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Nature Dave's Scenic Ride
to Brandenburg, Kentucky

You may be wondering, "Why would you take a day ride to Brandenburg, KY?  What of any interest is there in Brandenburg?"  Well, to all of us that went on Nature Dave's "South of the Ohio River Ride" on Tuesday, December 30, the answer to the question is:  Little Dave's Down on the River.  What started out as a joke ended up as a pleasant surprise.  When Nature Dave was looking over his route for the ride he figured that Brandenburg would be a good stop for lunch.  A quick search of resturants revealed your usual instant food feeding stations, but there in the list was Little Dave's.  Perfect!  Nature Dave had never been to this particular tavern but he figured the look on the faces of his fellow riders' faces would make the visit worth while.

Before I tell you about Brandenburg, let's start at the beginning.  Barry Shourd, Ed Gorman, Chris Hancock, and Nature Dave rallied at Reo and headed east on IN 66 to Hawesville.  Continuing east on KY 3199 out of Hawesville, we took an unexpected turn north on KY 1406.  I had always thought 1406 ended at the pulp plant, but a right hand turn on Skillman Road follows the river, taking the rider back to 3199 and eventually to Cloverport.  From Cloverport we jumped on KY 144 to KY 259 to KY 230 to KY 228 to the KY 1307 loop back to 228 east and on into Brandenburg.  Unfortunately we did not take any photos as we were too caught up in the great river vistas to stop.  I have ridden this route in the summer but my suggestion is to wait until the leaves are off the trees so that you can really enjoy the fantastic scenery.  In addition to the sights, hills, and curves, the pavement conditions are excellent.

By the time we arrived at Brandenburg everyone was ready for some grub.  Conversations in the parking lot at Little Dave's were short and generally ran along the lines of, "Let's eat!"  Little Dave's Pub turned out to be a big surprise.  Very good chow, reasonable, clean, neat atmosphere, fine location, and a cute waitress.  To quote Arnold Schwartzenegger, "I'll be back!"

After lunch a discovery was made in the parking lot.  Nature Dave had made plans to get us there but none to get us back home.  No broken promises on this trip, we were lost.  No problem.  A quick look at the maps and Barry's GPS and we were on the way to our next stop at the BP station for fuel.  From there, it was back on 144 west to Hawesville.  Barry and Ed then continued toward Owensboro on US 60, while Chris and Dave crossed the river and stopped off in Troy for ice cream and coffee.  After declining an offer to sell their GS's, they almost made it home before darkness fell.

Normally, motorcyclists put their bikes in moth balls for the winter months.  But with a ride like we had that Tuesday, you have to ask, "Are they crazy?"

Barry tries to convince a skeptical Ed to give this Little Dave's place a try.

With bellies full, the posse saddles up to depart Brandenburg...

But first, a little route planning is required.

Note Nature Dave's high tech navigational instrument:  a hand drawn map in a clear folder affixed to his tank bag with two rubber bands.  He was in a foul mood after his 8 cent folder blew off the tank bag somewhere east of Hawesville.