Sharing Covered Bridges and Good Eats
Friday, August 29th, 2008
Well it has been a week since I last took Kasey for a ride. I had put quite a few miles on The Pearl, and August is shaping up to be a great month! I was really looking forward to today's ride. Kasey's voice saying, "This is so wonderful," was still ringing in my ears.
I remembered what a time I had with the construction on US-36 at 465 on the west side, and with a nicely cleaned up bike, limiting construction is a must. I headed west on Washington Street, and made my way through town, passing through warm Friday downtown traffic. Along the route, I passed The Zoo, and eventually arrived on the west side of town, passing under the beltway. I continued on Washington Street where it had also became US-40, or The National Road.
I stayed on the road until Raceway, then headed north. I would still have some miles on US-36, and it would be slow going through Avon, Indiana, but I would make out to the center on Hendricks County. I pulled into to fuel up before I arrived at Kasey's House. When the tank was full, I sent a warning text message that I was close.
It would be a short drive into Danville, and then to her house. She was up and ready to go. After a brief moment in the house, we were outside, getting suited up, and mounted on The Black Pearl.
We started out on Cartersburg Road once again, meandering our way south. A few county roads leading west took us through Coatsville and Fillmore. With all the jogs, we were heading south, and then took SR 240 west in Greencastle, Indiana. This is not the town with the tree growing out of the Court House, but rather the home of Depaw University, not the famous one either.
We would cruise through town on way to Greencastle road, even though we were taking it out of town, heading toward Covered Bridge Country. Once out of town, this road gets scenic, and then twisty. We cut through acres of farms and woods. After a nice section of turns, a small portion of the trees open up, and reveal the Conley Ford Covered Bridge. No longer in use, the bridge sits next to a concrete and steel structure that has replaced it.
After a little visit and study of the bridge, we hopped back on the bike, and headed to Mansfield, Indiana, home of he Mansfield Covered Bridge. This was a more than a century old structure that we could cross. One of the longest bridges in Parke County too. On the far side, we parked, and strolled around the bridge and town, including a visit to the grist mill.
We rode out of town, and onto SR-59. We headed south, and found a county road that would take us west, and into the town of Bridgeton, Indiana. I have been here several times, and a few times when a Covered Bridge was not in this town. Someone decided it had stood too long, and thought it needed to be burned down. In an inspirational way, the tiny town in the one of the poorest counties in Indiana, rebuilt the bridge. A shinny, new, and bright bridge stand proudly over the water. Like other Covered Bridges, it dwarfs the concrete bridge that gets use now.
Being a frequent visitor to the bridge, I have become friends with the mill owner, even knowing his family. We pulled into the parking, assured that he had not gotten tired yet today and close, as the hours, 10 am until tired are proudly displayed.
A chat went along with lunch, and I think Kasey could really see how much I enjoy a place where you can talk to the owner and the cook, and get more than just a meal. By the way, the meal was very good as always. If you make your way here, make sure you save room for Ice Cream, Sweet Potato Pie is my favorite.
Well there were more Covered Bridges for me to bore my riding date with, so after a review of the Bridgeton Covered Bridge, we took The Pearl north out of town. The next Covered Bridge was call Neet, and was off the side of the road in a park like setting. This bridge had not seen use in so long, you couldn't tell how the road used the it? We looked through the bridge, including taking a sit for a bit on a bench at the end of the bridge.
We were back on the county roads of Parke County once again. I hadn't turned on the music player, because, quite frankly, it would just be in the way of the conversation. We were talking a lot, and there was little dead air. Usually when a few could corners came up, but I could her Kasey moan with delight many times. She seemed to like when the floorboards scraped the pavement too.
Well, all the talking lead to me missing a turn, and after a reroute and U-turn, we were back on our route to yet another Covered Bridge. We rode past this one, and took a quick glimpse of it. I kind of felt like she was tired of seeing them.
The next little town was that of Rosedale, Indiana. I had been here for their Strawberry Festival, and it was a hoot! A great small town festival, done only the way that small towns can. One of those where the fire truck was is the major attraction.
Off the bike, and in-between rides, Kasey and I had had several conversations. Occasionally, one of those talks comes up along the road. We had both stated that we wanted to date others for a while. I had dated others, and while I had met some really nice women, I wasn't feeling the attraction that I was feeling for Kasey. Somewhere, along a county road outside of Rosedale, and before we arrived back at SR-59, she and I agreed to only see each other. The conversation ended like this.
"Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?" She asked. Seems like an odd label for a twenty-nine year old woman. (She is really not twenty-nine but I really, really like riding with her.)
"Yes, I guess I am." I replied. In all the world right now there was only she and I, the bike, and the asphalt in front of us.
"Well, are you going to ask or not?" Her voice rang in my helmet.
"Will you be my girlfriend?" I asked
"Yes," her answer was followed by her arms wrapping around me.
We joined SR-59 and headed north to get back onto Greencastle Road. Hey a good road deserves to be ridden twice. We arrived back in Greencastle, and followed the route back to her house.
After a brief rest at her house, we decided to embark on a little trip for dinner. It was a gorgeous night, and I knew the roof top on Shelbi Street Cafe would be the ideal place to go. We took US-36 into Avon, and then south on a County Road, making our way down to US-40. This would take us into town, and through downtown until we veered off on Virginia Avenue to head to Fountain Square.
I have never had a bad meal there, and this was no exception. Actually, the food could have been sub-par, but I had been on a great ride with a beautiful gal, and not the riding date was stretching into the evening. After dinner we had a brief discussion on where to go next. It was getting on the late side, and my house was the closest of the two.
