Our oldest son had been home on leave for most of the Month in July, so last weekend was our first weekend in a long time, that we were able to go for a ride. So we headed out on the trusty BMW this past Saturday, to get away and relax, and grab a few photo's for the AMA tours we are participating in.
After a stop at a Terre Haute Wendy's for some much needed nutrition, we set course for the small Vigo county town of Blackhawk. Along the way we were heading past the Terre Haute KOA, and since KOA is the sponsor, I did need a picture from there.
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t271/mr442/09%20rides/TerreHauteKOA.jpg)
I have found that it is rare to use an actual city limit sign in a photo, due to the placement of them. So once again a church sign kept us from harms way along the highway in Blackhawk.
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t271/mr442/09%20rides/BlackhawkIN.jpg)
From there we headed east towards Whitehall IN, but found this gem in Clay City. It's an old station now used as a city office.
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t271/mr442/09%20rides/OldStation.jpg)
After getting detoured off of IN 246, we finally got through Spencer and on towards Whitehall, where this bus is being used as a billboard just west of town.
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t271/mr442/09%20rides/DoubleDeckerBus.jpg)
Another church to the rescue in Whitehall IN.
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t271/mr442/09%20rides/WhitehallIN.jpg)
We headed east, then south past Bloomington, and on towards Bedford where we would head west again to Silverville. This was a time when it was handy to have a paper map along and not trust the GPS. It sent me down the wrong road (likely shorter route), and then headed us off into the boondocks. This is where I regrouped, checked the map and turned around. It did turn out to be a good thing, because I found a county sign with a drive next to it, for a safe picture spot.
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t271/mr442/09%20rides/GreeneCO.jpg)
After another foray into the countryside on a good road, and some nice rolling highway, we found Silverville.
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t271/mr442/09%20rides/SilvervilleIN.jpg)
The highway to Silverville ends at the Crane Naval ammunition Depot, so if you don't want to back track, you find an alternate route. The GPS did OK that time, and we were soon headed back north. From that point on we were in a race with the weather. It had been beautiful all day, but as soon as we headed west on IN 54, the skies turned cloudy.
Not wanting to get another performance award, I kept my pace reasonable and steady. I did not stop for anymore pictures, I just kept rolling towards home. Eventually we had all we could stand of riding into what appeared to be stormy weather, so we headed north on IN 157 at Bloomfield. It worked us north and west all the way back to Clay City and plenty of sunshine. We were tempted to try a local pizza place due to the great smell wafting out into the street, but kept going to put as much space as possible between us and the cloudy skies just south of us. We headed north on IN 59 to Brazil IN and KFC.
After filling ourselves up at the buffet, we filled up the bike and headed to Dana via IN 59 and US 36. When we rolled into the drive and shut the bike off I checked the GPS, and we had rode 271 miles for the day, and averaged about 51 mph.
Now I am down to longer distance towns, some in deep southern IN, and three in southeastern Kentucky. I'm going to have to take more than an afternoon to get those in. They may take two or even three days for that ride. I can't wait!
Sounds like a great trip. I love southern Indiana and have been all over down there. That's where we used to go every fall to get persimmons. My ex-father-in-law was from Bedford and he knew all the back roads and out of the way places.