Day 28: To Deridder, La

We woke up bright and early to blue skies and the sun rising up. It was a little weird sleeping at the police station, but free, so awesome. We hit the road after grabbing a bacon, egg and cheese on a biscuit and some coffee. It was smooth riding for most of the day, not too windy, pretty good roads with a shoulder, and pretty flat. The temperature reached into the 60's I think, with no clouds blocking the sun. Just great riding conditions all around. It was about 62 miles to the campground. Panning for a zero day tomorrow, we wanted to grab some beers and relax. So Mike, Ryan and I shot over to Wal-Mart to pick up some supplies and beer. We get to the beer section, and there's a sign "no alcohol sales on sundays." Lame. Deridder doesn't sell liquor on Sundays. So we're just hanging out for the rest of the night. Rain is forecast for tomorrow, so we'll probably all huddle inside the laundry room to avoid going crazy in our tents all day. Then Tuesday should be into Texas.
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Day 27: To Mamou, La

We took our time getting ready this morning, having planned a 30 mile ride into Mamou. We left the motel by 9:45, heading for the nearest place to get breakfast. Turned out to be a McDonald's, and we were the last ones to get served before they flipped to the lunch menu. Then we stopped by Wal-Mart to try and get Mike some rain pants. Then we were on our way.

It turned out to be beautiful weather wise, but riding wise, not so much. A lot of the day was spent on badly cracked road with no shoulder. And there was a decent wind.

We made it to Mamou and found the campground, more like grass next to a sketch motel. We decided to explore our options elsewhere, a $100 for a hotel room, possibly staying with a hefty cowboy sippin a kamikaze, or finding the police station or firehouse. We talked to the dispatcher at the police station, who called the chief. He gave us permission to camp out back, or if its too wet, stay in the garage. We chose garage.

As we were waiting outside the station, Ryan shows up. He pulled a 70 somethin mile day to catch us. Also, Carol has struck out on her own.

Tomorrow, we plan on heading to Deridder, about 60 miles. Then taking a zero day finally on Monday. Its forecast to rain again Monday, so were hoping one of the campgrounds in Deridder will have some decent accommodations.

Also, today was Sara's birthday. We're going to celebrate in Deridder and on our zero day.
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Day 26: To Opelousas, La

52 miles (84 km) - Total so far: 1,092 miles (1,757 km)
We woke up and decided to keep moving, even with the rain coming. The city park was just not accommodating enough to spend a full day and another night there. The pavilions would have been great to keep us dry, but there were no showers, and barely bathrooms. So we packed up and got moving. Except Ryan, he decided to take a zero day there and catch up with us soon. Smart move on his part.

We rode for awhile with no rain, but then it slowly started to drizzle. Then come down a little harder. And then harder still. And it was a cold rain, with winds blowing, making us even colder. It ended up raining for about 75% of our ride.

We stopped for coffee in a little market, and were ready to just set up camp inside, but we had to keep moving. Then we stopped for some lunch, everyone ordered coffee with there food, and we still weren't warming up. We ended up getting rooms at a Budget Inn in Opelousas, La instead of setting up in the rain and being miserable.

Tomorrow is still up in the air. Either going to be 25 miles or 50 miles.
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Day 25: To Simmesport, La

Today was a short day, 32 miles. We woke up to frost on everything once again. I made my way to the warm lobby and found Mike was already in there. Slowly, the rest of the group started to make their way in. We hung around for awhile, waiting for the sun to come out and dry everything up. Then we packed up and were on our way.

The riding was great, barely any wind, mostly flat, straight roads, very quiet, minimal traffic, and the sun was shining. We took a little side road to go check out Zachary Taylor plantation. I guess its a historic site. We made it into Simmesport around 1. We all got some lunch at Family Grill and relaxed. The campsite for the night, the city park, was only 2 miles up the road. Freebie too. We may end up taking a zero day tomorrow, rain is forecast all day, and there are pavilions here we can hang out in, and its free.

