Category Archives: camping

Hodgenville, KY

camping, motel, ,

Late in the afternoon, just as I crossed into the Eastern time zone, I saw my first live turtle crossing the road. I had seen many, but they had all been crushed by cars. Turtles couldn’t run out of the way. I picked up the 4″ turtle, probably rescuing it from the truck that barreled down the road a minute later. As I picked it up, it urinated all over my front brake and pannier. Probably a natural defense mechanism.

I went to the nearest house, which was only about 50 yards, and asked the man sitting on the porch to take my picture with the turtle. The man turned out to be quite friendly, and enlightened me with some turtle lore. Apparently, turtles start to wander, seeking moisture, when it gets dry. There were seven different kinds of meat on a single turtle, and turtle soup was delicious. He also said to be careful of snapping turtles (which was what I had), because they didn’t let go. The only way to get them off your finger is to cut the head off. The type I had supposedly grew to a full 24″. I left the turtle with the man, who said he would put it in a nearby pond.

The weather report had lied. 85 degrees was promised, but it was 92 and humid. I wanted a motel room at Hodgenville, where I stopped for the night. The woman at the convenience store said to call all the motels first. There was some big event that went on in town every Saturday, and it was my bad fortune to have arrived there right on Friday night. The woman also said to try Joel Ray Sprowl’s Jamboree (which was the event every Saturday).

Hodgenville had many Lincoln-themed businesses, as the birthplace of the 16th President. Ruthie’s Lincoln Freeze across the street pegs the location as 700 S. Lincoln Blvd. Abe’s Market is where the woman told me to call motels first. For dinner, I had Catfish and Salad Bar at Lincoln’s Country Kitchen.

Of course, none of the motels had space. I went to the Jamboree, and found an enormous parking field in the back. There was a museum in front, and a theatre where the show was held. I went into the museum to find out where I could pay for the campsite.

The clerk inside asked if I was part of the Jamboree. I said no. She then suggested that I go and camp at the Cruise Inn campground, explaining that the campground out back was only for the Jamboree attendees. This sounded fine to me.

I went back to get my bike. Just as I was wheeling my bike to the edge of the lot, a well-dressed man stopped me.

“No, no, you can camp here! Camping is free for everybody!” he said.

The man didn’t look any different from the other people in the lot, but he spoke with authority. I suspected that the man was Mr. Sprowl himself.

it was like jesus telling the thief on the cross, “…today you will be with me in paradise.” from anyone else, it’s just bs, but this was the guy that gets to say.

There was a profusion of tiny mosquitoes at that place. They were about 2/3 proper size. Mosquitoes were nothing new to me; I applied my usual repellent.

i love that word, “profusion.” it was on the sat sample questions (antonym: “paucity”). so rare that i get to use it in a sentence.
Tiny mosquitoes (picture taken the next day).

I slept on the steps of an abandoned concrete amphitheater that night — probably the site of the original Jamboree many years ago.

This was where I slept under the stars. Too hot for a tent. (picture taken the next day)

Sunday, August 21, 1988

In the morning, Greer and Lucille Martin came over from their motorhome to offer me breakfast. It was a fine breakfast, and I found Greer to be very wise. He had a philosophy of verifying things for himself. He read the Bible instead of believing what other people told him.

Greer and Lucille Martin, touring with their grandchildren. They invited me to breakfast.
And this was their motorhome.

I had trouble finding the First Baptist Church that Sunday morning. I kept getting conflicting directions when I asked different people. I finally found it, and then found out that there were actually TWO First Baptist Churches in town. There had originally been only one in 1837, but it split apart in 1880, becoming First Baptist, White, and First Baptist, Colored. The split was still intact. After church, I had lunch with a local family.

W.D. Burden on the left, and Mae 2nd from the right. They had 3 sons and a daughter – possibly those are the other two people in the picture? Lunch as broccoli, corn, sliced tomatoes, and chicken pot pie. Mrs. Burden made Turtle Brownies (contained no actual Turtle). They went on to send us Christmas cards for over 10 years.

In the evening, I checked the Cruise Inn, and found lots of space. Everyone had cleared out after the Jamboree. A camp spot was $8.40, and a room was $24. With such a low differential, I took the room. The room was big. Although there was only one bed, there was certainly enough room for another. I penned eleven postcards on Sunday.

So manyinteresting kinds of beetles there. An insect collectors dream.

Here is a local glossary that I collected in my journal over several days:

  • Rot – opposite of left
  • Arn – ferrous metal used in making steel
  • Yawl – you guys
  • Ba – farewell
  • Non – one less than ten
  • Da – to cease living
  • Holler – empty on the inside
  • Oss – solid state of H2O

Somewhere along the way, I was in a convenience store getting a drink, and it sounded like the guy at the register said, “Want some oss?” My first thought was, “Oh no, is this hick trying to pimp someone on me?” But then I realized it was ICE.