Day 25, The best day yet.

The vRuff River Dam,

This is the steepest hill yet. At least as steep as coming out of Halawa.

The buck stops here. This one was hit just minutes before we got there. The blood on the road was still fresh.

The front porch of our cabin.

An old civil war cannon next to the gift shop.

There's my bike. This cabin colst us $68.00 for the night.

Just some of my creative imagination.

There are 58 steps. I couunted them. Sure looks like a lot more.

Sinking Springs. They say that Abe Lincoln took hi first drink of water as a little boy from this spring.

Another view of that expensive building built to house the log cabin.

Out home for the night at the Ruff River recreation area.

Lisa and Sally. The lady that did the TransAm three years ago.

I just had to stop and take this picture. I've never seen a round brick house before. Cool huh?

That's Bob in front of Lisa. He's the guy doing the TransAm with the support of his wife driving.


Day 25, Buffalo to Ruff River. Entering Amish country. 61.5 miles. Total 1025.1miles.

Today was the nicest day so far. At least in my opinion. We left Buffalo before 9:00AM. The cabin we stayed in was a replica of what they think Abe Lincoln and his family lived in. Last night, Lisa went out side and encountered a wild beast of some sort. She couldn’t make out what it was, cause it5 was dark. What ever it was, was trying to get at our food in the cooler I carry on the trailer. It let out a shrieking scream as Lisa approached. Lisa in return, screamed herself. I didn’t bother to go see what was up, I thought she scared a cat or something. In the morning, we found out from the park people that it was just a raccoon. Sorry, no pictures of that.

The sky was clear, hard to believe, that just yesterday it was cold and miserable. What a difference a day makes. We both headed down the road with a totally new attitude about the ride. There was no place to eat near the park, so we decided to stop along the way. About 12 miles into our ride, we found a Subway located at an Interstate truck stop. If you’ve never been to one of these truck stops, it’s like an air port for trucks. The place is a bee hive of activity. There are stores, food places, fuel depots, a rest area complete with picnic tables, and a constant flow of traffic moving in and out of the place. Kind of neat. I had myself a breakfast sandwich, and watched as all the activity unfolded around me. We left the truck stop full and content. With in minutes, we ran into Bob. A touring cyclist from New York, doing Yorktown to San Francisco. We talked a bit. His wife is driving a support vehicle so he can go further in a day. He’s looking to do the whole thing in about 9or 10 weeks. A short time later, we met Sally. Bob’s wife. She heard we would be along from Bob who had been by earlier. Sally had done the TransAm three years ago, and was happy to help Bob out with the driving. They are both retired, so time was no big deal.

The terrain today was mostly flat, with some rolling sections, and one really steep, but short climb. I am tempted to say that it was the steepest hill so far. Once that was over, it was more of the same open, rolling terrain. We could have gone a lot further today if we wanted, but Ruff River State Recreation Area is a really nice place. There is a dam that forms a lake where I hear they have very good cat fish and bass fishing. We are at the camp ground, about a mile from the lodge where we will go for dinner. They have wifi there. So with any luck, I’ll be able to update my blog and check my e-mail.

We crossed the time zone a few miles back. We are now on Central time. We also made the 1000 mile mare early this after noon. Please continue to pray for us. We think about all of you back home, and am so glad we are able to share our experiences with you. Thank you, and Aloha, Ted.

Day 24, The rain won.

This little fellow came and got the cheeto's we threw out for him.

He even begged for more.

At Abe Lincolns birth place, we stayed in this replica cabin. Pretty cute, but no wifi.

In the fancy building is what they believe is a, if not the, log cabin. They wouldn't even let me take pictures.

Inside our cabin. Only one light, no running water, and one outlet. But it did have a heater.

See? This is proof we were there
And it rained, and it rained, and it rained..............

And then it rained some more..............

And it kept on raining till we gave up...........

But when it stopped, it was heavan on earth.



Day 24, Bardstown to Buffalo. 41 miles.

Since yesterday was a rest day, I logged no entry. We had no internet service at the My Old Kentucky Home State Park. Our rest day consisted of some sight seeing. Bardstown is the second oldest town in Kentucky, established in 1773. The Old Talbott Tavern, now a bed and breakfast. Is said to be the second oldest stage coach stop, and, the last one east of the Mississippi. We met some fine people while walking the streets of this town, and it is indeed rich in history.

