Day 53: Horse Stables In Kentucky

Today was a long 90 miles to Lexington, Kentucky. Entering into a new state we found the first half of the ride to be full of steep inclines followed by steep downhills which made the ride tough because of all the effort you put into the inclines. We had a great rolling lunch put on by a Pi Kapp who graduated from Appalachian State University. He made all of us thick sub sandwiches with candy bars and chips, it was very nice alternative to the typical two slices of meat wrap that we usually have when there is not a sponsored lunch.The second half of the ride was amazing though. It flattened out a little as we rolled through some very beautiful country. We passed about 30 miles of horse stables which featured enormous estates and beautiful grass fields. Some of them had crops of corn or tobacco but for the most part each stable would hold many expensive horses that will be used for racing and breeding. Properties were marked by black fences as the main road would sporadically be lined with large trees. Rides like these take the mind off the distance you’re traveling.

We arrived in Lexington, KY, one of the larger downtowns in the state and stayed in a church that put us up for the next two nights. We had some down time after arriving so Sloan, Cerelo, Eric and I went to Starbucks for some iced mochas. We don’t drink much coffee on riding days because it dehydrates you so a Starbucks run was perfect.

That evening we had dinner and a friendship visit. There were about 30 people at the disability center and they served us burgers, coleslaw, and baked beans. We then had a dance and of course enjoyed letting loose with the people with disabilities there, let’s just say the dancing abilities are endless at these kinds of dances.

Afterwards we explored the city which I wasn’t too impressed with, it’s a very different culture out here compared to Seattle and even the other cities we have been too. The University of Kentucky is nearby but we never got a chance to visit it. One thing this state is crazy about are their horses. There are names of streets, statues, and pictures all over the place of famous derby horses.