Oh, we got a new member as well. Dave, from Houston, has joined us, only for a week or two. He has ridden the Southern Tier before, I think fully and then he did half again. We also got to meet his wife who drove him out to meet us. They actually met up with the group in St. Francisville, before Ryan and I caught back up. Anyway, meeting more great people all the time.

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Day 24: To Morganza, La

This morning we woke up and were in no real rush to get going, since we had a short day of 35 miles to St. Francisville planned. When I went into the bathroom, I found a bunch of Clif bars and a note "Good luck guys, take your time leaving... Ryan." What a great guy he was, and awesome host, along with Seth.

So we got on the road, in search of a Waffle House. There was one about 6 miles in the direction we were going. Score! When we got there I had an email from Sara saying they were going to be staying in Morganza, La tonight and we should meet them there. Ryan worked the google map, figured about 50 miles from where we were, so that was the new plan.

We road 61 for awhile again, no flats this time. Then we took a whole bunch of numbered roads, like 414, 620, 963, ... I don't really remember. We did cross the Mississippi on this pretty big bridge, but it had no shoulder. As we were crossing I saw a steamboat cruising under the bridge, it was exactly what I wanted to see; I read Life On The Mississippi by Mark Twain during the first leg.

Later on in the ride, we thought we were riding along the Mississippi, but it turned out to be False River, its not even a river. It looked like it was flowing so fast, but apparently it doesn't flow. The wind was blowing so hard that it was getting whitecaps and ripples. They definitely faked me out.

All in all the day was decent. I don't know if it was the 15-20 mph winds coming at us from everywhere except behind, or my muscles being really tight from yesterdays long day, or not being used to the wider tires and the extra weight, or a combo of all, but we just weren't moving faster than 10 or so for most of the day. I think tomorrow has a 35ish mile ride in store for us.
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Day 23: To Baton Rouge

81 miles (130 km) - Total so far: 954 miles (1,535 km)

We didn't get on the road as early as we had planned, but we were moving pretty good, knowing we had a long day ahead of us. We rode through New Orleans for about 20 miles, then got on 61 for the next 50. Alot of this highway was through swamp land with nothing around. It was pretty uneventful, except when I got my 4th flat in 3 days. We also had a headwind all day. Not cool. We did stop at wal-mart and I got a replacement pair of cargo shorts. Then we kept riding. Around mile 55 I proceeded to get my 5th flat in 3 days. Whatever. I've become a pro at patching tires.

We finally get to our hosts house for the evening around 4:30. Ryan, our host, lives with Seth and his very large black lab named bear. We also met there girlfriends. Everyone was great. They let us get showered and do some laundry. Ryan also went out and picked us up some po boys for dinner. After dinner he brought me by Dave the local bike mechanic to get some new tires. He actually had a set of Schwalbe Marathon Pluses and he threw in some heavy duty tubes too. I should be flat free for the rest of the trip according to Dave. We'll see how that goes. The tires are also a little wider than what came on the bike which is cool. I'm just not going to be goin as fast, and if I really don't get anymore flats, then I'm okay with that.

Tomorrow we are shooting up to St. Francisville to reconnect with the route. Its looking like about 35 miles, but we probably won't leave too early. We should be back with the group by the end of the week.

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Day 22: New Orleans

24 miles (39 km) - Total so far: 873 miles (1,405 km)

It always feels good waking up and knowing you don't need to take down your tent and pack up all your gear. And today was no different. We relaxed all morning. Chad made us some coffee, some scrambled eggs, and started printing out maps so we could find our way around the city. Awesome. Then Chad heads out to class and Ryan and I continue to do nothing for awhile. When we finally decide to head out, we notice my bike has another flat! This time its the front tire. There was a tiny piece of wire hanging out and caused the air to slowly leak out overnight. I just threw a patch on it as our first stop was to be the bike shop.

