Some clever title about Kentucky

I'm here at the library in Hogdensville, Kentucky. Unfortunately, though, I can't put up some of the many marvelous pictures from the past few days, which have gone well.

Three nights ago, as I mentioned briefly, I got to stay at the wonderful bike hostel at the First Baptist Church in Sebree, KY. Pastor Bob and his wonderful wife (whose name I forget) allow cyclists to stay in the basement of the church for free, and for those of us who have been camping out, it is pretty luxurious accomodations. They have a full kitchen, big screen TV, showers, free food in the fridge, and Pastor Bob's wife even did my laundry. I stayed the night with 2 German college students who are cycling the TransAmerica route going west. They had spent the day taking a rest day in Sebree.

The morning after Sebree, I biked to Rough River State Park and Resort. It is a really nice park at a reservoir that has a campground, cottages and lodge to stay at, showers, golf course, mini golf, beach, tennis courts and a bunch of other stuff. I've been getting soft.

Yesterday I had to decide whether or not I was going to take it easy for the next couple of days, or keep putting in 80+ mile days so that I could go off-route and try seeing Mammoth Cave and still make it to Josh Lourie's place (who I'm visiting this weekend) by Friday night. I've been feeling pretty tired the past couple of days, and my left leg has been bothering me a bit, so I decided to skip Mammoth Cave and take it easy. I'm glad that I did, because now I can enjoy the next couple of days a bit more, and not have to rush as much.

I'm starting to meet even more Westbound cyclists than before. I think I'm at the front edge of the big summer XC cycling crowd. The day before yesterday I saw a couple of older guys from Napa Valley in CA, another single guy from Germany, and a single American guy. Yesterday I ate lunch with a neat couple from New Zealand, Wendy and Gordon. They have bike toured a bunch of other places. I've heard great things about bike touring in NZ, but they said US drivers are actually more considerate to cyclists. Also, I briefly met a single guy, Fritz, as I was rolling out from lunch, and saw another American couple roll by towing BOB trailers, but didn't get to talk with them. Also last night I camped here in the Hodgensville park along with a retired Dutch man, Walter, who is a retired professor of German from here in the US. He's biked the route before, and is going West as well.

I'm right around the areas where Lincoln was born and raised, so as you might imagine, they're pretty Lincoln-crazy around here. The New Zealanders were laughing about how funny it was that there are so many "Lincoln sites" around here: his birthplace, boyhood home, where he spit on the sidewalk, etc. This morning I visited the Lincoln Museum here in Hodgensville for a couple of hours. It was interesting, and I learned quite a bit. The main feature was a bunch of recreated scenes from his life. I was a little disappointed that they didn't have more original artifacts--mostly a lot of recreations and objects from the Lincoln-era. Just down the road 3 miles is his birthplace, which I think I'll visit, and if I'm feeling particularly Lincoln crazy I might visit his boyhood home. Also, about 20 miles away, just off-route, there is a Catholic Trappist Abbey, which I might pay a visit to, and if I have time this afternoon, visit a bourbon distillery in Bardstown where I think I will stay the night. I only have to ride 40 miles or so today, so I can have fun being a tourist.

Tommorrow I'll leave the route and plan on making it to Josh Lourie's place just south of Lexington by the evening. I haven't seen him in years, so it will be fun to visit and meet his fiancee, Joy. I'll stay with him Sat, go to church Sun, and bike the next couple of hundred miles to make Charleston by Wednesday.

I'm almost done and to science camp!!