Day 29

Happy 4th July America! Jack has his American bike top on and it’s impressive. There’s a $3 breakfast at KOA so we all take this, and it’s served by an Essex woman, been in the States for a long time but still has the accent!

So this is the last week, and I’m not sure that we were glad or sad to be finishing. I know that we all were saying that it would be great to get back, but I also think that we would be sad to finish this awesome trip – The Ride X America. One tent, one van and 6 people means that we all live pretty close, and this can get a little intense at times, but we seem to have got along well over the five weeks.

So we drive back to Bardstown and start the 80 mile ride to Berea, nothing special, same old same old country side. Probably wish we were all back in the Rockies with the tremendous scenery, but here we are in the rolling hills of Kentucky. I drive first, with Jack, Raymond, Andriy and Felipe all biking, man that’s impressive that they all got out there! 20 miles and then a change, I’m up and it’s me and Jack, he’s still going and we are doing 24 miles to Danville, easy peasy! Danville is a pretty historic town, so we stopped for lunch then some of us rode around the town spotting the various historical sites and buildings. The first successful abdominal surgery was performed here on Christmas day 1809, and get this, there was on anesthesia so the woman sang hymns all the way through the operation! That was the first piece of historical information, then there is the Presbyterian Church one of three founded in 1784. With all this e-mail now can anyone remember actual mail? Well we have the first Post Office West of the Alleghenies built pre-1792! Off course how could I forget the first tavern in Danville, built pre-1800 and used by the Danville Political Society. The town also has the Center College, a liberal arts College with a really wonderful campus.

Onwards to Berea, or so I thought. I get 2 miles out of Danville and lo and behold a puncture!!! I shout to Raymond that I have a puncture, no cell phone and the van is now on its way to the 20 mile away mark! Great! So I down the bike, take a drink and wait for Raymond to get to the van and the van to return to get me! What a wait, over two and a half hours. But I get to talking with two neighbours, on opposite sides of the road who are cutting their grass. A retired Naval Officer, and a local born and bred in Danville. Two very fascinating people but so very different. They offer drinks and whatever I would like, but I’m afraid to move from the side of the road incase the van goes by and misses me! Finally I get picked up and off we go to Berea! Guess what the camp site is a KOA, with kitchen, so we are all pleased as this means that we can actually cook our food tonight! Oh and I repair the puncture, well I hope that I have, we’ll see if it deflates overnight!?

Everyone on the camp site has the Stars and Stripes out, bunting, and other red white and blue decorations and are getting ready for some fireworks.

Hope that you all had a terrific 4th July.

BP