Day 27. Utica toMariom.

These Lillis were everhwhere along the side of the road.

I found these birds just hatched whie I was climbing onto this abandoned fuel storage tank.

There I am, Hi mom, I'm over here.

Lisa, I think I can see Oregon.

Look at this scene very closely. All the cars are black, and there's no one around. Spoooooky!
Babies Breath?

The Green River. I promise, I didn't make it up.

Death of a coyoty. Fresh road kill.

Inside the Meyer's Bed & Breakfast.

The lost where I slept.

Lisa after 75 miles in 90% temperature.

This hawk was being chased by a whole bunch of little bird. He landed here and I shot him. With the camera of course.

Another old abandoned house.
Barns, barns, and more barns.

Entering another small town along our route.

The Tyson chicken factory and hatchery in Kentucky.

Another one of my favorite buildings.

Here I am in the Utica Vol. fire dept.


Day 27, Utica to Marion, Western Kentucky. 75.44 miles. 1145.8 miles total.

The Fire station at Utica was a pleasant surprise indeed. The building was brand new, and we were only the fifth group of cyclists that stayed there. We were sad to leave. Our thanks goes out to the Utica Volunteer Fire Department for their gracious hospitality.

Leaving Utica, we started our ride in what must have been the nicest conditions yet. It was warm, the sun was out, and clear skies all day. We made pretty good time, as we rolled along through the near picture perfect landscape. By noon, we had gone over 30 miles. The landscape was very open for the most part. We passed by a few farms and cattle ranches. Even a couple of goat ranches. The terrain was mostly flat, with rollers that allowed us to generate momentum to get up the other side about 80% of the time. There were no long killers like in the past. It was just a beautiful day altogether. At one point we came across this old fuel storage tank by the side of the road that was abandoned. I had a great idea. I would climb on top, and get my picture taken, which I did. When I went to get down, I noticed this nest with baby birds in it. Upon closer investigation, I saw two more just hatching from the eggs. I didn’t want to disturb them, so I took a quick shot and left, just as the mother came back. Lisa said it was a robin’s nest. We also came across a dead coyote that was just recently hit by a car. Amazing the things you see on the roads. Another peculiar thing we saw, was a white church that had black cars parked in the parking lot. There must have been a couple dozen or more of them. How weird is that? We stopped to see what it was all about. There were women in black robes and bonnets. We didn’t see any men. And another strange thing was that the windows of the church was sealed. Like they didn’t want anyone to know what was going on in there. We got a little uneasy, being that we were way out here in the middle of nowhere, and who knows what these people were all about. So we took off and didn’t stop till we saw normal people again. It was probably nothing, but better safe than sorry. Better to ask who they were, than: “How do we get out of here?”

Another time we met this gentleman at a food mart where we stopped to get something to eat. He was interested in what we were doing, and immediately struck up a conversation with Lisa. Come to find out, he is a truck driver hauling coal for some government contractor, and had been everywhere in the U.S. driving trucks. He told us everything we needed to know, and a lot of stuff we didn’t. He was probably just lonely from being on the road so much. We must have listened to him for over a half hour. We also came across all these people at an intersection in the middle of nowhere. They were all gathered near an easy up shade tent, and had on matching T-shirts. We stopped to find out what was going on. One of the ladies said that it was a walk for charity, and invited us to go over to the finish line for lunch. We would have taken them up on the offer, but it was in the wrong direction, and we didn’t want to get too far off course because of the long mileage we had planned for the day. They gave both Lisa and I a bottle of cold water each, and offered us apples and bananas which we declined. They all wished us luck, and we departed feeling good that we met so many nice people today.

It did get pretty hot in the afternoon. But because of the flat terrain, we were able to keep our speed up, and the wind kept us cool enough that is was bearable. We pulled under shade now and then to regroup, and check our bearings. If we don’t do that every so often, we might end up miles down the wrong road. That could be very frustrating……… We pulled in to Marion at about 6:00PM. And went directly to the county park where there was supposed to be camping. We got chased by a huge brown dog that had just one thing on his mind. Dinner! We escaped without a nip, and found the park. There was nothing there as far as camping facilities. We were totally disappointed. After 75 miles, hot, tire and hungry. And we get this. There was a baseball game getting ready to start, so we went over to the concession booth to buy food. At least we had something to eat. Lisa decided to call Andy from Adventure Cycling, and found out where they stayed, since they were just a day ahead of us. He told her that there is a Baptist church that allows cyclists to stay and use their facilities. We made a bee line over there. But when we got there, the junior pastor was hesitant to let us stay. It was kind of strange, cause the day before, they allowed 14 cyclist to stay there, and they were pretty pleased with their reception, and recommended the place to us. The junior pastor offered to find a bed and breakfast place for us to stay, and even offered to drive us there. We asked about the place right across the street called Meyer’s Bed and Breakfast. But he told us that the place was closed. By chance, Lisa suggested I go over there to see if anyone was there. I did, and Bob Meyer himself greeted me. One of the nicest person you could ever meet. I inquired about a place to stay, but was told he had no more room, it was a busy weekend, and all the hotels in town was full. He felt really bad that he couldn’t accommodate us, that he said we could sleep in his living room and use the facilities, and he wouldn’t even charge us. I quickly jumped at his invitation. After a few minutes talking to him, he said that there was a cottage out back that had two people staying there, but they were leaving tonight, and if we could wait, we could stay there, but the room would not be cleaned yet. He took me back there. It is a beautiful duplex, two story cabin with everything in it but the kitchen sink. Cable TV, refrigerator, microwave oven, spiral staircase, a tub and shower located in a huge bathroom, and a loft with two double beds, and one Queen sized bed down stairs. He said we could have it for the night for five bucks each. I thought I was dreaming, but I am sure that The Lord had a hand in this. A grim situation turned into a deal too good to be true. What else could it be? Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord. Tonight we will sleep well, and a short day tomorrow. Aloha everyone, you guys are the best, we miss you all. Aloha, Ted.

