2015 Maysville, KY Motorcycle trip
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We were sitting on the front porch Wednesday evening watching Buford frolick. Donna said she had the weekend off now because she had given her extra Sunday shift to a co-worker. She said, "We should go on a motorcycle trip this weekend." No sooner were the words spoken than we started making plans.
I was tickled that Donna suggested a motorcycle trip. Usually it is the guy trying to get the girl to go. I'm blessed that Donna loves to ride, but she doesn't get to ride as much as she would like. I ride to work. A couple weeks ago I went on a ride with Monty & Stephanie while Donna had to work.
Last fall when we returned from our trip to the Outer Banks we rode some of the Ohio River. I was taken with the town of Maysville. It is a cute town with all the essentials...a river and trains. I had mentioned to Donna months ago that the French Quarter Inn looked like a nice place to stay for a weekend getaway. It is next to the river and the railroad tracks. We decided to go there.
Donna arranged coverage for Buford and the plans were set. I had to finish installing the headset into Donna's new Bell helmet.
August 8
Donna sporting her new helmet. We thought about leaving around 8 or 9 but my insomnia intervened and we left closer to 10:30. Everything we packed fit into one small bag that went into the trunk. No trailer or hitch rack. Donna said there would be no shopping...just motorcycle riding. I love that girl. The weather forecast for the weekend is sunny and warm. No rain.
I had plenty of gas so we stopped at Revere's for drinks only.
Excellent riding weather.
At Brownstown we took IN-39 south to IN-256. This will take us all the way to Madison.
Austin, IN. A nice small town.
 Thanks to Indiana DOT for more crappy chip & seal. They won't be happy until every road in Indiana sucks. This is IN-256 east of Austin.
 This is Donna's first crossing of the new Madison bridge over the Ohio River. It's nice they retained a metal structure. Concrete bridges are so bland.
 Madison, IN. 12:15, mileage 81,750 - Donna needed a restroom break and the bike could use some gas so we stopped on the Kentucky side of the bridge.
 Commentary...if you can squeeze yourself into a Corvette cockpit are you really handicapped? 'Handicapped' used to mean a physical mobility impairment involving a wheelchair or a walker. Nowadays I think it means you've sweet talked a doctor into signing a form. Handicapped parking abuse is a pet peeve of mine...commentary off.
 Soon we were heading east on KY-36. There are nice, old houses and scenic river views. This would be a nice road to walk or bicycle so you could take in everything. You miss a lot at 55mph.
The blue bridge means we are at Carrollton, KY.
This cute little switcher is parked at one of the many industries east of Carrolton.
 The highway eventually merges with US127. This weekend is the "US127 yard sale". I thought it would be fun to ride this road since Donna likes yard sales. I was wrong. Today I coined the phrase "yard tards" to describe the insanity of some of these people. It took us forever to get out of the yard sale mess. Once we reached the outskirts of Florence it became stoplight hell and we could see that traffic was backed up, so we took off on side roads to our next destination.
 Which was...Mad Mike's Burgers. Donna found places to eat for the trip and this had good reviews. We didn't want to eat at any chain places. The hamburger was awesome and they had the kind of fries I like.
 Leaving Mad Mike's we took US25 to KY-536. When plotting this route on the map I was afraid it would be suburban with stoplights and traffic. I was happily surprised to find KY-536 was fairly rural and a nice road to ride.
At Oneonta we turned onto KY-8 and were once again following the Ohio River.
A CSX mainline runs along the road and I am on high alert to see a train.
 It didn't take long to get to Maysville and the French Quarter Inn. We checked in. The rooms are nice and most include a jaquzzi tub. The hotel has an old, classy feel. The river side rooms are $95. When I viewed the hotel on Google maps I thought the parking lot would be a good place for viewing the river and trains. The reality was...no. There is a huge floodwall there. In the background are the stairs to the terrace we would be looking for later.
The view from our room. 
