Louisville: LOVES IT

I am absolutely overwhelmed with things to blog about right now. I will do my best.

Please bear with me.

On Wednesday (I am losing track of the days) Iris, Jon and I left the campground in Lexington, Kentucky, where we camped completely illegally and for free. We made oatmeal at a gas station and set a course for Louisville, with no plan in mind other than to charm someone into quartering us, which has worked for three weeks so far. It was a long, hot day, and we found ourselves about 15 miles out from Louisville and in danger of running out of daylight.

So, we made what turned out to be a crucial phone call to one Karl Doege, who is a legend in the South, apparently. I've never heard of him. He lives in Arkansas, which I only recently learned was a real state, but he somehow knew the time and location of Ultimate pickup in Louisville on THE VERY NIGHT we were going to be in town. Iris needed a quick tune-up from the local bike shop, so we sent Jon to scout the pickup. Iris and I got a ride in Louisville frm Dan, the bike mechanic, who dropped us off at a Walgreen's and wished us luck.

We found Jon at a local bar featuring a $10 all you can drink AND eat special. Sold. Fast forward to 2AM, which found the three of us in the living room of a young man named Evan, a fifth year environmental engineering major at U of L, who informed us that we WOULD be staying an extra day so that he could show us around town. Sold.
(Sidenote: Jon attempted to charm the ladies of Louisville while wearing a bike jersey, but failed.)

So we spent the day in Louisville, a city that I could see myself existing in happily without any major modifications. I biked to the U of L library and explored the campus, and went for a run around the residential sections. We swam at a pool near Evan's house, and he took us for a drive through the parks and the touristy places. I ate the best strawberry ice cream of all time. At night, we went over to his friend's house who brews his own beer, and sampled a few amazing home brews. The night ended with us playing pool and eating fried pickles, which are apparently a big deal in the south. I love them.

Evan and his roommates were incredibly hospitable. We all ate dinner together on Thursday night and watched Wedding Crashers before going out. It was great to hang out in a college town with some very chill people.

So, that was Louisville. The people were amazing, the town was beautiful, and we ate breakfast on Friday morning at the quirkiest place imaginable with delicious French toast. It was the perfect way to end our stay in Kentucky, a state to which I will absolutely be returning.

Next post: Indiana!