Then we start riding. Probably some of the worst riding of the trip. No, definitely the worst. The roads were horrendous, potholes the size of craters, and everything was uneven. The sidewalks weren't any better. On top of that, there was construction everywhere, so lanes were closed. The only bright part was the bike path by city park. It was pristine. We also rode by Tulane U and Loyola. Right by the colleges was Audubon Park. It had a bike lane and running lane wrapping around this lake and a golf course, and all these cool looking really old trees.

When we get to the bike shop, they don't have what I'm looking for. So we turn around and ride through all the crummy conditions to get to another shop. They also don't have what I want, so I just picked up a cpl tubes and tire liners for the time being. Hopefully they will do the trick. When we got back, Chad brought us to the store to resupply and get some dinner as well. Ryan hooked us up with a warmshowers host in Baton Rouge for tomorrow so its looking like a 60+ mile day. Should be able to reconnect with the group the day after.
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Day 21: To New Orleans

51 miles (82 km) - Total so far: 849 miles (1,366 km)

Today started out pretty early, around 6ish. Ryan and I both started packing up our stuff to get an early jump on the day. About a mile away from where we were camping we stopped at a gas station to get some food. The clerk working the counter was awesome. She saw us pull up and was so into the ride, it was great. We got to talking to her, and she totally saved us. We had planned on taking backroads down to one of the bridges leading into New Orleans. Apparently they don't exist. Most of the roads we had mapped out were dirt, so what we were left with was interstates.

About 20 miles later, on interstate 59, I got my first flat of the trip. The amount of debris on the shoulder of an interstate is much, much worse than the backroads we've been riding on. Anyway, this nail went through my tire, the tube, and into the inner wall of my rim. Pretty crazy. We put a tire boot on the tire and threw a new tube in and got back on the road.

After like 10 more miles, the road had changed into I-10 and we were crossing this bridge. I think part of it was wiped out by Katrina. So were cruising down the road, just pushin. Bam, another flat. This time it looked like a piece of glass. I threw a little patch on it and was good to go. During this stop, Ryan checks his phone and had an e-mail from Meredith, the coworker of Sara whose family we stayed with in Hurley. She was trying to hook us up again! This time with her brother Chad who goes to University of New Orleans, and has a place here. We got his info and gave him a call, and that's where we are staying tonight.

We got here around 1, after grabbin some subway and trying to find his place. Showered up. Then Chad dropped us off at the French Quarter and walked around for a few hours. We checked out the Saint Louis Cathedral, the Mississippi River, Bourbon Street, all the street musicians and artists, and had a few drinks in the streets. Then we met up with Chad and got dinner at Coop's Place. I had seafood gumbo and some seafood jumbalaya. Chad's pre-med and went home to hit the books before meeting us for dinner. Pretty awesome dude, not that I had any doubts after meeting the rest of his family.

Anyway, its biker midnight and we are pretty spent. Might do some more exploring tomorrow. Definitely need to find a bike shop.
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Day 20: To Picayune

61 miles (98 km) - Total so far: 798 miles (1,284 km)

Not having to pack up a campsite and free breakfast are probably 2 of my favorite things so far on this trip. As of late, we've been getting a lot of these. Thanks again to MGCCC softball.

We were on the road this morning around 9 I believe. It was looking like a pretty nice day, and after the first 2 miles, I think everyone was taking off some layers. Not because of the heat though. It was because of the hills. It seems like we were riding up and down hills all day long, and mostly up. We'd have like 2 big hills with a little level ground in between, then a little downhill. And repeat. They weren't too bad though, just get kind of annoying after awhile.

Anyway, we made it the 31 miles into Poplarville, and met up with Ryan, who had gone an extra 15 miles the night before. Mike and I had some 5 dollar footlongs. Then Ryan and I took off on our own route, headed for New Orleans. I like how Ryan put it,"This could either be the best idea, or worst idea." There's only one way to find out though. With another 60ish mile day tomorrow we should be there. We are hoping to get an early start, afternoon showers are in the forecast.

Mike, Sara, and Carol are staying in Poplarville and continuing on with the ACA route. I think we will be able to meet back up with them in a few days, somewhere around St. Francisville, La.

