Jon Hodkin is pedaling through Mississippi on a parkway, part of a longer journey that leads to Minnesota. And, if you’ll pardon the alliteration, he’s traveling the Trace on a tricycle towing a trailer toting a tuba. Hodkin is from Scotland and his goal is to go from one end of the Mississippi River to the other. But he decided to make a detour.
“And the reason I decided to do that is because the Natchez Trace is famous for its beauty and famous for its facility to support cyclists.”
He’ll go all the way to Nashville, then head west to Missouri to continue his trek upriver. His fascination with the Big Muddy stems from an earlier cycling tour in the Midwest in 2019…
“I was just completely overwhelmed with everything about the Mississippi River when I had the chance to ride up it. And I pledged that I was going to return with the intention of riding the entire length of it. Such was my enthusiasm. It was just remarkable.”
What Hodkin calls his Innertuba Mississippi River Tour will take about 150 days. It started out in Louisiana and has been steadily heading north, hitting the Trace in Natchez. Along the way, he’s been performing with his tuba.
“I’m hoping that by demonstrating that, here I am, being lucky and privileged enough to be able to engage in the things that I love to do– I’m hoping that will inspire people to ramp up the degree of participation that they have in their lives with the things they love to do.”
He’s also collecting money from the people he meets.
“I’m inviting people to donate, at any time really, but principally during my performances. And any money that’s raised now is going to be allocated to grassroots initiatives to support children and young people with additional needs up and down the river.”
The cycling tuba player will perform in Kosciusko Friday at 3:30 at the Attala County Library. And he’s looking for other places to play– and pitch his tent to spend the night on his trek toward Minnesota. You can contact him at: [email protected]
Hodkin at a library in Clinton where he spent two nights on his Miss. River trek.
