Cycling Ellen

11.6 miles rest day
76.6 miles today
2,612.8 miles total

At lunch today, a seafood place on Perdidio Key, you could hear people say with an air of disbelief, “We road our bikes from California to Florida”.  Here we are, not yet to the Atlantic but in the state we have been saying was our destination since March 7.  We tend to take each day’s ride as a separate entity.  Today we are going to ________.  We’ve crossed state lines, much more frequently recently, and can feel the progress but putting it all together and realizing what we have accomplished so far is taking some getting used to.  It’s feeling really big all of a sudden and still a bit unreal.

Yesterday I explored the island a bit taking in the exhibits at the Estuariam and the Audubon bird sanctuary.  The rest of the day was spent walking the beach, swimming in the pool, reading, swimming in the pool, having some lunch and swimming in the pool.  You get the idea.  It was a really relaxing day.

This morning we headed for the Eastern end of the island where I took a spin around Fort Gaines (Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead).  We boarded the ferry at 8 and enjoyed a leisurely ride across Mobile Bay.  At the landing, Mary was waiting for us after a rest day with her husband.  We headed out across a thin strip of land with water on both sides.  There were all kinds of houses that had recently been built and for sale signs everywhere.  It reminded me of the Caribbean with houses painted in pastel shades.  I think this is all post-Katrina construction.  We could get glimpses of the ocean beyond the homes.  Later down the road, we could see the beautiful white sand beaches and the blue of the Gulf.  In Gulf Shores, I saw my first mini-golf course of the trip along with the requisite t-shirt shops, tattoo places and souvenir stores.  There are also huge condos all along the beach.  Thank goodness for the state parks where the beaches and dunes are preserved.

The Florida line was not obvious but we still got a sign to photograph.  Mary’s brother-in-law, Alan, made a big welcome sign and parked himself along the side of the road not far from the border.  Thanks, Alan.  He also told me that he would be staying the weekend for the mullet-throwing contest.  Apparently, thousands of people come to toss a mullet (a kind of fish) across the state line.  Sorry we’ll be missing that one!

A few of us veered off the route to visit the Naval Aviation museum at Pensacola Naval Air base.  This is the home base for the Flying Angels.  There were hundreds of planes so we only had time to see some of them but the exhibits were interesting.  My favorite part, though, was watching a movie on being a fighter pilot at the IMAX theatre.  I love flying without leaving the ground.

The last few miles to our hotel were dreadful and dangerous cycling.  The road’s shoulder is under construction and there was not enough room for a bike and a car next to each other.  The thrill of being in Florida was tempered by the terrible road conditions.  But, here we are, ready for a good night’s rest and to start out fresh in the morning.

Wow, we rode our bikes from California to Florida.

42.4 miles today
2524.6 total

Sweet Home Alabama.  Home for these two days is a condo on the beach at Dauphin Island.  There’s a pool outside the door, the white sand beach that goes for miles just beyond that and oil platforms way beyond that out in the Gulf.  The schedule for today, our rest day will be a challenge.  Yoga before walking on the beach?  Swim in the pool or the ocean first?  Read a book or write in my journal?  Ah, decisions, decisions.  As soon as the condo office opens, though, my first order of business is to get a new battery for our smoke detector.  At 1:30 a.m., it started beeping every 30 seconds.  First, I climbed up on a chair and got the battery out but the detector is hardwired and now beeps because it doesn’t have a functioning battery.  I did finally sleep for a while with earplugs, a blanket and a pillow over my head, but Genie, my roommate, said I was calling out in my sleep and not happy sounds!  I was dreaming I was in an insane asylum and no one would believe what I was saying.  Now, where did that come from?

Yesterday’s ride was an easy one.   Alabama is flat!  Before we got to the state line, a few of us stopped at an alligator farm in Mississippi.  Most of the other cyclists went right past, even knowing it was on their cue sheet, because it looked like another building on the side of the road.  Behind there, though, was a bayou sort of area with some huge ‘gators hanging about in the water and on the little islands.  One went right under us on a boardwalk and it was easy to imagine being back in time when reptiles ruled.

