivan, Trail Advocate for the ACA, about the route.
One question you may have is, if the idea was to bike from DC to Washington state via the Great American Rail Trail, why start on a completely different route? Why travel the Underground Railroad route when the country is so polarized over race?
It’s a good question. A fair one. The answer is two-fold. One, because I must use the SUV for parts of the trip. I figured, if I must incorporate a gas powered vehicle, I might as well expand the trip I’m taking. Once I made that decision, reason two unfolded in my mind. I could think of no better way to start an adventure across the country, a country I love and believe is the best place in the world for everyone—especially black people—than to start the adventure along the route people took to get to freedom. The country has come a VERY LONG WAY since 1860, and everyone needs to hear that from as many voices as possible.
Given the tenor of the country, it seems like my timing is also perfect. As I’m writing this post, Amazon is launching a mini-series titled, “The Underground Railroad.” I do not know how good it is, if it’s going to be some Woke mess, or true to the book it's based on, but it seems like great timing. I plan on watching it on the road, in my tent. It seems à propos to do it that way.
The total route is 1900 miles long. Some areas are dedicated bike paths and others are along roads. We’ll bike the paths and drive the roads. Up and back again. The continued theme for the entire trip.
We’ll have to stop in Buffalo, NY, because of Canada’s continued hysteria over Covid-19. Anyone entering Canada must quarantine for two weeks at a hotel of the government's choosing. I’ve read the stories and seen the video. I have no interest in going through that over a virus we have a vaccine for and will not kill most people. Though, I’d be lying if I did not reveal I looked at a map and imagined stealing away under cover of darkness into Own Sound secretly like the travelers on the UGR did back in the day.
Once we hit Buffalo, the first leg of the trip will be complete. We will then head toward the nation’s capital.