June 9 Booneville

We started the morning going through road construction which was actually pretty amazing to observe.

Heavy blasting shook the area for miles around.

Mike and I love that stuff. We were forced to walk our bicycles as traffic weaved around us, not so fun, but before long we had wide shoulders to ride on for a few miles! We have had no shoulders to speak of so far in Kentucky and in fact the rumble strips force us into the road most often, we don’t like it, and neither do the drivers!

We had a good day, it was hot and hilly again, but it is part of the adventure. We passed through Daniel Boone National Forest,

At one point in the afternoon I heard a cow moo and I shed a tear (of joy).

This meant we were leaving coal country and the mining economy and were headed to the farming-oriented economy again.

We arrived in Booneville around 4pm and found a church which allows cyclists to camp behind it. They provide an outdoor cold shower and outhouse as well, pretty good after a long ride. The rain started just as we got off our bikes.

We were all alone back there when a man rode up on an old bike and just sat down at on the picnic table without speaking. We tried to make conversation but he was pretty silent. He finally asked what our bikes were worth. “not much” said Mike. “maybe a few hundred” .

After an uncomfortable half hour watching us, he said goodbye, Mike and I looked at each other and…locked our bikes.