The week started off very smoothly. We had about 3,000 ft elevation the first day leaving Eddyville but it didn’t feel too bad. After grabbing some lunch, we crossed the Ohio River and entered Kentucky! It was super cool to ride a ferry on a bike. We ended our first night in Kentucky at a local Baptist Church that has hosted cyclists since the original tour in 1976! They had books with pictures of everyone who had passed through, and it was so fun to see the smiling, tired faces of everyone who had been on the same journey.
The next day, Paula’s family had arrived to visit so we went with them to an airbnb nearby and had some nice rest. We went to the arboretum in Elizabethtown, Kentucky and saw gigantic “trolls of the forest.” The staff had even put masks on them! That night we enjoyed some steak and veggies — things we are always happy to come across.
We rode the next day about 45 miles with Paula’s little brother. Kentucky was beautiful, and we were starting to feel the hills come back into play. On our next ride, we encountered some more hills over 56 miles and crossed our last timezone change! It was official — Eastern Standard Time was back. That evening, we had a big family dinner and my sister and her boyfriend were even able to come up from Nashville and visit.
We decided on Sunday that it would be the perfect day for exploring. We started off the day by going to an Abraham Lincoln Museum and then explored Mammoth caves. This was definitely a highlight for both Paula and me. Mammoth Caves is the second largest cave system in the world and it was so fascinating to go inside.
The next day, it was time for the “easy life” to come to an end. We said goodbye to family and set off for the ranch that doubled as a camping spot for cyclists. The couple running the service were very kind. We were able to set up camp on their ranch and even had access to a nice outdoor shower and a well stocked vault toilet with any necessities we might be missing. Every day we are continuously shocked by the kindness of strangers. They had even set out a cooler for us with grapes, nutrigrain bars, ale, and cold water.
As we went to bed that night, the forecast was looking like thunderstorms were nearing. However, when we set out early the next morning, we were very lucky and only encountered a bit of rain. About 3 miles from the town we were staying in, we saw a sign for a national forest and Paula stopped to take a picture. Well, as she crossed into the grass, her back tire caught something off of a rumble strip and a gash appeared! She didn’t have an extra tire or a patch kit that would fix the tear so we had to find a way into town.
Luckily, we were right across the street from a campground. There were no “hosts” that we could see, so I called the listed number and asked if there was any staff member that could maybe drive us into town. The lady said no, but that she knew a tenant that rents a cabin on a hill that has a big purple jeep and might be able to help.
The next thing we know, “Poo Paw” is coming down the road in a muddied purple Jeep with two german shepherds in the back. He helped us bungee strap the bikes to the roof and drove us into town. Once we got there, we thanked him and just as suddenly as he appeared, Poo Paw was gone.
There were no campgrounds in the town, so I had to book an airbnb. Once we checked in, we got the chance to meet up with a very dear family friend of mine that was in Kentucky. She brought us Graeter’s Ice Cream and took us out for dinner! It was so much fun fo see her and her cute puppy dog Bailey.
This week was especially fun because of all the family connections we got to see, and made us feel even closer to the finishline.
A Funny Moment of the Week: When Poo Paw was so graciously driving us to town, I had to sit in the back with his two big dogs. This, as you may be able to imagine, resulted in many dog butts to the face and face lickings.
What We’ve Learned: Well, Paula learned how to effectively fix a gash in her tire! Once we realized a simple patch kit wouldn’t work, Paula and her dad talked it through and decided the best course of action was to go to an auto shop and get a tire patch for cars! Low and behold, Paula acquired a tire patch to fix the issue and everything was as good as new.