Day 11, Berea, KY – Springfield, KY 72 miles (828 total)
Time on bike: 7:51:16
Avg: 10.6 mph
Daily Ascent: 5426 ft (65 ft/mile*)
Max: 36.5 mph
Rolling farmlands. The day started out with breakfast at Cracker Barrel with mom and dad who came to Berea to visit. My joy in seeing them was only slightly surpassed by the chance to sleep in a bed and take a hot shower. After bidding them farewell I started off later than ususal and wanted make up for lost time, but Berea proved to be difficult to navigate. Kentucky doesn’t mark the roads with the “Route 76” bike route signs like Virginia did, so you’re pretty much on your own to find the route, and the course changed roads frequently. Mix in a few scattered showers and it made for a crazy morning where I went down the wrong road on more than one occasion. (I actually biked 11 more miles than my mileage indicates) Just before Harrodsburg I got onto route 152 and stayed on that until I reached Springfield. Today was the first day when I looked out into the horizon and didn’t see mountains. I was so happy I almost cried.
The mountains have given way to rolling farm lands of corn and bales of hay. I’ve seen every kind of animal in Kentucky except for pigs. I’ve seen horses (of course), cows, chickens, sheep, goats. I’ve even seen buffalo. The trailer homes in the hills have given way to beautiful farm houses and modest but big, picturesque homes on the hills.
*Ascent average was calculated from actual miles traveled which includes ‘lost’ miles.
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