Day 17: New Roads, LA to Bunkie, LA

Daily Miles: 65.2 Total Miles: 886.5

Flooded land near New Roads

On the road again! Today was a loooooong day, but a really good one. This morning we woke up at 6:30am and begrudgingly bid New Orleans au revoir. By the time we got everything together, stopped at McDonald's for a few Egg McMuffins, and drove the 2+ hours back to the route it was nearly 11am. I hit the road hoping to make the 65 miles to Bunkie, but I wasn't sure I would make it. We once again went slightly off the ACA route, saving ~12 miles, staying on Louisiana 1 all the way from New Roads to Hamburg and then rejoining the trail.

Louisiana country barn

Since it was Sunday the route was perfectly acceptable. Almost all of it had a great shoulder (minus 7 miles around Simmesport), and there was minimal traffic.  Once I got going, I realized I was flying! I made it the first 30 miles in exactly 2 hours and before I knew it had knocked out the ~48 miles to Moreauville to meet up with Mary. The scenery today was really pretty and different. I think we were in a floodplain, because there was water everywhere, usually right beside the road. When we weren't near water we were driving through really pretty farmland that looks different than the land East of the Mississippi.

These baby lambs arrived  just in time for Easter!

We also went through a lot of small towns and I met and chatted with a bunch of cute kids who were interested in me, the bike, and the trip. One little kid said, "Girl, I could never do that. My knees would up and give out on me." It was so cute, because he was just a little 10 year old! In Moreauville, we drove off route a bit and ate at an ice cream shack called Dadde's (pronounced Daddy's). The burgers were decent and the folks working and eating there were really nice.

More water along the route

We ate and chatted, and before long it was time to hit the trail again. I foolishly thought I would continue my blazing pace and told Mary I'd see her in a little over an hour in Bunkie, ~18 miles away. Well, I was wrong. As soon as I headed out I was greeted with a fierce headwind. My pace slowed to about 10 MPH, but I eventually made it to the hotel around 5:30pm. We are feeling rested and great and we're looking forward to continuing our adventure.

Day 16: New Orleans, LA (Rest Day)

Beautiful church in the French Quarter

Laissez les bons temps rouler (let the good times roll)!! Today Mary and I spent a GREAT day in New Orleans. We started the day early with a stroll through the French Quarter, including a stop at the Cafe Du Monde for breakfast. We had to wait a little while in line, but their world famous beignets, French donuts covered in powdered sugar, and cafe au lait were well worth it. While eating we watched a group of Jamaican acrobat street performers that were awesome.

Impressive street performers

Afterwards we visited a local artists' cooperative and then continued our walk down famous Bourbon Street. By the time we had taken everything in it was almost 1pm, and we were already ready for lunch! We once again had a little wait for a table at Acme Oyster House, but once again, it was well worth it. Mary and I both agreed that their char-grilled oysters may be the best thing we've ever tasted. We both had the seafood gumbo and po' boy combo, and they were both delicious. After lunch we explored a little more and I did a little shopping before coming back to the room to rest up. Before we knew it, it was time to hit the streets again to watch the St. Patrick's Day parade. The parade started in the 9th Ward at 6pm, but I had a feeling it wouldn't make it out near us until at least 8pm. 

Bagpipe band in the St. Patrick's Day Parade

We went down around 7:30, and about an hour later the parade came by. There were a lot of floats and people marching in the parade and we got tons of beads without compromising our moral integrity. All in all, it was a super-fun day and a great experience for both of us. Tomorrow we're heading back to the trail, but we'll be leaving New Orleans with a lot of great memories!! 

Day 15: Chipola, LA to New Roads, LA

Daily Miles: 41.9 Total Miles: 821.3

Crossing the Mississippi

Today we crossed the Mighty Mississippi!! We had purposefully planned a shorter mileage day because after today's ride we are heading to Baton Rouge and then on to New Orleans for a rest day. I was up and ready to go early, and was greeted by a very thick fog. Mom and I had to drive the ~35 miles back to Chipola and the fog cleared a little, but when I set out at 9am, I was still a little nervous. I put on my blinking lights, and fortunately enjoyed the first wide shoulder I've seen since leaving Florida. The fog eventually cleared and I made great time riding up Louisiana 10 through the cute historic towns of Clinton and Jackson. While I was riding Mary was enjoying a tour of the Oakley Plantation. Before I knew it I was calling Mary to tell her to get ready to meet me on the other side of the Mississippi River.

Slave quarters at the Oakley Plantation 

The Audubon Bridge opened less than a year ago, and it's a beautiful bridge with a great shoulder for bikers. I finished up my ride around noon, returned to the hotel to shower, and then we headed down to Baton Rouge to have my bike serviced. Through some great recommendations by Andrew, a future classmate of mine, we ate a delicious late lunch and enjoyed drinks on a rooftop bar overlooking the Mississippi. After picking up my bike from the shop we pressed on to New Orleans. The traffic was rough, but we finally made it to our hotel, located on the canal, steps from the French Quarter. We were exhausted and took it easy tonight, but tomorrow we'll be ready to explore. As you all know tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, so we're looking forward to the parades and exploring the city!

