Day 32 - Take Me On A Sea Cruise

Departure: Moss Point, MS      Finish:  Gulf Shores, AL  

Distance:    71.1 miles

Elevation gain:  1,212 feet 

Winds: From the South - 8 mph. 

Weather:  Fog early. Then, high clouds. 58 degrees at departure. 75 degrees at arrival.

On bike duration:   4 hrs, 59 minutes. 

Average speed: 14.2 mph

Total Accumulated Miles:  2,446.1

We departed this morning in a calm, foggy mist. When the fog lifted we had mild headwinds the rest of the day. Just 10 miles into the day, we crossed the state line to Alabama.

As we crossed a non-descript bridge approaching Dauphin Island, I saw this fleet of shrimp trawlers off to the right. Fairly proud and majestic.

The group worked well together, taking turns on the front. We went over several high bridges that made up most of our 1,200’ elevation gain. I got another flat tire, just before getting on the Dauphin Island Bridge. We had lunch as we waited for the ferry to take us over to Ft. Morgan. 

Months ago, I saw that today’s route would include a five mile ferry ride. My first thought was that a ferry would be cheating. We should ride the whole way. Now that we’re here, I realize two things: 1.) The ferry ride was a fun and memorable experience; and 2.) We would have added 70 miles - another day - to go around to the Florida Panhandle by land. So, I am quite happy with the route. Plus I got some good photos.

We travelled most of the last 10 miles on a tree-lined bike path in Gulf Shores. It was a relaxing way to end the day.

We are lodging in the Comfort Inn & Suites for two nights. It’s not on the beach. It’s a block away. But I do have a veranda on my 4th floor room. Tomorrow is the last rest day of the entire tour. We have only 500 miles remaining. I plan to spend some of the day with my feet up on the railing of the balcony.

 

Day 31 - The Gulf of Mexico (in the distance)

Departure: Wiggins, MS      Finish:  Moss Point, MS    

Distance:    75.2 miles

Elevation gain:  1,527 feet 

Winds: From the South - 7 mph.

Weather:  High, broken clouds. 55 degrees at departure. 75 degrees at arrival

On bike duration:   4 hrs, 51 minutes. 

Average speed: 15.4 mph

Total Accumulated Miles:  2,375

Got our first glimpse of the Gulf today; from the top of the bridge over the Pascagoula river. Until late today, our route has been too far north in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi to see the Gulf.

We had lunch at the picnic tables of the Mississippi Sandhill Crane wildlife refuge. I went into the visitor’s center and spoke to a man who was very passionate about the Sandhill Cranes and their migratory path. I told him that there was a national wildlife refuge very near my hometown. He said “Which one is that?” When I told him Quivira, he said, “Oh, I’ve been there! It’s a wonderful place for both Sandhill and Whooping Cranes!”

I didn’t take many pictures today, because it was mostly just like the last three days - beautiful, forested backroads, with very little traffic, good pavement and light winds. However once we got to Gautier, Pascagoula, Kreole, and Moss Point the traffic picked up and we had to cross two very high bridges. The second bridge - over the Escatawpa river - had a lot of debris on the narrow shoulder that I barely dodged, and a very nasty expansion joint on the back side, toward the bottom. Three members of our group got a flat tire from that expansion joint.

By the way, the Pascagoula River is also called “Singing River”. According to legend, the peace-loving Pascagoula Indian tribe sang as they walked hand-in-hand into the river to avoid fighting the invading Biloxi tribe. It is said that on quiet nights you can still hear them singing their death chant. (according to nature.org) 

At Moss Point, Dennis’ accommodation of choice was the Hampton Inn. It is just like the Hampton Inns I have stayed at in Siloam Springs, Arkansas and Pecos, Texas - and last night in Wiggins, MS.

At dinner tonight I passed "Rita" on to the next worthy caretaker. I decided it should go to Tom Hand, the pilot in command of the tandem land yacht. I was concerned about creating a presentation worthy of the previous transitioning ceremonies we have witnessed. Two nights ago, I spent about an hour dreaming up a poem that I could read as if Rita had written it. I have attached it below. There are many "inside" references that only people on the tour would understand. I hope I will remember them years from now as well.

A poem

For the dramatic, transitory dispatch between

 rider and rider, of an erstwhile lifeless plush toy

        -  written by FloRita:

I appreciate the effort you all have made, transporting me to Florida without getting paid.

I never worry about weather or safe travel. You point out the potholes and always yell out “gravel!” You’re all faithful and true, and I want to thank you for returning me to the swamp and my hovel.

I don’t eat your humus, or your turkey or your cheese. I have different tastes to chomp on, like your arm, if you please. I didn’t use your Hammer powder. I don’t have any ears, so you don’t have to stammer louder. 

In fact, it’s the quiet one I like, but more on that later. You see,  I’m really not that needy for a Florida Gator.

I appreciate the care each of you has shown me. When this is all over, maybe sometimes you will phone me. 

