Day 18 - Thursday, May 28
Start - Berea, KY
End - Richmond, KY
Miles (on the route) - all off route
Miles (total) - 16.54
Avg Spd - 10.6
Max Spd - 29
Total Ride Time - 1:33
I worked out plans to meet up with Ben and Anice on Friday evening at a campground around Lawrenceburg so I knew I could take it easy and get there in time. I spent the afternoon browsing around Berea which turned out to be a really great town. After the previous several days of winding through desolate mountain towns, this college town was a relief. The University was a significant part of the downtown area, and it was surrounded by quaint streets lined with cafes and art galleries and boutiques. I met some college students at a little coffee shop who were helpful with getting to know what was in Berea and the surrounding area, and one even offered me a couch if I decided to stay an extra night. It was a dry town, but ironically they had an extensive knowledge of the bourbon distilleries and breweries in the area and filled me in on what I had to get to and try. Oliver was key in planning some of my off route travels to get to Lawrenceburg, helping me know what routes would be alright, what towns were like, and where to get a good beer. He also hooked me up with the college library so I could spend some time on the computers. As an agriculture major, he had spent time in the northern Great Lake states studying wolf populations, and even spent some time in Chicago. Oliver was great to spend some time with; laid back and inviting, easy to talk with, and enthusiastic in conversation. Finding people like him definitely improved my impression of Kentucky.I left for Richmond late in the afternoon, and took an easy ride of only 16 miles for the day. The town was much larger than I expected and definitely made it more difficult to search for a place to throw down the tent. The usual police and fire stations and churches proved fruitless, and I was starting to get worried I may have to actually spend some money. I rode out past the University of Eastern Kentucky and found my way to a strip of services close to the interstate where I found a large church some locals told me about. Nobody was there but the neighbors said they had seen campers there before. I was really in the mood to have a drink and watch the Cavs/Magic game, and conveniently located next to the church was a Hooters, so I got to relax before setting up for the night. Now Hooters is not normally my first choice for evening entertainment, but it would do given the circumstances. I suppose it was a decent change of pace from the mountain women of the eastern Kentucky Appalachians.