Changing Gears: Rey's Ride Across America

July 15th — Elizabethtown, IL to Utica, KY — 86 miles Our time in Illinois is short lived, and we set our sites on the border of Kentucky. It feels sort of strange in a good way that we are about to cross into a state that borders Virginia. Just 5 miles into our day we had to stop because we ran out of road as we needed to cross the Ohio River. We have to take the "Cave In Rock Ferry" across the river as there is no bridge in this area. I have some pictures of the ferry, and we will send them in. The gentleman that works the gates and ties the ferry to the shore is what I call the "chain master." He is very skilled with the chains as he ties off the ferry without wrapping the chain around the anchors by hand. It is very interesting to watch as he tosses the chain around the anchor like a fly fisherman who tosses his line into a stream. With a deliberate stroke the chain wraps itself around the left and then right side of the anchor over and over again without the chain master ever touching the anchor with his hands.

Kentucky has much of the same landscape as Virginia, with rolling hills and terrain. But the grades are not that bad and are short in length. We will be in Kentucky for 4 days, and I hope the weather holds up for us as the humidity is picking up as well. 7 hours on the bike today.