I woke to find that an Italian had joined us at the campground. He is riding the TransAm unloaded, with his wife following him in a car. He has broken the trail into small segments and will take about four years (and several trips) to complete his crossing. Unfortunately, his rear derailleur and bike frame were damaged during the shipment from Bologna, and he will have to find a mechanic to fix them for him.
Jan had also had a bike problem the day before. After taking a break by the side of the road, he noticed a crack on one of his seatstays. He and Titia rode to an auto shop where a mechanic welded the crack shut -- one advantage that steel bikes possess. In the same situation, my aluminum bike would have been ruined.
A light moment of the day -- I got a kick out of this sign, which warns that members are "expected." At what point does mandatory attendance indicate a cult?
Another beautiful day, more rolling hills, and more farmland. But I have a goal in sight -- today I will leave Kentucky!
Here's a shot of me crossing the Ohio River on the ferry. I'm smiling because the guy taking the picture just told me that Illinois has no dry counties.
I stopped to camp just a few miles after crossing the border. I set up my stove, but discovered that an important part was missing -- I must have left it behind the last time I cleaned it. I had just about resigned myself to a Powerbar dinner when a neighboring camper came over. He introduced himself as Ryan and invited me to share in his family's dinner. I gratefully accepted and enjoyed a wonderful meal of bratwurst, pork, corn, beans, and potatoes. Ryan and I talked for a while about current events, politics, and random topics. He sells and applies fertilizer to farms in southern Illinois. I finally excused myself to take a much-needed shower, then snapped one last shot of the Ohio before falling asleep.