05/16 Elizabethtown to Bardstown KY

Monday was probably not classified as a normal ride or at least in our heads. Our ride was going to be from Eastview, KY to Bardstown, KY an easy 56 miles. We stayed Sunday night in Elizabethtown 12 miles to the north. Monday feeling good we decided to ride the easy 12 miles back to Eastview and join the route to Bardstown from there. Our easy 12 miles turned into 15 miles due to where the hotel was in Elizabethtown. So no big deal we can handle 71 miles coming off an 80 mile day on Sunday. At 11:30am we were in Sonora, KY and hungry. Carol had gotten to Sonora ahead of us and did quick glance of the town with her iPad and found our choices were limited to Subway sandwich or Brooks Cafe which had four stars. Brooks Cafe is a small unassuming place filled to the brim with personality, 1960's decor including the kitchen tables, and where all the locals go for a good meal. The three of us walk in to find all seven tables filled. We were the first to form the waiting line when an elderly couple in their mid to late 80's invited us to join them at their table. We thanked them for their friendly hospitality. I sat next to the gentleman and across from his companion which turned out to be his sister. She was visiting from Ohio and they both had recently lost their spouses and visit each other frequently. He had been coming to the cafe for years and can remember the waitress (Rhonda) working there when she was in high school. Rhonda now is in her 50's is a grandmother. Rhonda's grandparents started the cafe as a mercantile and deli in 1961 and developed it over the years into a cafe as it is today. Rhonda's mother owns it now and they both run the place. Rhonda's personality is warm and vivacious and she was overwhelmed by the flood of people filling all the tables. She hurriedly spun between the tables telling everybody they serve good food and bad service. It took awhile but she finally got to us and took our order. We were happy talking with the couple and passing the time watching the locals interact with her. We had a great lunch which took at least 2 hours.

Back on the road weI knew our day was going to be long and arrival in Bardstown was going to late in the day. As we road through the countryside with threatening rain clouds we taken aback the beauty and peacefulness of the country and could see just disconnecting and living for a time far from the city. After a wrong turn which turned into a two mile backtrack and riding into dusk we finally arrived in Bardstown at the top of Heavens Hill, Kentucky's Bourbon Distilling Industry 80 miles from our starting point.

Good food, friendly but slow service

sign sign everywhere a sign

strawberries for sale by the Amish