This morning, we found ourselves waiting for the rain to subside. It had rained most of the night, and was still coming down pretty good when we got up. The weather forecast called for clear skies, and a sunny day. That was the main reason for the rest day, to let the rain blow over. The Adventure Cycling group was ready to roll at 8:30AM. We said our good byes, figuring we’d see them later that evening in White Mills, our destination for the day. Lisa and I finally got going a little after 9:00, and decided to head down to McDonalds for breakfast even though it was in the opposite direction. We hung out at Mc
Donald’s waiting for the rain to stop. We must have been there a good 45 minutes. After realizing that the rain was not going to stop, we decided we might as well press on……..

It was cold, and everything got wet real quick. Even with rain gear on, you still get wet from the perspiration. Then when you go down hill, you freeze to death from the cold. This scenario repeats itself time and time again. We passed through some pretty impressive country today. There were wide open farm land with corn and wheat. We saw cattle ranches, and beautiful horses. The rolling country side led us into a shallow valley that more or less followed a stream. This time we were going with it instead of against it. If not for the constant rain, the photo opportunities would have been endless.

We stopped at a gas station to pick up something to eat for lunch. There was almost nothing there. I grabbed a V-8, and a Gatorade, along with some crackers and cheese. Since we were freezing to death, the owner let us sit in a back room where there were tables and chairs. We were very grateful. I glanced around, and saw a shelf lined up with dog show trophies. There must have been at least 10 or 12 of them. Right next to the shelf, was a number of wall posters of the Kentucky Wildcats. Football fans no doubt. After completing our meal, we thanked the owner for letting us use the facility, and continued on toward White Mill. We rode again for a couple of hours in the pouring rain. This time it was getting worse. We were real cold, soaked to the bone, and had no desire to press on. I told Lisa we should look for dry shelter, since trying to put up our tents in this weather would not be good. Not to mention a miserable cold, wet, and sleepless night. With no hesitation, she agreed, and we plotted a course for the closest hotel. Easier said than done. What I mean by this, is that we are way out in no where. That means no hotels. We checked the map, and there was supposed to be one about 5 miles up the road, and 1.5 miles off route. We followed the maps directions, but there was no such hotel. We stopped and asked some locals, and even they weren’t sure what we were talking about. Finally, we were directed to the birth place of Abraham Lincoln. It’s actually a National Park. The have log cabins that they rent out to guests. We found the place, and was checked in, warm and dry by 4:30PM. After showering and hanging our stuff out to dry, we headed down to the information center and checked out the exhibits. We even took in the documentary on film of Abe’s life in Kentucky. There is this huge historical monument with an original log cabin housed inside it. They didn’t allow picture taking in there, so I wasn’t able to get a shot. But let me tell you, the thing was real old. Built in the 1700’s.

Our accommodations for the night is a one room log cabin, roughly 18’ \X 18’. It has one door, and two windows. The fire place was disabled. There are two chairs, a table, and a dresser. We each have our own double sized bed, and the cabin has a large deck with a rocking chair on it. But the rain and cold kept us inside. The showers and toilets are located next door in another building. That’s a bummer, especially when it’s raining, and there is no foot path leading to it. At least it has hot water, and electricity. All in all, it’s a great place. No wifi, but we are dry for the night.

Thank you for remembering us in your prayers. I can feel The Lord Watching over us. Aloha, Ted.

Day 22, Getting ready for the rain.

The country side opened up to reveal more pasture lands and farms.

Something about old abandoned barns just begs to be explored.

I thought these things were lamas, but they're not. Sorry, I forget what they are called.

At the Abraham Lincoln Homestead, I took this shot of one of the original log cabins.

This one is supposed to be the family cabin.

Statue of Abe himself. He is a big symbol around here. There is all kinds of references to him almost everywhere we went.

We passed though this little town on our way to Bardstown.

There they are, two of them.

Boonsville. We stayed here at an RV park.

Ole barns and grain silos. The country side is covered with um.

We saw more churches in the past month, than most people see in a whole year.

Some of these barns are huge. This one must have been 100 feet long.

This is Jeff and Teresa. Owners of a little convenience store we ate at. They treated us like kin.

The lake near Boonsville where we camped,



Day 22, Lake Harrington, to Bardstown. June 2, 71.3 miles.

Today we left Lake Harrington at about 8:30 AM. We had a 60 plus mile day planned, so we wanted to make sure we were well on our way by the time the sun was high. The forecast called for temperatures in the 90’s, with no wind. Tomorrow is Tuesday, which calls for similar weather. But Wednesday is calling for thunder showers and the likes. It is supposed to only last one day, so we are taking a rest day in Bardstown in hopes it will blow over.

