Day 17: Harrodsburg to New Haven; Roller Coaster Day

May 22, 2015

Harrodsburg, KY (Economy Inn) to New Haven, KY (Sherwood Inn B&B -B)

(Note to readers regarding the elevation profiles; the profile is calculated from Point "A" on the map to Point "B" on the map. Since I am traveling east to west on the first half of this transcontinental journey, my route of travel is usually shown on the map as being from right to left. However, the elevation profile is shown from left to right, so it must be "reversed" in your head to understand it.)

Climbing Today; 2,752 ft -- Total So Far; 47,465 ft

The morning was quite chilly, so I wore my Showers Pass rain jacket and hood to fend off the cold. The hood fits well under my Nutcase helmet, and I slipped some loosely knit cotton gloves over my cycling gloves to keep my fingertips warm. Still I was chilled on each downhill, but I didn’t mind cause I knew this day would heat up soon enough. This day consisted of several long climbs out of river valleys and lots of rolling hills. The grades had become more manageable now, and I was able to handle even the long uphills by patiently spinning the low gear.

Rolling Hills With More Reasonable Grades

There was no coffee in the motel (what do you expect for a $45 room?), and I wanted about a half cup to complete my breakfast of ½ sandwich and curly fries left over from last night’s supper. I stopped at a little store at Rose Hill and went in; the local gang was all gathered there solving the world’s problems.

I helped myself to coffee behind the counter, then spent 10 mins chatting with the guys who asked the usual questions about my crazy undertaking, paid $0.75 for my coffee and left. I was becoming more enthusiastic about Kentucky now, as the poverty-stricken east was fading into a bad memory and the beautiful rolling hills were quite striking. I rolled into Mackville, a pleasant community of middle class homes and some older once-stately manors, and was taken by how well-manicured all the lawns were. These people took pride in their town. But right outside of town I was set upon by dogs who sprang from a run-down place prominently marked with “No Trespassing” signs and I worried that I was back in THAT Kentucky again. My worry was short-lived though as this was an aberration, and the entire remainder of the day I encountered nothing but picturesque settings.

We have to have a few more shots of barn symbols;

And here’s a photo of what once had to be someone’s dream home;

Someone's Dream Home is Now in Disrepair

My route took me right through Lincoln Homestead State Park.

Kentucky Capitalizing on the Lincoln Name

It seems as though Kentucky is trying to make the most of the Lincoln connection as there are several parks named after him. I thought Illinois was the Land of Lincoln? The Lincoln Homestead State Park has a nice golf course; I suppose Abe played golf here as well.

As I worked my way toward Bardstown I encountered some very nice streams. Unlike the otherwise beautiful streams in eastern Kentucky, these were free of trash and looked quite inviting.

Finally reaching Bardstown, I was famished. I stopped at a diner and got a bacon cheeseburger with mac & cheese and peas as sides, and pecan pie for dessert, all washed down with copious amounts of sweet tea. While there I called the New Haven Sherwood Inn B&B to inquire if they had rooms (and to see if they were actually still in business as many of the B&Bs and hostels along the route were “iffy” propositions). They did have rooms, but it turns out the B&B is only a "B" as they don’t do breakfast – I’d say that was strange, but I’m getting used to strange being normal. If they didn’t have rooms or were no longer in business I would have needed to stay in Bardstown tonight, cause anything further down the road was going to be just too far for me.

Leaving Bardstown I cycled out of the river valley and climbed a series of steep hills with moderate to heavy traffic. While the hills were still significant, the grades had become much less steep than they were in Eastern Kentucky. With food in my belly and fresh legs, I was finally attacking the hills as one should. “Attacking" is a relative term when used in regards to a loaded touring bike, but regardless I was trying to take the hills as efficiently as possible. A couple on a motorcycle was stranded with some type of mechanical trouble and I pulled over and asked if they needed help – imagine that, a bicyclist offering help to a motorcyclist – it was hard not to suggest that they should put pedals on that thing.

The afternoon was getting pretty warm, and I was laboring harder on the uphills, so I was happy to finally roll into New Haven at 4:30. Here’s the Sherwood Inn, built in 1913 with an interior that looks like something from a spaghetti Western;

Entrance to the Sherwood Inn - It's Locked, Everyone Enters at the Bar

My Room Key May be the Original 1913 Key From the Looks of It!

Next door to the inn is the Kentucky Railroad Museum.

Directly across the street from the Sherwood is the Long Branch, a Biker Bar.

The Sherwood Inn is Directly Across From the Long Branch Biker Bar

Hopefully I will sleep well tonight and not be disturbed by rowdy bikers. Tomorrow is another big day - so what else is new? Good night all...

Today's ride: 65 miles (105 km)
Total: 897 miles (1,444 km)

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