I live a few miles from the route of the Underground Railroad through what was the Quaker community in Sandy Spring, MD - this looks like a very cool and meaningful ride.

https://www.undergroundrailroadride.com/

John-

I'm in Rockville- we can't be terribly far from one another.  I'd love to get together after the holidays for a chin-wag, if you're game for it.

Hi, Keith - after we past the omicron wave, sure. I've got a 1 year old grandson, so I err on the side of caution!

Thanks, John P.

Roger that.  See you sometime in 2022, perhaps.

I am not aware that the adventure cycling underground railroad route went through any part of Maryland. Is this a different route?

Hi, David - I was talking about nearby commemorated Underground Railroad path, not the Adventure Cycling route!

Maryland has at least two routes that were actually used by slaves escaping the south. One of them goes through the Quaker community not far me in Sandy Spring MD and then went up to PA. Another goes through Maryland's Eastern Shore and Cambridge, where Harriett Tubman lived. and then I think had paths into PA and NY.

The Adventure Cycling Underground Railroad route follows a more western path that I think runs from Alabama up through KY/IN/OH and then to PA.

We rode from Warren to Ashtabula on parts of the underground railroad, is this part of the ACA route?

hi John thanks for the clarification.  Rhona and I are very interested in Underground Railroad history, after we rode the adventure cycling route several years ago. We live close to Cumberland Maryland where a church was used as a underground railroad stop and still has a tunnel. I’ve always wondered how the congregation was able to keep the construction  of the tunnel secret from the rest of the community, especially as Maryland was a slave state. Cumberland is not far from the Pennsylvania border and the (relative) freedom of a free state although slave catchers were still a threat.  

I remember the names of those cities when we rode the adventure cycling underground railroad route but it was several years ago. I think the historians involved with the adventure cycling route did a great job.  it was a sobering moment standing in a hidden closet where actual slaves stood in fear of being caught. We were so impressed with that adventure cycling history themed route, that we are considering doing part of ACA’s Lewis and Clark route this summer.  we have to decide if we are still young enough and tough enough to haul camping gear, sleep on a sleeping pad in a tent and purify drinking water. I  hate to think about taking  a “ Wet Ones” cleanup instead of a shower at night. 

When I was out riding on Christmas Eve, somewhere south of Bonifant Road and north of the ICC, someone hailed me with a hearty "Hey you!".  I got a smile and a big wave when I looked over to see the source of the hail.  This would have been right around noon, I think.  I was on my fully-loaded Bike Friday.

Was that you, by any chance?