But, mostly, it’s about the journey. And making sure you and I don’t end up on a gurney.

So, again I am thankful cause I couldn’t pay for a tankful to get me this far, in a truck or a car.

But there is one thing, and I know it might sting, to hear what I have to say. Although most of you’ve held me, and most of you weld me onto your bike in peculiar ways, you really don’t get me and don’t understand what I’ve dreamed of all of these days.

You’ve given me an honorable place with the wind in my face, and strapped me onto Rahul’s garage. You kept me warm in your hotel, and I enjoyed it, very well, though you didn’t include me when you took a massage.

But that’s not the rub that’s bugging me. That’s not the cause of my enmity.

I’m a little bit hurt, and although it sounds curt, I’m sure I told Dennis at the start of this gig, the one thing I want most is to get to the coast on the front of a two-wheeled Big Rig.

It’s true, sometimes he slows, but I’m quite sure he knows who won the race between the turtle and the hare. So, if Tom Hand can stand me I’d like Keith to hand me to that tall, quiet man over there.

Day 30 - Onward To Mississippi

Departure: Franklinton, LA      Finish:  Wiggins, MS    

Distance:    84.0 miles

Elevation gain:  3,158 feet 

Winds: From the North - 5 to 8 mph.

Weather:  No Clouds all day. 55 degrees at departure. 76 degrees at arrival

On bike duration:   5 hrs, 16 minutes. 

Average speed: 15.9 mph

Total Accumulated Miles:  2,299.8

I’m loving this tour through Louisiana and Mississippi! The weather is perfect. The scenery is great. The route has found mostly deserted backroads with good pavement. The mild rolling hills have kept it interesting, but not too taxing. I did not know this part of the south was so beautiful. Most of the acreages are very well manicured (although we did see several front yards with hollowed out vehicles, dead washing machines and neglected dogs, chained to trees).

We crossed into Mississippi at the Poplar River, just east of Bogalusa, LA. (Cool name for a Louisiana town.)

At our water stop the curious Sheriff of Poplar River County stopped to see what was going on. His name is Chuck. He has worked for the Sheriff’s department for 35 years. He was a lot of fun to talk with and offered us his prayers as we made our way to The Atlantic.

Wiggins’ population is 4,200, but it presents with a much bigger presence. Dennis found a fancy dining hall called Staigle’s Steakhouse. White linen and an executive chef. The wait staff wielded crumb scrapers; the semi-circular tool you only see at places that charge $50 for a steak. Very nice meal!

Tonight, Dennis changed it up and put us in a “Hamp & Suites”! It once was a Hampton Inn & Suites - before the lights went out.

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.

Day 28 - Crossing The Mississippi

Departure: Ville Platte, LA      Finish:  St. Francisville, LA     

Distance:    80.4 miles

Elevation gain:  1,132 feet (1,128’ downhill)

Winds: WNW at 12 to 15 mph.

Weather:  Clear Blue. Cool. 51 degrees at departure. 72 degrees at arrival

On bike duration:   4 hrs, 55 minutes. 

Average speed: 16.3 mph

Total Accumulated Miles:  2,126.9

Today we crossed the Mississippi River on the John Audubon Bridge. It’s about 3/4 miles wide at this latitude. The bridge itself was beautiful, and it’s a fun milestone to cross this river on this trip. One interesting thing I have noticed - Louisiana doesn’t bother to mount a sign at a bridge over ANY river. Nothing on the Big Muddy; nothing on the Courtableau Bayou; nothing on the Red River. I guess they figure - If You Know, You Know.

We also crossed the “six-mile bridge” over the Atchafalya (uh-CHAF-uh-lie-yah) Swamp Basin. Very interesting. The bridge starts at Krotz Springs and is two lanes each way. But, it has NO shoulder. So, Dennis followed us in the right-hand lane with his flashers on. We hogged the right lane at 18 mph.

The other highlight today was the first sighting of Spanish Moss in the trees. This old tree was particularly majestic.

Tonight, another Best Western. Dinner was across the street at “The Francis”.  I had shrimp and steak pasta.

Day 27 - Past the 2,000 mile mark

Departure: DeRidder, LA      Finish:  Ville Platte, LA     

Distance:    77.9 miles

Elevation gain:  1,123 feet (1,258’ downhill)

Winds: SSE at 8 to 10 mph.

Weather:  Overcast. Very humid. 72 degrees at departure. 76 degrees at arrival

On bike duration:   4 hrs, 33 minutes. 

Average speed: 17.1 mph

Total Accumulated Miles:  2,046.5

We have logged more than 2,000 miles, to arrive in the middle of Louisiana. Today’s ride was very enjoyable - following a full day of rest, including a hot-stone massage at “Asian Relax” in DeRidder. Several twists and turns gave us alternating headwinds and tailwinds from the South. The same winds were very annoying three weeks ago, but I am demonstrably stronger now, and powered through. An average speed of 17 mph over 78 miles with variable winds is a significant change, and an accomplishment worth recording.

