I left early Sunday morning, and it was wonderful because I beat the chaotic church traffic. Google Maps sent me on a rat race from the get-go. I am not sure why, but they had me touring through all of these small development areas, that were nice, but just not where I wanted to be. Like Adventure Cycling, it tried to take me on roads that were less traversed in the city (there are really no such thing as "quiet roads" in the city, by the way), but I am pretty sure that it added a bit of distance to my ride. The kicker is when I was 10 miles in and I was led into Alcoa, a highly secured power plant. I was stopped at the gate by security, who didn't really want to believe that I was riding my bike across the country for charitable purposes... he was very skeptical, but I guess that is what he gets paid to do. "No one told me that you were coming." I told him that I didn't know I was coming there, either, but that is where Google Maps led me, and all I wanted to do was leave Evansville and get to Owensboro, KY, (in one piece) He told me he was going to need to get me an escort through the plant, but as he called into the main office, and they informed him that I wasn't allowed in, and also that this used to be the old "Darlington Rd," but it was bought by the power plant and they didn't think Google had updated it. So the security officer got out the map of his plant and showed me how to Yankeetown (where Darlington Road was supposed to take me) in a different fashion.
His route worked, no problem, but then there was a detour in Yankeetown and the road I needed to take had been closed. I followed the detour signs, and when I finally got to the connecting road, it was a rocky road. I don't want to say gravel because the road consisted of small chunks of lightly colored rock, not even close to gravel. The map showed that it went on for a few miles. I decided that this wouldn't be a good idea for my tires, or my time, and tried to look to see what other roads were around to connect me to the county road that would eventually lead me to Owensboro, KY. I found the main route again (which I should have just stayed on originally), and turned off on a side street to try and find the county road. A lot of the roads were gravel, so I was trying my best to avoid them, but then found myself by a "marina" by a river that was full of RV's and mobile homes on stilts so they would be protected if the river flooded. The "County Road," as it was marked on Google Maps, was about as wide as one lane on a regular road, and then it turned to this awful sandy road with big rock chunks. I was thoroughly unamused, because I had only gone about 23 miles and it was already 11 am. So, naturally my next thought was: "If I wanted to play in the sand I would have gone to the beach.... And not with my bike... WHAT IS THIS?!?!" Don't worry, because the sand eventually went away, and the gravel road got so rocky that I had to get off my bike and start walking... for quite some time. These roads are fine for what there were intended for: Trucks pulling RV's or boats, but not bikes, bikes with panniers, or your typical small sports car. If I had kept going, I would have rattled my brain and my tires to a crisp. I felt as though I might as well have been trying to swim through a gravel pit. It was just infuriating.
As I continued walking, a lady and her husband drove up in her truck and asked me if I was okay. I told them the situation, and she offered me a ride to the paved road that was a long ways away. I jumped at her offer, but then looked in her truck that was filled to the brim with old boxes, and we both realized that we didn't have a place for my bike. She asked me if I needed anything, "even a Coke?" I graciously declined the offer, but told her I could use a couple of beers at this point... jokingly. She didn't pick up on that and headed towards her truck and said "I have those, you want one?" She was very sweet, but I don't think it would have helped the situation in the long run.
So, I carried on, and a few minutes later I was stopped by someone else in a truck (which is amazing because I hadn't seen a vehicle in a long time, and now I had just seen two trucks). The guy was about 65 or 70 years old, very thin. He told me he was headed out towards Rockport and would gladly give me a ride to the road that would take me to Owensboro. It was music to my ears. He also explained that he was friends the lady I had just talked to, and she had stopped him as they passed each other and told him I could use a ride. I was so thankful. His name was Alva. He explained to me that the area I just passed was where he spent most of this weekends in the summer as he had an RV that he would stay at and then fish during the days. He lived about an hour away, and headed to the small marina on Friday nights. "I would stay there all week long, but the trouble is that I like drinking with my buddies too much and I wouldn't go to work, so I have to force myself to come back on Sunday." When he dropped me off, he wished me luck and then told me "Be careful out there, they'll run ya down in Kentucky." I'm pretty sure that he really meant to watch out for the drivers, but it is not one of the best send offs I have had in a while, I must say, but I was certainly grateful for his help and generosity.
It was a huge relief to cross the Kentucky border, as I was able to pick up the Adventure Cycling map back up in Owensboro and have an actual route (or so I thought). I stopped for coffee, chatted with Lindsay for a bit (which made my day), and then headed off against the wind, but was able to make up some considerable time. I stopped for lunch in a small town called Lewisport, that allegedly had full services according to the map, but that wasn't the case. I had gone about 60 miles at that point, and as I ate I studied the maps and realized that I had very limited options for lodging for the night. I could either go North 7.7 miles out of my way and pick up the route again tomorrow, or go 70 more miles to Brandenburg. It was 2:00 pm, and the wind was certainly making itself noticeable. Using Google Maps, I realized that I could go off route to Hardingsburg, 27 miles from Brandenburg, and I could get to Brandenburg easily the next day. I also decided to take Route 60, to get there and cut about 12 miles off of my travels. Route 60 is more heavily traveled, and certainly wouldn't be appropriate for a group of touring cyclists, which is what these maps are made for. However, the shoulder was fairly wide, for the most part, and it is not a problem for an individual cyclist. It is very stressful to not know where you should go, our how far you can make it. I have had to become more realistic, especially after traveling alone, and end my days earlier rather than potentially getting caught in the dark. Ultimately, where I end up lies in the hands of the hills, the weather, the wind. I may be able to think that I will be able to fit 70 miles in, but it always takes more time than I think, especially with stops. This is the most nerve wracking part of the adventure: trying to figure out where to stop for the day when there are few resources available to you. Your decision comes down to safety, I have to be okay with a quick change of plans or not going as far as I had wanted.
When I finally got to Hardingsburg, after 94 miles of beautiful rolling hills, I inhaled Subway and I took a while to study the map, and realized that if I paved my own path to Milford, OH and left the Adventure Cycling map, I could cut off 70 miles.... Nearly a whole day. That is a significant amount of miles. If I did take this "new" route, I knew I would need to make sure that my route was on fairly safe roads and had stops along the way, checkpoints, if you will, in case I had a break down, etc. So, Shelbyville, KY, it was, via Route 60 through Louisville, KY. And as I put all of my marbles in "this" basket, I could not help but hope that Google Maps wouldn't do me wrong, even after today.
"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson. I may not necessarily "leave a trail," and my new route will most likely present me with a few obstacles or it may not have been the best option, but it is part of the adventure, with an added element of surprise. I'm willing to take the risk of a set back due to routes for 70 miles of biking. And so, I made the decision, and I suppose that the rest will follow. For now, full speed ahead, and embrace the "unknown."
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