To Elizabethtown, KY

Gallipolis, Ohio is one of those places without a local breakfast joint... or at least one that I could find, so I did the next best thing, I went into a Bob Evens Franchise. Gallipolis is the home town of Bob Evans, the founder of the Franchise, so perhaps I can cut myself a little slack for eating there.

I was tired. On a roll of sleeplessness. I went a little south of town and turned away from the river onto a small highway and into the hills that comprise the southern tip of Ohio. It was a lovely day, but overcast and dark all day. Bad day for taking pictures. (The picture here was taken the next day.) I wound through the hills and eventually crossed over into Kentucky. I ended up driving a long way that day. I wanted to get into Missouri and register my car and get the other stuff taken care of that I needed to attend to. I got onto the express way and drove all of the way to Elizabethtown, KY exhausted after the long drive.

Elizabethtown, Kentucky turns out to be right by the Birthplace of Abraham Lincoln. I saw the signs as I was driving around and took an inadvertent tour of the two locations. When I arrived in town I first got a room. Boy what a room. It was a $20 hotel at the southeast end of town. There was a price war going on in some of the seamier hotels and I took advantage of the one that advertised a $19.95 room. I started the registration process and the Indian woman said: "That will be $39.95."

"$39.95!? The sign outside says $19.95!"

"But this room has internet and cable TV."

"I don't need either of those, give me a cheap room."

"OK, that will be $24.95."

"$24.95!? What happened to the $19.95 room?

"You wanted a non-smoking room, they cost more."

Yeah, I am guessing that if I had initially requested a smoking room it would have cost more too... Oy!

Anyhow, long day, a beer would be nice. I do my drive through and around town, keeping my eye out for a place I could get a beer. After touring the town--a nice town but missing something--I stopped at a grocery, they generally have beer, no luck. I asked a guy who was getting out of his car if he knew of a place where a person could get a beer.

"Oh this is a dry county, you have to go over to the next county to get beer."

"Ok, where is that."

"Oh not far, just go down that road there for so many miles and you will be in the next county, there will be a place right there."

I followed his directions, or thought I had, and there was no store there! I dodged around that town, found a store and went in. No luck. There was a man waiting in a car, I asked him about the beer situation.

"Oh this is a dry county, you have to go to the next county to get beer."

"Don't tell me I have to go that way," I pointed back the way I had come, "They just sent me over here!"

"Oh no, the other way. Go into town, turn left at the statue of Abraham Lincoln and then drive until you see the 'Last Chance Liquors' store."

So I followed his instructions. The route took me through Hodgenville, the birthplace of Abe. Further on I passed Knob Creek Farm, Lincoln's Boyhood Home. There I saw a little log cabin. "Oh look, the little cabin that Abe lived in." Not so, it turns out this one was built on the site in 1931. Ah well.

I finally reached the next, next county and "Last Chance Liquors" was closed. I supposed they closed at five. I drove on and on, Finally I reached a Gas station by the interstate that had a beer sign. At last! I filled my tank, went into pay and pick up some beer and was confronted with the sign "No Beer Sales on Sunday." Ah, the joke was on me. It was a pleasant drive anyhow, so I really didn't mind. I went back to my hotel and propped my stick up to the doorknob.