Ride C2C #4 - Day 5: Berea to Booneville

Date:6/27/23 Tuesday
Day: 5
Route: Berea to Booneville, Kentucky
Miles: 50.3 and 3,291 feet of elevation gain
Total Miles: 204.4
MyZone MEPs: 678

We treated ourselves to the brewed coffee in our covered wagon, ate our granola and peaches, and hit the road at 7:15am.  The earliest yet!

I found this garbage truck toy on the ground and after the storm it was washed clean.  It will make some little kid happy!

We cycled out of Berea town as the sun was rising 

And headed east on smooth pavement with mostly long rolling hills.  The 6% or less hills are very rideable - 7% and up gets to be quite challenging.

We had a 3-ish mile long climb (4-7%) with beautiful views.  We were so happy that the road had been blasted through the hill rather over the top.

Our first rest stop was at the top of that long climb in the town (can you really call it that?) of Morrill at about 10 miles.

The houses along the way varied from vine covered wrecks to brick “lego” houses (they look just like what I could build from lego as a kid) with nice yards, to sweet farmhouses with acres of land. 

Saw our first confederate flag….

At Sand Gap (about 17 miles) we were offered the opportunity of drive thru prayer.  Too bad we won’t be there on July 5.

Lego house…

There were several houses all in a row that bags and bags of goods piled on their front porch.  We suspect that the river behind the house flooded and all the stuff in the houses had to be bagged up and thrown out.  That, or it was a neighborhood of hoarders.

In McKee we hoped for a grocery store and restaurant and first found a fresh squeezed lemonade food truck and these great signs. Only 713 miles to the Atlantic coast!

Our map said there was a grocery store ahead … but it was closed.

Instead, we saw two drive up liquor stores and a sign for breakfast at the Chicken Hut - I don’t think we are their typical client. 

The overwhelming first taste of our egg and bacon sandwich was…. Salt.  Well, we are sweating a lot, so that is good.

its rough to be gluten free in Kentucky. So I do what I can but have to get in the calories.
We did find a grocery store and stocked up with beef, instant mashed potatoes, and bag of salad for dinner.

After McKee, it was about 25 miles with 2/3 on beautiful quiet back roads (see the video).

and then we opted to cut out a few hills and miles by staying on Highway 30 all the way into Booneville.

we roll into Boonville (yes, named after Daniel Boone) a bit past 2pm ....another impoverished dying town. Park the bikes at City Hall and on our phones we cannot find the Presbyterian Church with a Cycle camping. A nice older gentleman with a garbage bag and a garbage grabber chat us up. "Where are you from, oh my, I haven't ridden 50 miles on a bike in my whole life, here for the weekend? It's Daniel Boone day a little way of, just you know, celebrating."

He points to where the Presbyterian Church is, and says that cyclists are there all the time and that he's sure that we will be welcomed. "God bless you two, now be safe"

We ate a late lunch at the "Ole Bus Stop" and it was edible but not tasty. It was perfect americana food, including brown gravy, and fried apples.

We decided to stay in Booneville  rather than riding another 20+ miles to the next camping area. 

There are no hotels or official campgrounds, but the Presbyterian Church “welcomes Cyclists” - so we are camped in back of the church in a grassy field next to a covered picnic table area.  Primitive - but it will do the job.