 After we had chilled in the room for awhile we decided to explore. There is a river walk in front of the hotel. You walk under the railroad tracks to get there. We watched a barge head up river and took in the view.
 Next we decided to check out the town. We stopped at a convenience store for drinks. They had a poster in the window that reminded us of Buford.
 The old town center had some nice buildings that seem to have been well maintained. The Hollywood Clooneys are from this area and we saw several references to them. The old movie theater Donna is walking passed is being renovated. 
After we finished our walkabout we wanted to go to the hotel's terrace. We tried to find an entrance from inside the hotel with no luck. We eventually found stairs on the outside that got us there.
The view from the hotel terrace. We sat here for awhile. There was a nice breeze. We watched some people fishing from a boat and I was on the lookout for trains. No trains came.
We needed a few items so we went to Walmart. Going to Walmart seems to be a trip staple. Donna also bought Buford a toy.
 From Walmart we headed back to old Maysville to have supper at Caproni's. The road down the hill was nice and curvy. An unexpected pleasure. Caproni's is on the river side of the flood wall. I guess it is a goner in a big flood.
A nice looking old car. Caproni's is a little on the fancy side. There were dishes in the entry signed by George Clooney, Linda Ronstadt, former President Clinton, and others. They had a guy playing music. When the greeter asked if we had reservations I thought we might be out of luck but it wasn't a problem. We didn't even have to wait for a table. The food was excellent. I had a BBQ-glazed pork chop, mashed potatoes, green beans, and salad. Mmmmmmmmm. The meals were only ~$20 each. The railroad tracks run next to the restaurant but no trains passed. There would have been a nice view of the river but a string of hopper cars were parked on a siding.
To the west of Caproni's is an Amtrak station and a small railroad yard. Maysville, KY. 19:41, mileage 81,892 - As we retuned to the hotel we stopped and got gas at the convenience store. Just as we were pulling in we saw the tail end of a short train...probably headed to the small yard.
The bike put away for the evening. Back at the hotel I covered the bike. There were several police cars parked there. They must be here for some type of training. We showered, watched TV, and just relaxed. A sudden rumble got my attention. Train! There would be three more trains that night. We watched one from the terrace. August 9
 The next morning we slept in...at least I did. Since we didn't bring anything it didn't take long to have the bike ready to go. Donna had some unexpected news. There is rain in the forecast today. Where did that come from?
The obligatory picture of me.
Soon we were crossing the bridge and heading for the Ohio side. There was some fog in the area.
The US68 bridge west of Maysville.
 In 2010 Mike and I had ridden this road, but in the opposite direction. I saw a lot of things I remembered. You seem to pass through a small town every several miles.
Then you ride along the river for awhile.
The temperature is a little cooler today.
"Jack'em High, Fat girls can't Climb" - even Donna laughed at that.
At New Richmond US52 turns to four lane. Time to crank up the speed and cover some ground.
Sigh...interstate for awhile.
Back into Kentucky.
This reminded me of the Kurdzioleks. They want to get a Class A motorhome.
Back in Indiana.
 This Valero station always makes me smile. This was the last stop in 2007 when I brought the Goldwing home. It was late at night and I got a cappucino to keep me going. 
I love seeing large garages. They inspire me.
 We arrived at the Crossroads Restaurant in Versailles about 11:45. They were already crowded so we thought we might have to wait.
 Donna asked if we could sit outside which was a great idea. It was quiet and peaceful out there with a nice breeze. It never takes long to get food here, and it is excellent. I had pork tenderloin.
 After we left we got a few sprinkles but that was all. The cloudy skies made me happy and Donna chilly.
 Our governor recently told the EPA that Indiana would not recognize their latest restrictions on coal...which I applaud. Hopefully these hopper cars will be moving again soon.
 Bedford, IN. 14:03, mileage 82,080 - All too soon we were back home. Donna went and got Buford. I thought about mowing the grass but took a nap instead.
404 miles.
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