Oh yea, we tried to camp at this RV park, and while we were waiting for the manager to show up, we went and talked to a couple who've been there for like 6 weeks, Bob and Mary I think. Anyway, this guy was a riot. We sat down and they gave us a beer, and then this guy starts rattling off joke after joke. And raggin on politicians and all this great stuff. Our time had to be cut short though because the sun was starting to set and we were not allowed to camp there. Luckily, almost across the street some guy hooked us up with a spot for 5 bucks each. Solid.

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Day 19: To Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (Perkinston)

50 miles (80 km) - Total so far: 737 miles (1,186 km)

We got hooked up once again! We're sitting outside in beautiful weather by the softball and baseball fields just relaxing and planning out the next few days. Meredith, who we stayed with in Hurley, has an uncle and cousin who coach the softball team. We even talked with the team for a little while about the trip. They are letting us shower, do laundry, and hookin us up with food from the cafeteria or breakfast. We are also staying in someone's dorm. They seem like a great group of girls, and right now they are 6-0. Good luck with the rest of the season girls!

The rest of the day was great, except for the frost that accumulated on our tents overnight. Andy and Deb provided us with a warm house to consume coffee, biscuits, ham and cheese this morning to get us on the road. It was pretty cloudy but the sun was trying to come out all day. It is finally out now as I type this.

I also had a minor oversight. As I had my eyes on success, I totally missed the turn we were supposed to make. Me and mike ended up going about 5 miles past before we realized it. So we had to double back to catch the route again.

Quote of the day: (while talking to the softball team, we asked if they had any questions) one girl says, and I'm totally paraphrasing, "your from jersey right? Is the jersey shore really like the show?" Haha.
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Day 18: To somewhere between Vancleeve and Latimer

24 miles (39 km) - Total so far: 687 miles (1,106 km)

This morning went very well. We walked out of the bedroom and I heard the distinct sound of bacon frying, the smell of coffee, and the sight of people cooking in the kitchen. They were preparing us a delicious breakfast of eggs, biscuits, sausage, bacon, coffee, and o.j. We left warm, well-fed, and with smiles on our faces. We also got hooked up by Meredith's brother, who has a friend further down the route. We decided to take a short 24 mile day and make use of the generous offer of Andy and Debbie.

We rode together for most of the day, through back roads with not much shoulder. Mostly swampland. Then, with such short mileage, we stopped in a county park and hung out in the sun for a few hours; had some lunch, looked at maps, tinkered with bikes. It was very relaxing.

We showed up at Andy and Debbie's house with nice open fields to pitch our tents, a shower, water, and some home-made chicken pot. Extra special chicken pot pie, where Andy cooks a beercan chicken, then Debbie makes the pot pie with that. Absolutely delicious!

Tomorrow we are hoping for a longer day, at least 40, depending on where we end up camping.


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Day 17: To Hurley, MS

55 miles (89 km) - Total so far: 663 miles (1,067 km)

We are all sleeping indoors tonight! Sara has a colleague who is from Hurley and has a lot of family here still. We showed up thinking we'd be making a patch of grass home for the night, but they are allowing us to sleep on the floor. They also made us hot dogs and hamburgers, had chips and cookies, and all sorts of drinks. They are wonderful people.

Other than the awesomeness of tonight, today was rather uneventful. Ryan and I kept a pretty steady pace over 14 mph for almost the whole day, which felt great. Had a few hills and some headwinds but nothing crazy. There was a pretty large bridge right outta the gates this morning. The day warmed up quick and stayed nice for the whole day. Tomorrow sounds like its going to be more of the same.

Oh yea, we also got chased by a bunch of dogs, lots of loose ones in Alabama. This one was making a b line for us, and I slammed on my brakes(we were doing almost 20 mph) and Ryan almost rear ended me. Other than that, the dogs weren't very exciting.

