Indiana State Road 61. A really nice scenic route.
Indiana State Road 61. A really nice scenic route.
John Kuhn out for a Sunday ride in Boonville, Indiana.
Tom Hamilton, D.C. (left) and Joe Waling, M.D. (right) in Hatfield, Indiana.
Clinic for coal miners in Winslow, Indiana.
Tobacco along SR 61.
Entering Kentucky over the Ohio River at Owensboro. The bridge is just visible in the distance.
Last Modified on 9/24/97 at 5:16:33
Day's Narrative: Schedule Sep. 1, Labor Day Monday -- layover in Owensboro. I left Vincennes, IN at dawn down Indiana State Road 61. This is really a nice bicycling road (see photo), in spite of it being a bit hilly. This part of Indiana is coal mining country and strip mines can be seen near the road along the way. In Winslow, IN I also saw a clinic for miners (see photo). Kentucky is where burley tobacco is grown. Near Boonville, IN I saw the first tobacco on the trip (see photo). This tobacco was on the way to a barn where it will be hung to dry. There was hardly any wind. I arrived in Boonville, IN about noon, and there met John Kuhn, who works at a repro/graphics house in Evansville, IN, about 30 miles away. John was out on a club ride, but was returning alone to Evansville. Connie caught up with me there as we were having a great "bicycling" discussion. John left to ride back to Evansville, and we rode on toward Owensboro. Just outside of town Connie and I discovered that SR 161, our back country route to Owensboro was closed because of bridge construction. As we were discussing alternate routes, a woman drove up, I asked her for a way around the construction and she showed us a way around it. She saved us many miles. Connie went ahead of me, and I came out on US route 66 at Hatfield, IN where I met Joe Waling and Tom Hamilton (see photo), also from Evansville, who were out for a Sunday bicycle ride in the area. When I told them I was going to Owensboro they took me on a back country route which bypassed all of US 66, and a lot of US 231 going into Owensboro. That was really a big help! It was nice to ride with someone for a change, and Joe and Tom were good company. The last person I had ridden with was Neville, back in North Dakota. This was a warm day with the temperature in the upper 80s. (about 30 C), and the humidity was so high I was soaked. I got to to the motel very hot and tired. We are staying a day here in Owensboro. Tomorrow I will go look at Kentucky Wesleyan College, where I spent my freshman year in college in 1956. [Connie] Ray's eating Gummie Bears. I guess he's allowed to since he rode so far in unbelievable heat and humidity. In the truck, my thermometer showed 100 degrees and with what must have been 70+ % humidity, the heat factor must have been 130 degrees. My face was dripping with sweat, so much so that I looked in the mirror. My face was beet red, so I took the hint and went a little faster toward Owensboro. Speaking of "faster," I was driving right at the 55 mph speed limit today since the area is new to me and I didn't know where the police are likely to have speed traps, and, besides, I'm not sure where I'm going anyway. This wasn't fast enough for anyone behind me, they all had to tailgate or pass. It was a relief to get into the motel room and hang over the air conditioner and try to cool off. Most places around here are so freezing cold inside that it's almost a relief to get out in the hot air again. The night-time air is full enough of water that it's incredibly soft. It's like walking through nothing, maybe because it's close to our inside temperature and humidity. © Ray & Connie Poore, 1997
Sep. 2, Tuesday -- arrive Munfordville, Kentucky.
Sep. 3-7, layover in Munfordville, Kentucky.
Sep. 8, Monday -- leave for North Carolina.Return