By: Alex Tran
Today, we finally leave Virginia and head into Kentucky which we've heard so much about. Just five miles in, there's trouble. Two giant dogs blindside us. They got in between our bikes, posturing aggressively. Bethany hit the brakes, causing me and Lisa to slow down. We were in really high gears at the bottom of a downhill so we had trouble accelerating. We couldn't outbike the dogs in our current condition. In my shirts back right pocket was an air horn and pepper spray. I reached back and picked up whatever I could easily get. However, I needed the air horn. There were two dogs and you only get one chance with the pepper spray.
Luckily, I got the air horn. I ripped out the cap with my mouth and sprayed the horn as hard as I could. There was a hissing sound and a cloud of smoke. The dogs froze and looked at us as we biked away. We were on high alert for the rest of the day. I was holding the air horn at the ready in my left hand for the rest of the day.
After a long climb, we finally crossed into the great state of Kentucky with wild dogs and scary drivers everywhere. Neighborhoods were now a scary sight. After every dog bark, you'd wait for the rattle of a chain or look for a fence. Well, it was that way for a while. Around 30 miles in, there was a Doberman that started barked and ran parallel to us. We weren't worried since there was a metal fence between us but the fence stopped. I immediately whipped out my air horn and stopped the Doberman in its tracks.
With adrenaline rushing through us the entire way, we finished the ride. We would be staying at a bed and breakfast in Hazard, Kentucky. After showering and relaxing, we were invited to dinner at the senior center with another group biking across the country, Bike and Build, which was a massive group of over 20 people. We mingled and ate an assortment of burgers, hot dogs, salads, and anything else we could get our hands on. Once dinner was over, we returned to the bed and breakfast and tried to watch Talladega Nights before heading to sleep.
