Cycling Ellen

69.6 miles today
2428.2 total

Today’s ride was as sweet as the iced tea I had in my water bottles.  During the night, a huge storm came through Wiggins complete with wild wind, torrential rain and tornado warnings.  Behind it, we are enjoying sunny blue cloudless skies and cooler than normal temperatures.  I think it was in the 80’s but the air was refreshing and made for great riding.  There was an even a tailwind for a while!

Most of the roads were smooth as we did another ride with lots of turns on back roads and through occasional neighborhoods, these a little more upscale than yesterday’s.  A big part of the first 30 miles or so was through National Forest land with tall pines lining the roads.  Mississippi drivers have been quite thoughtful as they give us plenty of room on the road and it being Saturday, we didn’t even see much traffic.

At the first sag stop, Carol told us that one of the riders had lost the use of her odometer so she gave Debbie and me some chalk to mark the road where the turns might not be obvious.  We had fun with that!

At one point, we stopped to see some longhorn cattle along the side of the road.  One came right up to the fence and allowed me to touch her.  Her horns were almost four feet long and there were several calves there with their moms eyeing us curiously.

Somewhere between Gautier and Vancleave, we spotted a sign for the Sandhill Crane Preservation and Visitor center.  Debbie and I went in and found they had just opened.  They were offering nature walks but time precluded our taking one.  Instead, we wandered the exhibits learning about the endangered cranes that live there.  This is nesting season, so even the rangers aren’t allowed near their nests.

Not long afterward, Michelle came up behind us and rode with us over the huge bridges leading into Pascagoula.  We crossed the Singing River and a waterway with big cranes and ships.  We haven’t seen the bay yet but the seagulls and the air lets us know we are close.  At our hotel are a bunch of Coast Guard guys waiting for a ship to be ready to sail back to California.  Tomorrow we see the Gulf!

As we rode into the parking lot, we were greeted by Kathy, her sister and her two children who had brought a crawfish, shrimp and potato feast.  Cyclists were gathered ‘round, tearing the heads off the crawfish and piling up the bodies on plates.  There was a pitcher of frozen strawberry daiquiris as well.  Thanks for the special treat!

Our motel here has a huge pool.  The water was a little on the chilly side but it always feels good to swim after a ride.  My neck is still a little tender from the long ride the other day and the cool water felt great.  There are several women out there now with their biker tans – white skin from their shorts and lines across their thighs.  Cute.

We hear that tonight is prom night here at the motel.  Too bad we all left our formal wear at home.