Hank – We got up very early so we could be on the road before 6:00 am and get as much riding in before the heat set in. We’re supposed to get into the low 90s again today and for at least the next five days. Apparently the entire southeast part of the country is in a heat wave. The first couple of hours were great. With the sun low and to our right, the trees along the road gave us some very cool shade.

We stayed on US Hwy 31W all day and our destination was Bowling Green, Kentucky. When we reached the border with Kentucky we found an historical marker that referenced “The Triangular Jog“. I looked it up later on. There was a surveying error and instead of a straight line, the surveyors dipped south a bit and then north where they got back on track. Consequently, there’s a small triangular section of Kentucky that protrudes into Tennessee. We’re learning all kinds of stuff on this trip.

We stopped for breakfast at Rylan’s, a locally-owned restaurant in Franklin, KY. Breakfast was good. When we stepped back out to our bikes we met the owner as she was making notes concerning the new paint job and her dissatisfaction with it. She was excited to hear about our adventure and wished us well.

When we got to Bowling Green we stopped at a bike shop to buy some gloves. Mine have been falling apart for a while now. Kathy left hers on the back of her bike. When the restaurant owner started talking to us, Kathy was distracted from putting her gloves on. We rode off and the gloves fell off somewhere. Once she realized this she decided to buy a new pair instead of adding who knows how many miles searching for the ones she lost. At the bike shop we met two ladies, Caroline and Paula, who cycle but have never toured. Paula just retired and would love to try a tour. She was all excited when she saw us and started talking to Kathy. I had already coasted out to the street. Caroline yelled that Kathy would be running late because she’s talking so I returned and also had the pleasure of meeting them both. Like I said, Paula just retired. She told me that too many people retire and get old. It’s hard to find people who still want to play. She sounds like our kind of people. Kathy gave them our card and encouraged them to giving touring a try. She also invited them to come up to Spokane where we could host them should they want to ride up there. Caroline asked if we have been inviting a lot of people to Spokane. We have and we hope them all don’t show up at once.

Paula encouraged us to ride to Mammoth Cave National Park. She said the roads are great and they ride there all the time.

We finished up our ride and checked into a hotel. After cleaning up we walked over to the Corvette Museum. The guys at the Liar’s Table in Joe’s Diner back in Huntingdon, Tennessee told us about the Corvette Museum. And since we’re staying about a quarter mile away, it was an easy thing to do.

All Corvettes have been built in Bowling Green since 1981. Before that they were built in St Louis. The first year, 1953, they were built in Flint, Michigan. The museum was interesting and of course they have a bunch of Corvettes on display. Along with the cars we also learned some geology. I must’ve missed the news at the time but five years ago a huge sinkhole opened up underneath the museum. Eight Corvettes fell into the hole. Three of them could be repaired and restored. The other five were complete losses.

Here’s something for the new Corvette buyer. You can order your ‘Vette at any dealership and schedule a pickup at the Corvette Museum. Once the car is built it’s trucked to the museum and parked in the “nursery”. A web cam sends its image to the Internet where the buyer can see and show off the new car. The buyer travels to the museum and takes delivery of the car. The web cam will show that, too. Anyway, we checked out a bunch of cool cars. Photos are above.

I found it interesting that early astronauts had the opportunity for a next-to-nothing lease program to drive Corvettes. NASA finally had to put a stop to it because it looked like the organization was endorsing the cars. The Apollo 15 astronauts ordered red, white, and blue Corvettes and then had the other two colors added as racing stripes. Two of those cars are in the museum.

I called the Mammoth Cave Campground to see if they have dedicated hiker/biker sites like they do at some national parks. They don’t. It’s a first come, first serve campground. The woman I spoke to was being as helpful as she could be. She couldn’t say whether or not we’d be able to get a tent site. But it’s only 25 miles to the visitor center and campground. If we don’t get a site then there are three campgrounds within six miles outside the park in the direction we’d be heading where we could probably find at least one tent site. We may not decide until morning.

Kathy – We rested well last night and were ready to ride this morning. Our 48 mile ‘roller coaster’ ride went well. The hills were not too steep so we didn’t mind them at all. Before we left Tennessee I planted a packet of flower seeds near the border. And then we rode into Kentucky – State # 46 !! It’s crazy to think how far we have traveled.

Yes, I am on my third set of bike gloves. Twice now I have gotten distracted just before riding and left my gloves behind. Hopefully these ones will last me the remainder of our trip.

It was great to meet Paula and Caroline at the bike shop. Hopefully they will do some touring in the future. I offered to even go with them their first time, or for them to come up to Spokane and ride. They seemed to be great gals that are out enjoying life, I could hang with them for a bit. 😊 Caroline was a little concerned about riding in traffic. I tried to reassure her that cars see a bike full of bags and bright color clothing very well. Most motorist are very accommodating to cyclists. We make choices every day. We can live our lives with fear, or we can live our lives with adventures. Hank and I choose adventures, and hopefully Paula and Caroline will set those fears aside and go out on a bike touring adventure. Never know maybe our paths will cross again. 🚴‍♀️…🚴‍♀️…🚴‍♀️

The Corvette Museum was great. Lots of history and so many cool cars! We never knew a Corvette Museum was in Bowling Green, Kentucky. This was another place we stumbled upon after talking with local folks. We are meeting fantastic people and seeing some good stuff on this trip.

Our dear friend Paul who passed away last December due to a tragic accident had a Corvette. So today as we were at the museum seeing all these beautiful cars I thought of him often. Paul had a few different Corvettes over the years and he treated each one like it was his baby (apparently just as most Corvette owners do). Paul didn’t take his Corvette out of his garage if the weather was bad. If he and Sue were out for a ride and it began to rain then Paul wanted to get his precious Corvette back home quickly. Once home from any ride, you could find Paul in the garage for an hour or two cleaning up and shining the Corvette so it always looked spectacular. Paul would have loved to visit the Corvette Museum. Since he didn’t get the chance, I secretly planted my Kentucky flowers on the museum grounds. I actually planted two pack of flower seeds here in memory of Paul. 🌺🌼🌸Everyone loved Paul, he was an amazing guy and today I miss him more. I know my dear friend Sue misses her husband too. I look forward to spending time with Sue (and giving her a big long hug) once we are back in Spokane when we finish up our bike trip. 💗💗💗

It was a good day of riding, visiting with wonderful people and seeing cool sights. I am thankful. 💝

A couple of notes…

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