Day 17 - Booneville, KY to Berea, KY

60 miles
June 12, 2006

I got to sleep late last night because of all the storms. This morning I stopped at the library, and went to a diner for a breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and biscuits.

Last night’s storms flipped the heat switch back off, just like somebody must have turned it on the night before… it was relatively breezy and cool today. The thick hills of east Kentucky are finally opening up into some wider valleys with farmland. It’s the return of cows, horses, and goats.

But to get there I first had to climb over some mountainous miles that liked playing tricks on me. What I mean is that I went up into some higher wooded terrain, but it was not so much one mountain as it felt like the rolling crest of a plateau. There were quite a few false summits and short ups and downs before I finally descended into a pastoral valley.

Along the way I met an older couple on a tandem going east. They’re from Sacramento, CA, started their trip in San Diego, and worked their way northeast past the Grand Canyon… sounded like a cool route. I warned them about a pack of dogs up the road.

There wasn’t too much to see along today’s route except for woods and farmland. I saw very few gas stations, stores, or public places to stop. I only took two extended breaks – one outside a church with a water spigot, and the other at a gas station with a conspicuous Ale-8-One soda machine, sandwiched between the usual Coke and Pepsi. There isn’t a whole lot to write today, so I’ll transcribe what the bottle of Ale-8-One says:

Ale-8-One has been a Kentucky favorite since G.L Wainscott blended the first batch in 1926. The name Ale-8-One, or “A Late One,” was adopted to this latest thing in soft drinks. Today, our unique mix of ginger and fruit is still made using the same secret family recipe handed down by Mr. Wainscott.

Good stuff.

Bicycling really wasn’t too much fun today – I was tired from the last few hilly days. The big pain in the butt was literally some chaffing. Yesterday I was getting some chaffing on my more masculine parts toward the left, and noticed that my saddle was turned slightly to the left. So I straightened it out this morning, and now today the right side of my butt was rubbing raw – not too pleasant.

Tonight I got a room here in Berea, KY. It’s a cool little historical college town, and the interstate runs by the edge of it, so there’s a Wal-Mart and all the typical chain restaurant indulgences. Tonight I treated myself to a room and got a pizza, had a good shower, and picked up some baby powder. So all that ought to do the trick. While eating dinner I watched Hell’s Kitchen, and it actually made me miss being at work.

…but not really. 🙂

Life is good.