July 7, 2005

Ride to Elizabethtown, Kentucky

Home   Previous Page   Next Page    Go to calendar

After an emotional goodbye to Brenda, Grandma, Kody, and Kyle, we begin riding on Route 31W heading south in partly cloudy skies.

Bill's nose begins twitching as he senses the presence of a colony of Kentuckians just across the Ohio River.  We pedal faster and faster and soon we are amongst groups of natives all talking and gesticulating just like Bill.

Our home sweet Kentucky home.  Joe is confused because he was expecting blue grass and green skies.

Trish points out the source of all jewelry to Joe.  Joe is confused again as he was hoping to catch sight of a school rather than a large vaulted building.  You know,  the School of Hard Knox.  Bill takes a detour and has his jewelry and watches that he has collected along the way, melted down.

Walter Smith Hill,  Elizabethtown, Kentucky

We arrive in Elizabethtown confronted with a long, steep hill.  Needing a bit of incentive we decide to ride the hill in honor of Walter Smith, a veteran of WWII who escaped capture in the Philippines by the Japanese along with General MacArthur and his family.  We met Walter at the Evansville HealthSouth and were captivated by some of his stories of the war.  In honor of a gentleman whose story may never be heard, we dedicated the hill.  All three of us topped the hill, powered by the image of this proud American.  We salute you and all that you have done to guarantee our freedom.   May your stay at HealthSouth be a short one and we wish you a speedy recovery.

Arriving in Elizabethtown at the same time as a downpour, our three travelers continue riding into town completing a great ride.  Trish proudly displays her "16 Mile" badge having survived Joe's erratic and weaving course.  Bill completes the journey with his rendition of Elvis's "Kentucky Rain."  Joe's attempts to end it all by running traffic lights into oncoming traffic were feeble at best.  Maybe he will have better luck tomorrow.

 Return to Top of Page