Iconic MD Road Trips: Harriet Tubman, Presidents, Cave, Wild Horses
MARYLAND — Did someone say “road trip”? Maryland is chock-full of interesting destinations, many with important connections to the birth of the nation and the abolitionist movement to end slavery.Road trippers can check out Maryland’s wild side with a visit to the seashore to see feral horses or explore a cavern that’s cool in more ways than one.Trace Harriet Tubman’s FootstepsTake a couple of days to explore the 125-mile Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway that commemorates everyone ¸— Tubman and other escaped enslaved people, the Black and white people who assisted them in their freedom flight and the secret network of roads, waterways, trails and hiding places where they sheltered.The route travels through Dorchester County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore before heading into Delaware and finally ending in Philadelphia, where Tubman found freedom. It threads together some of the most pristine and well-preserved landscapes, the byway captures the same culture of family farming and life on the Chesapeake that Tubman grew up in, from her infancy to womanhood, enslavement to freedom and, as history has documented it, from ordinary to extraordinary.Among must-see stops in Maryland are: The Harriet Tubman Museum and Education Center in downtown Cambridge, a small museum with a large mural that details Tubman’s life and contributions.The Stanley Institute, an early example of a post-Civil War one-room schoolhouse built and run independently by the local Black community, was moved to Cambridge in 1867 and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Named in honor of the Rev. Ezekiel Stanley, the former Rock School was used between 1867 and 1962. In 1850, Harriet Tubman’s niece, Kessiah, and her two children escaped from the auction block at the front of the Dorchester County Courthouse. when her husband, John Bowley, a free Black man, outbid everyone else. A ship carpenter, he whisked his family away to Baltimore, where they were met by Tubman, who led them to Philadelphia.The original courthouse burned in 1852 and was replaced with the Italianate structure in 1854. Many of the historical records from the era of slavery survived the fire and are now part of the research collections at the Maryland State Archives in Annapolis.The Bucktown Village Store, the site of Tubman’s first act of defiance. Hired out to a nearby farmer, Tubman and the farm’s cook went to the store to purchase some items for the house. Here, she refused to help an overseer capture an enslaved person who had run away. He managed to escape, but the overseer hurled a two-pound weight that hit Tubman in the head, nearly killing her.The Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center is located in downtown Cambridge. (Shutterstock)The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park in Church Creek has exhibits, a research library and a museum store, plus guests can watch a spellbinding documentary on Tubman’s life.Take A Presidential Road TripGeorge Washington left his mark on Maryland. Historic sites of the young officer who set out from his headquarters in Cumberland in the 1750s to confront the French are included in this three-day 195-mile road trip from Baltimore to Annapolis.The first stop is at Mount Vernon Place in Baltimore to see the Washington Monument, the nation’s first monument honoring its inaugural president. For more than two centuries, visitors have climbed and taken tours of the 178-foot marble column capped by statue of Washington. Built in 1809 in the woods of Revolutionary War hero John Eager Howard’s Belvidere estate, Mount Vernon Place was transformative, and has hosted important civic events over the decades.The Washington Monument, the nation’s first monument honoring its inaugural president, towers over Mount Vernon Place in Baltimore. (Shutterstock)Visitors can pay to climb the 227 marble steps for a stunning view of the city, or explore the interactive gallery for free.Built in 1809 and at the time the only monument honoring the nation’s first president, the 178-foot Washington Monument towers over Mount Vernon Place in Baltimore. (Shutterstock)Also in Baltimore is the President Street Station, a 1849 Greek Revival building that is the last surviving big-city railroad terminal in the country. Surrounded by new skyscrapers and a redeveloped waterfront near Baltimore’s Harbor, Harbor East and Little Italy neighborhoods, the train station has witnessed important moments in history, including one involving a foiled assassination attempt when then-President Elect Abraham Lincoln passed through en route to his 1861 inauguration.\The next stop is Thurmont and Catoctin Mountain Park, home to the Camp David presidential retreat since 1942. It is open for public tours, but you can explore the forests and woods with multiple recreational opportunities. In Middletown, Washington Monument State Park at the top of South Mountain is known as a Civil War battle sight, but also has another monument to Washington, a rugged stone tower built by residents of Boonsobro in 1872. The Washington Monument Museum contains displays and artifacts, including a fiber-optic map presenting an overview of the Civil War Battle of South Mountain.The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park, which runs from Cumberland to Washington, D.C., has been a spot of retreat for many U.S. presidents, including John Quincy Adams, Theodore Roosevelt, Bill Clinton, and Grover Cleveland, and it was where Washington founded the Patowmack Company with the plan to clearing river channel and building skirting canals along the Potomac River’s most turbulent selections. The park is full of hiking, biking and recreational opportunities, including the Billy Goat Hike to Great Falls.The trip ends at the Maryland State House in Annapolis, the nation’s oldest state capitol building in continuous use. It first served as the nation’s capital. The Continental Congress met in the Old Senate Chamber from Nov. 26, 1783, to Aug. 13, 1784. During that time, Washington appeared before Congress to resign his commission as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. The Treaty of Paris was ratified here, marking the end of the Revolutionary War. The Maryland State House in Annapolis is the oldest state capitol building in continuous use. It also served as the nation’s first capitol building. (Shutterstock)Nothing Says Free Like Wild HorsesA 20-minute drive from Ocean City via Route 50 West, then left onto Road 611, the Assateague Island National Seashore is one of a handful of places in the United States where wild horses run freely.The 100 or so wild horses make the trip to the 37-mile-long barrier island worth it on their own. They’re like the promise of summer and the freedom to just be. Right now, with new foals on the ground, is a great time to visit, but you should be able to see them through October.These horses come from domesticated stock but have evolved over the years to survive scorching heat, abundant mosquitoes, stormy weather and poor-quality food on the remote, windswept barrier island.As one story goes, the horses are survivors of a shipwreck off the Virginia coast. A more plausible explanation, according to the National Park Service, is that the Assateague horses are descendants of horses brought to barrier islands in the late 17th century by mainland owners to avoid fencing laws and taxation.Regardless of how the horses got to the barrier island, remember these are feral animals who live life on their terms. They’re a marvel to behold as they run on the beaches of their own windswept island and cool off in the surf. Numerous kayak and boat tours are available to watch them.But keep your distance — a minimum of 40 feet, according to the park service. Don’t feed them. A couple of years ago, the park service had to relocate an aggressive stallion, Chip, who came to expect being fed by visitors and was uncooperative when park officials tried to herd him elsewhere. Since 2017, the stallion had been involved in more than half of the human-horse incidents.Feral horses roam free on Assateague Island. (Shutterstock)Find Cool Relief At Crystal Grottoes CavernsA trip to the Crystal Grottoes Caverns in Boonsboro offers cool relief from hot Maryland summers in a gorgeous natural setting. Temperatures are about 54 degrees Fahrenheit year-round, making it cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Discovered in 1920 in a construction accident and opened for tours two years later, the natural phenomenon has more formations per square foot than any other known cave. Tours include explanations about the formation of stalagmites and stalactites, the icicle-shaped mineral deposits along the ceilings or floors of caves.People who are uncomfortable in small spaces probably shouldn’t take this trip, as exploring the narrow path into the cave requires walking single file at times and skirting geological formations.There are plenty of other things to do in Boonsboro, especially for Civil War history buffs. Nearby Hagerstown is a great stop, too, with plenty of places to eat, shop and take in arts and culture.Traveling somewhere else? Check out more Patch Road TripsThe article Iconic MD Road Trips: Harriet Tubman, Presidents, Cave, Wild Horses appeared first on Across Maryland, MD Patch.
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