This is Ben riding east to west...we met on the road today..good luck Ben!

Flo and Klara from Austria riding east west...good luck guys!

And todays award for the most killer hill goes to this beauty...the camera doesn't show how steep it was!

Fresh beans shelled and cooked for dinner tonight

Falls of rough kentucky

Rough river

Home for tonight

Riding today in Kentucky was very much like riding through an English summer in the countryside in places...with the exception of the limitless churches of all kinds of denominations...pitbull terriers trained to attack cyclists on sight and tobacco and soya bean crops . Sunny and warm but not hot and the headwind was steady and just enough to drag on the thighs. This state is green...very green...people are friendly and expert lawn mower drivers lol!
The dogs are a pest...some owners cage them but it only takes one pitbull to mess up my trip....bear spray and a firm kick on the head with a size 12 seem to keep the owners at bay anyway...lol!

I stopped at Braham Lincolns birth house....its housed in a big shrine of some kind...its a log cabin held together with mud...I couldn't find his hat anywhere.

I was tempted to go to mammoth caves..but it was an 80 miles detour from the route and I'd just worry about Shinto while I was in the caves...besides I've seen caves before.

I've been climbing steadily all day..I suppose this the approach to the mountains that are ahead ad I get nearer to west Virginia.

Tonight I am in bardstown Kentucky...ill camp on the my old Kentucky home state park...eat at subway and get some fresh food inside me .

I was told there is a big meth problem here...guns and.dogs seem to be a bigger problem. As an Englishman the culture of churches guns dogs alcohol and crystal meth just seems weird...especially when its such a beautiful part of the state.

Anyway I'm just riding through.

AbrHam lincolns birthouse.

Ok...at&t definatly suck lol!

I signed up for a nationwide coverage plan in Portland...I think I had coverage for no more than 30% of the states...if that. Anywhere outside a town you can forget about they just don't have coverage. How I used up my credit on this trip is a mystery to me ...I think I made about three calls. Anyway my $150 has gone and at&t suddenly excel at deluging me with sales texts...which all arrive at once when a signal arrives. Last night in the storm I'm trying to.give them money so I can get back in the church...is would have more chance of dating Kate Middleton ....today after 30 mins of robots again I finally get a humNoid on line....who cannot understand that all I want is a cell phone provider who actually provides a cell phone service...morons...it just took me two days to add $50 to my phone...w t f !!
There is no point in relying on a cell phone here if you have an emergency...mostly there is no service...at leSt with at and t!

So...my advice to anyone from aboad coming to the USA on a bicycle....bring a frigging pigeon its faster, more reliable and way more intelligent than at&t!

Rant over lol!

Green tea chewing gum...I just had to try this...I need to do something healthy after so much ice cream lol!

And todays lesson...

When safely ensconced in a safe church for the night thou shalt not go to the gas station store for Hershey bars because verily the door shalt lock you out in the thunder storm...oooops lol!

Yep...I managed to lock myself out of a church at the very moment the heavens opened and the heaviest rain yet came down. So like a drowned rat I tried to call the pastor but at&t let me down as usual...saying I am not allowed to call that number...no funds...fair enough so I go through five attempts at the automated robot and each time it cuts me off rather than empty my.bank account in its favor...trust me, if you come to America at&t really really SUCK!

...so I go back to the fas station to the lady who just told me she loves my accent and she gave me her cell phone so I can call the pastor. The pastor is a great guy...very helpful abs friendly and thankfully he was at the door to unlock it before I got back...so here I am on the inside of the window listening to this huge storm here lashing against the windows...eating Hershey bars.

I thouht it was pretty funny...mostly as I'm running across town with jeans two sizes to big for me now...soaking wet trying to stop them falling down....oh the joys of cycle touring lol!

I had a really great time with Scott on Paducca Kentucky. I can't thank Scott his wife and mother enough. I was treated like a king in Kentucky!

Paducca

Images painted on paduccas flood wall

Images from paduccas flood wall kentucky

The floodwall on Paducca is very special. Not only does it protect the town from flooding but it has been decorated with the most amazing artwork along its entire length almost. I took pictures of several works that I liked.

Scott at the Paducca floodwall kentucky

Shinto and the American queen on the Ohio Tenessee rivers

Being interviewd by a local journalist in padduca today about my trip.

