Berea, KY to Jasper, IN

(Daniel)

I'd like to apologize on behalf of both of us for not being consistent with our blog here. As you may imagine, cycling all day has a tendency to usurp all but the little energy it takes to find housing for the evening and locate a bite to eat. In fact, since we're aiming to get up before 7 am every morning as well as exhausted, our typical bed time is usually no later than 9:30. My god we're like our grandparents...

First and foremost, although a LOT has happened over the past two weeks, we should start out by letting you know that we have, in fact, made it out of Oz and back to our great home state of Kansas. As I sit here in my living room, sipping a cup of coffee as I upload photos, I marvel at the sweetness with which I'm enjoying the little things in life I've grown to crave throughout the bicycle ride so far: i.e. showers, my mom's cooking, chairs, anti-itch creme.

But to take you back, last time we spoke Thomas and I were in Jasper, Indiana, visiting our uncle and his family. The visit was a much needed period of R&R, and we really enjoyed our time there.

Us together with Aunt Coni, Spencer, Jenna (pink) and Jenna's friend at the swing ride in Holiday World amusement/water park.

Just to give you a few highlights from before Indiana, after parting ways with Garrett and Harris in Berea, Thomas and I headed north toward Lexington, where we stayed with a house full of Couchsurfers who treated us like kings. In order to get to Lexington, however, we had to cross a river by ferry, which was a fun change of pace: 

Gorgeous estates and horse ranches littered the countryside throughout Kentucky, whose sloping hills and stately, characteristic ranch fences provided beautiful scenery as we easily maneuvered the landscape. The hills of the appalachians were behind us, and it would be smooth sailing from here until the Ozarks. 

Upon arrival in Lexington, our CS host, Bill, had a tantalizing proposition for us: "Care for some Cavediving?" Despite our aching muscles and the seventy miles in to the city, we looked at each other after hearing the evening forecast, and decided we just couldnt refuse. As it turned out Jonathan, a friend of Bill's, had arranged an entire excursion--complete with food, headlamps, and kneepads--to a remote cave he had explored a few weeks earlier for the first time. The gigantic (and very Southern) meal was prepared by a generous older friend of Jonathan's (barbeque chicken, home-style baked beans, corn casserole, pasta salad, and rolls, seen below)

Clockwise from left: Bill, Jonathan, Thomas, Generous Lady, Amber, and Bryce.

and the group prepared for what lied ahead after a moment of food and fellowship (after all saying grace, naturally). 

The cave was located in the corner of some farmer's land we didn't know, but after sneaking past his hay bales and into the forest, a steep hike and a some tricky rock navigation led us to the entrance of the limestone cavern. 

Bill's house buddy and fellow Couchsurfer Bryce had brought multiple sets of knee pads, of which he was adamant that we all grab a pair. Thomas and I, having never cave-dived before, weren't sure why these tools were so important, but the answer became quickly clear at about 100 feet into the cave. Like creatures from the depths of Mordor, we climbed, crawled and slithered our way further and further into the darkness through freezing, knee-deep water and over sharp rocks, at times with no more than 2 feet distance floor to ceiling. Our headlamps were the only light, each equipped with a regular, LED light and a longer, red wavelength to "ward off bats." Oh. right. okay.

The experience was exactly the sort of spontaneous, unexpected adventure we were hoping would crop up all along our journey, and we had a great time with the group. After a few hours in the cave, we trekked back out of the river bed, and returned home for a nice evening and much-needed sleep. 

The next morning, we were told that before we left we simply NEEDED to go to an authentic bourbon distillery if we were to get the full Kentucky experience. Bill arranged a group of six friends which also had never been a bourbon distillery, to come with us, and together we set out early to Woodford's Reserve distillery 30 miles away, from which Thomas and I planned to depart by bicycle. The distillery was very interesting and full of fascinating explication of the bourbon-making process. Essentially, bourbon (as well as scotch) lies within the overarching category of "whiskey", but is distinguished from (and, as those from Kentucky will tell you, superior to) the others by a few characteristics. First of all, bourbon, by law, can only come from the United States. Secondly, it must be made specifically from water captured from the limestone runoff (which in and of itself eliminates competition from many other states which lack the expansive limestone layers of Kentucky). Next, in order to qualify as bourbon, the alcohol must be created from a grain mixture of at least 51% corn, distilled to no more than 160 proof (otherwise it's thrown out), and aged in a new charred oak barrel.

The bourbon samples at the end made me think that, despite the impressive amount of experimentation and requirements for production, it would take some time before I'd be able to acquire full appreciation of the 80-proof shot. ;)

To finish up, we rode out from Lexington to Louisville that Friday after the distillery toward some alumni who had graciously offered their help and housing as we worked our way toward Indiana. Kentucky was a friendly state, but looking back, it was just the calm before the storm....

Kentucky River, downtown Frankfurt 

In Louisville with the Blairs just before departure.