Owensboro KY
Miles = 568
The calendar said November but it was still pretty warm and really good riding weather. We put together the trip in very short order and tried to make it as interesting as possible. Right before we left our buddy Fred thought he might tag along in his son's BMW Roadster Convertible. We planned a meeting place in Indiana as he was going to get a later start.
Day One - 269 miles
We were not going to hit anything new until we got fairly far out of town. Our first stop was the Westport Covered Bridge where we have been too many times to count. It was a beautiful day and we were happy to be out riding. After Westport we continued west before taking a southerly tack on IN58. IN135 dead ends into US50 where staying straight put us on County Road 400 and our next stop at the old bridge across the East Fork of the White River. This was our second stop here. We were here in 2013 and remarked how the 2011 refurbishment looked very well done but after 13 years it was showing its age but was still in good condition for the most part. We continued south and took a loop around the Washington County Courthouse in Salem IN before heading west. We were to meet Fred at Patoka Lake Brewing and we arrived there maybe five minutes before Fred. The place was really nice and looked as if everything was brand new. After our pint we headed to Ferdinand for another pint at St. Benedict's Brew Works. This place was on the grounds of the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception and the Convent of the Sisters of St Benedict.. This place is massive and certainly worth a visit when it can be toured. We didn't have the time for that but we rode around the buildings to see as much as we could. We rode through Santa Claus IN and stopped in Lincoln City for a visit to the Lincoln Boyhood National Monument which was unfortunately closed on our trek towards the Ohio River and Owensboro which sits on the other side. Owensboro has really jazzed up their riverfront and is a far cry from our first stay there 11 years previous. We walked the riverfront walk and strolled through Smothers Park before dining at Goodwood Brewery on the riverfront.
Day Two - 299 Miles
It was a little colder as we left for breakfast. Just on the east side of town we stopped at Dee's Diner. The service, food and price were all very good. It was going to be a little cold with top down for Fred so he started with it up. We were hitting it pretty hard on the backroads and riding hard in the small convertible with the top up probably wasn't all that much fun for Fred so before we got on I-64 for a short hop he contacted us and said he would split off. We continued through Bardstown and stopped on the KY River at Lockport. The wind had really picked up and the temperature was dropping but it was still sunny. We decided to make one more stop on the High Bridge on Eagle Tunnel Road. Not much to the scenery but the big is indeed very high and the view is decent. Soon were on I-71 and headed home.