Days 18: Murphysboro to Eddyville, IL

Today’s ride was 66 miles.  We enjoyed an overcast and relatively cool day, with a few short spurts of rain and drizzle.

Early in the ride, we passed a couple of large lakes.  As I approached the first one, I noticed a bobcat in an open field.  Once it detected me, it took about three large leaps into the trees.

As I approached the lake, I saw two older gentlemen fishing in a boat near the shore.  It was a very placid scene and I didn’t stop to take a picture because the fishermen were so close to the road.  I waved at the men and of the gentlemen shouted, “It’s a good day to be alive!”  I couldn’t agree more!

Later, I noted two swans gliding along Little Grassy Lake. 

Matthew took this picture of me when we stopped to admire the scenery:

The first third of the ride was very serene and pleasant.  During the second third, I was surprised by a number of Ozark-like climbs.  Even though the temperatures were in the 60’s, I found myself sweating profusely as I gutted out these steep climbs.

The last third of the ride was a bit more forgiving.  This day was pretty characteristic of the bicycling “environment” in Kentucky.  The pain of climbing is balanced by the pleasure of the scenery and kind people.

When we arrived in Eddyville, we stopped at the only convenience store in town for a cold drink.  The owner, named Nancy, also sold antiques.  Matthew and I enjoyed a snack there, came back for pizza (many of the convenience stores sell Hunt Pizza), and returned the next morning for coffee. 

Nancy advised us on the best camping opportunities.  We decided to climb the hill and stay at Hayes Canyon Campground and Cabins, a horse camp ground run by Ben and Patti.  When we arrived at the office, we were greeted by their three kids who each presented us with pieces of fruit.

We were allowed to stay in the Cowboy Church for free.  The inspiring hospitality included a dry and cool place to sleep, hot showers, and laundry machines.

During the evening, we met a family from Wisconsin. They gave us a tour of their combo camper (1/2 for people and 1/2 for horses) and introduced us to their two horses.  They shared a cold beverage with us as well.

We met a number of horse people that night and came to a deeper appreciation their special passion for horses.

Days 19: Eddyville, IL, to Marion, KY

Today’s ride was 44 miles. It included a ferry ride across the Ohio River, and crossing into Kentucky.

We left early and were amazed at the “clouds” of gnats that hovered over the fields.  There were millions of gnats in each cloud cluster.  I first thought that it was fog mist.

We encountered a few loose dogs along the way (dog encounters have been generally increasing since Illinois).  Kentucky is known for dogs coming after cyclists. Thus far, I’ve had dogs attempt to “attack” my panniers (side bags), dogs run in front of me (with intent to intercept me), and dogs run and bark on each side of me. If I can get up to 20 miles per hour, I can outrun most of them. But I’ve found the best strategy is to simply maintain speed, look the dogs in the eye, and shout short commands like, “Back off.”

Since Matthew is generally riding ahead of me, he either fires the dogs up before I get there, or tuckers them out. We’ve observed very different reactions from the same groups of dogs.  I carry the same mace that postal workers carry, and keep it at the ready on my handlebars.  The top of the can is red and I surmise that the dogs stay clear when they see the can. I haven’t used the mace to date, and plan to deploy it only as a last resort. Most of the dogs are just doing what dogs do… chase things!

When we arrived at the town of Cave in Rock, we took a ferry across the Ohio River.

Here’s a picture of the line of cars waiting for the ferry, and me on with Illinois to my back.

Here are pictures of me with Kentucky at my back, and at the welcome sign:

When we arrived in Marion, KY, we decided to check out the Marion Methodist Church, which offers their school as a place for cyclists to stay.  I called Pastor David and was connected with Mr. Donnie, a neighbor who gave us access to the church facility.

The only fee for their hospitality is that we fill out a log entry in their guest log, which we were happy to do.  They even took our pictures and attached them to our entry.  Their logs go all the way back to the beginning of the TransAmerica Trail in 1976.

We enjoyed dinner at Anna Mae’s Restaurant, known for their southern cooking.  I enjoyed their meatloaf, okra, and cornbread. 

After dinner, we met Pastor David and his wife and were able to thank them directly for their kindness.

