Kentucky

Tuesday August 1st
Destination: East View, Kentucky
Today was another scorcher. I got about 50 miles to the gallon of Gatorade. At about $6 per gallon that’s a little on the expensive side. It was good that I started riding at sunrise. When the sun comes up the fuse is lit and it’s a race to see how far I can ride before the temperature blows up.
It was surprising to see all of the mist this morning but it wasn’t as interesting as it poured off me. I find late morning is the most comfortable time to ride; it isn’t broiling but has warmed up just enough to reduce the humidity a little.
I caught another east bound rider and rode with him for about an hour. He started out a month before us but has about 65 pounds of gear on his bike. That’s an unbelievable weight to be hauling. He must have a couple of kitchen sinks in the panniers. Because of the weight difference our pace was too slow for me and too fast for him, so I took off. I also saw five west bound riders.
The riding was okay until noon at which time I had ridden 75 miles; after that it got really hot and time stood still. I could only ride about ten miles before having to stop and buy more liquids. Fortunately there were plenty of convenience stores along the way. I finished at 2:30 in East View and we drove north to a motel in Elizabethtown. Back when no one traveled it was probably okay to reuse town names; now it’s downright confusing to have spent Sunday night in Elizabethtown, Illinois and Tuesday night in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. We’ll try for a new town name tomorrow.
Mileage: 108/3378 Transam Riders: 6 today/54 total for the trip


Early Morning's are Best

Wednesday August 2nd
Destination: Bardstown, Kentucky
It was a shorter day but I started a little later and still got char broiled. I’m beginning to think that the total distance doesn’t matter, only the distance ridden after noon. Today I was lucky that the terrain was gently rolling and accompanied by tailwinds most of the time.
Jani and I took separate routes but still happened to meet at Lincoln’s Birthplace near Hodgenville. They have a replica of the cabin he was born in but the most interesting thing to me was the family bible passed on to him by his parents.
The countryside is gradually changing. There are Amish scattered through the area. Their homes stand out from others because they don’t have electrical lines. We’re seeing fewer fields of corn and soy beans but now see tobacco fields. It’s obvious that tobacco was a much bigger crop in the past because there are drying sheds everywhere. They look like barns but are tall without windows and the vertical siding has gaps to let the air circulate. I don’t know if we’re in a more populated area but there are many homes with large horse pastures. Many of the homes also have extremely large lawns that are as large as city parks. It seems like the homeowners are always out mowing their yards, some guys even use full size tractors. We also notice many more cemeteries here than at home. It might be because they’re closer to the roads or maybe just because people have lived and died here longer than in the Northwest. Funeral Homes are also very prevalent and impressive buildings. We even saw a casket store in Henderson.
As advertised the dogs are out. They haven’t been too bad but I encountered one that wasn’t deterred by having a water bottle sprayed in his face. I realized that they’re probably experts who have encountered many riders. It was time to take the offensive. I picked up a couple of good sized rocks to carry in my jersey and started looking for dogs to hunt. No dog has come after me since but I’m still wary, especially after seeing a ramshackle home with a sign that said “pit bull blvd.”
Bardstown seems nice with a long history including Civil War Battles. We aren’t seeing much of the towns because of the heat. I bet fall or spring would be great times to be here.
Mileage: 63/3451 Transam Riders: 0 today/54 total for the trip


Tobacco Field and Drying Shed

Thursday August 3rd
Destination: Berea, Kentucky
I started riding at dawn this morning. The temperature was down to 73 degrees. It hasn’t been that cool in a few days. I really enjoy riding as the sun comes up especially riding out of town because all the traffic is going the other way. My overactive imagination didn’t want to be left out and reminded me that my limbless buddies also like the morning so I paid special attention to the road.
The route went through Springfield (Kentucky, not Missouri, not Illinois) then on to Harrodsburg. The riding was some of the best of the trip with small rolling hills and curving roads. Of course it didn’t hurt that there was a good tailwind today.
After Harrodsburg the scenery was still good but the heat dampened my enthusiasm. However there was one section that typified the excellent route selection as it followed a one lane road up a draw. I’m always amazed by how many small back roads I end up riding on.
Berea is on the west side of the Appalachian Mountains and I got glimpses of them today. Normally I would only consent to calling them hills but after all the flat land since the Rockies; they do look like mountains. The roads are supposed to be steep so I’d better treat them with respect.
I talked with two 20ish guys from Birmingham England who are going west. They don’t get started until about 10AM then have to ride through the heat of the day. I told them no amount of my sleep is worth riding that late in the day.
The big news is that there is a cold front coming which is supposed to bring thundershowers tonight into tomorrow morning. The high temperature is predicted to be only 88 degrees. That would seem chilly.
Mileage: 98/3549 Transam Riders: 2 today/56 total for the trip


Main Street Harrodsburg