#3 son and I have decided to ride the Erie Canal again this summer.  We have done a few short tours together over the years.  Back then, I had time constraints and now he has that problem because of work.

We are going to meet in Albany, NY, take the Amtrak to Buffalo and ride back on the canal, (mostly). I say mostly because we have the option to ride NY Bike Rt 5 which is state rt 31, in case of tow path being mucky due to rain.  The first time we rode the canal in 2008, it rained 3 of the 6 days of our tour.

This time around we will probably take eight days to ride the four hundred miles because  we are going to smell the roses, as they say.   The last two times we did this adventure, we put our heads down and rode to the next destination.  We never took the time to stop at any historical or quirky places.  It was all work back then.  We did the same on our Lake Champlain tour and the Great Allegheny Passage ride.

I’m the only retired person in our group that rides regularly in the winter.  Today I was the only retired guy who rode in summer evening weather.  I chose to head East to the town of Mattapoisett MA.

It was a short 11 mile spin that twice got bogged down in mud when I found myself on dirt paths.  It was all caused by the two day thaw following a week of alternating rain and freezing temperatures.   It’s all in the video.

2019 February Mattapoisett Ride from John Sullivan on Vimeo.

Today was Total Fitness.  It started with an hour at the gym weight training, followed by a two mile walk with the dogs.  The culmination was a 12 mile casual bike ride into the city and along the back side of the waterfront. (Where the action is).

2019 February 4th Bike Ride from John Sullivan on Vimeo.

The ride was originally scheduled to be a full moon, lunar eclipse, MLK and a birthday ride for one of our group, on Saturday evening.  The frigid cold that continued on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday prevented us from our monthly ride on any day over the MLK holiday weekend.  Everyone was back to work which left me to do the ride solo.

The city of New Bedford, MA has always been a sanctuary city since the mid 18th century.  We were the last free port during the American Revolution and home to the Privateers who wreaked havoc on the British commercial fleet.

In the 19th century, New Bedford was a sanctuary city for runaway slaves who traveled on boats from the south, laden with cotton for the textile mills. Some came as stow away passengers and others bribed their way onto the ships. Once they arrived, the slaves were protected by a series of tunnels that kept them on the move avoiding the Federal Marshals that were hired as mercenaries for the plantation owners to bring back their property. The city continues to be a sanctuary city protecting our friends and neighbors.

Much of the city’s history is displayed on downtown building by art. New Bedford has a monthly festival celebrating our proud Art, History and Architecture on AHA night.

Fredrick Douglas and MLK tribute bike ride from John Sullivan on Vimeo.

Wishing all my friends a wonderful MLK day.

New Bedford was a sanctuary city during the dark times of slavery and continues that proud tradition during these dark times.

We tried to do a bike ride in honor of this great American over the weekend, but the weather did not cooperate. Wednesday’s 40ish temperature looks like the best day for a ride through the Underground RR section of New Bedford, and a visit the home of Fredrick Douglas.

I’ll be leaving Staples in Fairhaven around 11 AM for this short 10-12 mile history bike ride.

I rode my bike.

2019 Jan 6 East Bay Bike Path from John Sullivan on Vimeo.