Days 20: Marion to Utica, KY

Today’s ride was 69 miles. The scenery reflected the genteel spirit of Kentucky. I recall the hedges of honeysuckle that border many of the roads, providing a most pleasant scent as I biked along.

Speaking of scent, I’ve become accustomed to near daily allergy effects, from an itchy throat, to an occasional cough (often while climbing), to watery eyes.  Between the oak pollen, cotton wood pollen snowing from the trees, and other allergic triggers, I’ve accepted it all as part of the deal.  While biking, I’m pumping so much liquid through my body that the allergic impacts are minimized.  My eyes don’t generally become bloodshot until after I’m done with the day’s ride. 

We’ve seen an increase in the number of TransAmerica Trail cyclists we encounter going West.  Thus far, no one has passed us heading East.  Today, we met two Dutchmen. We’ve also crossed paths with many Americans and cyclists from Belgium, Germany, and Australia. Many are also blogging along the way.  Several make it a habit of taking pictures of other TransAm’rs they meet along the way. I’m often curious about where my picture will end up given some of the other characters we’ve met!

I note the consistently courteous way that Kentucky drivers treat us.  Since we are often biking through windy roads or upslopes, motorists have been extremely patient and given us the room we need to make it up the hill or pull off the road (in the few places where we can).

When we arrived in Utica, we went to the Utica Fire House. The side door is often kept open for cyclists.  We were told to call a phone number posted on the door.  There was no number so we let ourselves in.  A couple of community members came in to reserve the fire house community room in a community calendar and they told us to make ourselves at home.  As other cyclists had advised us, we located a hot shower and laundry in the back. 

I enjoyed another Hunt Pizza for dinner.  At the firehouse, Matthew and I watched a VHS tape of “The Rundown” with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, for a bit of mindless entertainment.

In the early morning hours, one of the volunteers apparently came to the fire station to take out a piece of equipment to respond to a local emergency.  After I awoke, I heard the siren in the distance and saw the emergency vehicle zoom past.  Matthew and I were amazed that the individual had taken the vehicle without waking us.

This is yet another example of a cyclist-friendly community.  I plan to write the fire chief a note of thanks when I return. Meanwhile, “thumbs up” to the Utica Fire Department.

Days 21: Utica to Falls of Rough, KY

Today’s ride was 49 miles. It was a good ride.

My legs are generally aching all the time but I’ve gotten used to it.  I pushed through a few days of pain in my right knee (probably due to an overworked ligament).  I kept waiting for the knee to swell but it never did. Matthew can now recite one of my favorite Marine Corps sayings, “Pain is weakness leaving the body.”

Along the route, we came across this fascinating history:

And this is typical of the Kentucky farmland that we biked through.  Today, we enjoyed generally traffic-free roads:

.

When we arrived at the Falls of Rough, we scouted around for suitable camping facilities.  We were attracted to the Corps of Engineer’s run Rough River Axtel Campground because it is situated on a lake.

When we arrived at the entrance gate, Jo the ranger told us that the camp was full since we were heading into Memorial Day Weekend.  At this point, I informed her that I was a disabled veteran and holder of a National Park Service special access card.  She said that she’d find a way to make it work and thankfully gave us a one-day pass for a small campground just down the road.  The facility even had hot showers.  Thank you, Jo, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Days 22: Falls of Rough to Buffalo, KY

Today’s ride was 55 miles. When I got up after a peaceful night of camping, I was mentally alert but physically fatigued.  My legs felt like they hadn’t rested at all.  Since I knew that I was close to taking a prized day off, I decided to push on to Buffalo, and simply dial back my level of effort along the way.  Fortunately, the landscape consisted of rolling hills on only a couple of gut-wrenching climbs.

Along the way, we met Eastbound Trans’Amrs Kevin and Rosie (Rosie had a Brooklyn accent and bragged about her age (something about Social Security)).

We also decided to take a detour to visit Lincoln’s Birthplace:

As an aside, Matthew likes to have a beer or two at the end of the ride.  I’d watched his frustration grow as we bicycled through dry county after dry county.  Buffalo was yet another such stop.

Our maps don’t list any camping or hostel facilities in Buffalo.  So we decided to stop at the Buffalo Baptist Church and inquire around.  The facility was locked and didn’t have any numbers to call.  So I decided to visit an adjacent house (thinking it might be the Pastor’s home). As I approached the house, a woman named Lisa came out.  She mentioned that her sister-in-law is the church secretary and that she would go to her home to tell her about the visiting cyclists.  

