Day 20: 54 Miles

Carrollton, KY to Louisville, KY

This morning started earlier than usual for me. I got up around 6:45 and packed up camp. The tent was soaked from dew so I decided to just shove everything in the tent bag. I’d unpack is all at the hotel tonight to let it dry. I ate a small breakfast and was ready to leave just before 8:30 AM.

As I was getting ready to go, Allan from a few campsites over stopped over to say goodbye. I met Allan and his wife Karen the night before at dinner. There was a restaurant in the state park a short walk from the camping area. I decided I’d head up there for a meal rather than trying to cook something for myself. When I got to the restaurant I got a table and sat down by myself. As soon as I sat down Allan walked over and asked if I was the guy with the bicycle. He had seen me in the campsite and actually knocked on my tent before heading up to the restaurant, but I had already left. Allan very nicely asked if I would like to join him and his wife for dinner and said that it was on him. So my dinner alone turned into dinner with Allan and Karen who were traveling to Cleveland from Texas and will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this August. It was really nice to share a meal and conversation with them.

After Allan said goodbye I headed out of the state park and onto a back road that I would be on for 10 miles. These back roads in Kentucky have been nice, but the dog situation makes me very nervous. I had two encounters with angry dogs today. The first was a Pit bull who ran out into the street and started to chase after me. The second was a German Shepard who came out of nowhere. My new strategy when a dog is chasing me is is to come to a complete stop and hop off of my bike. I then put the bike between myself and the dog and start to walk slowly away. I realized that the dogs stop chasing as soon as there is nothing to chase. When my bike stops the dog stops as well. I then walk the bike far enough away that the dog stops following and then I am free to hop back on. This plan worked to perfection both times. These dogs seem to take on the personalities of their owners. I’ve seen many signs in front of houses that say “If you’re reading this you are in range” and “We don’t call 911, we shoot”. If this is the mentality of the dog owner, it’s no wonder the dogs feel free to attack anything that comes within a few feet of the property line.

I got off the back road and onto route 42, which would take me all the way to Louisville. I had one hill to climb at the start of route 42 and then it would be mostly flat the rest of the day. The climb was about 2 miles long, but waiting for me at the top was a diner where I got some french toast and bacon. I purposely ate a small breakfast so I could stuff myself with french toast during my 2nd breakfast of the day. After the french toast I got back on route 42 for some easy riding the rest of the way. Before I knew it, it was 1:30 and I had finished 54 miles and arrived at my hotel for the night.

Once I got to Louisville I planned to find some beer and a good place for lunch. I ended up at Against the Grain Brewery where I had a beer flight and some brisket. After that I moved to another brewery where I had a couple beers and some mussels. While drinking my way through the main area of Louisville, I heard that Mumford and Sons was playing at the arena in town. I looked on Stubhub and was able to find an $11.00 ticket for the show. I had to take an Uber back to my hotel to drop off my camera and then another Uber to get to the show, but for $11.00 it was totally worth it. I met a couple of girls from Indiana who had purchased the seats next to me, also last minute. It was their first time seeing Mumford live. I’ve seen Mumford and Sons a few times live, and tonight’s show was as good as anything I’ve seen from them. Going to a concert mid trip was a great escape for me, especially since I won’t be in another big city for a while. Tomorrow I’m changing hotels and taking a rest day. I hope I find a few more interesting things to see in Louisville while I’m here.