FINDING FREEDOM ALONG THE HARRIET TUBMAN BYWAY

When it comes to gaining a sense for the story of the Underground Railroad, the Eastern Shore is about as good a destination as it gets in this country. It is, after all, the birthplace of Harriet Tubman and the site of her 1849 escape into freedom—and then of her many fearless journeys back into the danger zone to help others escape.

Tubman is certainly the most famous of the Eastern Shore’s Underground Railroad heroes, but she is far from the only one. Spend a day traveling the 125-mile-long Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, and you’ll be amazed at how the dramatic tales of flight keep piling up, one after another and another.

But first things first: This Byway is a different sort of daytrip from most of the others you’ll find here on the Secrets website or in my forthcoming book, “Fun Daytrips on the Eastern Shore.” Most other daytrips are straightforward jaunts to cool towns, fun museums, and natural wonders.

What we have here is a long drive, with 35 stops along 125 miles of backroads connecting Cambridge, Church Creek, Madison, Bucktown, East New Market, Preston, Denton, and Greensboro. Some stops are private homes; you’ll only be able to look from a distance. Others are old church buildings that are open only on rare special occasions. Still others are still-functioning public facilities—think courthouses and marinas—where important things happened in slavery times.

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