Owensboro
Miles = 579
It was getting late in the year and we were trying to get something together but the weather was not cooperating. Finally we saw a weekend in late October that looked good and the best looking weather was to our west. We decided to head to southern Indiana and Kentucky and hit some areas we had not been.
Day One
We decided to ride in a counter-clockwise manner and set our sights on Owensboro KY. Our first stop was at the Ramp Creek Covered Bridge on the East side of Nashville IN. This is a rare double-barreled bridge of which I have only seen two, the other being in Eaton OH. We rode down IN135 flanking the Brown County State Park and into the small little enclave of Story IN. There is a little General Store and cafe next to one another and we spent 10 minutes or so looking around before jumping back on our bikes. We continued on IN135 which turns into CR375 at some point and we stopped to look and walk on an old steel bridge spanning 123 ft over the East Fork of the White River. This old beauty was built in 1887 by the Indiana Bridge Co in Muncie Indiana, and looks like it is still in pretty good condition. It was a short jaunt over to the Medora Covered Bridge. It had been recently restored (in 2011) and was very impressive. It was built in 1875 and was in service until 1972. It spans 462 ft over the East Fork of the White River. Just down the road southwest of Medora we stopped at the old Medora Brick Factory. This brick factory churned out shale bricks from 1904 until 1992. Another stop down river was the Williams Covered Bridge where we stopped after first stopping at the Williams Dam for a quick look around. The bridge spans 373 ft. over the same fork of the White River. It was refurbished in 2011 and looks really nice. We continued south on IN450 and connected with US150 where we stopped at Overlook Park for a quick rest. This time we were overlooking the river in a really nice well-kept little park. We rode through French Lick and stopped briefly for a pic of the West Baden Springs hotel and the massive dome. It was built in 1901 and was once considered one of the 8 wonders of the world. It was refurbished back in 2006 and is now a higher end resort. Our final stop was the Huffman Covered Bridge spanning 148ft across the Anderson River. Next we were in Owensboro and pulling into the Hampton Inn. Not much to do Owensboro.
Day Two
It had turned cold overnight and we went from riding in the sunshine the day before to cloudy gray skies overnight. With all of our gear on we headed back east. We stopped in Falls of Rough KY. George Washington owned property in this area back in 1792 and there has been a dam and mill on this site since 1823. In addition to the circa 1823 building that still stands, there is an 1877 Bowstring Bridge that spans the Rough River. The bridge still looks in good condition but it is blocked, preventing traffic. We left all of gear on as we walked around and before long we were back riding. Our final stop was in White Mills where an old steel bridge spans the Nolin River. It was built in 1899 by the Champion Bridge Co in Wilmington OH, which is still in the business today.