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Day 16: To Dauphin Island, AL

33 miles (53 km) - Total so far: 608 miles (978 km)

After finally getting our camping situation straightened out last night, we started to feel the cold setting in. Hot cocoa, coffee, and tea were being drank, and then sleeping bags became occupied. It may have been one of the coldest nights so far on this trip. Someone in the bathroom mentioned 26 degrees, and when Jeff checked the weather it said 29. Needless to say, everyone was as bundled up as they could be. The cold nights are not that bad once your in the sleeping bag. It's the cold mornings that are horrible, trying to pack up and get ready to roll. And then the whole morning of biking, all the heat you are generating is just thawing you out, not keeping you warm.

Anyway, we decided to have a short day, about 26 miles, from campground to campground. We left a little later than usual. Then the road we were trying to ride was closed for a Mardi Gras parade. Then we had to wait for the ferry to bring us from Ft. Morgan to Dauphin Island, where we finally set up camp. Luckily, Sara works with someone that has family in Hurley, Ms, so with a 50ish mile day tomorrow, we should be pitching our tents for free once again.

On a side note, I bought a boys xxl fleece for 5 bucks from Wal-Mart. I didn't even know they made xxl for boys. Sweet deal though.

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Day 15: To Gulf State Park, AL

47 miles (76 km) - Total so far: 575 miles (925 km)

Woke up to the sound of rain yet again. This is not one of the trends I was hoping to endure. Anyway, lots of weather channel watching led us to postponing departure for a while. A bunch of Sara's friends came by to see us off and take pictures. The rain finally passed and we got on the road. It even cleared up and became a beautiful day.

We left Pensacola, getting back on the ACA route. A lot of today was spent riding with views of the water, which I love. We stopped by Sara's work so all her colleague's could see her off as well, then it was back on the road. We came across a bamboo garden, so Ryan, Mike, and I stopped in. The owner was real cool guy, and rode bikes as well. He showed us all these different bamboo plants he had, I think he said there are 306 varieties. Interesting.

Then we pushed on to Perdido Key, and rode along beaches for the rest of the day. We stopped and walked around by the ocean for a bit. Then we rode by Flor-Abama, where the owner gave us a bunch of Bama Bucks, and we got like half price sandwichs. Got a fried shrimp sandwich, very tasty.

So now we're all camped out at Gulf State Park. This place was sold out, we got the "emergency site." 28 bucks, and they let us set up 6 tents. Sweet deal.

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Days 12-14: Pensacola

31 miles (50 km) - Total so far: 528 miles (850 km)

The past few days have been pretty great. In this span, I've met the rest of the group, who will all be introduced in a future post. They seem like a cool bunch of people. Should make for an excellent trip. I've also spent the past 3 nights at Sara's mother's house, as well as tonight. She is a delightful woman, providing coffee and some sort of breakfast each morning. Today she even bought us all some bbq, and we had a very nice lunch filled with lively conversation. The big departure is scheduled for 8:30ish tomorrow morning. I'm sure that's when picture taking will begin, as this is the official departure for Sara, and some friends are coming to see her off.

Anyway, let me talk a little about the 31 miles... On Thursday we had planned on riding the 60 miles from Destin to Pensacola, by way of a beautiful island. We ended up getting a ride from Sara about half way. When we got in the car, she proceeded to tell us that we were ABOUT to ride through some of the best scenery. I was a little bummed, to miss the scenery and the miles. I didn't want anyone to claim I didn't really ride across the country, but it was nice to get the ride, and I didn't really mind missing a little. Later that night I received an email from John and Lesa, our hosts from Destin. They wanted to meet us on the island, since Lesa had never ridden it and had been wanting to, and so that we could make up our missed miles. This was just perfect. We ended up meeting them on Saturday, about 2 hours late due to Mardi Gras parades, and the weather was wonderful. We rode to the exact spot I got picked up and left no gaps in my ride. Then we just cruised down the rest of the island, with views of the water on both sides, extremely white sand, and the sun shining. It ended up being some of the best riding so far, and also the most fun! John and Lesa are a riot!
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