Crawfish risotto and spicy gumbo in Baton Rouge

Day 14: Plainview, LA to Chipola, LA

Daily Miles: 59.9 Total Miles: 779.4

Today's ride featured mainly pretty farming land

Today was another good day on the road. Once again, I was a little slow getting started due to two nights in a row of not-so-great sleep. I didn't actually start my ride until 10am today, by far the latest start of the trip. It was a combination of laziness, tiredness, and needing to drive back out to the route. Once I got going I started feeling better and quickly made it the ~38 miles to Tangipahoa where I met up with Mary to drive a few miles up the road and have Subway for lunch. The ride was nice with a lot of gentle rolling hills, and I was really enjoying it. To give you an idea of the type of country we are riding through, there was a good 45 miles of today's trip with absolutely no services.

Who needs food or gas when you have Bebos?

No gas, food, nothing on the main route. Well, almost nothing. We headed back out after lunch to polish off the last ~20 miles of the day and about half way there we happened upon a small casino. In the middle of nowhere. Literally. There were just acres and acres of farms and then one building called Bebo's Casino. It was very strange, and as I was passing by I was 99% sure that I would see Mary's car parked out front. Surprisingly, however, she managed to resist the temptation. What the route lacked in amenities, it more than made up for with the countless dog attacks that kept me on my toes. I was greeted by at least 15 dogs today, by far the most of the trip, and I even tweaked my right knee again trying to outrun one of the bigger ones.

Lots of gently rolling hills

That's when I developed a new strategy for dealing with the dogs. I call it "Homeward Bound-ing." Now, instead of peddling really hard to try to outrun the dogs, I just slow down a little bit when the dogs come running. I go just slow enough that the dogs can keep up with me and then I just keep riding slowly, with the dogs following. A nice fit dog will keep running for over a mile. Then, when the dog gets tired of running and I get tired of going slow, I kick it in to high gear. I yell "Adios" to the dogs, and wish them good luck making it back home without the help of Sassy and Shadow. So far this strategy is working well. I will let you all know if I end up getting bit.

Mary enjoying the art at Magnolia Cafe

Mom did a little recon work and we found a nice, suitable shortcut tomorrow, cutting about 9 miles off the route and routing us over the brand-new Audubon Bridge crossing the Mississippi River. I was able to stop a little south of Chipola today and tomorrow have a short 43-45 miles to go before we pack up and head to New Orleans for our rest day. Tonight we're staying in St. Francisville, a cute town near the Mississippi with a lot of pretty plantation homes. We ate a great dinner in town at the Magnolia Cafe. We had a delicious first: spicy fried alligator bites. They were amazing!

Day 13: Perkinston, MS to Plainview, LA

Daily Miles: 59.1 Total Miles: 719.5

Three states down!!

Helloooo Louisiana!! So far we have been making pretty quick work of these states, but I'll be singing a different tune when we hit Texas next week (for 20+ days!). Today, I was prepared to ride 68 miles into Plainview, LA but thanks to a big shortcut, I ended up finishing the day under 60 miles. And thank goodness for that. Today it was HOT and HUMID. And while there wasn't as much climbing as yesterday, the grade of the roads was significantly steeper. I headed out at about 9:15am, and was feeling a little sluggish. My legs were tired from yesterday, the hills started immediately, and ride was really bumpy due to poorly paved roads.

Beautiful country roads

I finally worked out the soreness and made pretty good time into Poplarville, 30 miles into the day. There I saw it... The thing I have been dreaming of for the last few days... A Pizza Hut lunch buffet. And Mary had pulled over right beside it. I was already starving and put up a pretty good showing at the buffet, but was shamed by a 80+ year old, maybe 100 lb., grandma who was there with her grandson. That woman ate like 15 pieces of pizza. Very impressive. During lunch Mary and I consulted the map and we realized we could cut ~9 miles, and about 15 turns off our route by just taking State Road 26 directly from Poplarville to Bogalusa, LA. We decided to drive a few miles up the road to see if it would be safe for cycling and it looked fine to us, nice wide shoulder and not too much traffic.

Main street in Bogalusa. Named after my latina alter ego. 

Mom dropped me back off at Pizza Hut and I headed down SR 26. Well, as I should have known, about a mile after we had turned around, the shoulder disappeared. Then it became clear that the road was used predominately by large logging trucks. Then the nice pavement switched to the typical Mississippi bone-rattling pavement that I have grown to hate. All in all, the ~15 mile ride was a little more stressful than I would have liked, but on a hot day like today, I'm glad I saved those 9 miles. The road finally widened as I caught up with Mary at the Louisiana border. We took our ceremonial photos, and I rested a bit, then we headed out for the last 12 miles of the day.

