Basecamp in bardstown Kentucky...probably the greenest town so far!

Tomorrow I will have been riding for two months. So far I have ridden through Oregon, idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, ilinois and I am currently about halfway across Kentucky. I still have the rest of Kentucky, west Virginia and Virginia to ride. I am so used to riding 70miles a day now that to slow down feels wrong...I.get bored easily.if I am not riding. So I am going to keep going and make sure I get to the Atlantic ocean. Then I will think about what to do if I have any excess time before the flight home.

I am noticing a distinct change in the accent of people.I meet.  It's got that southern drawl and I'm having trouble understanding what some people are talking about lol! They of course have no idea what I am saying either ha ha!...

The roadkill situation has changed from the wholesale armadillo massacre I saw in Missouri to full on skunk slaughter.

It is still humid here...and I am often buzzed by dragonflies as I ride.

I saw strange big birds today..the guy in the gas station said.._" well dems wiiild turkeys...dems for shootin..day makes for goooood eatin!"
..roll on Xmas.

Todays ride from Marion to Utica started early about 7.30am. I left the church and rode under grey skies...cool and humid..a weird combination. This was the first ride on the new cassette and it held up ok on a few sharp hills early in the ride. I was making good time as gradually the hills got less steep...either that or I was cruising after my rest in padduca!
Then I got hit with an overwhelming.g hunger...lord knows why as I've been eati.g and resting...anyway I found a small cafe/drugstore in severe and hit the ice cream counter...filled up on Gatorade..m and ms and coke...junk food heaven...all good while riding but its a bad habit and ill have to stop it . Thing is there is never any real food in these small places..well rarely.
That and a weak will ...oh well..its not every year I cycle across america!
I am starting to see tobacco fields now as I get into the heart of Kentucky. They sell chewing tobacco here in the shops...y u c k!!

I spoke to a lady in a wheel chair who was about to have a new knee fitted and had got an exercise bike to work out on...a young lady with a ratio on her back of a tiger she was keen to show me...a guy in a truck who knew more about cycling than me even though he was twice his safe bodyweight and had never even sat on a rodebike...and the fireman at the Utica fire station where I am sleeping tonight. I got to Utica by 1pm and was tempted to keep riding and go for a hundred mile ride and camp at falls of rough...but if it rains again Luke it did last night it would not be any fun...besides I'm in no rush and have nothing to prove so I'm happy with my 68 miles for today.

The fire station here has an air con room where they have.kindly let me sleep..showers and a tv. I think English fire stations should be as accomodating to cycle tourers.

My left knee is still hurting ..that was the knee they cut out the cartiledge from a few years ago...I have painkillers though.

It has cooled down a lot recently...there was even a point this morning when I was tempted to teach for.my base layer!

I've been looking at the maps for the last two sections of the transam. I have 966 miles left to Yorktown. My return flight is booked for Sept 15. That means I only need to ride 34 miles a day. BUT...I want to have time to see the civil ear battlefields on Virginia so I will still ride at least 50 miles a day.
Also included in those miles are the mountains in Virginia.

I'm starting to think I could ride this ride all over again back to the west coast...or just keep going up the east coast to New York and beyond...the limiting factor is of course cash...I just need to figure a way to bum around on a bike forever for free and that'll be my life sorted...dream on eh lol!

The people alo.g the route today were all friendly as usual...only two loose pitbulls but they went away when I shouted at them. Kentucky is green..and after the storm last night the streams have muddy water in them. There is still a lot of rain up there I sense.

I.should have kept riding I think. I could have got over a hundred miles in I am sure and now I'm unable to sleep because I haven't done enough exercise for the day! To wired.

Thing ill go and play.with a fire engine or something lol!

Todays ride can be summed up in a few words...hills...headwind...hills and sunshine. The countryside here is very nice rolling hills...some of which are pretty sharp. The wind wasn't strong but constant. I rode from Utica to a nice place to camp just past Hudson...68 miles. I didn't feel to well mostly due to an overdose of junk food from gas stations...so I didn't eat all day and drank lots along the way. My knee is still hurting on these hills.

I met Ben riding to san fransisco and he suggested I stay at a place he had  been at. Here I met Lucy and Arnold who kindly let me pitch my tent on their land and then invited me to join them for dinner. I can only say that these are genuinely wonderful people...to invite me in and have me join them for the family meal..a total stranger...the hospitality was very much appreciated. Fresh food including beans and tomatoes grown in the garden here...its great to eat fresh food after a tiring ride.

Earlier I met a couple from Austria as well...very nice people and I wish them well on their trip to the west coast.

So here I am in a rocking chair on a porch in Kentucky having made new friends . All in all a good day.

The menu at a gas station in falls of rough

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.