This is hurricane country.  At the alligator farm, there was a sign where the water line was marked from Katrina.  After we crossed into Alabama a few miles down the road, I started talking to different people about their experiences living in this part of the country.  Every one of them said that being part of the storms is part of life here and they would miss it if they were away.  One fisherman near the bridge to the island said that he has stayed in his home for every hurricane.  “It’s crazy to go north because there is too much traffic, no gas and no motel rooms anyway”.  He has survived several hurricanes from his home “in the woods”.  I could see several new buildings, many of which are built high on stilts.  There are lots of businesses still closed here and along the way.  Apparently, the tourists are still slow to come back.  It didn’t seem like that yesterday, a Sunday, when we arrived, but now on this Monday morning, it’s very quiet.  Maybe that’s because I’m writing at 6:30 a.m.

The bridge to the island is 3 ½ miles long with quite a climb up over the middle of it.  Candice, who has had a serious bridge phobia, was the star of the day as she successfully rode over it.  We all shared in her accomplishment last night at yet another margarita state line party.  There’s only one more!  Linda cooked jambalaya and Southern style banana pudding for the occasion.  We also celebrated Linda who is featured in an article about traveling cycling cooks in this month’s Bicycling magazine.  As she pointed out, both she and Patrick Dempsey are in the same issue.  Congratulations Linda and Candice!

Before I took a long walk on the beach yesterday, I cleaned my bike so I can spend the rest of today exploring and making all those tough decisions.  But first, that 9 volt battery…

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.

66 miles today
2358.6 total

When we had our map meeting this morning, we did the Beaver song to say goodbye to Patty who has been doing the cooking while Michelle was away for a few days.  Michelle is back in time to make the margaritas for our state line crossing into Mississippi today.

It was a different kind of ride today since we had already done the first part on our extra long day yesterday.  Another twist was that each rider could choose whether to do a shorter route that was on a state highway for a good part of it or a more scenic route that was about 10 miles longer.  After the challenges of yesterday, most riders went for the more direct route.  Forecasts of thunderstorms and threatening clouds forced that decision for many concerned with weather.

Not long after I left town, I came across most of our group clustered on a bridge.  It turns out that was the state line and there were cameras pointed both at the Mississippi sign and the Welcome to Louisiana sign that we didn’t have on our way into the state.  Seeing the crowd, I took a quick picture and headed down the road.  That’s where the official welcome sign turned out to be and there was no one there.  Score.

Our route had lots of turns (which I really like) that wandered through neighborhoods and fields.  The numbers of trailer homes was much more evident and the roads were rolling and mostly smooth.  It is definitely a poorer group of people in this area than we’ve seen anywhere else.  There were lots of old cars, trash in the yards, and rundown buildings.

Micki stopped at mile 20 for our first sag stop.  On we went through more turns and quiet roads enjoying our slow pace – a recovery ride from yesterday.  Pat and I, who both collect pinecones, spotted some huge ones on the side of the road.   We stopped and picked up many, choosing and discarding as we spotted bigger or more beautiful ones.  I’m not much of a shopper but I had fun shopping through nature’s bounty.  Eventually, I traded my 3 of different sizes (always the kindergarten teacher looking for teaching opportunities for comparisons) for one big one.  I barely got it into my bag and Pat’s was sticking out the side of her bag as well.  Score again.

In Poplarville, we stopped and did some more shopping, this time for Carol’s 50th birthday.  Happy Birthday, Carol!  We found some unique jalapeño peanut brittle (you can’t get that in Vermont) and some locally made treats.  Don’t worry.  We’ve already given them to her in case she’s reading this.  In Poplarville, we needed to decide which ride we were doing and Pat and I headed down the road for the longer route.  At this point the wind picked up but because the road turned so many times, it wasn’t too much of an issue.  As we approached mile 40 we were looking forward to seeing Micki again to fill up our now empty water bottles.  It was about mile 45 where we finally saw her and she told us she was late because she had taken two riders to the emergency room with dog bites.  Both are going to be all right but are dosed up with antibiotics and bandages.

About five miles down the road, we came across another member of our group who had gone over her handlebars.  She was upright and talking but her bike was banged up and she had a cracked helmet and significant road rash.  Since no one’s cell phones worked, I rode my fastest back to Micki who came to pick her and her bike up.  She’ll be sore for a while but seems otherwise all right.  Those threatening clouds seemed echo the mood of the day.