Day 26. Camping with the hill billys.

Lisa and I at the vol. fire dept. as comfy as can be.

The surounding neighborhood.

Not a soul in sight, but we were told to just go on in. Cyclists are welcome.

Look mom, haule koa. Just kidding, I don't know what this is.

The roads today had very little traffic. I rode in the middle of the road just for the hell of it.

Check out the color of the water, this is how a lot of the ponds around here look like.

We saw this sign and was tempted to invite ourselve, but didn't know how far it was off our route.

This goat was so cute, I waited about 5 minutes to get this shot.

The country side was mostly open with wheat fields an d corn.

Most of the country side looke like this.

Entering one of the few small towns on our route. We stop at most of them for cold drinks.

Whiltesville. I wonder how this place got its name?

A little house on the prairie.




Day 26. Ruff River to Utica. Camping with the hill Billy’s. 48.33 miles.

A beautiful day. That’s the only way to describe today. Last night at the camp site, we were reminded why we didn’t like camping at these places during the weekend. There must have been two dozen or more families camping in our area. And boy were they noisy. It seemed like every one had at least 4 or 5 kids, and they all talked like they were the only ones around. At one point, this guy starts up his electric chain saw at about 11:00 at night and starts cutting wood. Then, they start this big bon fire. At about 2:00 in the morning, this kid starts screaming at the top of his lungs. It want on for at least an hour and a half. Lisa was ready to go over there and breast feed the kid herself just to shut him up. At about %:00in the morning, all the hill Billy’s were up continuing the clatter from the night before. Then, this one pregnant woman comes walking down the hill real slow. Takes about 20 steps and bends over holding her belly. She takes 20 more steps and repeats the process. Lisa comes over and says, “Ted, I think that lady over there is in labor”. I look over, and sure enough, the husband , or boy friend is helping her, and another friend is telling him that she’s going to give birth right there. I’m glad I’m not a doctor, or I would have had to step in and do something.

The fog was pretty heavy this morning, and the night was cold, cold, cold. Did I mention that it was cold? I got up twice and put on all the warm stuff I had including two pairs of socks, two jackets, head mask, fleece pants, and my sleeping bag fully zippered. I was still cold. Once the sun came put, it warmed up pretty quick. And with in minutes, I shed the warm stuff and ended up in my ridding cloths. We left the camp site at about 7:45AM. And headed down the road in search for a suitable place to have breakfast. We found one not far from the camp. I had the breakfast special with biscuits and gravy. When we get back home, Lisa said she’d show me how to make them.

Today’s ride was great. It got up into the high 80’s. So it was pretty comfortable for me. The terrain was pretty flat for the most part. Of course there were hills, there always are. But these hills were manageable. Normally hills don’t bother me. And to tell you the truth, these hills don’t bother me that much either. But when you’re pulling a trailer that weighs over 50 pounds, then the hills become bigger and steeper than they really are. So any kind of hill is noticeable. Anyway, other than the few hills we tackled today, it was a great ride. The biggest problem I had, was that there were not many photo opps. We were mostly in forested areas, and the open country was mostly barren with little or no character. It was nice though to be cruising along at 14 to 15 miles an hour for the most part. A boost from our average of 11 miles an hour in the hill country. We made it to Utica just before 4:00PM, plenty of time to get settled in at the volunteer fire department. When we got here, there was no one here. We walked around, but the place was deserted. I tried the door, and behold, it was open. I went inside to find a really nice well maintained common room equipt with tables and chairs, a TV with VCR(No tapes), two mattresses with blankets, a well stocked kitchen, rest rooms, but no showers. We ended up taking sponge baths in the sinks. It’s nice not to have to set up camp for the night. And not worry about how cold it’s going to get.

The main town of Utica is right across the street . There’s almost nothing to it. The population here is 400. They have one gas station that triples as the restaurant and store. There is a post office, and a school near by, but not much else. We were hoping for a movie theater and wifi, but you take what you get. At least we have cell phone reception here. I’ll try to make some calls later tonight if I have time.

Thank you all again. I mean it. It’s great to know that we have moral supporters back home. We are in the Central time zone now, and will be in Illinois in the next couple of days. We escaped the dreaded wild dogs of Kentucky with out a scratch, and our spirits are still high. Take care everybody. We miss you all. Aloha, Ted.

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.