Madison, Indiana Shamrock Tour®: 4 Motorcycle Rides
Along its 981-mile journey from Pittsburgh to the Mississippi, the Ohio River courses through southern Indiana and northern Kentucky. Because the massive, terrain-flattening ice age glaciers never advanced this far south, the region retained its hilly topography.
Florian and I put our kickstands down in Madison, IN, our home base for the next four days. Recalling our visit here some 15 years ago, the town appeared timeworn then. While we’ve been away, Madison has transformed back into a vibrant midwestern jewel of art and architecture on the banks of the Ohio. We check in at one of the town’s most dramatic buildings: the historical Eagle Cotton Mill, which has been brilliantly revived as the Madison Fairfield Inn & Suites.
Fall in Frankfort
Under cerulean skies in crisp fall weather, we begin our adventure into what I call the Ohio River borderlands. We glide effortlessly across the water on the iconic Milton-Madison continuous metal truss bridge. For us, it’s a new bridge, having replaced the previous one the year after our last Madison visit. Touching down in Kentucky, we’re seeing and feeling the motorcycling magic of a radiant fall day.
Motorcycles & Gear
2021 Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE
2014 BMW F 800 GSA
Helmets: Schuberth E2 Carbon, Schuberth C4 Modular
Jackets: Richa Orion GTX, Joe Rocket Leather
Pants: Richa Orion GTX, BMW Textile Summer Riding Pants
Gloves: Racer Gloves, Inbike Leather Perforated
Boots: Sidi Canyon Gore-Tex, Alpinestars Distinct Drystar
Following SR 36 east, we soon stop at the 1,277-foot-long Prestonville-Carrollton metal truss bridge (c. 1952), which spans the Kentucky River. We pause there briefly while I shoot photos of Florian riding across it. The morning light, intricate bridge structure, forested landscape, and Florian on his Triumph capture the moment. In Carrollton, KY, we explore sinuous roads and a panoramic vista in nearby General Butler State Park. Riding south, we enter a hilly, rural landscape along sweeping curves on backroads that snake through shades cast by the canopy above.
Arriving in historical Frankfort, KY, I recall that it has been Kentucky’s state capital since 1792. Perhaps the most famous Kentuckian in American history is Daniel Boone. He led the expedition that created Kentucky’s Wilderness Road, which facilitated America’s westward expansion. We stop to pay our respects at the Frankfort Cemetery, where Boone’s gravesite sits atop a panoramic overlook of Frankfort, the Kentucky River, and the state’s Capitol building.
Before departing Frankfort and its many other historical attractions, we stop for a refreshing al fresco lunch at the Sage Garden Cafe. The Thai salmon salad provided just the right sustenance for us to continue our journey. Because I’m always on the lookout for covered bridges, we locate the Switzer Covered Bridge which spans Elkhorn Creek. Unfortunately, the bridge has not received its fair share of TLC and suffers from a plethora of graffiti on its interior. Nevertheless, I’m still glad we stopped at a disappearing symbol of 19th-century rural travel.
We then ride north, following a series of backroads through quaint small towns. After crossing back into Indiana, we follow SR 156 (aka Ohio River Scenic Byway) to our home base in Madison.