Cycling the Underground Railroad

DAY 24: CAVE-IN-ROCK, IL TO MORGANFIELD, KY Cave-in-Rock is a small town, only about 300 people.  But it has character! Cave-in-Rock is a place of interesting geology and history. The natural cavern in the limestone cliffs above the Ohio River was first noted by a French explorer in the 1700s.  During the 1800s it became a hideout for river pirates, counterfeiters, and a couple of serial killer brothers, among other famous criminals.  I tried to get up to the cave this morning, but the floodwaters from the recent storms made it impossible to get there.  Here is a view from the ferry.  Cave-in-Rock from the ferry. I found it fitting that today, on Easter Morning, I was attempting to get a look inside a cave, probably similar to the one Jesus was buried in and rose from.  Made this Resurrection Sunday a bit special (not that it's not always  special!). The Opry House provided entertainment for this small riverfront town. The town is not hopping, but it h...

DAY 23:  GRAND RIVERS, KY TO CAVE-IN-ROCK, IL Enjoying another (kind of) flat portion in the Kentucky countryside. Today's ride had a bit of everything--hills (of course), undulating farmland, riverside views, even a ferry ride.  I ended up in beautiful Cave-in- Rock State Park, IL. My first point of interest today was Smithland, Kentucky, which sits at the confluence of the Ohio and Cumberland Rivers.  It was a very strategic location for the Union Forces during the Civil War as they moved into the Deep South.  Smithland, at the confluence of the Ohio and Cumberland Rivers. Kentucky was unique during the Civil War, declaring itself "neutral," neither aligned with the North or the South.  Kentucky was a "slave state," but it's citizens strongly believed in One Nation.  Neutrality didn't last, as the Confederacy invaded Kentucky, who would then side with the Union. The strategic location of Smithland provided the North with a place to launch gunboats and ...