Day 29 - A Beautiful Cruise Through Rural Louisiana

Departure: St. Francisville, LA      Finish:  Franklinton, LA     

Distance:    88.9 miles

Elevation gain:  3,774 feet (3,734’ downhill)

Winds: WNW at 5, gusts to 15 mph.

Weather:  Clear Blue. Cool. 44 degrees at departure. 74 degrees at arrival

On bike duration:   5 hrs, 29 minutes. 

Average speed: 16.1 mph

Total Accumulated Miles:  2,215.8

Today was an unexpected delight! The route avoided any major highways, the pavement was mostly great; very little traffic; perfect temperatures; and light tailwinds. The best scenery was the tree canopies over the road for miles and miles; and meadows filled with cattle. We climbed a lot, but it was mostly small undulations. I only once had to shift to my small chain-ring. A wonderful day, and a great route for cycling!

I have a story about a dog named "Murray". Our destination today was Franklinton, but for the first time, it. was not a hotel. Dennis told us to look for a McDonald's on the Western edge of town, on the right-hand side of the street. He would have the van waiting for us in an adjacent parking lot. When we arrived, several of us had to make a "necessary" stop at the McDonald's. That's where we came upon Murray and his owner. It seems the two of them enjoy at least one meal each day at that location. Murray has become a favorite customer, although he rarely picks up the check. He usually orders the same thing and is encouraged to put his elbows on the table. Murray made me smile.

Tonight - Room 319 at The Holiday Inn on the Western Edge of Amite, Louisiana. The interesting story here is this is the first time all of us put our bikes on top of the support van to be shuttled to another location. The published route termination for today was Franklinton. However, Dennis told us that there is only one hotel in Franklinton and is too hideous for us to spend the night. (It must be bad. Dennis always has some kind of lodging in the path of our route.) So, he drove us 25 miles Southwest to a town of 4,500 people called Amite. We ate at a very eclectic tavern called The Boston Restaurant. It had steaks, seafood, salad, pasta and sushi. I had the Teriyaki Salmon and two orders of Tuna Nigiri.