What a day... read more

Two states down, eight to go! Wow! That sounds like I have barely started! Now that Kentucky is behind me,I must reflect: Sitting behind my handlebars, Kentucky was really two diverse regions. East of Berea, the Appalachian Mountain region dictated the severe up and downs, the hollows between the hills, and a lot of apparent poverty. This is coal country and our Nation’s movement away from Coal has devastated the Eastern Kentucky economy. West of Berea, Kentucky was flatter but never level, mostly grazing land and to the east it was mostly farm lands. I saw, hay, corn, soy beans and tobacco. It seems a ride on lawnmower is as ubiquitous as a dishwasher in these parts. Lawns are beautiful and freshly mowed everywhere in western Kentucky. If you are considering riding the Trans Am Bicycle ... read more

After a great 48 mile ride yesterday, I arrived at Bob and Barbara Carper’s home,( the parents of Craig Carper). Ever since I arrived, I have been treated to a five star experience at their spectacular home on 89 acres in Eastern Kentucky. There are two ponds on the property, one with its own cabin; just a small project Bob threw together in his spare time. Their home sits above the larger pond, and the view from the home looks across the pond for miles. It’s wonderfully relaxing to just sit and gaze out the sun room at the countless birds, and other sights. Ahhh! It’s going to be hard to leave. Yesterday, after being treated to a wonderful BBQ dinner at their favorite restaurant, I was given the insiders tour of Owensboro. This city sits ... read more

Today was a spectacular day for a bike ride; temperature in the 70’s, low humidity and calm winds. The pedaling was effortless as I made my way south toward Abraham Lincoln’s boyhood home followed by his birthplace. The change in scenery is dramatically different than that of Eastern Kentucky. Today I have been in corn country. It seemed more like Iowa than the endless hills I saw earlier. The real goal today was to see Abe Lincoln’s boyhood home, and his birthplace. First I stopped at Abe’s boyhood home in Knob Creek. He lived there from age two to age seven. I learned that Abe’s dad Thomas moved several times in his early years because of land disputes. One would think that in the very early 1800’s that would not be a problem, but indeed it ... read more

Today was a big change from the last week. The geography has changed from the Allegheny Mountains to the rolling hills of central Kentucky. The big climbs and steep downhills were non-existent today. Although the Garmin says I climbed over 3000’, it was far different than the leg busting climbs of the last several days. Today was a leisurely trip through the bluegrass pastures of cattle and horse country. The most surprising and fun part of the day was when I suddenly passed a deserted home with a sign signaling cyclists to stop for free water. I did stop, and took several pictures of the wonderful bicycle Oasis. There was a chest full of a variety of drinks and another with lots of goodies including home made treats, donuts, nutritious bars and many other items. There ... read more