Ok .. round 2. Thanks WordPress for deleting my post on me last night ..

This past weekened I biked in the MS150, which started at Churchill Downs in Louisville KY, stopped overnight at the Salato Wildlife Center in Frankfort KY, and finished at Keeneland in Lexington KY. This was my first time participating in an organized biking event and my first time biking more than 11 miles on back to back days. 

While I signed up to ride with a team on the ride, I actually walked into the event not really closely knowing anyone else that was doing it .. so for me I was curious how the weekend was going to be .. luckily it all worked out to be a great weekend. 

Day 1 we started out at Churchill Downs, did a little song and dance in Louisville for the next hour and a half, and finally headed our way towards Frankfort. A good part about Saturday was that I found someone to ride with that kept a similar pace that I do. Typically I end up being faster than most people I know so while I’ll start out with people, I end up riding by myself at my own pace, so it was nice to have the company during the day. Day 1 was a pretty good ride aside from the last 10 miles being a bit more hilly. I opted to stick with the 60 mile route because I was worried that if I pushed myself too hard I could ruin my strength for the next day. I now know that next year I’m going to at least push for the 75 miles route, if not the century. 

So .. we finished Day 1 at the Salato Wildlife Center, I showered in one of those spectabulous shower trucks and ventured into the Wildlife Center because I had never seen a black bear before. I guess it was a perk to biking to that place, eh? So many hours later, after food and festivities, everyone headed to their overnight locations. 

The person I rode with did not end up staying overnight for Day 2, so I was on my own again. Luckily for the first 43 miles I was among a big cluster of people so I just ended up talking to various people along the way. Advantages to being with / around others are (a) it makes those hills seem more possible when you have someone around you that is conquering them, (b) it makes those hills less painful when you have a distraction, (c) it just makes the day more enjoyable all the way around.

After the first rest stop a cluster of us were mislead by signs up this choice hill, which ended up being off course. When we started turning onto another street, I checked my route sheet and realized that we were off course and started to yell and stop the others. Unfortunately, one girl had gotten so far down the road that she was out of yelling range. Luckily, a local offered to scoope up her hubby and drive down the road to retrieve her. I offered to stay and babysit the bikes while they were gone. I was wearing my pocket camera that day, which I had not touched all weekend, so I decided to play around with it while they were gone. 

Which leads to this ..

At around the 43 mile mark it was the split between stopping at 50 miles or pushing it out to 75 miles. Since I regretted stopping early the day before I decided I’d go for the max, which was 75 miles, figuring that if it was too much I would have the next day to rest.

Apparently, after making that decision, the next 15 miles were the worst 15 miles of the entire weekend, and many many many times worse than anything else I had ever ridden. What made it worse was that for the entire 15 miles stretch between rest areas not another biker was in sight .. and when you’re climbing hill after hill after hill, without having someone around you to use for motivation those hills start to look like mountains. Needless to say at one point I decided to take a photo .. AKA I used it as a cheap excuse to get off my bike for a second. I would have taken a photo of a worm if it meant getting a break for 30 seconds!!!

This is what I took..

When I got to the next rest area I found out some great news. (A) The rest of the 75 mile trip was relatively painless compared to what I had just done and (b) some of the guys I had ridden with earlier had caught back up to me and so I just finished the ride with them. An added bonus was that once we arrived in Keeneland, one rider, Alan, was nice enough to give me the nickel tour of Keeneland (I had never seen it before this past weekend) and we actually rode through Keeneland, out into the Granstands and everything, on our bikes. How many people have done that before .. LOL!! 

On a side note, Churchill Downs need to take a few lessons in aesthetics from Keeneland .. that place blew Churchill Downs away!! 

Ok .. after that there was nothing exciting. Funny enough I showered at a Bath House in one of the stables at Keeneland, which was kinda crazy, hung out for a bit until we could catch the bus home. Then I had to bike another mile or so to get myself back to my house .. had to go out in style I guess! 

When it was all said and done, after the two days and the actually miles that we rode, the detour of getting lost, and the ride home I think I ended up biking about 145 miles for the weekend .. which exceeded my personal expectations. And .. both that night and the next day I felt like a rock star and was not the least bit sore .. YAY!! 

On a side note, one of the great things about participating in the MS150 was the cause behind the ride. Not only were we biking, but we were biking to raise money for MS. Not only were we raising money for MS but throughout the weekend you could feel, first hand, that you were helping a great cause. People with MS and people who had loved ones with MS participated in the event all weekend, from celebrating to volunteering. From the start of the ride to the end of the weekend it was nice to see that it was more than just a biking event. 

Another thing that was nice was that a lot of the rest areas, once you got into the rural parts of the state, were at people’s houses. While the event provided these people with the basic rest stop necessities (sports drink, water, snacks, etc), many of the people went out of their way to add something extra for the riders. At one stop the father mentioned that his daughters stayed up the night before to bake brownies for the riders that were coming through the next day .. even though they didn’t have to! That is really something!! 

So .. all in all it was great weekend and a very successful first biking excursion!! I can’t wait for the next one!!

Having a few international friends, I often consider where I would recommend they travel to have a TRUE American experience. With the current economic situation, some of these off-the-beaten-path destinations are looking better than ever. Here’s proof that the Mid-West should no longer be called the ‘fly-over-states.’

Madison, Wisconsin:

A gorgeous college town of 200,000+ situated between 2 lakes. Imagine a white capitol building and 5 blocks from its 3 and 9 o’clock positions are lakes and at the 6 o’clock position is State Street: a pedestrian-only street with bohemian shops (and the Gap), local bars and international restaurants (E. African, Afghani, etc). These 10 blocks lead straight to the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.

