Day 21
Big Clifty KY, 65 miles
I want to be in Owensboro in two days… that’s 130 miles from this morning’s starting point. That’s going to be a challenge.
Owensboro is not on the ACA TransAm Route. Strictly speaking, there’s no rule that says you have to follow the ACA route. In fact, I’m diverting because I want to go through St. Louis, Missouri. The Cardinals will be in town in a week, they will be playing the Cincinnati Reds. How can you say no to that opportunity? It will add a few miles, but from my point of view, it will be well worth it!
The first highlight of today’s journey was passing by the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln. It is a National Park and it is a must see. There is a beautiful memorial building which is similar to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., only smaller in scale. It is set into a hill-side and surrounded by beautiful grounds and majestic trees. There is also a recreation of the log cabin that is (as best historians can determine) very similar to the one Lincoln was born in. I was mistaken in my earlier post when I said he was born near Springfield, that was actually where his mother and father were married. I would like to come back to this park again, perhaps next year. There are beautiful walking paths and it is a simply stunning place to relax and vicariously soak up some of the most significant elements of our nation’s history.
I entered Amish country in the mid-afternoon. I saw a horse-drawn carriage pull up to the gas station where I was having lunch. I had no idea what was going on so of course I had to investigate. I went over to the horse and carriage and noticed that the Mother and her four daughters were selling some goods near by. (I don’t have a clue where the husband went.) They had quilts, honey, home made pies and some pot holders (made by the teenage daughters). I really wanted to get a pie and some honey, but that doesn’t work when you’re on a bike, so instead I bought a potholder. It’s bright pink. The mother was surprised I chose the pink one, which I thought was interesting. I explained to her that it would act as a sort of warning flag when attached to the rear of my bike. She was okay with that… Her daughter Melinda made it, I chatted with all of them a bit and asked Melinda what the significance of the pattern was, she said, “it’s a star.” I guess I expected something a bit more “Amish” (whatever that might mean).
After purchasing my new “potholder-flag” for my bike, I called “Lucy” at the “Double L Grocery Store” to see if I could camp there. (The ACA route maps provide information about places to camp.) There was no answer. A couple of hours later I got a call from Lucy telling me the store was closed but I could pitch a tent there anyway. An hour or so later as I came over the top of a hill known is “Big Clifty,” I saw a man holding up a bottler of water, I knew I had arrived! Arnold and Lucy took me in as their guest. We sat on their outdoor patio for several hours, in fact, until almost 9:30 PM, which of course is past my bed time on the road! What chatted about everything and they served me dinner, including strawberries grown by the Amish just down the road. The strawberries were excellent, as was everything about my hosts. I plan to return to visit then again, perhaps next year.
This is very typical of the road-side view here in this part of Eastern Kentucky. I don’t know what sort of grain this is… but I am close to the Bourbon Trail…