Where We’re Walking
2008
No one knows exactly where Hinton James started from. (And believe us, we checked. We even asked UNC’s oldest student organizations, the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies.) But since Wilmington’s close to the ocean, we figured we might as well start there. And as it happens, we used to go surfing at Wrightsville Beach during college, so that’s the spot. It may not be where Hinton James left from, but it has some history for us and that’s just as good.
Click Here
To See The
Map At Google
Starting Line
We’re following the backstreets. It’s basically 421 to 55 to 54. There’s some small roads thrown in here and there, but that’s the general route. And it’s pretty much a straight shot to Chapel Hill, so HJ must have walked in the same vicinity. (Again, no one knows exactly what path he followed.)
The Path
There’s really only one option: the Old Well. The trip officially ends when all of us have had a drink from it.
Finish Line
We’re not staying in hotels. Just like HJ, we’re carrying our gear on our backs and setting up camp wherever we are when the sun sets. We’ll cook most of our own food, though we’re not above grabbing lunch at Wendy’s if one’s nearby. You might think this takes away from the historical accuracy of the trip, but our goal isn’t to walk exactly like HJ did. (After all, we’ve got much better gear and it’s impossible to avoid civilization now.) Instead, our goal is to complete the trek in the same spirit that he did.
Camping
Timeline
Start August 2, 2008
End August 12-15, 2008
Note
We’ll be updating our blog with daily progress reports, so you can keep track of where we are and when we’ll roll into town.