St Francisville, LA (layover day)

It was wonderful to be joined by Julie on my layover in Louisiana.

We had a fun filled day.   With a couple of the other riders, we toured the Rosedown Plantation here in St Francisville.   I have a couple of pictures of the grounds and exterior of the Plantation.  It was remarkable in its level of preservation.  It is run by the state of Louisiana and the ranger did a great job in discussing the history and the family.

I happened to be anniversary of the death of the Plantation founder (in 1861) , so the staff had prepared the mansion like it would have been on that day and discussed 19th century mourning rituals.

After the Plantation tour and lunch we went to the Port Hudson Historic Site and leaned about the Civil War battle and siege that happened there in 1863.

As I have learned many times on this ride, there are amazing people and sites in corners of this great country that you would never bother to look under ordinary circumstances.   It is fun to have Julie, my ride friends and you to share this with.

St Francisville, LA

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/622657560

Very short ride today to our Layover destination of St Francisville.   We woke up to a thick for and headed 10  miles down the road to New Roads for breakfast.  I got a photo of the group.

Next we headed through town and along the Mississippi levy and then over the new
Audubon bridge and into the town.

We have a two day layover here.   We are about 100 miles from New Orleans and half of the group will be headed down there by van tomorrow.  Two days off was needed to make the trip.

In a few hours, Julie will be arriving.   We are spending three days at a B&B  (my bike is on the porch).   We will be celebrating our 3 4th anniversary on Saturday.

Morganza, LA

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/622122618

Another fine day in Louisiana.   We rode over the Atchafalya river and along the levy by the Mississippi.   I risked my life on the bridge to get a picture of the Atchafalya.

We passed some former plantations and historical sites along the way today.

The road was a bit rough and we had a little headwind, which are not my favorite riding conditions, but we made in by 2:30 pm.   Plenty of time to shower, do was and enjoy the local culture.   I had a  crawfish hot pocket like sandwich and an Abita.

Chicot State Park, LA

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/621412991

Today we rode 50+ miles.   We started in the early morning fog and ended in a humid 85 degrees.

With mild winds, okay roads and no hills, 50 miles has become an easy days work.

We rode through rice fields and we're chased by dogs for much of the day.  I am guessing that they don't see a lot of cyclists.

The state park we are in is large and very nice.   I took a couple of pictures of the bayou.   I understand that there are alligators to be found in the lake.

I saw this cemetery in the morning for and as you can see it is the above ground type, like New Orleans.

Oberlin, LA

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/620595712

Well,  we had a wonderful first night out of Texas.   We stayed at the Merryville Historic Museum grounds.   The historic society cooked a gumbo meal for us and breakfast the next morning.   The people were wonderful and home cooked meal was fantastic.   The area is big for logging and papermills.  From the people we met, I can understand why they consider the people of this state to be the happiest.

Today's ride was very nice.   The logging trucks were off the road and everyone else was in church.   The roads were very quiet.

Tonight we are in a small  town called Oberlin.  We stopped at the grocery /cafe/liquor store and had some Cajun food and ice cream.   I snapped a picture of one of the three meat displays.   They were happy to tell us about the offerings and give samples of the cooked meat.   They assured us it was real Cajun food.

Tomorrow we head further into this very different state.  It does seem like a place from a time in the past.   I took a couple of pictures of Parish courthouses that show some of the past majesty of this area.

Tonight we are in a motel since there is not camping available.   That is very fortunate since the Packers are playing the Saint tonight.   I can watch from the comfort of a motel room rather than taking my  hands in an opponents bar.   Go Pack Go!!! 

Merryville, Louisiana

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/619692262

I was in a hurry today.   We has no wind and flat roads with a good surface.   I  covered the 52 moles at 14.1 mph. 

After three weeks and well over 1000 miles, we have survived Texas.   I crossed the river and rode into Louisiana minutes ago.   Now I am sitting  and waiting for a  shrimp Po boy.

Last night we celebrated our last night in the lonestar state by going to happy hour at the Honky Tonk Texas Tavern and going out for Texas bbq.   I took a picture of the sign at the bar, we were wearing lycra bike shorts, so baggy pants did not apply.

As far as Texas is concerned, I have learned to respect  the size and diversity of the state.   From the boarded up towns of West Texas to the vitality of Austin, it is an amazing place. The people are generous and friendly, the drivers were curtious and the scenery and sites to visit are wonderful.   I  am glad to have had the chance to visit and see the state, but excited to move on to Louisiana.

Silsbee, TX

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/619129216

Long ride today, but light winds and flat terrain made it a nice cruise.   I was pleased to average 12.8 mph for the day. We have gone from desert to bayou in a matter of days.  

Since it was a quiet day, I thought that I would take a few minutes to describe this life on the road.

We wake up about an hour before sunrise. Today sunrise was 7:30, so that was 6:30.  Every day, two people are cooks and they get up early and heat water on a campstove for coffee and oatmeal. 

Shortly after waking, we eat breakfast and prepare our lunches.   Breakfast is normally cold ceral, yogurt and oatmeal.   Lunch is often a banana, peanut butter sandwich and various snacks (cookies,  bars,  chip's).