The ride today saw rolling hills and flatter terrain. We were also able to see a lot further than in previous days. I knew for sure we were out of the mountains. That doesn’t mean there’s no more climbing though. There is always a hill somewhere, and it will always come at the most inopportune time. The rolling hills allowed us to cover ground quickly, if we planned them right, we would have enough momentum to get almost all the way up the next one. It doesn’t always work, sometimes the up hill is way bigger than the down hill, and visa versa. We made frequent stops to enjoy the beautiful country side, and take pictures. I took a lot today. There were more of those intriguing barns, and some really neat colonial style houses. We even saw some Llamas on the side of the road in a small open field with a pond on it. At first, we thought they were cows with really long legs, but when we stopped, they started coming over to see what we were all about. Lisa tried to pest one, but it spit at her. Those things have big teeth. If you get too close, they snarl. As we continued our drive, we cruised passed a small country store where we met Jeff and Teresa. At first they were unsure of us, but once they found out where we were from and what we were doing, they opened up the good old southern hospitality and we exchanged stories of home, just like we were good old friends.

We passed through a few small communities, stopping for cold drinks and talking story with the local folks. One thing for sure, everyone in these small towns knows about the weather. I guess you have to, being that the tornados can pop up at any time out of no where. We made our way to Springfield, a larger town of about 8 or 9 thousand, and found this pizza place for lunch. It was called, “Snappy Tomato Pizza”. Great little place, and the food was just as good. After a gut filling lunch, we headed toward the town of Maud. On the way, we stopped at the Abraham Lincoln Homestead. Where Abe’s family lived. There was the original houses from that period, even one that was moved there from a location a few miles away.. We talked with the worker in the visitor center, and she gave us a wealth of information.

From that point on, things turned for the worse. We took a wrong turn, and ended up making a big 9 to 10 mile loop, that brought us right back to the same spot we at over 2 hours ago. No problem though, it was still only 4:30PM, and it was only 15 miles to our destination. To make up lost time, we decided to take Highway 150. A heavily traveled road that scared the living daylights out of us. We got honked at, yelled at, and nearly run over a number of times. And we weren’t even on the road. We were riding our bikes on the grass to avoid all the cars. I did a lot of praying these 15 miles. And I believe that God was there protecting us. Thank you Lord Jesus.

We rolled into camp at about 7:00PM. And paid extra for an RV spot that was close to the showers. It started raining just about then, and we scrambled to get our tents up. Luckily for us, it didn’t last long, and we were able to get everything situated and secure. I jumped into the shower, and had one of the best showers I could remember. Since it is our rest day tomorrow, I just concentrated on having a great time in spite of the weather.

Good night everybody, Aloha. Ted.

Day 21, Rolling hills.

We were so hot from riding, we stopped at Kirkville to get some water. They don't have outside spigots like in Hawaii, they have these weird looking things that look like little pumps. I had a hard time figuring the thing out.

This doesn't looki like much, and to tell you the truth, it wasn't. But I took it anyway.

This is the Old Kentucky Road Bridge. We crossed it on the way to the camp ground.

The office to the camp ground.

It's hard to see, but these are two turkeys fighting. They put on quite a show, if only for a couple of minutes.

I just had to take this shot. The toilet is elevated to accommodate the drainage on the outside of the building.

We stopped at a way side store, and they had a bunch of these bucks mounted on the wall. They are white tail deer, and I was told they are big ones.

A smal farm with a grain silo and a barn with one of them quilt things on it.

The Oh Kentucky camp ground had these three crosses on the top of this hill. The whte fence is actually a grave site for a dog. It had a marble head stone and picture.



Day 21, Berea to Harrington Lake. 43.19 miles. 851.3 miles so far.

We arrived at Harrington Lake at about 4:30 this afternoon. Our original destination was supposed to be Harrodsburg, but when we looked at the detail of the facilities at the park we were going to camp at, we decided to stay here instead. This is actually an RV camp ground, but the allow cyclist to camp for $10.00 a site. There is a nice lake a hundred yards from us, it has a marina with a restaurant and store. We are presently at site 1. The first one as you enter the park. We took this spot because it is close to the showers and laundry room, and a nice grassy area to pitch our tents. Most of the other spots have a gravel bed for the Rvs.

We left the Oh Kentucky camp ground in Berea at 8:30 this morning after saying our good byes to all the Adventure Cycling guys, and our two friends from Alaska. I think they are all planning a rest day in Berea. Lisa and I had thought about a rest day there, but decided to push on because the weather report means rain, and plenty of it. We are looking at a rest day possibly tomorrow when the weather hits, that way we won’t be ridding in in climate conditions.

