At last! Kentucky is behind me after far too long. The riding has been tough, the area run down and the people pretty inhospitable with some pleasant exceptions for which I am grateful :-)
Some tough roads and hills did their darnedest to slow me down but by tea time I had taken a pretty ferry ride over the Ohio river from Kentucky to Illinois and was in new territory. Psychologically crossing a state border makes a real difference as it counts in your head as tangible progress beyond the day to day map panels you get through.
Despite some bitchy hills starting within the first 500m of today's ride, I made really good time, grabbing a pulled pork bbq sandwich at a tiny town called Beech Grove where people seemed to be stopping in for lunch at 10:30 in the morning. I sailed through to Clay where I got directions out of nowhere(I was looking at my map in the car park of the bank when a booming voice came telling me to turn left! It was a drive in teller at the bank through a microphone but it terrified me at first).
I stopped at a Mennonite school in the middle of the countryside to get some water and they all seemed a bit confused by my accent and purpose. It took a while to explain that I didn't want motorcycle repairs, just some cold water. They looked a friendly bunch otherwise, lots of kids in Amish style clothing with big black hats like orthodox jews (although my budgie smuggling lycra shorts probably looked just as silly to them).
Through Marion and onto the free ferry across the Ohio river, and I got to my destination for the night - Cave in Rock. This is meant to be a big tourist draw but to be honest it looks like a one horse town where the horse died. My motel is scabbersville but I was too tired to push on to Elizabethtown so I'm planning on getting straight to sleep and getting up at silly o'clock to hit the road.
1 comment:
Harley Dave Chicago,
One other note looking through your Blog seems Slugo didn't tell you this either, but our ancestor was General John Hunt Morgan although this was a man of the SOuth from the Civil War here in the USA we had a relative who was also a Yankee northern Bugaler. Aanyrate I am a Mason and went to school in Kentuck sorry for anyone who may have gave you a problem most are very hospitable and offer up true Southern Hospitality.
Any rate I was surprised there is much left of Marion you traveled in aplace once where General John Hunt Morgan came up and crossed that River he burnt that city to the ground. Though he left one building standing it was the Mason Hall, as Dan's brother you met in Wyoming I thought it appropriate to enlighten you on the place you were at. That also General John Hunt's Morgan Troop of over a thousand may have had one bad guy from Kentucky too he stole a jewel from that Mason Hall and General Joihn Hunt Morgan (Dan and I are his great great nefews 1/8th Morgan I guess) made that trooper take the Jewel back by mornings light the next day. The Bluegrass State Kentucky and Tennessee may be anoung the most beutiful mystical places in the world. Slugo was in the 101st then he went into the Tn. National guard then onto Iraq. If you email me I'll send you a picture of him there! I am still up for buying you a beer in England when I go there.
Post a Comment