Experience America in Madison:

1. Go in the Fall for colorful leaves and the amazingly large farmers market around the capitol square every Saturday.





2. Get there in time for the Halloween bash (Saturday before the holiday). Voted the #1 Halloween party by Playboy several years, it’s not really a family-friendly event.





3. In the summer, the capitol square hosts Concert on the Square (free) every Wednesday night, bring a blanket, picnic and wine.
4. Check out the Kohl center for concerts and sporting events
5. Eat and Drink! Around the capitol is typically more upscale then on State Street.

1. State Street and Campus

i. The Memorial Union – that’s right, the student union. Sit on the famous Terrace and have a beer (you might have to have a student order for you from the Ratskeller as you need to be a member or student!)

ii. Himal Chuli – Great Nepalese food

iii. Chautra – Hole in the wall Himalayan food, don’t get scared off by the wild plants in the entrance.

iv. State Street Brats – so wisco! Have a brat and stay for the bar atmosphere. Be sure to try a ‘Spotted Cow,’ a great local brew.

Now drive around Madison:

1. Visit the many wineries and breweries such as Capital Brewery (www.capital-brewery.com or www.wollersheim.com).
2. Head to the American Players Theatre in Spring Green for Shakespeare under the stars! (www.americanplayers.org)
3. Also in Spring Green is Frank Llyod Wright’s famed home and studio, Taliesin (www.taliesinpreservation.org).

Budget Travel (www.budgettravel.com) had an article about Wisconsin in their May issue. Before you go, learn more about the Wisco-basics: http://www.youmightbe.com/pages/wisconsin.html

Chicago, Illinois

This is the city I recommend all foreigners visit (over New York) if they really want to experience the America not found in movies. Stay a few nights in the downtown area and a few in one of the neighborhoods like Wrigleyville or Lakeside. I will only add 2 notes about downtown as the sites are quite well known: try it before Christmas; cold yes, but also beautiful and, second, music lovers check out: www.lollapalooza.com. Now, more on the neighborhoods:

1. Go to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field (Wrigleyville)
2. Before the game, have a few at one of the designated ‘Cubs bars’ near the stadium. (Wrigleyville)
3. Every neighborhood has unique, local bars and restaurants. Some worth mentioning: Sheffield’s just off Belmont for a drink, Orange for amazing brunch, Joey’s Brickhouse for a great burger (all in Lakeshore)
4. Go to the Weiner’s Circle late night (post bars), the busty lady behind the counter will verbally abuse you like its going out of style. (Lincoln Park)
5. The shopping is great down town, but check out the boutique stores tucked inside the neighborhoods.

Louisville & Lexington, Kentucky

Known as the blue grass state, Kentucky is rich in history, beauty and Southern hospitality. All of Kentucky can get behind a 2 things – horses and basketball (if you are in Louisville cheer for the Cardinals, in Lexington, you are a UK fan!). The two cities are only 1.5 hours away by car.

1. Lexington
   1. Keeneland – this small but beautiful horse track is only open in April and October. Although all walks of life are in attendance, I suggest dressing up (no hat required) and bringing $2 for a bet and $4 for a drink. www.keeneland.com.

   

   2. Afterwards head to Murray’s (www.murrays-merrick.com) for a drink on the patio and the food is great too (upscale southern food in an old Horse Manor). Go to Dudley’s downtown for brunch. www.dudleysrestaurant.com
   3. Wineries – have lunch and a tasting at Chrisman Mill, then at night, head to Talon Winery for its Summer Concert Series (tickets in advance for dinner and a concert: 859-971-3214).
   4. Bourbon! You can order a glass anywhere or tour the many distilleries such as Makers Mark. Dip your own bottle in the famous red wax.
   5. Right outside of Lexington you can’t miss the Shaker Village.
   6. Visit the Liquor Barn (I would live there if I could) the only thing to rival its selection of booze is the selection of amazing foods.

   

2. Louisville
   1. The Kentucky Derby – start with Keeneland then finish with the Derby. Unless you are young and stupid (and drunk), don’t opt for the infield. Be sure to wear a hat and order a mint julep.
   2. Don’t miss the Mohammed Ali Center, is interactive and really more about life and about a boxer. www.alicenter.org. There is also a Children’s museum in the area.

   

1. 1. 21c Museum Hotel – whether you stay here or just visit for an hour the art is too cool, and free. Visit the bathroom before you leave. www.21cmuseumhotel.com
   2. Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory is a must for any sports fan. All these museums are within walking distance too each other too. www.sluggermuseum.org
   3. Fourth Street Live – This is a street of bars and restaurants that is a lot of fun to eat during the day and drink during the night.

Before you leave this great state, be sure to ask someone what ‘corn hole’ is. Don’t worry, its not dirty. Your kids will even like it!

Traveling is all about your experiences, so whether you head off-the-beaten-path in Wisconsin, Illinois or Kentucky, you will be able to experience the beauty, culture, tradition . . . and various accents of the TRUE America.

i. Great Dane Pub- the best and most eclectic bar food and great beer! Get the beer sampler and sit in the outdoor beer garden. (www.greatdanepub.com)

ii. Restaurant Muramoto is a favorite – atypical Asian fusion with a very unassuming entrance.

iii. Marigold for breakfast or brunch. Café Continental is solid too.

iv. Harvest and L’Etoile are fine dining but worth it – the seasonal menus use local foods from local farms.