Description: The Martin Luther King Farmington Canal/River Rail Trail Ride
Date/Day/Time: May 29th - Friday - 10am
Who is this Ride For?: "C" Pace and Above, 10-12mph pace, no-drop
In the summer of 1944, a young Martin Luther King Jr. worked at the tobacco farm of Cullman Brothers, Inc. in Simsbury, CT. Like many other African American students from the South who came to work in Connecticut's fields, he hoped to earn money for his school and his family.
King’s letters home to his mother and father reveal a 15-year-old’s astonishment at the prospects open to African Americans in the comparatively less restrictive North. He wrote of worshiping alongside whites in a Simsbury church and of dining in Hartford. “I never though[t] that a person of my race could eat anywhere,” he wrote, “but we…ate in one of the finest resturant[s]….” The state was not free of racism, of course, but the lack of overt segregation, such as King experienced in the South, made a lasting impression.
Years later, in his autobiography, King observed that his experiences in Connecticut and during the train ride back home to Atlanta helped heighten his awareness of the cruel injustice of segregation.
Ride Leader: Roger Van Ausdal vanausdr@gmail.com 914-475-7835
Time: 9:30/45am Assembly 10am Ride Start
Bikes: The ride is suitable for road or gravel bikes
Rider Limit: 18
Distance: 35 mile loop, mostly on paved rail trail
Pace: 10-12 mph
Level: C+ and above.
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50301625
More Information:
Conn College - Rev Dr. MLK in Connecticut
Summers of Freedom: MLK in Connecticut (Vimeo)
Farmington Canal Heritage Trail & Farmington River Trail
The Farmington Canal Heritage Trail (FCHT), 58 miles of which is paved in Connecticut, stretches from New Haven to the Massachusetts border before continuing into Massachusetts for a total length of 80.2 miles and 11 towns. The multi-use trail runs along abandoned rail corridors and canal tow paths through urban, suburban and rural areas of Southern Connecticut and the Farmington Valley. Along the way are historic buildings, canal locks, the remains of canal aqueducts and other landmarks that provide a rich cultural background for the trail experience. The largest gap remaining is 9.1 miles from southern Farmington, through all of Plainville into northern Southington.
The Farmington River Trail (FRT)
The FRT is an 18.2-mile loop trail which links to the FCHT at points in Farmington and Simsbury passing through the villages of Unionville and Collinsville and the towns of Burlington and Canton to create a 28.5-mile loop connecting five towns. For much of its length, the trail nestles against the banks of the Farmington River tracing the route of the old “Canal Line” railroad. While the trail passes by some of the area’s loveliest landscapes, it also contains the longest stretches of on road riding.
Ride Description:
We will be doing a 35 mile loop starting and ending on the Farmington Canal Trail. We will be riding on a portion of that trail at the beginning and end of the ride. We will stop at the Drake Hill Flower Bridge in Simsbury at about Mile 8.
We will visit a preserved tobacco barn where MLK Jr. worked, and we will ride by the first integrated church that he ever attended.
We will turn onto the Farmington River Trail and ride the full 18 mile length of this trail. The trail passes through a very nice state park in Simsbury on a smooth dirt path. The trail does have about 3 miles of an on-road section on quiet country roads. The Farmington River Trail passes through the nice old industrial town of Collinsville at mile 17. There is a good ice cream/chocolate shop there if you want to make a quick stop. From Collinsville the trail follows the Farmington River for many miles.
We will plan to sit at the end point after the ride for drinks/snacks/lunch. Please bring a chair & bring your own refreshments/lunch.
RELATED WEBSITES:
Meeting Point: Harwood Lane, Avon, CT
https://goo.gl/maps/9ftQUVm1ZZemwfvH9
Farmington Canal & River Trail Map
https://fchtrail.org/pdfs/map_north.pdf
The Old Drake Hill Flower Bridge, Simsbury
https://www.simsbury-ct.gov/culture-parks-recreation/pages/the-old-drake-hill-flower-bridge
Collinsville Canoe & Kayak - Ken Donnelly recommended kayak shop.
https://www.collinsvillecanoe.com
APPROXIMATE SCHEDULE:
- 9:30/45: Assembly at Farmington Vally Greenway Parking, Harwood Lane, Avon, CT - PortaPotty located here
- 10:00: Commence Ride
- 10:45: Stop at Drake Hill Flower Bridge in Simsbury - Two PortaPotties are located nearby
- 12:00/12:30 Each Pod decides if they want to grab a drink or snack in Collinsville
- 1:00/1:30- Arrive back at Harwood Lane, Avon
- 1:30 - 2:00: Depart back to Home
DRIVING DIRECTIONS: Ridgefield area to Harwood Lane, Avon, CT
- Take Route 84 East to Exit 39 (left exit) toward Farmington /CT-4
- Continue onto State Highway 508 (in 0.6 miles)
- Turn Right onto CT-10N (in 1.5 miles)
- Turn Slight Left onto Thompson Rd. (in 1.2 miles)
- Turn Right onto Harwood Lane (in 0.4 miles)