As we waited, Matthew and I went to the sole restaurant in town, Pizza Zone, managed by Beth and her family. I ordered an Italian Sub, which was a very delicious pepperoni pizza rolled into a sandwich.

When we returned to the church, we set up our tents.  Shortly thereafter, Glen, a retired school principal and church member, pulled up and said that we could stay inside.  We were more than comfortable staying in tents but, when he opened the door to the church hall, we immediately pulled up our tents and accepted his offer. Glen offered to reimburse use for dinner and even pay for breakfast.  We declined this latter support.  Matthew almost teared up with the kindness of yet another offer of unimaginable support.

The church hall is the tan building in back of the church:

The hall didn’t have a shower but it had a full kitchen and, one of the most treasured items for any cyclist, an ice machine. Thank you, Bro. David Waddle, Glen, and the Buffalo Baptist Church family!

Days 23: Buffalo to Harrodsburg, KY

Today’s ride was 71 miles. It was a hot and humid day but a good ride nonetheless.  My legs, though fatigued, continued to perform as needed.

I took this photo to show that the hills are getting larger:

As we went through one small town, Matthew and I stopped to admire a convoy of old cars:

I took this photo of rolled hay bales.  As we continued east, the bales were wrapped in white plastic, resembling large marshmallows:

Here’s a photo of a store that I knew Matthew would be inspired by.  As I guessed, he did stop there:

During today’s ride, we ran into our first ACA-organized group of 10 cyclists heading West.  One woman had broken her wrist but had the fortitude to catch up with the group by train two days later to resume riding.  We met the group leader in McDonald’s during a rest stop.

When we arrived in Harrodsburg, we checked in with the local fire station only to find that it is manned full-time, and therefore not available to cyclists. 

We cycled another 2-3 miles out of town to the local community park where we camped.  There we met a young couple from Annapolis who were heading West.

I grabbed a Subway sandwich along the way as dinner.

Since we were in the middle of Memorial Day Weekend, we shared the pavilion with a family that was celebrating their daughter’s high school graduation.  There was also a private party at the adjacent pool, which Matthew walked into unassumingly. Both parties broke up before dark and we enjoyed a quiet night’s rest.

Days 24 and 25: Harrodsburg to Berea, KY

Today’s ride was was 54 miles and included a detour because of a closed bridge over Herrington Lake. Today was a hot day (sunny most of the day) but our effort was fueled by the knowledge that Berea would be a rest day.

There were a few hard climbs along the way but I actually enjoyed cruising through some of the rolling hills.

Our detour brought us to the town of Danville, KY, one of the most impressive towns I’ve visited during the entire TranAmerica journey.  It’s one place that I would come back to visit with my wife.

Here are some historical markers located near historic downtown Danville.

I also met a local wood artist named Duke who was carving a tree truck with symbols of local history.

As we continued on our journey, I took this picture of a rock-lined river that is characteristic of this area of Kentucky:

During one extended climb, I stopped to take this picture of one of the tree-lined roads we cycled along (with deep appreciation for the shade and those sweet smelling honey suckle bushes).

As I was nearing the top of this particular road, a woman named Donna stopped her van and informed me that she owned a bike water stop about a mile away.  She encouraged me to stop.  I thanked her for her kindness.

When I arrived a the top of the road, here’s what I found:

The welcoming signage:

Matthew cooling out in the rest area, complete with iced water and sodas, and snacks.

And the permanent residents on Donna’s property, the Bluegrass Texas Longhorns:

Thank you, Donna, for providing an oasis in the desert!

When we arrived in Berea, Matthew made a beeline to America’s Best Value. He ended up getting the same deal from the owner, Rakesh, that he negotiated with ABVI at our last rest stop.  Thank you, Rakish!

I spent this precious rest day resting the tired muscles, catching up on this blog, and cleaning the bike. 

Since going back to Kansas, I’ve bicycled 1275 miles. My on-the-bike average day is about 57 miles.  I’m feeling great and am looking forward to the last couple of stretches of this journey.

With Subtropical Alberto influencing the weather in the neighborhood, the next few days promise to be exciting ones.  Stay tuned!