Coincidentally, the sun is just coming out as I write.  I hope that’s a metaphorical sun as well – enough with the accidents and dog bites.  We all want to ride into St. Augustine in less than two weeks and enjoy the rides along the way.

125 miles today
2292.6 total

Things I learned on the road today:

I can ride 125 miles in one day despite head winds (riding mostly alone) and bumpy roads.

Louisiana isn’t flat. The hills were as big as those in some of the Texas hill country.

I can ride a road bike through loose gravel for a mile or so.

I can get across a closed bridge which is missing the floor boards for the last 20 feet walking on the railroad ties-like planking with 3 inch nails sticking out of them and the river about 50 feet below.

I am now persuaded by peer pressure in ways I wasn’t when I was a teenager.

Arda can carry bikes across planking without a second thought.

When a bridge is closed, neither the van nor the sag vehicle can get through so support services are sketchy for a while.

If you stop in Tengipahoa and meet Nathaniel who grew up there and is the same age is I am, he’ll put his beer down before you can take his picture.

When I’m too tired to outrun dogs, I stop, and put my bike between the dog and me. Once one of the dogs came around to my side and licked my salty leg.

When stretching on the side of the road after 90 miles or so, two thoughtful Louisiana drivers stopped to ask me if I was all right. Nice folks down this way.

When you see a McDonald’s at mile 100, a milkshake is a great way to restore oneself for the rest of the miles.

People in McDonald’s don’t believe that you can ride from California to Florida on a bike, especially if you are supposed to ride 125 miles in a day.

There are lots of logging trucks filled with wood chips that smell really good when they fly by.

If you ride late enough in the day, you get to see the school buses bring the children home, bunnies eating by the side of the road and your shadow straight in front of you.

Seeing the welcome to Bogalusa sign doesn’t mean that you are within a couple of miles of the hotel.

Pizza at the end of the day is a very welcome treat.

My bed is way too appealing at the end of a long day and makes my blog entry shorter than usual.

14.7 miles today
2167.6 total

Each rest day of this trip has taken on a different flavor.  This one was the first that I actually used my bike for transportation as the plantation is a few miles out of town.  After doing a wonderfully restorative hour of yoga in my room this morning (there’s so much more floor space here than in a motel room), and doing my laundry, I took a tour of the main house here on the grounds.  This place was built in 1796 and is still owned by the same family.  Many of the items in the house are original and yet the house has been lived in all these years, and continues to be, by family members.   One woman inherited it when she was 20 years old and married to a judge who traveled a lot.  She lived many years, even through the yellow fever epidemic, and managed to keep records before, during and after the Civil War.  The papers are now held at LSU where they are considered very valuable.  I found it especially interesting that the huge live oak trees out front were planted from acorns in 1799.  Wow.  If only those trees could talk…

I rode my bike into town to where the other members of our group are staying to use the internet briefly to post my blog from yesterday.  I ran some errands, toured around town on my bike, had a soulful lunch at the Seven Sister’s Café and rode down to the ferry landing to see it from this side.  Again, the road was closed because of high water which I hope you can see in the pictures.  Apparently, the river isn’t expected to crest until Sunday.  I am awed by the amount of water.

I met a woman in town who gave me a free coupon to visit the Rosedown Plantation which is nearby.  I rode over there and walked the grounds, the gardens and outbuildings and peeked into the windows of the big house.  I decided not to take the tour as I wanted to spend more time back at our own plantation.

It was a very relaxing afternoon, writing, reading, visiting with friends and trying out the Jacuzzi.  I listened to some music and felt the stress levels melt away.

Tomorrow, our itinerary has changed because of a bad motel in Franklinton.  Instead we are going 20 miles further east to the town of Bogalusa.  That’s 127 miles in one day.  Dreaming of tailwinds.

52.1 miles today
2152.9 total

For the next 24 hours or so, I’m going to live the life of a Southern Belle.  I’m staying here at the Butler Greenwoods Plantation in St. Francisville without internet, without cell service and my watch just died last night.  I’m sharing the original cookhouse with Jeannie, our own building with our own bedrooms (my bed has mosquito netting), our own bathrooms, a Jacuzzi tub to share next to the original well (which has Plexiglas over it) and our own kitchen.  I’m sitting here writing with a cup of herb tea after a delicious Southern dinner (shrimp, collard greens with beans, Cajun cornbread and salad) over on the verandah of the little house next door. My friend, Debbie, who I met on the Vermont WomanTours trip, surprised me by showing up for dinner here.  She lives in Baton Rouge and it was great to see her!

