Aretha Franklin: Take a trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (book a stay at the Kenisee Lake Campground in nearby Jefferson) and check out the exhibit that pays tribute to Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, who holds the honor of being the first woman inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Hattie McDaniel: As the first Black actor to win an Academy Award for her Best Supporting role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind, Hattie McDaniel has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in California. In addition to her contribution to the film industry, McDaniel was also honored for her radio work. On a trip to Soledad Canyon RV Campground, take the drive into Hollywood and see McDaniel’s two stars located at 6933 Hollywood Boulevard and 1719 Vine Street.
Wilma Rudolph: Just about 90 miles from Natchez Trace RV Campground, you will find the town of Clarksville, Tennessee, the birthplace of Wilma Rudolph, who was not only the first woman but the first Black woman, to win three Olympic gold medals. The town honors its hometown hero with a statue that resides outside the Wilma Rudolph Event Center.
Duchess Quamino: About 80 miles from our Cape Cod resorts, God’s Little Acre, a burying ground in Newport, Rhode Island, displays a grave marker for Duchess Quamino, who was also known as the Pastry Queen of Rhode Island. Born in Ghana, she came to America aboard the slave ship, Elizabeth, in the mid-1700s. In her later years, after her husband had passed, Duchess Quanimo opened her own catering business – she was a gifted baker and known for her frosted plum cake. She became quite famous for her catering business, possibly even catering an event for George Washington.
Zora Neale Hurston: Born in Alabama, and famous for contributions to the culture of New York’s Harlem, world-renowned writer Zora Neale Hurston, who wrote several novels including Their Eyes were Watching God and How It Feels to be Colored, spent her final years in Florida and that is where visitors can find the Zora Neale Hurston Dust Tracks Heritage Trail, in Fort Pierce. Eight trail markers can be found around the city where Hurston lived and worked in her later years.
Boston Women’s Heritage Trail: This series of walking trails throughout the Boston area highlights sites important to Boston’s women’s history, and the portion of the trail known as the South End Walk, in particular, presents plenty of historic sites related to women of the African American community in the area.
Read More:
- Florida’s islands are calling, and you must go!
- These are the list-makers you don’t want to miss.
- Learn about Marc and Julie Bennett’s love for the open road.
- A quick tour of some of America’s best architecture.
- Find more campgrounds at ThousandTrails.com.
