I woke up unusually early Sunday morning and couldn’t get back to sleep. After watching the sun rise, I realized that I wanted to get out and enjoy what looked to be a sunny–if not particularly warm–day somewhere other than home.
After searching on my cellphone for scenic drives in Maryland, I decided to connect with my return to researching spirituals by taking the Harriet Tubman Byway, what was described as “a self-guided driving tour that winds for more than 125 miles through the beautiful landscapes and Maryland’s Eastern Shore,” as well as into Delaware.
Mistake number one was not making sure that the full route was downloaded to my phone. As it worked out, Wifi access in that part of the state is spotty at best. Secondly, I underestimated the scope of the trip, thinking I could do most, if not all, in a few hours. It clearly needed a plan of action to determine how much time and driving I wanted to devote to the trip.
Despite this, I enjoyed the drive to the area. The Beltway was fairly quiet for once, and I made excellent time. The drive over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge was wonderful, so I tried to get a picture afterwards, but the shots I got just didn’t do it justice. I did find a pretty good one on Wikipedia.
I had some challenges finding points on the byway, but I did reach the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center, Dorchester County, Maryland. The center was closed when my brother Gerry and I visited in 2019 (I intentionally bypassed the Harriet Tubman Museum in Cambridge since we toured it six years ago).
I blazed through the exhibits of Tubman’s life and career as a conductor in the Underground Railroad and soldier for the Union during the American Civil War. I only allowed myself time to photograph everything in the hope that I can see them at leisure once I got home. A few of the pictures are below:
All of the photos are available at: https://singin1.pics/piwigo/index.php?/category/Seein-the-DMV-Harriet-Tubman-Byway-032325
I also made a video of Tubman and other images of enslaved African Americans in the United States and specifically Maryland during the antebellum period. I tried to capture the background music, the Negro spiritual, “Deep River,” performed by chorus, but there is additional background sound from another nearby video intermixed. Still, it’s very powerful:
I had just enough time to get a couple of souvenirs, including magnet with a picture and quotation: “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world” — Harriet Tubman
I wandered a bit, which I didn’t mind much because it was a beautiful day and lovely scenery. Eventually, I ended up at Long Wharf Park in Cambridge. Historically, the wharf and the town itself were infamous as a regional center for the slave trade, receiving ships that delivered the enslaved from Africa and the West Indies and supporting the sale of the enslaved to plantations further south. Today, the wharf houses a variety of watercraft overseen by its Choptank River Lighthouse.
I ended the trip a little early, hoping to get back to the Beltway before the end-of-the-weekend traffic got too bad. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t too bad for a Sunday evening.
Looking forward to trying again, this time better prepared and perhaps taking the full weekend to see more of the Harriet Tubman Byway.
This was the first hours-long drive I taken the Silver Bullet through in a while. She held up nicely, but I’ve planned some serious driving in SB’s future, so I want to get her checked over soon.
My music lists are going to get some additional songs, too, especially Randye’s Replays and Mixed Nuts.
As always, I thank the Lord for granting me the stamina to make the trip, the damn good reflexes to steer SB as she needed to be guided, and the ability to enjoy His handiwork as it whizzes by my windshield.