Day 7: Buying eastern Kentucky

Begin:       Pippa Passes, KY

End:          Boonville, KY 

Miles:        ? miles 

Started earlier than usual.

We try to get up at 6 am and get in a few miles before it starts to heat up and/or the wind starts blowing.

But getting dressed and packed usually gets us on the road around 7-715.

Today Chris jumped out of bed and was ready to go in 20 min so I threw all my stuff in, not worrying about balancing the load, and we were riding by 630.

Had breakfast (2 ham and cheese sandwiches) at 7 in a Texaco on the outskirts of Hindman.

The two women at the counter were real friendly and one talked about her daughter who had been to Berkeley and Southern California.

"There was a man who didn't have any clothes on, just walking down the street!"

Her husband was a coal truck driver who worked part-time at the store.

She/they told us about how coal goes through boom and bust periods.

He explained to us how the KY coal industry had been bought by big parent companies from Florida and Georgia, but surprisingly didn't say this was an all bad thing.

He figured they could bring stability to the industry and therefore the area.

They were interested in the long-term and they had money to invest.

They could take coal out that a smaller wouldn't have the capital to do.

"They are putting $3 billion into eastern Kentucky.  That pretty much could BUY eastern Kentucky"

Rode 75 miles 

Went up a big pass only to find the road closed and a +5 mile GRAVEL detour.

Chris and I decided it was lunchtime so we went past the Road Closed signs and a quarter mile later we were back on the road. Wheee!

Hit our max speed of 49 mph

Got to the Presbyterian Church in Boonville and are camping in their back lot: shack/shower(cold) and outhouse.

P.S.  Boonville had their fireworks last night.  

Lots of fireworks!  20 min.  Disney would be proud of them too.