We've arrived!!! Very strange feeling to cycle up to the Hometown Suites in Milford, where we stayed the night before the tour began. Unreal feeling after setting off from here--would we ever find it again????? And we have!!!
Had a wonderful stay in Ripley Ohio--a beautiful town with historic houses overlooking the Ohio River. Kentucky just across the water, a state which continued to hold slaves--a mere swim across to Ohio, a free state. We visited the Rankin house at the top of an enormous hill--a pusher upper so steep that when we arrived the curator of the house gave us free admission seeing how sweaty and pooped we were!
Rankin was a 19th C Presbyterian minister of Scots' descent--who was a leading abolitionist and UGRR "conductor". Rankin risked his life and livelihood, as slave bounty hunters were free to come over into Ohio and retrieve slaves (and terrorise any blacks or sympathetic whites they could find) earning a good income in the process. Rankin and his family received fugitive slaves who had made it across the Ohio River, fed, clothed and hid them--and his teenage sons would take the slaves by horseback in the dark of night to the next safe house.
Also we were shown around the Parker house, another UGRR conductor who was a freed black living at the same time--even more dangerous for a black man to be aiding fleeing slaves, as black people at the time had no rights under the law, even in Ohio. Peggy, a descendant of a freed slave, showed us around. A lovely, lively lady!
On Mike and Joan's recommendation, we stopped by and visited with Zip, a well known and loved Ripley resident, on his front porch overlooking the Ohio river. Zip and June regaled us with tales of their biking exploits and tales of life on the river.
Then 54 pleasant traffic-free miles into Milford, arriving at 2.30 pm to meet Murielle and Roland from British Columbia, who have been a day or so behind us the whole journey. They have cylced Cuba, Spain to Scotland and virtually every country in Europe--so we gleaned a lot of tips!
Celebration dinner in Milford at 20Brix Restaurant--wonderful wine and delicious French cooking (our first real break from fried chicken and hamburgers!!!) sitting outside at a table on the street. Now to bed in the positively luxurious Hometown Suites. (Anything would feel luxurious after 14 nights in a tent--but this truly is luxurious!!!)
Tomorrow we cycle in to the Freedom Center in downtown Cincinnati and the Harriet Beecher Stowe house--and then we plan to start in the early evening on the gruelling drive back to Colorado. Home by Thursday night, we hope.
Feeling very chuffed: 1500 miles, no accidents, no mishaps--lots of lovely people met along the way and stunning biking. Feel much inspired to finish the UGRR next year. Meanwhile, enjoying reading more about the slaves and all the brave people who assisted them on their flight to freedom.
photos : 1. outside the Rankin House on Liberty Hill above Ripley, OH , 2. with Peggy outside the John Parker House , Ripley, 3. The well kennt figures of Zip and June outside their Riverside Drive , Ripley home ( acknowledged by a toot of the horn from all the pilots of the continuous stream of river tugs pushing these huge barges) and 5. one such barge. 4. shows Mary passing shades of a bygone era - a good tobacco chew ad.
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