The best laid plans…. August 18

 Today’s planned ride of about 45 miles to Auburn was in the van, thanks to the remnants of Hurricane Fred hanging around the area.  Thunderstorms and heavy downpours were predicted, neither of which materialized in a way that would have made riding really dangerous, but it was a pretty soggy day.  Tomorrow looks to be not much better, but we will be out making the best of it. The plus of not biking today was that we had time to explore some of Auburn, including a very informative tour of William Seward’s house.  

We chanced on the New York State Equal Rights Heritage Center, new enough that it hasn’t yet shown up on Google maps. My favorite exhibit was of songs from various rights campaigns.  I’m still humming Lift Every Voice and Sing. 

Harriet Tubman had a home in Auburn and died here.  We also learned at the Seward House that she brought a child, probably a niece, up from Maryland who was cared for by Frances Seward, William’s wife, while Tubman continued her work during the Civil War.

                An Art Deco theater now abandoned in downtown Auburn, with a sign “This Place Matters.”