TransAm Day #14 Springfield, KY - Rough River State Park, KY
TransAm Day #14
June 8, 2018
Springfield, KY - Rough River State Park, KY
100 Miles
Ride Time 7:57 Hours
Tour Total Miles 989
I spent the night at the Springfield Inn, which was a little sketchy, but the bathtub had hot water, there were plenty of towels, and the bed was comfortable. I scored Epsom salts and 4 bottles of lemonade on my way to the inn. I washed my clothes in the sink and took a long Epsom salts soak. I set up my laundry line in front of the AC, worked on my blog, and talked with Charlotte. She booked airline tickets to come meet me in August in Astoria, Oregon. She also arranged my return flight to New York. I’m looking forward to hanging out with her on the Oregon coast.
I got up at 5am and was on the road by 5:30, before the birds were even up. I beat the birds! They sure can make a lot of racket. On the road, though, I enjoy their unique calls and I catch myself imitating them.
I had a nice pleasant 20 mile ride through the dawn with my bike lights on. I wore my windbreaker. I passed through Loretto around 7am and was too early to visit the Maker’s Mark distillery. Leaving town, on both sides of the road were ominous six story black warehouses for aging bourbon. They went on for miles, and yes there was security fencing.
After my pilgrimage to Maker’s Mark, I headed to the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, the oldest continuously operating monastery in the US. Libby had told me about it, and I know that Trappist Monks make great beer. It was too early to enter the visitors center, see the grounds, or get a Trappist ale. I was able to enter the church though. It wasn’t what I had expected. The building was rebuilt in 1966 and was modern. I enjoyed the stain glass windows. The morning light really brought them to life.
It smells like earth and manure in Western Kentucky. It’s all agriculture and livestock. Today in the fields I saw soybeans, corn, wheat, and hay. I passed enormous gain elevators. People are better off in Western KY than in the east. Their cars, homes, and yards are in much better shape.
I read that Kentucky has more streams and rivers then any other state. There are blue veins everywhere on my maps. For me, every stream means a valley between two hills. Some of these hills are steep. I noticed a lot of antiabortion signs today. I’m suspecting a large Catholic population in these parts. Many town and county names around here are of French origin. I passed five emblems of stupid racist people filled with xenophobia and hate.
The town of Sonora was a nice stop. First I met a runner out for a jog. She asked me if I needed a place to rest. I thanked her and replied no. Second, I met Clark, who was riding a pretty slick racing bike. We talked for awhile and I gave him a sticker. He’s now following me on Instagram. He’s a pastor, drummer, and bass player. I rode by the Brooks General Store Cafe and it lured me inside. I was served by Rhonda, whose grandparents used to run a General Store here. Now it’s a bustling cafe filled with townsfolk. Rhonda brought me a cyclist register to sign, and I ordered the catfish. The restaurant is listed in the book ‘Eating Your Way Across Kentucky: 101 Must Places to Eat’. I noticed that a west-bounder had just signed the registry. Rhonda told me that the cyclist was from London, and that they had had a discussion about biscuits.
I still had another 40 miles to make it to my destination, and it was hot. I should have filled all my water bottles in Sonora, because I barely made it to Hudson. I ran out of water, and the hill leading into town was so steep, I had to get off my bike four times to rest. I was exhausted, and seriously testing myself.
Over the county line, and into Central Time Zone, I found a country store with air conditioning and seating. I sat there and drank four Gatorades. I didn’t want to leave. It was 91 degrees out.
It was nine more miles to Rough River State Park where I’m camping for the night. When I pulled into my campsite and turned off my Garmin, I noticed that I had done my first century!
Glad you got to Gethsemani! Libby has done photos through the stained glass in the church. Also glad you will have time in Astoria. It's a beautiful community.
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