I’ve been looking at the information about this area and I think I might just ride my bicycle to visit some neighboring plantations on our rest day tomorrow.  Alright, maybe Scarlett O’Hara wouldn’t have ridden her bicycle, and I definitely don’t have the right clothes, but I think I could get into this lifestyle!

Half of our group is staying here in various buildings spread out around the gorgeous grounds.  The trees on the driveway are filled with Spanish moss.  There are a few resident cats, some fearless ducks and a peacock that strolls around the grounds.  Dawn has seen birds of all colors from her porch across the pond.  The other half of our group sounded equally content with their lodgings at the St. Francisville Inn in town.  They have the convenience of being in town but I can spend the day on the porch swing on our back porch.  Life is good for all of us.

We were also split into two groups for another reason this morning.  The Mississippi River is so swollen that the ferry that we were supposed to take to get here isn’t able to run until the water levels go down.  The nearest bridge doesn’t allow bicycles so Linda had to drive half the group directly from Simmesport this morning into St. Francisville with the bikes on top of the van.  It was an hour and a half one way.  She then drove back to Morganza to pick the rest of us up who had ridden our bikes on the original route as far as we could before the water caused road closings.  I got in 50 miles or so until we had to stop before the ferry landing place and turn around to go back to Not Your Mama’s Café, our meeting place in Morganza.

I was so glad to have ridden the route which ran along the levees most of the way.  It was a cold but beautiful morning and we rode past fields, a few houses, and cows, horses and donkeys feeding on the sides of the levees.  At one point there were many pickup trucks parked on the side of the levee that turned out to be the landing place for the Angola prison workers.  We chatted with the guard at the top of the levee who said there are 5200 prisoners there.  We had seen some this morning on our way out of town cleaning the sides of the highways.

At dinner last night we had been talking about all the dogs that have been chasing us.  Different women have different strategies for dealing with them.  Candice has her whistle which she blasts.  That has worked really well for her except for the deaf Doberman who helped her set a new speed record on her bicycle.  Sue squirts them with her water bottle.  Kat, we call the dog whisperer, as she slows down and talks to the dogs.  Some of us speed up and try to out run them (does it surprise you that I’m in that group?).  This morning, I watched Debbie as she tried a new technique.  When a beagle type dog came running out I heard her say, “Want to race?” and the dog started running right along beside her at about 15 mph.  It was barking excitedly for a while and then started panting but kept running.  When two other dogs came out to chase, he ran them off and resumed running next to Debbie.  Micki came along with the sag Subaru and tried beeping her horn but the dog kept running.  Eventually, everyone stopped and the dog lay down at my feet next to my bike, a race well run.  We were laughing at the sight of this dog working so hard, now lying on his back for a good belly scritching.  I picked him up, handed him to Micki and she drove him back to his house a mile or so back.  He ran up his driveway (and probably took a good long nap) and we’ve been chuckling ever since.

It was clear why the ferry was closed when we got to the Spillway Bridge on SR 1 before Morganza.  Water was everywhere and the trees were just peeking up with their topmost branches.  It looked like a Mississippi Lake and we weren’t even seeing the whole river.  Later, we crossed it from a highway bridge near Baton Rouge where we could see all kinds of refineries on the edge of the river.  I’m glad I got to see it without the manmade obstacles nearby first.

I’m also happy that we had time in Morganza as we enjoyed a delicious lunch at the café.  Since Linda called and said she’d be later than she had anticipated, I rode my bike around town a little more.  We stopped at the local grocery store and met the butcher who showed us the pig intestines used to make sausage, pigtails and feet, frozen rabbits and some alligator meat in his freezer (from a nuisance alligator).  He said the alligator tastes like chicken.  Maybe I’ll try some in Florida.

I also found a purple crawfish bag on the side of the road.  They are similar to the sacks that oranges come in and will make a nice new laundry bag to replace the plastic one I left behind the other day.

Time to close up the shutters on the kitchen door and climb into my 4 poster for the night.  I could get used to this.

