Chester, IL to Farmington, MO
Today started off much earlier than normal. By 5:00 AM I heard Alan getting his things together. I rolled over and went back to sleep, but heard Charlie getting up around 6:00. I didn’t think I’d fall back to sleep so I started to get my things together. I talked to Matt and Charlie about their plans for the day. Matt was planning to head to Farmington, while Charlie decided to take a rest day. By 7:00 I was on the road with Matt, headed for Missouri.
Carbondale, IL to Chester, IL
I slept in this morning because the bike shop and post office both did not open until 9:30. By the time I was getting up Charlie was already packed up and ready to leave. He went ahead and scouted out the places to stay in Chester while I ran my errands.
Vienna, IL to Carbondale, IL
Today started on a bike trail which was a nice change of pace from the rolling hills that I’ve been riding for the last few days. The crushed stone is much slower than pavement, but there is something nice about getting on a bike trail and not having to change gears for 10 miles. The bike trail went from Vienna, IL to Tunnel Hill, IL. The tunnel into Tunnel Hill was a terrifying experience. There were no lights in the tunnel and it was long enough that light from the ends did not reach the middle. I got to the center and it was pitch black. I couldn’t see the walls or floor, just the opening at the end of the tunnel. My cell phone light was no help so I pedaled onward blindly and thankfully made it out the other end.
Marion, KY to Vienna, IL
The theme of the day today was once again hills and headwinds. I woke up around 6:00 this morning and started to get ready. The church we were staying at had an 8:30 service and I figured it would be best to get out of there before people started showing up.
Sebree, KY to Marion, KY
This morning started off much like normal except this time I had 2 other cyclists with me. The weather was supposed to be bad tonight so I planned a short 43 -mile route to get me to another church where I would be safe indoors before the weather hit. Charlie also planned on doing the same route, while Matt decided to take a rest day to stay in Sebree. Charlie got out the door about 30 minutes before me and then I was off around 8:45.
Falls of Rough, KY to Sebree, KY
Today was a fairly uneventful day of riding. I started at my usual 9:00 AM and headed out on what would be a day full of Kentucky back roads.
Louisville, KY to Falls of Rough, KY
My day yesterday in Louisville was filled with rain so I was hoping all of the rain would be out of the area by the time I woke up this morning. I took a look at the radar and most of the rain appeared to be east of Louisville. I thought I would be good to go, but the storm circled back on itself which meant I rode through rain for about 35 miles this morning.
Louisville, KY to Louisville, KY
I woke up this morning to find a large storm passing through the area. I had a rest day planned, but probably would have skipped riding today anyway because the rain was strong at times. Louisville is the last major city on my route for a while and there were a few more things I wanted to see before I got out of town. My hotel last night was a few miles north and east of the downtown area. I decided to switch hotels today to get myself further south with an easier exit route out of the city tomorrow. That meant I’d have to get on my bike today for a short ride. I waited as late as I could for the rain to die down but that never really happened.
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.
Lawrenceburg, IN to Carrollton, KY
Today I had another short day planned. Just 47 Miles from Lawrenceburg, Indiana to General Butler State Park in Carrollton, Kentucky. Since today was a short day I of course went to the bar again last night. There weren’t many people there given it was a Sunday night, but I did get to talk to a few locals.
Mason, OH to Lawrenceburg, IN
This is going to be a quick post today. Not much to report from today’s ride. I knew the weather was not going to be great this morning, so I scheduled a short ride and slept in today. This also meant I got to enjoy the bar a little longer last night. The bar I was at had a strange vibe to it. By 11:00 there was a bachelor party on their way to being very drunk, a bunch of 4 year old girls dancing on the dance floor, and a DJ playing music wildly inappropriate for those children to be dancing to. I guess it was take your kid to the bar night? I’m not sure what was going on, but I did get to try some new beers from Rhinegeist, a brewery based in Cincinnati, so that made the trip to the bar worth it.
Columbus, OH to Mason, OH
Today was my longest day by far in terms of mileage but it wasn’t without some problems along the way. Ohio has an amazing system of bike trails and today I would be traveling exclusively on bike trail from Columbus to the outskirts of Cincinnati. I knew the route was perfectly flat and if things went to plan I’d have no trouble completing 90 miles
Columbus, OH to Columbus, OH
Today was a planned rest day. I’ve now been on the road 2 weeks and have covered over 700 miles. My legs were ready for a day off. I actually can’t believe I’ve made it this far already. The first few days of this trip were brutal. I was stuck in the rain and cold for 2 days and then got attacked by a dog. At that point Pittsburgh seemed far away, but I’ve blown past there and have already made it a good chunk of the way through Ohio. Camping the last two nights was a good experience, but I was ready to be back in a city to relax for a couple of days.
Nashport, OH to Columbus, OH
This morning started much like yesterday. I packed up camp, ate some food and tried to get on the road as quickly as possible. Today went a bit smoother because my tent was not wet. I was on the road just before 9:00 AM and knew today would be an easy ride.
Kimbolton, OH to Nashport, OH
Last night’s camping adventure at Salt Fork State Park worked out decently. It didn’t really feel much like camping given I had a warm shower and spent the night watching Netflix. I did sleep in a tent, so we’re getting closer to the full outdoor experience. In the morning I found out it takes way longer to pack up a campsite than to set it up. Everything had been nicely packed at home and trying to replicate that while the tent was wet with dew made things difficult.
Ramblin' Dan: Bike Touring Adventures 