Bardstown KY to Herrodsburg KY - 61 miles
by David Hardy
I arrived in Bardstown, Kentucky about ten pm Saturday night. Bardstown is the start of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and the boys were camped about a mile from the Jim Beam distillery. I was tempted to show up a day later after taking the tour. But Dean had my tent and bike waiting for me, so what could I do?
My first day back with the Bike Loud Boys and it was not an auspicious start. Whether or not we'll make our arrival date of August 18 is hanging by a thread, and things need to go right to make it happen. A good 90 mile dash to Berea was key to the plan.
Things started out well with the boys on the road at 7:05. In the wrong direction. "Why are we headed west?" Asked David Margolis. It was a good question answered 5 miles later when we turned around.
Okay. No big deal. So we lost ten miles. We could make it up with a brisk 100 mile day and it was still early.
An unscheduled stop at the ER. Nothing too serious, moms. That's the patient riding in, second to the left.
So we kept humping and ate up 25 miles by 9am. Then we heard the three blasts of an airborne. Trouble behind the main group, Brian had run off the road, coming to a stop between two trees. He had a small slice on his cheek, and a torn jersey.
All of these events happened within a half mile of Abraham Lincoln's birth site.
Ed applied first aid, Max worked on Brian's bike, and then we found a golf course pro shop to practice our putting. Just seeing if you were paying attention, dear reader. We actually went to the pro shop to get ice for Brian's wound.
A few minutes later, Brian felt better and we decided to push on to Herrodsburg where there was a hospital.
Two hours later we rolled into town and found the hospital. Ed had to make the call he dreaded most: a call to a mom telling her that her son has been in an accident.
Two stitches later Brian was released and we got more first aid at Poppa Johns in the shape of a pizza. Brian none the worse for wear.
The patient awaits treatment.
We found a great county park five miles up the road with a pool and pavilion. A local church group under the pavilion fed us dinner and all was good in Herrodsburg. Except that we have lost the 18th arrival date for good. Our new target arrival date is August 19.