EASTERN SHORE, MARYLAND
DISCOVER THE MARSHLANDS THAT SHAPED
HARRIET TUBMANThe history of the Underground Railroad fl ows through
the waterways, wetlands, swamps and tidal marshes of
Dorchester County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. This
is where the secret network’s most famous ‘conductor’,
Harriet Tubman, was born enslaved, grew up and honed
the skills — such as trapping, hunting and navigating
by the stars — she used to escape to freedom in
Pennsylvania. She then returned 13 times to rescue more
than 70 enslaved friends and family. Her heroic story is
told at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor
Center, one of the more than 30 stops along the 125-mile
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway.
To bring Tubman’s story to life for kids, Alex Green,
co-owner of Harriet Tubman Tours, suggests a kayaking
adventure in the byway’s Blackwater National Wildlife
Refuge where, as a child, she trapped muskrats and
worked alongside her father, a timber inspector who
taught her how to move around the marshlands.
“We talk to kids about how the confi dence and lessons
Harriet learned inside the terrible institution of slavery
drove her to accomplish incredible things,” Green says.
“Harriet never gave up and she never stopped learning.
That’s a lesson they can take home.”
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL (US)HADRIAN’S WALL, UK
THE UK RE-FRAMES ITS ANCIENT ROMAN
FRONTIER AS ITS BIG ATTRACTIONA simultaneous celebration of both old and new, this
UNESCO-listed structure — which was begun in AD
122 and formed the north-west frontier of the Roman
empire for nearly 300 years — marks its 1,900th birthday
in 2022 with a year-long festival of special events and
activities. Think live outdoor performances, historic
reenactments, sunset music sessions, an illuminated
garden, thought-provoking outdoor art installations,
compelling talks and even a Roman Big Birthday Bash. It
will all be spread across the entire 72-mile length of this
coast-to-coast route, in all three counties that it crosses:
Northumberland, Cumbria and Tyne & Wear.
And, this year, the region gets a big injection of cash:
£30m in government and charity funding to improve
transport links and upgrade visitor centres. It’s hoped
the wall will become one of the country’s most-visited
landmarks, with a goal of attracting an extra million
tourists annually.
It’s a lively region for families to learn about ancient
history. Key sites and attractions include the Roman
Army Museum, Corbridge Roman Town, South Shields’
Arbeia Roman Fort with its re-creation of a commander’s
house, the Roman Frontier Gallery in Carlisle and the
Ravenglass Roman Bathhouse, to name but a few.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER (UK)View of the marshes along
Nanticoke River, Eastern
Shore, Maryland, US
ABOVE: A group of hikers walk
IM along Hadrian’s Wall, Cumbria
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BEST OF THE WORLDJan/Feb 2022 101