Cycle Across America
RA
Day 18 of 7312 June 2010

Day 18: Escape From Appalachia

Day 18: Escape From Appalachia
View route map — see where this day sits on the trail
Route overview

73 days, one line across the country

67 riding days · 6 rest days · 4,227 miles · Yorktown, Virginia → the Oregon coast

Start — Yorktown (Atlantic start), VADay 1 — Chickahominy Riverfront Park, VADay 2 — Ashland, VADay 3 — Ashland, VADay 4 — Mineral, VADay 5 — Charlottesville, VADay 6 — Afton, VADay 7 — Lexington, VADay 8 — Lexington, VA — rest dayDay 9 — Daleville, VADay 10 — Radford, VADay 11 — Rural Retreat, VADay 12 — Damascus, VADay 13 — Rosedale, VADay 14 — Breaks Interstate Park, VADay 15 — Hindman, KYDay 16 — Hindman, KY — rest dayDay 17 — Booneville, KYDay 18 — Berea, KY (you are here)Day 19 — Bardstown area, KYDay 20 — Hodgenville, KYDay 21 — Rough River Dam State Park, KYDay 22 — Sebree, KYDay 23 — Cave-In-Rock, ILDay 24 — Eddyville, KYDay 25 — Carbondale, ILDay 26 — Carbondale, IL — rest dayDay 27 — Chester, ILDay 28 — Pilot Knob, MODay 29 — Eminence, MODay 30 — Houston, MODay 31 — Fair Grove, MODay 32 — Golden City, MODay 33 — Chanute, KSDay 34 — Eureka, KSDay 35 — Newton, KSDay 36 — Larned, KSDay 37 — Ness City, KSDay 38 — Scott City, KSDay 39 — Sheridan Lake, CODay 40 — Haswell, CODay 41 — Pueblo, CODay 42 — Pueblo, CO — rest dayDay 43 — Cañon City, CODay 44 — Fairplay, CODay 45 — Silverthorne, CODay 46 — Hot Sulphur Springs, CODay 47 — Walden, CODay 48 — Saratoga, WYDay 49 — Rawlins, WYDay 50 — Jeffrey City, WYDay 51 — Lander, WYDay 52 — Lander, WY — rest dayDay 53 — Dubois, WYDay 54 — Colter Bay, Grand Teton NP, WYDay 55 — Grant Village, Yellowstone NP, WYDay 56 — West Yellowstone, MTDay 57 — Ennis, MTDay 58 — Twin Bridges, MTDay 59 — Jackson, MTDay 60 — Darby, MTDay 61 — Missoula, MTDay 62 — Missoula, MT — rest dayDay 63 — Powell, IDDay 64 — Kooskia, IDDay 65 — Riggins, IDDay 66 — Cambridge, IDDay 67 — Richland, ORDay 68 — Baker City, ORDay 69 — Mount Vernon, ORDay 70 — Mitchell, ORDay 71 — Redmond, ORDay 72 — Eugene, ORDay 73 — Florence (Pacific Ocean), ORYachats, ORLincoln City, ORPortland, OR

Every dot is a real day on the trail, placed from the towns named in that day's post — click one to jump straight to it. Hollow-ringed dots are rest days along the way. The lighter branch up the coast is the post-ride detour to Portland. A few days without a clearly named stop are interpolated between the nearest confirmed ones. The highlighted dot is where you are right now.

OriginalStorytelling

50.30 miles (Total: 774.14) Average Speed: 11.3mph Max Speed: 38mph

Everyone seems to rise from their tents around 7am and Terry instantly gets the tea going. After breakfast we get packed up and I am the last one to use the portaloo before we head off, needless to say I get an eyefull of everyone elses efforts that morning. Nice.

The roll out of Booneville is gradual, this was going to be the last real day in the Appalachian mountains before it flattens out. People have also marked our destination Berea as the turning point for Kentucky as a state. Apparently its night and day compared to the feral dog, coal truck, trash filled eastern Kentucky. The scenery improves as we strain our way over the last few climbs of this part of the trip and arrive in Mckee for a lunch stop.

SDC10809 SDC10810 SDC10811 SDC10812 SDC10816

We pass by the fast food chains in search of Opals, a home cooking place recommened by a women we asked. Everyone except Cooper goes for the Philly Hoagie (a philly cheesesteak basically). We are still in a dry county and after asking around town soon realise we would be going another night without a celebratory drink. Its hard to get my head around cycling for 3 days now through places that don’t have any alcohol, not a single bar, not a can or bottle to be seen in any store, zilch, zero, nada.

SDC10818 SDC10819

Cooper & Terry failed to push the building over.

On the way to Berea Joe gets a flat, the shoulders on the roads have been terrible and filled with rubble and junk. He pumps it up for to last him through to Berea. We arrive an negotiate our way through town to find the motels towards the intersection. I push for the Super 8 because of its pool and breakfast, a price of $55 split between 4 guys is not a bad deal. For supper we head over the road to a nice Mexican restaurant, I get the Burrito Mariachi and devour it along with the rice and refried beans in seconds. Its a great night and looking around the table its amazing to see how each of us has came together and bonded so quickly into a tight cycling family. We know Cooper will be leaving us at the end of Kentucky as he takes a break for a wedding before continuing the trip and he admitted his dissapointment of the impending departure. Like me starting the trip solo he expected to meet and ride with people along the trail but didn’t anticipate forming such strong friendships.

SDC10820 SDC10821 SDC10822

Rumble strips and debris are a way of life on the shoulders in Kentucky

SDC10823

4 comments from 2010

Rob12 June 2010

Gutted that you're losing Cooper, sounds like a sound lad. Keep riding hard, Ry. x

Jack Stoddart12 June 2010

So long coops

Ben13 June 2010

Tightly knit. So long coops. Keep the posts coming getting better with every one

Keith15 June 2010

So its goodbye from the cooperman,its a sad day.

PreviousDay 17: The Booneville FourNextDay 19: Kentucky Wine
© 2026 Ryan Anderson