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2. Bus seats & rooms are available for our second overnight trip to Owensboro - Sept. 17 & 18, 2016.  Holiday Inn Riverfront, $123.60
3. Bus seats & lodge rooms now available for May 11 - 15, 2016 trip to DeSoto St. Park, Ft. Payne, AL
4. Need to cancel on day of hike - PLEASE call Pat EARLY (i.e. 1 - 2 hours before departure).
5. Drivers put $5 in envelope with name(s) on the outside. NO LOOSE CASH PLEASE.

What:  April Hike

When:  Saturday, April 9, 2016

 Meet:  K-Mart, Breckenridge Lane & Taylorsville Rd.

Time:  8:15 am (bus leaves promptly at 8:30 am)  Return to Louisville approximately  6:30 pm

Where:  Madison, IN via Kentucky (45 miles).  Route: I-71 N., Exit 28, left off ramp on Rt. 153 to Pilot Station/McDonald's.  Continue on Rt. 153 to right on US 42 to Bedford, KY.  Take US 421 to Milton, KY.  Cross the Milton Bridge into Madison. (Read Hike Section #1)

Restroom Stop:  9:00 - 9:30 am - Pilot Station/McDonald's in same building.

Transportation:  School Bus - $5 per person for all who attend, whether on bus or driving.  Drivers please put $5 in envelope with name(s) on outside.  PLEASE NO LOOSE CASH. 

Hike:  10:30 am - 3:00 pm -This is an exciting urban walk on paved and flat surfaces with such a variety of things to see & experience.

1. Bus will drive the route hikers will walk to familiarize everyone with the area.  Autos should follow behind the bus to a safe area to park at the end of Vaughn Drive and Vernon Street or the big lot at Visitor Center.  ALL Drivers should board the bus and ride back to KY side.  We can all squeeze on for about 1 1/2 miles.
2. Everyone will exit the bus & walk 3/4 mile across the new Milton-Madison Bridge from KY to IN.  The ramp will bring you to Vaughn Dr. and the waterfront path.
3. Walk West (away from the bridge) on the waterfront approximately 1 1/4 miles.  Points of interest - Antiques; The Lumber Mill; Wineries; Lanier Mansion Tours; The Visitor Center and gift shop (restrooms in this bldg.)
4. At the end of the riverwalk, you take a cinder path beside the railroad track. The Heritage Trail starts here. You will pass by the Sewage Plant (not bad) & cross over Second St. (all the while following the RR tracks).  You will see a bridge (Main St.) that crosses over the RR tracks.  After you go under the bridge, you will be on a grassy path. This is where you split from the tracks. You will see a paved parking lot in a low-lying area with a path to an arched stone bridge on the hard right that crosses a creek.  At this point you will make a BIG decision -- real hard climb or nice gentle stroll beside the creek, called Crooked Creek.
5. The gentle stroll on a path beside the creek goes about 1/2 mile to an old bridge & dead ends.  Retrace your steps toward Second St., but CHANGE DIRECTION ON RETURN and walk to the hard right instead of the grassy path.  Take the asphalt road up a short, but steep incline beside a house or apartment which puts you on W. Main St.  Turn left and walk about one block to Red Pepper & Red Pepperoni Restaurants.  This is the beginning of Main Street's "restaurant row."  Walking east toward the Milton Bridge there are many choices for a meal (refer to map).
6. If you opt for the hard climb, it will be 3/4 mile of continuous grade on an asphalt one-lane road for pedestrian use only.  This leads to the Madison State Hospital/Women's Correctional Facility - you may walk a 2 mile flat circular road around these facilities.  You will be given typed detailed instructions if you decide on this option.  Note: I did this once (omitting the "cat walk"), and I will be meandering beside Crooked Creek, thank you very much!
7. Some hikers may have escaped to quaint Madison after option #3 to spend the day exploring Main St. shops & eateries or wineries.

Meal:  3:00 - 5:30 pm - This includes time to visit shops, wineries, antique malls, the beautiful Broadway Fountain, and Lanier Mansion tours (35-45 minutes starting on the hour - $8 for seniors over 60). Some restaurant choices are numbered on the city map, with corresponding numbers & descriptions on the back.

5:30:  Bus to Louisville - all hikers meet at Main Street Comfort Station, 221 W. Main St.  This is the public rest room in an old gas station, painted green and white, located between Poplar Ln. and Central Ave.

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