65.2 miles today
2098.8 total

When you buy a used car in Vermont, a salesperson might tell you that a car is a good deal because it’s a southern car as southern cars don’t usually have rust.  But, I learned today, if the car comes from Louisiana you might want to check out the suspension system first.  I heard today that the gas tax was supposed to pay for road improvements but in a place where a sheriff was re-elected while he was a prisoner in jail, you know the government has a few problems.  The Vermont potholes are looking good by comparison!  Today may have been cooler here than in Vermont.  There was a steady headwind most of the day and never reached 60 degrees all day.  This wasn’t the weather I expected in Louisiana and is apparently quite unusual for this area this time of year.

With today being a much shorter mileage day, and our destination a place with not a lot to explore, I decided to take my time and stop often along the way.  As we were passing an area with a few home along one side of a huge field, I spotted an older man watching us go by.  I rode my bike down his driveway and we chatted for a while about our ride.  He had an accurate count of how many bikes had already gone by (sign him up for sag help!).  After a few minutes, he said his wife, Emilie, would like to meet me too so I waited while she came out.  It’s these conversations with people along the way that keep this ride so interesting for me.

Later down the road, I stopped at Stelly’s Southern Gold Restaurant for some extra breakfast.  There we met Dee who has been a waitress there for 55 years.  She was very pleasant, had trouble finding her order pad (she grabbed a napkin to write on until she found it), and had a great sense of humor.

I rode with Pat the rest of the day through windy country (bumpy) roads dodging the dogs that seemed to live at many of the houses along the way.  Unlike Texas, most of these dogs aren’t tied up or in fences and they do love a good chase.  At one house, I stopped to take a picture and about 25 little dogs came running out and barking at the top of their canine lungs.  They were in a fence so I wasn’t afraid for my ankles but the noise level was amazing!

In Big Cane, I stopped at the little grocery store where Pat and I met Ralph and Ike, cousins who had lived there all their lives.  They thought Pat and I were sisters.  Maybe all Vermonters look alike.  I took their picture but they won’t see it on the Internet because “there are too many stalkers” so they don’t have a computer.  They each took a picture of Pat and me with each of them.  Check them out in the Louisiana pictures album and you’ll see how often they use cameras.

I’ve found that the people in Louisiana all seem to be friendly.  They wave as we ride by, the drivers go over to the other side of the road to give us room and people always seem willing to talk.  At a sandwich stop in Plaucheville, I got talking to the local priest.  He told me that he goes up to Maine sometimes but has never eaten a lobster there.  He told me that many of the Acadians that lived up in Nova Scotia were lobstermen who moved down here.  Apparently, the lobsters followed them and lost so much weight swimming down, they ended up as the little crawfish that they catch in Louisiana!

As advertised, the Sportsman Motel here in Simmesport isn’t exactly a high-class accommodation but we each have a bed and a hot shower.  I’m headed that way now to warm up from the ride on this cold and windy day.  Who would have thought I’d be cold in Louisiana?

90.3 miles today
2033.6 total

Sometimes you hear that Friday the 13th can be an unlucky day.  I’d never heard of Sunday the 13th being a challenge but I’ll watch out next time it comes around.

I was late getting to breakfast (I’ll skip that story) and late getting out on the road.  After I put my luggage in the trailer, I dashed back to my room to get my bike.  When I checked the tires, the front one was flat – my first flat of the trip.  Jane, my roommate and friend, stuck with me as I went through the process of changing it.  I never did find what caused it and Michelle warned me that it might flat again.  I finally left the parking lot long after everyone else had left with Jane and Ann who had been waiting for me.

The first few miles were great.  I was nervous about flatting again, especially when the road surface got rough but my new tube seemed to be working fine.

After the sag stop at mile 20, I headed out alone so I could burn off some of my extra energy.  Before the next sag at mile 40, I came upon Cheryl and Jane I. who were having some trouble changing Cheryl’s first flat of the trip as well.  Now, the expert, we worked together and Mary came along to help finish the process with us.

On I went alone through beautiful fields of rice paddies and crawfish ponds.  I stopped in Mamou at a gas station where a woman answered my questions about the crawfish.  Little did I know then that I’d be eating them tonight.  A WomanTour rider who lives near here showed up with huge bags of crawfish and some local beer to wash them down.  I learned the process of ripping off the bodies and peeling back their skin.  I got a taste of the brains, considered a delicacy.  While we were eating the local media showed up for pictures and interviews.