Mary with her new buddies

The route took us through Bogalusa and on out through absolutely beautiful country. I finished the ride in Plainview and then we doubled back to Bogalusa, where we're staying tonight. Mom has already befriended the two kids of our hotel owners, and we're relaxing a bit before heading out to dinner. Finally, Mary and I want to say hi to Ms. Semonco and her 5th grade students at Kimball Elementary in West Virginia. We know you guys are following us closely and supporting us every step of the way. Mary enjoyed saying hi to you this afternoon!

Day 12: North of Dees, AL to Perkinston, MS

Daily Miles: 70.8 Total Miles: 660.4

Closest thing to a Welcome to MS sign

Today was a big day! Big miles (70+), big climbs (~2900 ft), and a big open road with almost no traffic. This morning we woke up, swung by McDonald's for a quick breakfast since our hotel didn't offer any, and drove back to the trail. I headed out at 9am and less than 5 miles later was at the Mississippi state line. At least we assume it was the Mississippi state line, since there was no sign! I was all ready for another big photo shoot, and nothing. All we could find a few feet up the road was a street called State Line Road. That had to suffice and off I continued. The only thing that welcomed me to Mississippi was a noticeably worse road, one that occasionally improved, but for the most part shook me senseless today.

Hello Mr. Cow

I planned to meet up with Mary in VanCleave, which at 28 miles into the ride was not even halfway, but it was the only spot listed on today's entire route that said it had a place to eat. Well, the place it had to eat was a Texaco station offering a variety of fried things. I bought some chicken nuggets, a Coke, and a PowerBar, ate, and then hit the road again. The scenery today was nothing but beautiful country roads and I saw a ton of animals: horses, goats, a turtle, lots of dogs (not my favorites), and even some very interesting longhorn cows or bulls.

I had the road to myself today!

I continued on along the pretty, but rough roads, climbing along (and also going downhill too, I climbed over 2700 ft, but our final destination was only ~250 feet higher than today's lowest elevation). I met Mary again about 21 miles out from Perkinston, had a snack, chatted a bit, and then set out to finish up. I made it in just after 4pm and finished the 70 miles in 5.5 hours on the bike. We drove 7 miles north to Wiggins and are staying in an interesting local hotel. In other news, we are really getting into the Bayou/Cajun scene! Last night we went to Sidney's a local Bayou La Batre restaurant and I had a grilled shrimp po' boy and Mary had the best fish and lima beans of her life. We're looking forward to eating our way across the South!

Day 11: Gulf Shores, AL to north of Dees, AL

Daily Miles: 61.5 Total Miles: 589.6

Riding the bike trail out of Gulf Shores

What a day! And not in a good way... We headed out this morning early to drive back to Gulf Shores to get back on the route. Before 8am I headed out on a bike path adjacent to State Road 180, hoping to make the 20.5 miles to Fort Morgan in time to catch the 10:15am ferry to Dauphin Island. And at first all was well. After about 10 miles the sky got dark and it was clear that the 30% chance of thunderstorms was quickly becoming 100%. I continued to ride as the rain started to POUR. I am talking about POUR. I rode on and it just got worse and worse. After about 17.5 miles it started to thunder and lightning, and I hurried to seek shelter. 

Maybe next time we'll get to ride the ferry

I tried to go into an apartment complex thing, but it had a gate that required a code. So I continued to ride on and less than a mile later I pulled in under a house that was on raised stilts. I waited about 30 minutes for mom to show up and the thunder and lightning only got worse. We decided to drive the 2.3 miles to the ferry terminal so that I didn't have to risk riding. We learned the 10:15 ferry was canceled and that potentially the next ferry, at 11:45 would leave for Dauphin Island. We had to make a decision. The weather info said that there was a 40-60% of thunderstorms until 11pm, so we decided to just drive the 1.5 hours around Mobile Bay and pick the route up in Dauphin Island. If the storms continued we had found a place to stay on the Island. 

Part of the looooong bridge off of Dauphin Island

As we headed north, the rain eventually stopped and we had found a gorgeous day. Great, we thought, we should have waited for the ferry. However, once we drove around the bay and headed south again we ran back into heavy rain, but fortunately no more thunderstorms. We arrived in Dauphin Island and Mary dropped me off right in the middle of the tiny island. I rode the 2.5 miles down to the ferry terminal (to make up for stopping short this morning), then turned around and got back on the route. I rode up and over the 3+ mile bridge leaving Dauphin Island and met Mary 10 miles up the road to eat a quick Subway sandwich. Then we pressed on through more pouring rain to Bayou La Batre where we found a hotel. 

Beautiful azaleas after the sun came out

Now I have been quietly excited about riding through Bayou La Batre for a while now because it is the hometown of the fictional character Bubba in the move Forrest Gump. I was maybe expecting a Bubba statue and a restaurant serving every different type of shrimp, and let me tell you I have been sorely disappointed. But we are in a nice hotel. Once we pulled in to the hotel, the rain stopped and the sun came out. I decided to press on and was able to knock out an additional ~20 miles giving us a nice head start on tomorrow. All in all we made it, even though we didn't think we would, but man are we exhausted. Fortunately, it looks like we'll have beautiful weather for at least the next week.