We headed east on Prospect Street, then headed north on Emerson. This is a nice quiet, less traveled route to the east side. We arrived on Washington Street, and then headed further east to my house
Well it has been a week since I last took Kasey for a ride. I had put quite a few miles on The Pearl, and August is shaping up to be a great month! I was really looking forward to today's ride. Kasey's voice saying, "This is so wonderful," was still ringing in my ears.
I remembered what a time I had with the construction on US-36 at 465 on the west side, and with a nicely cleaned up bike, limiting construction is a must. I headed west on Washington Street, and made my way through town, passing through warm Friday downtown traffic. Along the route, I passed The Zoo, and eventually arrived on the west side of town, passing under the beltway. I continued on Washington Street where it had also became US-40, or The National Road.
I stayed on the road until Raceway, then headed north. I would still have some miles on US-36, and it would be slow going through Avon, Indiana, but I would make out to the center on Hendricks County. I pulled into to fuel up before I arrived at Kasey's House. When the tank was full, I sent a warning text message that I was close.
It would be a short drive into Danville, and then to her house. She was up and ready to go. After a brief moment in the house, we were outside, getting suited up, and mounted on The Black Pearl.
We started out on Cartersburg Road once again, meandering our way south. A few county roads leading west took us through Coatsville and Fillmore. With all the jogs, we were heading south, and then took SR 240 west in Greencastle, Indiana. This is not the town with the tree growing out of the Court House, but rather the home of Depaw University, not the famous one either.
We would cruise through town on way to Greencastle road, even though we were taking it out of town, heading toward Covered Bridge Country. Once out of town, this road gets scenic, and then twisty. We cut through acres of farms and woods. After a nice section of turns, a small portion of the trees open up, and reveal the Conley Ford Covered Bridge. No longer in use, the bridge sits next to a concrete and steel structure that has replaced it.
After a little visit and study of the bridge, we hopped back on the bike, and headed to Mansfield, Indiana, home of he Mansfield Covered Bridge. This was a more than a century old structure that we could cross. One of the longest bridges in Parke County too. On the far side, we parked, and strolled around the bridge and town, including a visit to the grist mill.
We rode out of town, and onto SR-59. We headed south, and found a county road that would take us west, and into the town of Bridgeton, Indiana. I have been here several times, and a few times when a Covered Bridge was not in this town. Someone decided it had stood too long, and thought it needed to be burned down. In an inspirational way, the tiny town in the one of the poorest counties in Indiana, rebuilt the bridge. A shinny, new, and bright bridge stand proudly over the water. Like other Covered Bridges, it dwarfs the concrete bridge that gets use now.
Being a frequent visitor to the bridge, I have become friends with the mill owner, even knowing his family. We pulled into the parking, assured that he had not gotten tired yet today and close, as the hours, 10 am until tired are proudly displayed.
A chat went along with lunch, and I think Kasey could really see how much I enjoy a place where you can talk to the owner and the cook, and get more than just a meal. By the way, the meal was very good as always. If you make your way here, make sure you save room for Ice Cream, Sweet Potato Pie is my favorite.
Well there were more Covered Bridges for me to bore my riding date with, so after a review of the Bridgeton Covered Bridge, we took The Pearl north out of town. The next Covered Bridge was call Neet, and was off the side of the road in a park like setting. This bridge had not seen use in so long, you couldn't tell how the road used the it? We looked through the bridge, including taking a sit for a bit on a bench at the end of the bridge.
We were back on the county roads of Parke County once again. I hadn't turned on the music player, because, quite frankly, it would just be in the way of the conversation. We were talking a lot, and there was little dead air. Usually when a few could corners came up, but I could her Kasey moan with delight many times. She seemed to like when the floorboards scraped the pavement too.
Well, all the talking lead to me missing a turn, and after a reroute and U-turn, we were back on our route to yet another Covered Bridge. We rode past this one, and took a quick glimpse of it. I kind of felt like she was tired of seeing them.
The next little town was that of Rosedale, Indiana. I had been here for their Strawberry Festival, and it was a hoot! A great small town festival, done only the way that small towns can. One of those where the fire truck was is the major attraction.
Off the bike, and in-between rides, Kasey and I had had several conversations. Occasionally, one of those talks comes up along the road. We had both stated that we wanted to date others for a while. I had dated others, and while I had met some really nice women, I wasn't feeling the attraction that I was feeling for Kasey. Somewhere, along a county road outside of Rosedale, and before we arrived back at SR-59, she and I agreed to only see each other. The conversation ended like this.
"Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?" She asked. Seems like an odd label for a twenty-nine year old woman. (She is really not twenty-nine but I really, really like riding with her.)
"Yes, I guess I am." I replied. In all the world right now there was only she and I, the bike, and the asphalt in front of us.
"Well, are you going to ask or not?" Her voice rang in my helmet.
"Will you be my girlfriend?" I asked
"Yes," her answer was followed by her arms wrapping around me.
We joined SR-59 and headed north to get back onto Greencastle Road. Hey a good road deserves to be ridden twice. We arrived back in Greencastle, and followed the route back to her house.
After a brief rest at her house, we decided to embark on a little trip for dinner. It was a gorgeous night, and I knew the roof top on Shelbi Street Cafe would be the ideal place to go. We took US-36 into Avon, and then south on a County Road, making our way down to US-40. This would take us into town, and through downtown until we veered off on Virginia Avenue to head to Fountain Square.
I have never had a bad meal there, and this was no exception. Actually, the food could have been sub-par, but I had been on a great ride with a beautiful gal, and not the riding date was stretching into the evening. After dinner we had a brief discussion on where to go next. It was getting on the late side, and my house was the closest of the two.
We headed east on Prospect Street, then headed north on Emerson. This is a nice quiet, less traveled route to the east side. We arrived on Washington Street, and then headed further east to my house
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