Jeff's Tunnel of Greenery
Here is one of my favorite afternoon rides:
1. From Louisville, take US 42 east through Goshen, Skylight, and Sligo to SR 3175 (about 5 miles west of Bedford).
2. Turn right (south) on 3175. After a few miles, cross the Little Kentucky River on an old wooden bridge, and then into Sulphur. The sign in Sulphur says, "Congested area ahead." Ha! There's no congestion of any sort within 50 miles of Sulphur.
3. Turn right (southeast) on SR 1606, freshly paved, for several miles of sweepers.
4. SR 1606 ends at SR 146. Turn left on 146 for a short ride into New Castle; turn left on 421 for about one mile to SR 202. Turn right on 202.
5. SR 202 goes for several miles, and eventually ends at SR 389. Go "straight" on 389. (Don't turn left on 389.)
6. SR 389 follows along the Kentucky River, and after several miles intersects with SR 22. Turn left on 22, and go across the river to SR 355 in Gratz. David Hardy has said that Gratz should be considered the center of all good motorcycle roads in Kentucky.
7. Turn right (southeast) on SR 355. 355 runs along the ridge tops above the Kentucky River. In the winter months when the leaves are fallen, there are wonderful views of the river and valley below.
8. SR 355 ends at SR 127. Turn right, go through the small town of Monterey, and watch for SR 368 a few miles past Monterey. (The sign is easy to miss.) Turn left on 368.
9. SR 368 is a relatively unknown motorcycle road, but a very pretty and enjoyable ride. At points, the trees clasp hands overhead and form a tunnel of greenery to ride through.
10. SR 368 ends at SR 227 . . . motorcycle mecca. Turn left and enjoy! (Don't try to keep up with Ed Hessel or Mark Rense.)
11. It is customary to stop at the DQ in Owenton for a Coke or ice cream. Then back to 227 for more twisties. Yippee! Eventually 227 intersect with US 42 in Carrollton. Turn right on 42 . . . and soon enough yer back to Louisville.
Hope others will post a few favorite roads too!
--Jeff Sauer
Maps. The roads on Jeff's route are principally presented on pp. 24-26 of the DeLorme Kentucky atlas. To see a segment of the route, click here for a link to a Mapquest map. [Note: this link takes you to Owenton, Kentucky, the nearest burg which is indexed on Mapquest's server.]