#TravelGoals Harriet Tubman’s Underground Railroad Byway

It’s summer and Syllabus Magazine has plans of being out and about all summer long! If you’re a hard-working American, you may also have plans to take a break (or two) this summer to explore overseas islands, or to go and have a blast at a fun park with your kids. Everyone has #Travelgoals , but when making these plans, we should be aware that there are small gems located right here in the U.S. that many of us never knew existed. Making plans to go to Europe, or relaxing in the Caribbean is all good, but if you can, don’t forget about the not-so-popular places that may not get lots of attention right now, but they are filled with rich history and amazing African American stories.

Today we’re adding to our list of #TravelGoals ! It’s a small, brick house located alongside a serene stream on the Eastern shore of Preston, Maryland; and no, we’ve never heard of Preston, Maryland until this week, but people from across the world have been visiting this town just to get close to the memory of a real American heroine. In this quiet town rests a 19th century brick house that was once a way station on the Underground Railroad and a path where slaves made their way to freedom.

This house, owned by Jacob and Hannah Leverton, along with 36 other sites on a 125-mile route, is what they are calling the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway.

Tubman is a real, prolific, American hero who escaped from Maryland and became an abolitionist who guided hundreds of other slaves to freedom along this Byway. The route, which has specific, designated sites, takes you on a detailed look at Tubman’s journey along the Underground Railroad. After 18 years of planning, the Byway gives visitors an emotional look at this intricate, yet informal network of places, landmarks, and landscapes that helped in freeing slaves. The journey, according to the Associated Press, has brought many visitors to tears.

One of the most loved stops on the Byway is the site known to many as, “Tubman’s first known act of defiance against slavery.” It’s called the Bucktown Village Store and has been restored to resemble what it may have looked like during the time of the Underground Railroad. At this store, many believe Tubman refused a slave owner’s orders to help him detain another slave. While the slave was escaping, the owner threw a 2-pound weight at the man, missing him but hitting Harriet Tubman on the head and causing an injury that would be bothersome for her for the remainder of her life.

The store is also filled with Harriet Tubman related items which include a newspaper article advertising a reward for Tubman and two of her brothers. People from across the world are traveling to Maryland simply to get a glimpse of this store and take pictures.

The downside to the Biway is that many areas are still under development, and some that are significant to Harriet Tubman’s life are still not open to the public, or they are not designated stops on the Biway. Also, many of the sites don’t have regular operating hours because they are owned by private property owners, and visitors would have to wait until these owners arrive home.

Despite the work that’s left to be done on theHarriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway,don’t let this stop you from putting this on your list of #TravelGoals . Just to simply walk in the same places and spaces that the fierce, bold, and heroic Harriet Tubman walked in, is an inspiration that is at the top of the list on our #TravelGoals .