Day 4 (70 mi.) Crossing the Ohio again, and again….

Apparently it is a pretty large river and does not seem to be going away anytime soon.

This morning I woke up in my makeshift shelter undera picnic table. This should have been a sign of things to come. 

  
The ride started with a rainy climb out of the state park and a mistimg in to Louisville. Just outside of the Louisville Bats minor league baseball stadium I caught a great picture of a hawk in flight (completely by accident, I was attempting to snap the shot as it was resting on a road sign but it took off just as I took the photo).

  
After lunch in the city we made our way toward our destination for the evening Brandenburg, IN, another 50 miles away. Soon after our departure it began to pour down rain so we took shelter at a church in New Albany and spent some time visiting with the minister. After an hour or so we were off again, this time up a steep climb and with a bit of rain. 

Lesson of the day: cross railroad tracks head on!!!!  I have probably crossed hundreds of tracks on my bicycle in the past, but apparently they were always running perpendicular to my path. These tracks were running at an angle……and I fell hard. Luckily no cars were around. I ended up face down and arms and legs out but only a scrape to my left knee and elbow!  I learned my lesson!  AND I was about to take my gloves off earlier that day, but thankfully I left them on and did not skin my palms!  Looks like they are staying on for the rest of the journey!

After a few minutes and double checking that there was no damage to Hope, we were off again. Many hills were ahead of us and thus another pit stop. This time at Point Blank Brewery in Corydon. We each had a beer there. Nick went with the IPA and I had a Weiss. As tempting as it was to stay we had to move forward and daylight was fading.

20 miles and what felt like a few mountain ranges later we spotted the Ohio River.  We were close to Brandenberg!  However we somehow stumbled upon Miss Holly and the River Bottom Inn. Although an apartment was offered for free for the night, camping was the final decision. And a hammock along the Ohio sure beats a shelter under a park bench. A pretty good day after all.   

Until tomorrow . . .