Memorial Day on the Road

Monday, May 25
Miles Traveled: 75
Average Speed: 12.4 mph
Elevation Gain: 3,200 feet
Maximum Speed: 37 mph
Cumulative Miles: 942
Miles To Go: 1,128

Memorial Day brought new challenges for Mike as practically everything was closed. He did get a good breakfast from the Ellises in Owensboro, but had to stop for a picnic of crackers and juice at a park overlooking the Ohio River. He did find one store in Cloverport, Ky., open and four patrons were milling about the store. After striking up a conversation, Mike left with $12 donated to the Mike Smith Underground Railroad Diversity Scholarship Fund for Lipscomb University. Even on a holiday, he's hard at work raising funds for underprivileged students who desire a Christian education at Lipscomb.



In the spirit of escaped slaves who traveled the Underground Railroad almost two centuries ago, Mike has been relying on the kindness of strangers for lodgings, and sometimes for food, as he did on this day. He saw someone lounging in the shade by the road in Kentucky and asked for some water. He left with a Mountain Dew and the offer of a barbecue sandwich. He's been coming across lots of Mennonite establishments in northern Kentucky, including passing a horse and buggy on Sunday. He did just barely win that race, he said.

Memorial Day also marked Mike's first near spill from his bike when the tire got caught in a seam in a bridge. But he managed to pull it out and escaped with nothing more than a scrape on his leg. He's enjoying the great views of the Ohio River, as many of the towns he is going through are located right on the river.



He ended up staying the night at New Highland Baptist Church in Brandenburg, Ky., where Pastor Darrell allowed him to sleep on the floor of the fellowship hall. So Mike had another first -- he actually had to break out his air mattress and sleeping bag. Sleeping on the floor encouraged him to get an early start on Tuesday, so he was up and preparing to hit the road by 5:30 a.m.



Mike had a blast playing with Caleb and Zooey, the "preacher's kids" at New Highland Baptist.



If you are interested in making a donation to the Mike Smith Underground Railroad Diversity Scholarship Fund, go to biketour.lipscomb.edu and click on "Give Online."