The last leg of this week's ride has arrived! We left Clifty Falls State Park and rode across the Ohio River on the bridge that was slid into place! Construction on the bridge really made it interesting as we went in and out of the closed-down lane to let traffic behind us pass.
Somehow rivers always seem to be at the bottom of a hill...we've never seen a river at the top of a hill. Which means we get to enjoy a downhill but then have to pay the piper to get up the hill on the other side of the bridge! And the first hill in Kentucky went up and up and then up some more!
Somehow rivers always seem to be at the bottom of a hill...we've never seen a river at the top of a hill. Which means we get to enjoy a downhill but then have to pay the piper to get up the hill on the other side of the bridge! And the first hill in Kentucky went up and up and then up some more!
As we rode across the river I took this picture of the power plant west of us. My oldest brother, Allen, attended Hanover College just southwest of Madison and I remember how as a young girl I was always fascinated by the three stacks with the steam/smoke (?) going up high into the sky. And how far away from the Ohio River you could still see those smokestacks!!
We stopped in Bedford, KY for lunch at the Little Town & Country Restaurant. I think this is the first time I was in a restaurant where I had to go outside behind the store to enter the restroom! But we had a good grilled chicken sandwich with fries for lunch!!
Our waitress, Beth, asked us if we wanted dessert and Phil and I both said "No". But as Beth walked away I said, "Just don't tell me you have chocolate pie with meringue!" She stopped dead in her tracks, turned around and sorta of bit her tongue...and I said "with meringue?" again. Beth sealed her lips and Phil just said "bring us a piece!" I told Beth she had just become part of our story so I had to take her picture. It was a goood piece of chocolate pie (with meringue)!!!
After we left Bedford and 421 we found Bray Orchards and Roadside Market on 42. While I went inside and bought peaches Phil (always being the mechanic) walked over to the Chevy that had pulled in behind us making a weird noise. It was discovered that the fan belt was starting to fray and was making the noise. So Penny trimmed the frayed pieces and Phil told Lynette that she should be able to get back to Bedford where she could get it replaced!
Cathy and the kids passed us as we went down 42 and then stopped further down the road. We put the peaches in the refrigerator...had a Hershey Nugget...and talked with Cathy for a few minutes. But we were in the sun and it was 95 degrees so we continued down the road again where we created our own little breeze!
At Pendleton we found The Frozen Cow where we enjoyed a chocolate malt as we cooled off a little!
Finally, here's the road sign we've been looking for...LaGrange, KY. and less than four miles from Cathy's house!!
Our final break was at a fireworks tent where the kids were anxious to hear about our bicycle ride through Indiana....all the way to Kentucky!!! We enjoyed their youthful enthusiasm while we cooled down with a Coke! And now we are just minutes away from Kinlock Road with only one hill to ride up!
WE HAVE ARRIVED!!!! Safely at Cathy's in LaGrange, KY about 2:45 pm after riding 43.4 very hilly miles. A total of 314.3 for our week of riding, with only two very short sprinkles, one almost encounter with a dog, lots of short breaks to catch our breath and cool down a bit, lots of hills with our fastest downhill at 37 mph and our slowest uphill at 3 mph. We spent six nights in campgrounds thanks to Barry and Carol Ann Gulliver driving the motor home and van all week. We could not have done this ride without their great help! We left the motor home for Cathy to use over the 4th of July and departed for Sturgis in the van early afternoon!