Day 101 ~ Abraham Lincoln Birthplace & Boyhood Home

Hodgenville is where Abraham Lincoln's Birthplace, Sinking Spring Farm, is located. We finished the day about 20 miles east in Bardstown and will be up in the Louisville area tomorrow.

This is where we had breakfast. It was the size of a matchbox and a haze of smoke filled the air. Gregory and I couldn't stand it so we ate our egg, ham and cheese croissant sandwiches (very tasty) out on the bench. Mike decided to hang with the locals. (While Gregory and I were sitting there a man came in with his oxygen tank so we had a little talk about lung cancer...)

Tobacco Barn

Abraham Lincoln's Birthplace National Historic Park

Gregory working on his Junior Ranger Activity Booklet

Ranger Rhonda makes Gregory an Official Junior Ranger at Abraham Lincoln's Birthplace NHP ~ Behind them is a statue of Lincoln's father Thomas and mother Nancy who is holding the newborn Abe. His older sister Sarah is behind Rhonda.

The Memorial at Lincoln's Birthplace houses the log cabin and has 56 steps, one for each year of Lincoln's life. (Unfortunately, it was closed for repairs but we did climb and count the steps.)

Gregory's Favorite Candy Bar

Gregory and I explored the herb garden at Abe's Boyhood Home, Knob Creek. Here Gregory is picking some lemon balm.

Abraham Lincoln's Boyhood Home: Knob Creek

Logs for this cabin were taken from the home of one of Lincoln's childhood friends.

Down the road a piece... "OUT OF ODOR" (Not Order...) ~ The sign on the door says "Vacancy"

Date: October 28, 2009

From: Munfordville, Kentucky

To: Bardstown, Kentucky

Route: Got off the alternate Mammoth Cave loop and back on the Trans Am. We took Hwy. 31 into Bardstown, to shave off a few miles, because it was getting late and we knew we wouldn't make it going the other way.

Miles Today: 54 miles

TOTAL MILES: 2,888 miles

Top Speed on this trip: 54.1 mph

Weather: Mid 50s and cloudy but no rain!

License Plates Collected: 5 Montana, 8 Wyoming (2 motorcycle) and 1 Idaho (found in WY), 2 Colorado, 1 Kansas (Gifted from David of Baldwin City), 1 Missouri (To be sent to Grammy’s by our new buddy, Kansas City firefighter Shawn), 1 Illinois, 2 Kentucky (Gifted from of Beth and Garry Feltus)

Flats: 8

Broken Spokes: 3

Cracked Rim: 1

The highlight of the day was touring Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park where Gregory became a Junior Ranger. That is two Jr. Ranger Badges in two days! We had fun exploring the exhibits, watching the movie and completing the activity booklet to earn the badge and certificate. We found he already knew quite a bit about our sixteenth president. We spent a good deal of time talking about the civil war and slavery and how Mr. Lincoln was assassinated at the age of 56. The memorial that is built on this site houses the cabin where he was born. The memorial has 56 steps, one for each year of his life.

Just down the road is the Abraham Lincoln Boyhood Home; Knob Creek Farm. The family moved from the birthplace on Sinking Spring Farm to Knob Creek when Abraham was only a couple of years old. He lived there until he was about 7 years old. The cabin that is built there was made out of logs taken from the home of one of Abe's childhood friends. The friend who in fact saved him from drowning in a creek because he could not swim. Here we explored the herb garden out back and smelled the lavender, lemon balm, and mint. "…frontier families, like the Lincolns, relied on their gardens as a source of fresh vegetables and herbs to see them through the winter." (Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Handout).

Mike was commenting that we seem to be getting used to the hills and they don't seem as daunting. We do manage the hills pretty well I must admit. Even still, I was absolutely exhausted when we came to Bardstown this evening. Mike thought we hadn't eaten enough today and the last few miles were a bit of a struggle. Near the end of the day we had one extremely long hill that wouldn't quit and I thought if there was one more I wouldn't make it. I felt weak and dizzy and just stared down at my top tube, slowly opening and closing my droopy eyelids and focusing on each pedal stroke. If you haven't done any long distance touring this is where you really have to dig down deep to find that extra something that will get you there. You know that quitting is not an option so you just pedal on and on and on. The destination becomes that much sweeter when you make it and you will make it.

Once we arrived, I knew if I sat down I was done for so I stripped down and got in the shower first thing. While Mike and Gregory got their showers I did lay down but only on the little bench in the room, not the bed, because I knew if I got on the bed I'd be out cold and I still had to put in the laundry. When that was done I did crawl under the covers and slept until dinner arrived. All the food was another mile across town and there was no way we were going out again so we ordered a pizza. Yes, that is pizza two nights in a row! Ugh! Oh well. I was two tired to care. Right now it is taking everything I have to stay awake to write to you! However, I know that tomorrow we will arrive in Prospect, Kentucky and home of Mike's cousin Kim. I don't want to spend our visit playing catchup with the journal. Kim tells us that her kids are looking forward to playing with Gregory and that there are pumpkins waiting to be carved! Gregory can't wait.