At our first water break, Dennis pulled into the gravel parking lot of a convenience store called Don’s One Stop. I’m fairly sure that’s what it was called. (The marquee sign with the Coca Cola logo hasn’t been updated for a week or two.) Don sells propane and a variety of other stuff containing the letters E, D, C, and Q. Don actually had a steady stream of patrons while we stopped to fill our water bottles.

The first 60 miles of our Louisiana tour was dominated by commercial forestry - for lumber and plywood. The highway shoulders were littered with fist-sized, and sometimes arm-sized shards of bark and wood that had escaped from trucks transporting the fallen trees to various mills. I rolled over some of the debris that couldn’t be avoided - with no damage or danger.

As we made our way Eastward today, the economy changed radically to two very different agricultural pursuits I had never in my life seen before - rice and crawfish farming. I have known that rice is typically grown in a field flooded with water. It’s easy to flood a field in this location because the water table is just below ground level.

As for the crawfish - I have never been an avid consumer of the southern delicacy and I never pondered the source. Clearly, there are far too many successful crawfish eateries in the locale to rely on a handful of eight-year-old boys to pack them to town on their bikes. In the back of my mind, I felt sure they were not raked in from the Gulf, like Bubba Gump Shrimp. My eyes were opened today when  we passed many miles and thousands of acres of flooded swamp with crawfish “pots” waiting to be harvested. The highlight of today was our good fortune to stop on the side of the road and watch a man in a flat-bottomed skiff, making the rounds to empty the crawfish pots. The water was only 15 or so inches deep and the boat was propelled by a motor-driven wheel that dug into the ground below to push the boat. Fascinating!

On the shoulder of the road today, I counted four phone charging cords. Now I do not have an accurate count, but I have noticed dozens of phone charging cords (without the car plug, or wall plug) on the side of the roads since we left the Pacific. I believe I have seen 60 or more. This is a mild curiosity to me. When you ride on the shoulder of a highway you must always be on the lookout for any debris that could puncture your tire, or put you in an ambulance. I have steered around rocks that could have thrown me into traffic. I have maneuvered away from squishy diapers that have been thoughtlessly tossed overboard. I’ve seen myriad beer cans & bottles, a menagerie of road kill, and thousands of expelled truck tires. But, I’m always surprised to see charging cords. It almost feels like a Tik Tok challenge, or like the rubber duckies on the dashboard of Jeeps these days. Why would anybody chuck a charging cord out of their vehicle? Why would anything be chucked out of a vehicle…  These are things I think about.

One other interesting item. When I have visited New Orleans in the past, I have seen the above-ground graveyards and have been told it is due to the very high water tables. As we rolled into Ville Platte today I got a close up view.

Tomorrow we cross the Mississippi. I’d say that’s another important milestone in this adventure. I’ll try to snap a photo or two.

Tonight - another Best Western. When walking back from the Mexican restaurant next door, I spotted a group of guys grilling up some ribs and chicken on a Weber. It was a construction crew from Baldwin, LA. Very friendly guys. They couldn’t quite understand my journey. “Why you do dat?”, one of them asked with a thick Cajun accent. I could tell my answer didn’t satisfy his curiosity. He told me about another crazy guy he heard of who is walking from coast to coast. He proudly offered, “He came through my home town, you know.” I thought about sticking around to take them up on the offer of their cooking, but we had birthday cake waiting in the lobby. Today is the 71st birthday of one of our guides - Jim Pratt.

Day 26 - Goodbye Texas

Departure: Lumberton, TX      Finish:  DeRidder, LA     

Distance:    82.6 miles

Elevation gain:  1,244 feet (1,100’ downhill)

Winds: SW at 12 mph.

Weather:  Overcast. Occasional light rain  67 to 76 degrees.

On bike duration:   4 hrs, 46 minutes. 

Average speed: 17.3 mph

Total Accumulated Miles:  1,968.6

We left San Diego a month ago today, and entered Louisiana after 2 1/2 weeks in Texas. Almost 2,000 miles done.

The moderate wind was from the Southwest; delightfully so, since we were headed predominantly Northeast. We passed through Buda and Kirbyville, and had our lunch stop in Bon Wier just before crossing the border from Texas. 

There was a herd of goats, just over the fence from our lunch stop in the parking lot of a local Baptist Church. They were very interested in what we were up to. The feeling was mutual.

“Rita” found a comfortable position out front, where she can lead the way to Florida. Now, to figure out a worthy method to pass this mascot off to the next deserving participant.

I was interested to see that the wheat in Louisiana has already “headed out”; much earlier than the typical maturation of wheat in Central Kansas.

It’s another Best Western for us tonight and for our day off tomorrow. This one is a BW Plus. I have no idea what the Plus is about. Maybe it’s the roses. Maybe it’s the Walmart on the other end of the parking lot.