More #FreedomWalk2026

Days 3, 4 & 5

Day 3: Wednesday, May 6

The planning and support team are invaluable! About a dozen people have various specific roles arranging housing, meals, activations with communities along the way, moving the Harriet Tubman sculpture to each new location, coordinating with Companion Walkers, and driving us to where we stopped walking the day before, meeting us along the way as needed, and picking us up at the end of each day. Thank you, team!

Wednesday is the first day Tony and I walked without companions. We love having others walk with us, and it’s also cool to have time with just the two of us from time to time. The highlight of Day 3 was the B&O Railroad Museum in Ellicott City. Built in 1831, it is the oldest surviving railroad station in the United States. It closed as a station in 1972 and was transformed into a museum. We shared with the woman at the entry counter what we were doing and that this B&O station was a significant site for Freedom Seekers on the Underground Railroad. “We need to do a better job of telling that story,” she said. Tony offered to help and gave her his card. She said she’d pass it along.

We entered Baltimore, passing the original stone marking the city border as well as an old stone mileage marker, both installed in the early 1800’s. We concluded today at the National Cemetery in Baltimore, one of seven national cemeteries created between the two World Wars, 1934–1939, where we saw headstones for soldiers who served in both World Wars, the Korean conflict and the Viet Nam War. We were picked up after walking 9½ miles.

Back at Stony Run Friends Meeting, where we are staying this week, we enjoyed an Activation meeting (the name for all gatherings where Tony and others of us on the team share stories about the Underground Railroad, Tony’s walk 30 years ago and this year, Coming to the Table, and the importance to acknowledge, remember, and teach ALL of our history). The Friends are taking such good care of us, providing a space for us to sleep, food, use of the kitchen, showers in the gym after 8pm, and Wi-Fi (which we didn’t have our first week)

CLICK HERE to watch a brief Relive video of our Day 3 walk.

Day 4: Thursday, May 7

Tony and I began walking on Thursday from the cemetery. We averaged 3 miles per hour and arrived at Baltimore Harbor an hour earlier than planned. We had lunch at Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls and talked with the young woman behind the counter about #FreedomWalk2026. As with many people we encounter, she wishes she could walk with us to Canada and loved everything about #FreedomWalk2026.

After lunch, we walked to a set of two informational signs about the Underground Railroad that Tony helped to research and design. Then we met our Companion Walkers (Sharon, Jennifer and Bill) at 12:15pm at Baltimore City Hall. We were also joined by Abigail Roedersheimer, a reporter with Capital News Service who walked a few miles with us to interview us and film us walking. By the time she turned back to get to work on her story, she said it would be her favorite she had worked on.

CLICK HERE to watch Abigail’s report.

Today’s walk is along urban streets busy with traffic. We finished early around 3:30pm at another cemetery (this is becoming a pattern) and returned to Stony Run around 4pm for a quiet evening with time to write and post in various social media for the thousands of people who are following #FreedomWalk2026 as well as one of our daily team meetings to discuss how things have gone and what needs addressing.

After communicating with upcoming Companion Walkers (my task for this journey), responding to comments on Substack and emails from people interested in the Walk, and journaling about our daily experiences, I finally got to bed around midnight. I didn’t fall asleep right away and then woke up at 5:00am. I’m sleeping fine and don’t feel sleepy during the days but have not gotten more than 6 hours of sleep since we began. I believe this will catch up with me.

CLICK HERE to watch a brief Relive video of our Day 4 walk.

Day Five: Friday, May 8

Lynda got up early to drive Tony and me back to the cemetery in Rosedale. We began walking at 7:30, planning to get in six or seven miles before being picked up and driven to a school for a presentation and then back to meet Companion Walkers for the rest of today’s walk. Lynda walked with us for a couple of miles and then walked back to her car.

Yesterday and today is almost completely urban, city walking. Much of it on roads with no sidewalks and narrow shoulders. Most drivers are respectful and pull close to the center line to give us space. Occasionally, we encounter a thoughtless driver, who hugs very close to the shoulder, and we really have to watch out for our safety. Not surprising, I suppose, but paying close attention is essential.

At the potluck dinner on Wednesday evening, we met a woman who teaches at The Greenmount School. Plans were quickly developed for us to meet two days later with the K-8 students to discuss #FreedomWalk2026. I was surprised and impressed by how much these students know. Kudos to their teachers.

Tony asked the students who had heard of the Underground Railroad. All hands went up. He asked them to describe the UR. Many hands raised and the answers were so good. One student described the UR and noted the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Tony said, “Navigating was often by the North Star. Does anyone know where to find the North Star?” One young man responded, “Ursa Minor.” What 2^nd graders know Ursa Minor (the Little Dipper), I thought, quite impressed.

“Was the Underground Railroad underground? “

“No!” came the response in unison.

“Was it a railroad?”

“No!”

“Why was it called that?”

“Because it was secret.”

“Right!”

One student knew Harriet Tubman’s birth name was Araminta Ross until she married and took her husband’s last name and changed her first name to Harriett in honor of her mother. Another student knew she helped 70 people escape. In these days when some in positions of power are trying to bury history, it’s inspiring to be with children who know so much more than so many adults. Kudos to their teachers!

“We teach real history here,” I was told by one teacher sporting a proud smile.

We were driven back to where we stopped, and we connected with two more companion walkers. Sharon is a long-time Coming to the Table member and will be with us for a week. Vernee was inspired by the Harriet statue which visited her church recently, and she committed to walk with us for a day.

I came upon a little bird lying on the side of the road and picked it up. It was still breathing and just sat quietly in my hand. I’m guessing it got clipped by a car just before we came upon it. I spent about five minutes holding it, and when I tried to sit it down under a tree, it just stayed in my hand and wouldn’t get off. Perhaps the warmth was comforting. Perhaps it was just stunned, or both. Eventually, I was able to set it down. It was moving around a little more and walking a bit, so we hope it’ll be OK. We wished it well and continued on.

We walked about 7½ additional miles for a total of almost 13 today. It was a bit challenging from time to time as we were on very busy roads with very narrow shoulders. We finished our day in Joppatowne in Harford County and said farewell to Vernee.

CLICK HERE to watch a brief Relive video of our Day 5 walk.

Then it was back to Stony Run Friends Meeting for dinner, showers, foot care, and sleep.