Day 18 - May 28, 2023. Maysville, KY - Newport, KY

A long day and a significant amount of climbing, but it really did seem like one of the easier days.  Lots of flat sections and wind was not a factor.

First up - through downtown Maysville and over the bridge to Ohio.

The first 10 miles to Ripley were right along the river and quite flat; easy going.............

Ripley is now a village of 1500 and was a significant destination for slaves escaping from slavery in Kentucky on the other side of the Ohio River.  A number of prominent abolitionists lived in the town in the 19th century.  Two former homes are now museums, but we were too early for tours.

The first was the John Parker House.  Here are some pics from the outside.

The second house was a bit off route so not everyone made the trek up the hill to the John Rankin House.  I was interested in seeing this one since the book "Bound for Canaan" says "More than any other single place the spirit of the heroes of the antebellum resides in the home of the Reverend John Rankin and his passionately abolitionist family, where it stands proudly on a steep hill overlooking the town of Ripley, Ohio."  It is thought that Rankin received and forwarded perhaps 3,000 fugitive slaves between the 1820s and the Civil War.

By now I was pretty much at the end of the pack for the rest of the day.  A reminder that we've been in tobacco country the last few days.

Also several large cotton mills, although the cotton was actually grown further south. 

Another 10 easy miles and we were into the small (population about 4500) town of Georgetown.  Georgetown was the childhood home of Ulysses S. Grant.

Mostly quiet flattish roads for the next 40 miles.  Except for a lot of loud trucks and cars that make me think maybe mufflers are outlawed in Ohio! 

SAG stop at 40 miles with all the essentials - hand sani, gatorade, and ibuprofen...........

At about mile 62 we were on the Ohio to Erie Trail for about 4 miles.  Very nice.  I think there are supposed to be more bike trails in our future.

As we got close to Cincinnati we went through some rather affluent-looking communities including Mariemont.  We wound our way to the Harriett Beecher Stowe House, which we will come back to tour tomorrow.

Then over the Purple People Bridge across the Ohio River and back into Kentucky for the night.

Joined the dish crew a few times since I wasn't doing the blog as I went.

Great day.  Rest day / museum day tomorrow in Cincinnati.

Cincinnati, Ohio.

Population 309,500 (2022).  Population of the greater metropolitan area is 2.3 million.  Cincinnati began in 1788 and was incorporated as a city in 1819.  Cincinnati's location, on the border between the free state of Ohio and the slave state of Kentucky, made it a prominent location for slaves to escape the slave-owning south.  Many prominent abolitionists also called Cincinnati their home during this period, and made it a popular stop on the Underground Railroad.  In 2004, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center was completed along Freedom Way in Downtown, honouring the city's involvement in the UGRR.  The flood of 1937 was one of the worst in the nation's history and destroyed many areas along the Ohio Valley.  Afterward the city built protective flood walls.  

Stats for the day:

Distance:  132.0 km / 82 miles

Elevation (Garmin):  1062m up / 1065m down.  3483' up / 3494' down.

Elevation (RWGPS):  1169m up / 1175m down.  3835' up / 3854' down.

Weather:  12C - 25C.  Mostly overcast.  Started out with a bit of drizzle and a few drops mid-day.  Wind was not a factor.  Beautiful day.