New Backroads Tour Highlights Underground Railroad History
The new Backroads Georgia and South Carolina Underground Railroad Multi-Adventure Tour combines your favorite outdoor activities — like kayaking, hiking and biking — with a deep exploration of the culture and history of the region. // Backroads photo by Chase Shumate
2/4/2021
Backroads, the active travel company that we have joined for memorable adventures in Europe along the Danube River on biking and hiking programs and in New Zealand for a multi-sport adventure sailing, has announced a new itinerary and program in the United States that highlights culture and history.
I'm sure that the company's new Georgia and South Carolina Underground Railroad Multi-Adventure Tour will be a special experience for travelers.
This new trip is a chance to learn about history while enjoying your active pursuits like hiking, biking and kayaking. The program is the same as most Backroads trips — except you take a deeper dive into the history and culture of the region. Coming out of the pandemic, travelers are looking for more meaningful experiences, and the Historic Underground Railroad Tour gives you the chance to expand your knowledge while doing some of your favorite outdoor activities.
Read about my Backroads trips
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New Zealand Multi-Sport Adventure Trip with Backroads Checks All the BoxesThe new Backroads program offers the chance to dive into the rich history and culture of the region's Black communities. For example, you will explore the Combahee River, where Harriet Tubman once guided a regiment of Union soldiers.
The trip runs the first week of October and was created in conjunction with Outdoor Afro, a nonprofit group that works to promote inclusion in outdoor recreation, nature and conservation.
The new Backroads Georgia and South Carolina Underground Railroad Multi-Adventure Tour was launched in celebration of Black History Month. The one-of-a-kind journey offers the opportunity to travel deep into the Black history and culture of the Southeast, exploring our nation's past while hiking, biking and kayaking through the lush landscapes surrounding Savannah and Charleston.
Active travelers will explore landscapes once crossed by the historic Underground Railroad and take guided walks focused on the history of people in the coastal cities of Savannah and Charleston. In addition, you'll learn about the Gullah culture through storytelling and song at a Lowcountry boil; visit the Penn Center, one of the first schools for formerly enslaved people; paddle the waterways of the ACE Basin, once home to dozens of rice plantations; and discover the marshy channels of the Combahee River, where famed abolitionist and activist Harriet Tubman once guided a regiment of Union soldiers.
The tour will also visit the Magnolia Plantation, where you can learn about the experience of Black people from slavery to Reconstruction and into the 1920s and the era of Civil Rights.
“I was fortunate enough to take a similar adventure with Backroads, which inspired this trip,” said Rue Mapp, founder and CEO of Outdoor Afro. “One of the best parts was the deep knowledge and information that I was exposed to; much of the history was unexpected, and I was most fascinated by the traditions of the Gullah people of the Lowcountry region of South Carolina.”
The trip runs the first week of October and was created in conjunction with Outdoor Afro, a nonprofit group that works to promote inclusion in outdoor recreation, nature and conservation.
The new Backroads Georgia and South Carolina Underground Railroad Multi-Adventure Tour was launched in celebration of Black History Month. The one-of-a-kind journey offers the opportunity to travel deep into the Black history and culture of the Southeast, exploring our nation's past while hiking, biking and kayaking through the lush landscapes surrounding Savannah and Charleston.
Active travelers will explore landscapes once crossed by the historic Underground Railroad and take guided walks focused on the history of people in the coastal cities of Savannah and Charleston. In addition, you'll learn about the Gullah culture through storytelling and song at a Lowcountry boil; visit the Penn Center, one of the first schools for formerly enslaved people; paddle the waterways of the ACE Basin, once home to dozens of rice plantations; and discover the marshy channels of the Combahee River, where famed abolitionist and activist Harriet Tubman once guided a regiment of Union soldiers.
The tour will also visit the Magnolia Plantation, where you can learn about the experience of Black people from slavery to Reconstruction and into the 1920s and the era of Civil Rights.
“I was fortunate enough to take a similar adventure with Backroads, which inspired this trip,” said Rue Mapp, founder and CEO of Outdoor Afro. “One of the best parts was the deep knowledge and information that I was exposed to; much of the history was unexpected, and I was most fascinated by the traditions of the Gullah people of the Lowcountry region of South Carolina.”
About Outdoor Afro
Outdoor Afro ranks among the nation’s leading, cutting-edge organizations with a focus on celebrating and inspiring Black connections and leadership in nature. The national not-for-profit organization has leadership networks around the country, with more than 80 leaders in 42 cities nationwide. Outdoor Afro is changing the face of conservation by connecting thousands of people to outdoor experiences.
About Backroads
Backroads was founded in 1979 by Tom Hale and has been a leading innovator in active and adventure travel for more than four decades.
Thanks for reading,
JR
Travel fit. Travel happy. Travel often.