Cycling the Underground Railroad

  DAY 3:  SPARTA TO FALMOUTH, KY From Dry Ridge Last night I stayed in the Ramada Inn next to the Kentucky Speedway.   There were no events occurring, so the daytime was pretty peaceful.   But nighttime was a totally different story.  Ramada Inns are usually fine.  They are clean, but pretty much no frills.  I have NEVER slept in a building that had more cracking, creaking, thudding and banging going on as this one!  Not caused by the guests,  but by the structure itself.  At times I could have sworn that someone had actually gotten into my room and was banging stuff around.  If I believed that ghosts could "haunt" buildings (dead race car drivers?), I'd say the motel was definitely haunted.  But the place is just old, and has been traumatized by all the noise at the speedway. Skies were totally clear and the air was cool-ish this morning, making the cycling very pleasant.  Once again I found myself following the...

Reflections on Yesterday (New Albany to Madison) After sufficient rest, I'm now able to write about the sights of yesterday. Not far from my motel I spied this old phone booth sheltering an ATM machine.  Pretty clever! Riding through New Albany was an "old" experience in that many of the pre-Civil War structures are still standing.  The first was the "Town Clock Church" (officially the former Second Presbyterian Church, which was sold to (and still is) the Second Baptist Church after the war.  Here is an old photo of New Albany.  At the end of the street the spire of the church is visible. Beginning in 1837, the preachers of Second Presbyterian were very vocal in their opposition to slavery.   Good evidence exists that the church hid and aided fugitive slaves on their way to freedom.  The spire of the church is very visible from the Kentucky side (I witnessed this Friday coming from the airport) and served as a beacon to those seeking release from thei...

  DAY 1--New Albany, IN (Louisville, KY) to Madison, IN Getting the first day of touring under your belt is a big deal.  The adrenalin is flowing, your excited, but your energy is depleted from planning, traveling and jet lag.  And I always doubt myself: Did I get enough long rides in?  Did I leave something undone in the planning?  It's a very weird, strange, and exhausting (for me) mix of things. But, as usual, my concerns were unfounded.  Today was a great one in every sense.  However... after I got to my lodging tonight, my body came to a screeching halt.  I about fell asleep taking a warm bath to soak my muscles (yes, I have some). I have lots of interesting things to write about, and I've made good notes.  But instead of continuing to blog, I'm going to listen to my body and get some extra rest.  I close with a photo of this sign that was seemingly randomly nailed to a tree deep in the woods.  I'm grateful to whoever did.

Mural in New Albany, Indiana. An appropriate theme for this trip!  BEGINNING AT THE END  Today started with a 6 AM takeoff from Prescott, Arizona to Denver, then onto Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville,  Kentucky, followed by an Uber ride to New Albany, Indiana--where I finished the Southern section of this Underground Railroad adventure in April.  This ride I start out in a " free state" (versus a ,"slave state"), which I have discovered wasn't so free after all. I arrived just in time to catch the outstanding exhibit, "Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage" at the New Albany Carnegie Center for the Arts and History.  I learned MANY things,  and was reminded of others.  Here are some of the takeaways. New Albany, now a small town on the Indiana side of the Ohio River across from Louisville, Kentucky, was Indiana's largest city in 1850, and the second largest shipbuilding center on the River, producing three times as many boats as Lo...

 GETTING EDUCATED To get the most out of this journey, I'm continuing to read and explore.  Here is what I've delved into in preparation for experiencing the "borderlands"--along the Ohio River where the North met the South, and anti-slavery and pro-slavery sentiments were very strong. Beyond the River: The Untold Story of the Heroes of the Underground Railroad, by Ann Hagedorn   is a meticulously researched and comprehensive narrative of the life of John Rankin, his family and his colleagues--both black and white--in the Ripley, Ohio area.  The author actually lives in Ripley, and brings a lot of local color to her work.  I plan to go to Rankin's home on this trip. Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe  is a classic, and arguably one of the most influential American literary works of the 19th Century.  I think most of us had read parts of this book in a high school or college English or literature class, but I can't say ever remember the entire ...

HURRICANES AND RE-ROUTES  It's almost here! Friday I leave Prescott to fly to Louisville, Kentucky to start the second leg cycling this Underground Railroad adventure. The original plan was to ride from Louisville (just north of Owensboro on the above map) to Owen Sound, Canada--the end of the route, via the Detroit Alternate (top map).  But then, the Canadians closed their border.  Then the U.S. closed their border.  And the Canadians opened their border.  And the U.S. opened up theirs!  (All systems go, right?)  Except, on Monday, the U.S. closed their border (again).  Ugh! Technically, I might be able to get across, because my brother and faithful riding buddy Kent, lives in Ontario.  As I am a "blood relative," I am eligible for an exemption.  HOWEVER, there are a number of sticking points to this plan: I would have to get a specific COVID test (PRC, the nasal swab one) within 72 hours of crossing into Canada.  (A bit difficult ...

The Entire Trip--Mobile, Alabama to Louisville, Kentucky.    I decided to roughly edit this blog, add some actual maps from Strava (a cycling app), and put everything in one place for easier reading.  I have attached a link to the first draft of what I've entitled "Following the Drinking Gourd:  Adventures Cycling the Underground Railroad-Part 1. There's a lot to read here, but perhaps you'd just like to browse through the photos.   Enjoy! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PjdFpJj4US_YmOEg4_oMeknzZrRwge6W/view?usp=sharing