My thoughts on Appalachia

Matt & I are now west of I-75 just east of Elizabethtown, KY. We have now traveled nearly 1,000 miles. On Saturday we took our first day off to spend fathers day weekend with our families and friends in Berea, KY (One hour south of Lexington on I-75).

My experience of riding through rural roads in Appalachia has compelled me to share some of my thoughts on our time there. The parts of Western Virginia and Eastern Kentucky which we rode through were some of the poorest areas in the entire United States (I have not researched the numbers, but the disturbing degree of poverty was readily apparent). While entering Kentucky at Elkhorn City, Matt put it best, “I cannot believe that this is America.”

The degree of poverty was comparable only to what I have seen on television when they report on shanty towns in Third World countries. I do not consider myself sheltered and I am well aware that poverty exists in the United States, but what I witnessed made me sick to my stomach. The roads we traveled were lined with what should be condemned homes and trailers that sat no more than 10 feet from the road. Roofs were repaired with miscellaneous pieces of sheet metal, garbage was piled up and strewn about, the rivers smelled like gasoline, and every home had at least 3 neglected pets that with no doubt will die soon from starvation. We saw goat pens that were attached to the front of homes. Many of the homes did not even have doors.

Despite it being weekdays when we came through these towns most people were at home sitting on their porches. Without a doubt much of this area is kept afloat solely on government provided welfare. We didn’t take pictures of what we saw out of fear of making the residents angry. These people and their guns are not something we were about to mess with.

We rode our bicycles at 15 mph through areas of America that I would avoid at all cost in a car traveling at 55 mph. Flags bearing swastikas were displayed in the windows of homes with pride. As if it weren’t already readily apparent, locals repeatedly warned us that we were in an extremely dangerous area. Fortunately, Matt & I have safely made our way out of back country Appalachia.

We saw terrible areas of America in Western Virginia and Eastern Kentucky, but I don’t think my reporting should be misinterpreted as my views of the people we met. Despite the rampant poverty the area was also home to extremely hardworking and generous people. Most people waved and said, “Hello.” It was an important experience for me and also for Matt I am sure. I am humbled to be reminded how blessed we both are.