My Cross-Country Bike Tour

Section 10 is done. I now only have 750 miles—eastern Kentucky and the whole of Virginia—standing between me Yorktown. The biggest obstacle I’m facing is the Appalachians, the last mountain range I’ll cross on my route. The general consensus on the Appalachians seems to be that they’re a souped-up version of the Ozarks. Judging from the severe-looking elevation profiles indicated on my final two maps, I might’ve arrived at that conclusion by myself. But I’ve come this far already, so I guess I’ll just take the hills as they come.

Kentucky surprised me. Some parts of it so far remind me of Oregon. In fact, one county road that I took today wound its way through a ravine covered in greenery; if it weren’t for the humidity, I could’ve been convinced that I was riding the trails back home. Other parts are reminiscent of Kansas: farmland, albeit on rolling hills. I’ve even seen some turtles on the road, including one very grumpy snapping turtle, just like I did in Kansas. Then there are the features that are unique to Kentucky alone. Right outside of Bardstown, I rode by a huge liquor distillation facility made up of 20-30 separate five story buildings. At first glance, I thought that I was passing a prison, but the sign out front informed me otherwise. I also passed by Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace on my ride from Rough River Dam State Park. That completely took me by surprise—for some reason I had always thought that Lincoln was born in Illinois.

I’m staying at a Days Inn in Berea tonight. I met up with two kids around my age outside a nearby restaurant who were flying RC planes. Apart from Bob and Violet in Sebree, I hadn’t had the chance to have a real conversation with native Kentuckians, so I was happy to talk with them while I ate my dinner.