My Stomping Grounds
You have been given some great advice on routes. Lamberts, LBL, Cave in Rock and the Ferry, Jeff Davis Monument in Hopkinsville.... all great stuff. You cant really go wrong stopping by any of them. I will tell you that there are no good motorcycle roads during the Illinois portion of your trip. I enjoy stopping to see the convergence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers in Cairo. But everything in southern Illinois is farm land.
On the Kentucky side, things get a little better. But it is still a lot of farmland. You will see a little more forests and curves.
I know you have ruled out Indiana on the trip to Lebanon, but there is a great route along the Ohio river if you have time on the way back. Pick up Indiana Route 62 just west of Louisville and follow it to Leavenworth, Indiana and Indiana Route 66 to Saint Meinrad, Indiana. It is one of my favorite rides in Indiana. It really offers the best of what Indiana has to offer in terms of motorcycle roads. Once you hit St Meinrad, the roads are ok, but a lot more gentle sweepers and farm territory. The good news is that if you get tired of riding and want to get home, this route parallels I64.
The roads are typical Indiana flat land, but for sightseeing the largest Memorial outside of Washington DC is in Vincennes, Indiana (about 50 miles north of Evansville). The George Rogers Clark Memorial is the site that commemorates the man and western battles of the Revolutionary War. Also in Vincennes is the Indiana Military Museum. Its a very nice museum that has a lot of great airplanes, vehicles, and military memorabilia.
You have been given some great advice on routes. Lamberts, LBL, Cave in Rock and the Ferry, Jeff Davis Monument in Hopkinsville.... all great stuff. You cant really go wrong stopping by any of them. I will tell you that there are no good motorcycle roads during the Illinois portion of your trip. I enjoy stopping to see the convergence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers in Cairo. But everything in southern Illinois is farm land.
On the Kentucky side, things get a little better. But it is still a lot of farmland. You will see a little more forests and curves.
I know you have ruled out Indiana on the trip to Lebanon, but there is a great route along the Ohio river if you have time on the way back. Pick up Indiana Route 62 just west of Louisville and follow it to Leavenworth, Indiana and Indiana Route 66 to Saint Meinrad, Indiana. It is one of my favorite rides in Indiana. It really offers the best of what Indiana has to offer in terms of motorcycle roads. Once you hit St Meinrad, the roads are ok, but a lot more gentle sweepers and farm territory. The good news is that if you get tired of riding and want to get home, this route parallels I64.
The roads are typical Indiana flat land, but for sightseeing the largest Memorial outside of Washington DC is in Vincennes, Indiana (about 50 miles north of Evansville). The George Rogers Clark Memorial is the site that commemorates the man and western battles of the Revolutionary War. Also in Vincennes is the Indiana Military Museum. Its a very nice museum that has a lot of great airplanes, vehicles, and military memorabilia.