If you followed the timing on this, it is normally dark and done by flashlight.  Next we pack up our stuff and leave camp about the sunrise.   Typical temperatures have been about 55 degrees.

We each carry all our own stuff as well as some group gear and food for the next day.

Generally, we ride at similar speeds, but usually individually.   When someone stops along the road or in town, others often stop and join them.

Very popular stops are donut shops, good pie places, breakfast places, local restaurants and we have a few folks addicted to Diary Queen and Mc donald's.   I have a picture of an early morning stop at A+ Donuts  in Shepherd, TX.

We all drift into camp at different times, depending on our riding speed and stops.   Many of us stop to get something to eat as we near town.   Burgers and shakes are popular.

After setting up camp, my priority is a shower.   The cooks need to go shopping to get food for the evening meal and breakfast and lunch the next day.  All transported by bike. 

Often, someone buys some beer (we take turns buying).   The cooks usually buy a snack for us to eat while they prepare dinner.  If all goes well, we eat about 6:30.  Meals are simple and include a main dish, usually done in one pot, and we have a salad and always dessert.

After we eat,  we have a "map meeting"  when we discuss the route for the next day.

After we eat and the sun sets, we normally retire to our tents to read and get ready for the next day.

One big activity during the day is to make sure you get enough calories.   The cycling can burn up 5000-6,000 per day.   You don't want to run out of energy.  You can eat whatever you want and not gain weight.  I would not recommend this as a strategy to lose weight. 

Coldspring, TX

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/618511407

Kind of a quick easy day today.   We went under 50 miles in gently rolling terrain through the Sam Houston National Forest.
I had a big breakfast with a young man from NY,  going to school on Atlanta who was doing the  same ride solo.   He started on October 4th and was doing about 120 miles a day.

Breakfast was awesome by the way.   I had pecan Waffles, eggs and sausage.   I thought of taking a picture after I had eaten half of it (in about 2 minutes).   When I was leaving 7 sheriff's arrived on motorcycles (definitely a sign of a good local place  to eat ).

Richards, TX

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/618036917

Today was one of those days that looks easy on the map, but takes longer than you would expect.  We had a light but persistent headwind.  The roads were good and scenery interesting.   We definitely are moving East.

I took a few pictures of some historical sites.   There are frequent markers along the road.   Being on a bike, they are easy to shop at and read.

Nevertheless, I  was in by 3pm and enjoyed the salt water pool at this resort.  Not a bad place to blog from.

We are at a very nice place that caters to bicyclists and cyclists.   Check out the last item on the rules. 

Carmine, TX

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/617421837

Sometimes this ride seems like the movie Groundhog Day.   Get up in Texas, ride all day in Texas, go to sleep in Texas and get up the next day and do it all over again.  Of course, within each say there is endless variety. 

Today we got up and ride through a couple of state parks.   They were beautiful.  I have a photo of the terrain which was unfortunately hit with a fire a few years ago.

We went through La Grange which was the name and subject of a ZZ Top tune.   I played it on my phone as I went through town.

Near the end of the ride we went through Round Top, Texas where there was supposed to be good pie.   Unfortunately, the shop was closed.   There was a nice rustic village and a got a photo of the church.   A lot of German influences in the local culture. 

Bastrop, TX

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/616763543

We had a nice easy ride today from Austin to Bastrop.   Bastrop is one of the oldest towns in Texas and is on the edge of the original pine forest in Eastern America.   You can see some pines I'm the picture of my camp.

I am afraid with the mountains behind us, I will need to work harder to get scenic photos.   I got a picture of a Texas longhorn in a field.... The first one that I had seen.

The most remarkable thing about today is the bathrooms at the state Park.   They are brand new, with tile floors and walls and granite counter tops.   It is funny how the little comforts make all the difference.

Austin, TX - Layover Day

Seems funny to be taking a vacation day in the middle of a vacation, but my legs and entire body does appreciate it.   We are staying at a hostel in Austin.  It is about as nice as they can get for sleeping a room with 13 other men.   Earplugs help a lot.

After a nice breakfast,  I caught a bus the 4 miles to downtown.  I had no interest in getting on my bike and was worried about bike theft.

I  was able to shop at REI and have lunch at the whole foods flagship store.   I stopped by the Lance Armstrong bike store, but could not afford anything. In the afternoon I went to the Texas State historical museum which was very interesting.   I  might have a different opinion of the state than Mr. Houston, but as a guest of the state, I will hold off on sharing my own personal thoughts.

Austin, TX

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/615220656

Big day today.   We finally emerged from hill country.   That means that all the mountains and the vast majority of the hills are behind us.

The route was 52 miles today, but I went 76.  My errand (which was sucessful) was to get new tires and put this situation behind me forever.   I did not tell the faithful readers of this blog that the tire I got in Del Rio was not exactly round.

I found a great bike shop, the mechanics ordered some excellent tires and they took great care of me.   They were very happy to help a coast to coast rider.

The new tires made feel like a kid does when they get a new pair of tennis shoes, fast.

Tomorrow is a Layover day, so I hope to shop at REI and Whole Foods.   One thing I won't do is cycle.

I added a picture of our youngest rider (by 25 years) who celebrated his 25th birthday yesterday and one of the gang who went shopping last night and came back to the campsite with the entire cart.