Today’s ride was quite enjoyable. There weren’t any big climbs like in the past. Most of our route took us through open pasture land with little farms scattered here and there. Kentucky is a beautiful place. Lots of trees, and plenty of horses. Some of the healthiest I’ve seen. We passed this one pond where we saw a big turtle slipping into the pond when he saw us coming. He was too quick to get a shot of. I looked to the left of the pond, and saw these two turkeys fighting. They were so into their battle. That they didn’t even notice us watching. I took a couple of pictures of them, I felt like I was a National Geographic photographer. As the day wore on, it got pretty hot. I drank water like it was………., Well…….., Water. Any way, there were only two places on the way to get cold drinks, so we took advantage of that both times.

A few days ago while we were in a hotel watching the Weather Channel. There was a news flash of a tornado ravishing a town called Kirksville. Lisa said that was where a lot of her family live in Missouri. So she called her mom to let her know, and her mom called the family to find out how bad it was. Come to find out, this town of Kirksville is in Kentucky. And we passed through it today, and saw some of the houses that were hit. A couple of them were totally gone, just ruble and what ever belongings scattered all over the place. Even the trees were splintered and twisted. A couple of the houses were blown in half. Strange thing is that the houses right next to them were spared. I hope we don’t run into any. I wouldn’t know what to do. We are truly lucky not to have these things in Hawaii.

Most of our riding today was on lightly traveled roads with a lot of rolling hills. I mean a lot. Most of them we could get over with the momentum we got from coasting down the previous ones, but as luck would have it, there are always those bigger ones that required the small ring. Once we saw the lake, we knew we were home free. Since it is a Monday, the office was closed, so we had to go hunting for the manager to secure our spot. A n ice gentleman whom I forgot his name, wearing a shirt that said. “Sarcasm is just one of the services I provide”. I told him I liked his shirt. He’s my kind of guy.

Thank you all for your prayers, I am so grateful for friends and family like you. Aloha, Ted.

Day 20, May31, Leaving the mountains.

At the camp ground in Berea, families of some of the riders come to visit on their rest day which is tomorrow.

Before the sun came up, I shot this picture of the church in Boonesville.

Getting ready for breakfast. Each member of the group takes turns doing the chores. I helped with rinsing the dishes.

Entering the thickly wooded forest, I stopped to take this shot.

That was a pretty cool mountain. We actually rode more than half way around it. And it looks the same from all sides.

Riding with the Adventure Cycle group.

Another old barn, these thing facinate me. Not only because we d, but ea,,on't have very many on Molokai, but each one of them has a rich history behind them.


Day 20, Booneville to Berea. 60.44 miles.

We at the Oh Kentucky camp ground for the night in Berea. This place is run by the Baptist church, and caters to cyclists as well as RV campers. Berea is a good sized town with a population of about 9,000. Lisa said it’s a collage town, and I think we passed it on the way in. There is two swimming pools, hot showers, and is close to several eating establishments.

We were up and about early this morning. The Adventure Cycling crew was already preparing the morning meal. Since Lisa and I had already bought stuff for breakfast the night before, we opted to pass on their offer, and eat what we had so as not to waste any of it. By 7:45AM, we were on the road headed for Berea. Since it was Sunday, the traffic was very, very light. We had the roads almost all to our selves. Even the Interstate didn’t have many cars on it. We felt very safe. The Adventure Cycling group started to disperse, the faster ones went on ahead, while the slower ones followed. Lisa and I went along at our own pace since we were fully loaded pulling the trailers. We were hit with numerous little hills early. Some really steep, but non of them very long. The second five miles saw mostly descending. We had covered more than 25 miles, and it wasn’t even lunch yet.

At about noon, we pulled over where there was a nice wide area, and decided to have lunch here. While we were eating, Andy showed up, and we offered him a bagel. We chatted for a while about the days ride, when a gentleman who lived below where we were came looking for his horse. He asked us if we seen them, which we did. He called them over so we could have a good look at them. They were beautiful animals. He then told us that one of those had won 17 shows, and that he had just bright them out the week before from being in the barn for the winter. He then asked where we were from, and when he found out we were from Hawaii, said that he has a cousin living on the Big Island. He wanted to invite us in for refreshments, but knew we had a schedule to keep, and told us if we were ever in the vicinity again, to give a holler.

We continued descending on lightly traveled roads for most of the day. There were only two places we were able to get cold drinks and something to eat in this 60 mile span. I’m glad I took 5 bottles of water with me. As was expected, the climb into Berea was substantial, but at this point, we knew we were almost there, and didn’t let it bother us. Tonight we eat good again. Take care, Aloha, Ted.