Summer Trip XIII

"...its about the journey, not the destination..."

This was a barn I saw as I rode through northern Kentucky the day I went to Maysville.  GO BLUE!!!

     I spent the next couple of days riding around Lexington, revisiting places from my past. I found the first house I bought, and boy did it look small! The neighborhood looked very different because the trees that were so small back then were now full grown. I went for a ride down Tates Creek road to the Kentucky river, a ride I used to do sometimes when I lived here. There is a ferry that still runs today taking people back and forth across the river.

The ferry at the Kentucky River on Tates Creek Road. Notice there's not toll!

     That evening some friends of mine took me out to a restaurant that is still part of the culture of Lexington today, Columbia's Steak House. After a nice dinner I was given a guided tour of how Lexington has changed over the intervening 35 years. The "tastiest" part of which was ice cream at a terrific place in an area that had been abandoned warehouses and distilleries. The ice cream was GREAT!

Daniel Boone's last cabin in Kentucky? I don't know but the ride there and back on that road was interesting. 

     The next day I took a suggestion and rode towards Maysville Kentucky, which is located on the Ohio River. The ride up US 68 was very scenic, featuring sweeping curves that I could take at 60 mph with ease. Along the way I passed a sign directing me to Daniel Boone's last house in Kentucky. I can't testify as to the accuracy of the statement, but there was an old cabin there. The road there and back was poorly maintained gravel, and offered some challenges for my bike. The ST1100 and I persevered!

GREAT place to stop and read, along the banks of the Ohio River.

     I took my mid-morning break along the banks of the Ohio River in the town of Augusta Kentucky. A nice picnic table, water views, and a nice quiet town. A perfect place to stop. As I sat there I noticed a ferry crossing between Ohio and Kentucky. There were several bridges within a few minutes drive, but I guess it's simply nice to use the ferry.

A small park where I "rested" for a while and just watched people come and go on the ferry.    

     From Augusta I navigated south on KY 19 to Powersville where I picked up KY 22 west. 19 and 22 are TERRIFIC motorcycle roads. They were simply a continuous series of S curves, one after the other. The speeds listed for the curves ranged between 45 mph all the way down to 20 mph. I rode almost all of 22 in 4th gear, although in the "tighter" sections I down shifted to 3rd. Great fun! What motorcycling is about!

Historical marker in Maysville KY about "John Colter...one of the 'Nine young men from KY...'" who accompanied Lewis and Clark. 

     I had lunch in Falmouth KY at Two Rivers Pizza, which was recommended to me when I stopped for gas in town. I had a great salad with grilled chicken. It pays to ask locals for good places to eat. I continued on KY 22 west towards Williamstown where I picked up US 25 for the return trip to Lexington. That evening I had a fried chicken dinner at Ramsey's Diner, then I went to Jacobson's Park to have a cigar. After wards back to my room to get ready to leave in the morning for Clarksburg West Virginia. I enjoyed my stay in Lexington, especially the time I got to spend with friends, but three nights there and I began to feel restless. What unexpected things were going to occur tomorrow? What places and things would I see that I had never seen before? I was ready to get back on the road.