Motorcycle Diaries: September 10th ride

I'd been doing some research online and had read about some good roads not too far from Cincinnati, in the north-east counties. So, on Saturday morning, Angie and I set out on US 50 east all the way to Hillsboro. US 50 is quite unexciting to ride on, with too much traffic, long straight stretches and a dull landscape, although we occasionally passed some pretty bean fields in full bloom with yellow flowers.

After a stop in Hillsboro at a DQ for some ice-cream, we headed south on SR73 toward Locust Grove in Adams county. The ride on SR73 was much more enjoyable. The main attraction in Locust Grove is something called the Serpent Mound, an ancient Indian effigy mound representing a snake.

By the time we finished walking around and taking pictures at the Serpent Mound, it was time for lunch. We looked for a restaurant in Locust Grove and didn't find any. We were riding on SR41 and soon ended up in Peebles, where we found the Village Inn restaurant. I never fail to be amazed by how inexpensive these restaurants in small towns can be. I got a Sirloin steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, cornbread, butterscotch pudding and coffee, all for under $5 !!

After lunch, we took SR32 toward Cincinnati. It immediately became evident to us that SR32, a 4 lane highway was not going to be very exciting either. So when I saw a sign for SR62 south toward Ripley, I decided to take it. And it was certainly a much better ride than Sr32. Ripley is a quaint little town on the banks of the Ohio river, about 50 miles from Cincinnati. We rode around town looking for a place to have a drink and happened upon Snappers Saloon, a bar frequented by bikers. We hung around in the outdoor beer garden for some time, appreciating the weather and taking in the the view of the river. I thought the signs on the restroom doors was interesting- Peckers and Snappers !!