So why was the day unlucky?  Well, we actually had a little bit of everything.  There were some tailwinds and there were some headwinds.  There was some of the smoothest new roads we’ve seen and there were several miles of torn up under construction dirt roads that were rougher than any chip seal.  There were dogs that were in fences barking and there were several dogs that came out and chased me (good thing I’ve gotten faster!).    I rescued a turtle by standing in the middle of the road so a truck wouldn’t run it over and I lost my bike computer sensor in the process.  I was riding with Ann at the end of the day when she broke a spoke (and so did Sue I heard).  There were also several flats and tire blowouts.

In the meantime, Michelle was supposed to start a little break from guiding.  Linda is taking over her job for a few days while Patty, a WomanTours guide for years, was arriving to cook.  Instead, they discovered that the starter on the van was broken and it was Sunday.  Arda’s husband drove 2 hours from Navasota to come pull the trailer here.  Fortunately, they found someone to work on the van after church and they got here by 5:30 or so.  When we arrived, there was no luggage with clean clothes, no computer to do my blog, no book to read and no rooming list to find out what rooms we were in.

Eventually, all turned around with a crawfish feed (thanks Nancy and Sister Carla!), a dinner at the Mexican restaurant next door and clean laundry.  We’re in comfortable beds at a Holiday Inn tonight (we hear tomorrow will be down a notch or two into the unrated category of motel).  It was a beautiful day with great scenery and that’s how I want to remember this day. Why did the turtle cross the road?

93.3 miles
1943.3 total

In the last couple of days, I have received two e mails from friends who have friends (both young) who are dealing with breast cancer.  Doing this ride, I have heard so many stories and I ride for all the women and their friends and family.  It can be discouraging to hear of the challenges, but I was so heartened today at lunch when I stopped to talk with some women at a table nearby.  They were curious about a bunch of older women in bike clothing in a restaurant in Kirbyville and we got to talking about our ride.  They were from Louisiana and headed for a bluegrass festival in Jasper, Texas.  They asked if I was fundraising and when I told them yes, one woman reached into her pocketbook and made a contribution on the spot.  Thanks so much!  Your picture is in the Texas, Part II album to the right.  You made my day.

Another highlight was arriving in Louisiana!  Tonight will be festive as Linda, from Lake Charles who did the Southern Tier last year, and her friend Lise were here at the motel when we arrived bearing gumbo, pralines, Mardi Gras beads and some local beer.  Add those ingredients to our state line margarita party (even though this is another dry county) and we’ll be celebrating tonight!

We were all surprised when we went outside this morning to find that the humidity and temperature levels had both dropped overnight.  It was comfortable weather for riding all day and beautiful blue skies overhead.  Like our entry into Texas, both the chip seal and the headwinds were strong presences.  It seemed fitting somehow.

We started the day with a smooth road and a glorious shoulder going out Rd 1122 and 92 to Silsbee and Fred.  I stopped at the Fred General Store (my dad’s middle name was Fred – how could I miss that?) where I met Gracie who was on her way to a T ball game.  She likes to ride her bike too.  Do you like your picture, Gracie?  I hope your game went well.

In Kirbyville, many of stopped for lunch at Elijah’s where we chowed down on Texas chowder (with corn and potatoes and optional hot sauce) and big baked potatoes loaded with extras.  It was good fuel for a long day, especially with our water bottles filled with sweet iced tea.

As we crossed the Sabine River into Louisiana, the wind picked up and a bunch of us settled into a pace line to help block the wind.  Phyllis, our sag driver for the day, happened by at mile 80 to give us a chance to refill our water bottles and stretch before the last pull into town.  As we got close to DeRidder there was a car accident that had just happened a few minutes earlier when a couple of our fellow riders were nearby.  Three sheriff cars and a couple of ambulances went flying by us as we road into town but the two doctors riding with me said it looked like everyone was alright.

Our cue sheet didn’t quite match the miles on our odometers so we stopped for directions.  I knew we were in the south when the woman’s response to our question was “Baby Jesus! I just moved here and have no idea!”.  All day we had been riding by churches.  There were three Baptist ones just in this town that I counted on the way in.   The local paper Candice was reading in Fawil, had a Faith and Values section.  Welcome to Louisiana.