I got up well before the sun because I planned a big day. There's not a lot of campgrounds in this part of Kentucky so I'm headed to a lake outside Hodgenville for a primitive free campsite.

I packed everything up only to realise that I'd left my GPS unit in my tent, so I had to unroll it to get it out, slowing me down.

I rolled down the road into town to try out a donut shop. I grabbed a donut as a snack to go, a coffee that was far too hot, and a sausage and egg biscuit for brekky. I'm really enjoying these biscuits, they're pretty much scones in the best way possible. The greasy sausage and egg I'm craving some days and can't stomach others, but I can always do the biscuit.

I headed along quiet country roads to quiet country towns the whole morning. At about 9 I tried to get into a YMCA community centre to use their bathroom or maybe even sneak a morning shower but they were closed up. I saw a potential shortcut on the map but decided to stay on the official route, taking another tiny back road along corn and beef farms. The day was going perfectly, not too much heat when you leave early in the morning.

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I popped out near the homestead of Thomas Lincoln, President Abe's dad. This had a gift shop and a golf course but I wasn't too interested in either.

I kept going until the outskirts of Springfield, the biggest town I've seen since Lexington. I stopped in at a couple different supermarkets trying to find all the snacks I need, and then went to Hardee's for lunch. Hardee's is what they call Carl's Jr here in the more south eastern part of the country I guess.

The hills were pretty steep after this and the heat was getting unbearable. I had to rest under a tree for a while. But after stopping and chatting to Natalie online everything was a bit better.

I continued down to Loretto, a nice town that seems to be heavily influenced by the massive Maker's Mark bourbon buildings dotted around. The distillery is nearby, and the big black buildings in the fields must be storage or processing or something.

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 I stopped in a local bar for a quick drink to replenish my electrolytes and found a I quite like Sam Adams beer, so it might be on my shopping list in the future.

Heading out of Loretto a Makers Mark electric semi truck snuck up on me, the asphalt is so smooth here that it didn't make a sound.

I should have filled up my water bottles in Loretto but the miles were flying by for most of the rest of the day. It's much flatter around here, with lots of corn fields.

The flatness had to end though, just out of Hodgenville there was one of the longest climbs since the Blue Ridge Mountains, not too steep but just a steady slog the whole way up. It was pretty brutal considering I'd already ridden over 100km.

I made it to the top of the hill and headed towards the lake I was gonna camp at, hoping that the entrance was well signposted.

I set up camp and chatted to a few of the locals going out for a paddle or fish on the lake. They let me fill up my water bottles, which was much needed since I was dehydrated and only had 1L to last me the night including cooking.

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There were a few thunderstorms around me that I was worried would come in but they disappeared in their own accord. I cooked up my dinner and settled in for a very peaceful sleep.