The paddle steam ship American Queen at Paducca port today where the Ohio river meets the Tenessee river

This is the vs planet dollar bill signed by my friends on vs planet I have met along the way. Mark I will mail this to you as I forgot to ask you to sign it when we met. This is a special bill and I wouldn't spend it if it were my last.

Today is my birthday...and what a great way to spend it! My friend Scott from cap picked me up from Marion and we drove to Paducca Kentucky. Scott took time to show me around town..Paducca is a nice town with lots of history. I really liked the cool muriels painted on the flood wall which was built by German pows.

The town was badly flooded in 1938 and in Scotts shoe shop there is a high water mark.from that flood. It must have been one hell of a time for the people here back.then.

It was good to.pick.up some of Scotts guitars and make some noise...its been a while since I played and Scott has a cool scalloped ne k.Stratocaster.

We went out ans had a hug steak for dinner and then to.a local.bar where I got a surprise birthday cheescake...that wad so nice of Scott and his wife Lisa.

I really like paducca..its a nice clean.and green town.

Scott outside his shop

Playing with some cool toys and sharing a huge steak

The flood wall in paducca is covered with amazing muriels. Here the Ohio and tenesse rivers meet.

This Adam who is riding to Virginia from Astoria

Larry kindly sent this pic of me outside the bike hovel..hostel in Chester a few days ago. The maps are the current section of the transam route I am riding.

Larry kindly sent this pic of me outside the bike hovel..hostel in Chester a few days ago. The maps are the current section of the transam route I am riding.

Tonights room at the church in Marion Kentucky. I've met back up with Larry whom I met in Chester a few days ago...he said he followed me for 15 miles today but I didn't hear him call or see him...I need to open my eyes and ears a bit more on the rides I guess I do tend to be a.bit blinkered.
Also a guy called Adam is staying here as well who is riding east and said he'd been following me for about three weeks now...there are visitors books in some places and I like to sign them. It's really good to know there are other guys as crazy as me out there lol!

I've been told the apalacians are a tough ride as the climbs are very steep and long. I think Shinto may need a new chain and cassette before then...ill see.

Todays sub from subway was full of so much fresh stuff the girl couldn't shut it lol! I thought is make the most of it lol!

In town today I was warned about drug addicts by a guy...apparently meth is an issue here.

Tomorrow I'm meeting my friend from cap and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm so lucky to have friends here in the USA who have been so supportive and welcoming to me.

I can't over emphasize just how hospitable the American people have been to me on this trip.

Tonight I am sleeping in the united Methodist church in Marion Kentucky. I spent time this afternoon in town stuffing my face at subway then over the road to McDonalds to get some free WiFi to update the blog etc.
Then over to check in at the church. I wasn't sure what to expect as this is my first night in Kentucky but I was welcomed nicely and shown around and made to feel at home. This church has been welcoming transam cyclists for over 13 years and they have a visitors book. The photo is my page in it.

So...I made it to Kentucky today!

Shinto crossing the Ohio river this afternoon to kentucky

The ride to cave in rock was humid and hilly again. Elizabethtown was very run down and I took a video because its such a shame this place right on the Ohio river is so poor and deprived. Most of the town is shut or for sale and I left the store because it had nothing I could buy. I headed onto cave on rock hoping for better things and a cellphone signal or wi fi so I could contact my mate from cap on Kentucky. At cave in rock there was still no signal and I decided to ride onto onto Kentucky as cleaelybthis part of Illinois is still in the 1940's lol!
At cave on rock I got the ferry across the Ohio river to Kentucky and rode to Marion.

The fields here in Illinois look very my h like Sussex fields...apart from the odd wig wam lol!

The lake at devils kitchen

The ride from Chester tool me along country lanes and the Missisipi levee to devils kitchen Lake where I decided to camp and get out of the rain. Mosquitos are a real pita here! The ride was the usual rollercoaster of steep hills over mostly poor road surfaces. Humid today. The camp site was right on the lake but I was so tired I just climbed into the tent and fell asleep. This part of Illinois seems to be pretty poor..some if the towns are very run down. The trees are starting to look like they will drop there leaves.

The Missisipi river

I rode along the Missisipi levee