Dauphin Island, AL to Pensacola, FL

60 miles

Total: 2518

Blink! Out of Alabama and we are now in our last state!  We assembled early as we had a ferry to  catch to take us from Dauphin Island to Mobile Bay.  A quick 40 minute trip past oil rigs brought us to the gulf communities of Ft. Morgan and Gulf Shores. We pedaled past beach homes up on stilts.

We crossed another bridge and entered Florida, Perdido Key at mile 35.    I have complained about the road surface in previous entries, so it is only right that I tell you that today was terrific. We enjoyed a bike lane for many miles in the Alabama seaside communities  and into Florida the road was in great shape.

Stopped in at Gulf Coast State Park in Alabama for a few pics of the pristine white beach. Really pretty and today it was not crowded at all

We move inland now until we get into St. Augustine on May. 1.

Really enjoyable day today..like a day at the beach!

couple pics of sunset on Dauphin Island

Day 44- Pascagoula, MS to Dauphin Island, AL

41 Miles

Total 2458

Day 45 – Rest Day on  Dauphin Island, AL

Yawn..we rolled out and I glanced at my watch and it read 7:19.  My first thought was why are we leaving so early when we have “only” a 41 mile day.?  The answer is so that we could get to our destination of Dauphin Island and relax and enjoy our accommodations, and the following rest day. Which upon arriving at said destination, I was thankful for the early start.

I sped out with “the dynamite sisters”  T-N-T.  Tanya and Twila, they were on a mission to find a donut shop that had received rave reviews.    The challenge for me was trying to keep up – Twila is a rocket, and Tanya can move!  We arrived at the 20 mile SAG stop, and thought we had missed the shop.  Twila dropped us so that she could ride her faster ride.  It was only a few miles beyond the SAG stop that we arrived into the small town of Bayou La Batre.  We were almost at the end of town (um, maybe a mile..) when I hear an excited cry from behind me –“there it is, there it is!”.

Seemed appropriate to make a stop at a place called Sugar Rush on Easter Sunday!  As we were parking our bikes, several of the locals went in /out of the shop and each told us that we were going to enjoy our donuts!  And we did.  I did not try the Bubble Tea, but was told that it is made with tapioca.  I am sure it is great – but didn’t sound too appealing at 8:30 in the morning.

We stopped for our official Welcome to Alabama photos!   Another state off of my list – and only one more to go!

Another bridge awaited us to get onto Dauphin Island.  The aptly named “Long Bridge”   was listed as 3.5 miles – most of it causeway type, but there was a very high/steep  portion.  Of  the several bridges that we have crossed the last week, this was the first one that gave me pause as I approached.  My initial reaction  was that I would not like to drive over this one– it was that steep.  But up and over I went – and once I got going it was not too bad!  Beautiful coast views led us onto the island, and off shore we saw many an oil rig.

Our  destination for the next two days is a lovely condominium resort right on the ocean.   We are in 3-4 bedroom units with living room and kitchen.

My day off was wonderful!  Quiet morning, a walk into town and grabbed a great lunch – crab cake sandwich.. mmmmmmmm .  Enjoyed time with a few of my condo roomies and back to the Condo to relax.  I caught up on my “correspondence” writing thank yous and updating my blog.

Dinner in a bit and then tomorrow we head off  to Dauphin Island by ferry and on to Florida!   Hard to believe we will be entering our last state!  We have about 575 miles to go!

Came across this on the beach today.   I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter.

Wiggins to Pascagoula,MS

69 miles Total:  2417!

Hat tip to Adam for the song recommendation for today’s blog!  Seems right considering the first verse-  No diesel to fire up, but Sweet Ruby will make it to Florida! What a great day!   Finally we rolled out with the sunshining!  A gentle breeze made the heat stay at bay, and the terrain was rolling hills, and quiet roads.   We traveled through DeSoto National Forest.  Great ride, lots of green as we wound our way through rural Mississippi.  Some days the miles can be overwhelming, where you are glancing at your odometer every few minutes to see if you are making progress.  Today the miles just seem to fall away- 70 miles and I was in to the motel  by 1 pm. The last few miles took us to the coast and we crossed 2 bridges to arrive in Pascagoula.  The bridge was steep, but had a nice wide shoulder and not too much traffic.  I stopped at the top to take a few quick pictures – you can see the Naval yard. During our brief time in Mississippi you cannot help but realize that you are in the Bible Belt.  Even in the most remote areas you cannot go 3-5 miles without seeing a church.  You can feel and see the strength of their faith everywhere.  Seems appropriate to wish everyone a Happy Easter!

It is slowly creeping in that this journey will be over in less than two weeks!   There are moments when I am pedaling that it feels as if it will never end.  Other moments, it seems as thought it has flown by!

“Ride” Lyrics Alright Take a trip from here Bogalusa, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Picayune, Boloxi, Pascagoula, Mobile Bay,Big full moon Diesel up just north of Destin Headed cross to Jacksonville Love to see the world come at me Through the bugs On a big windshield Yeah, that’s right Tear it down in Raleigh-Durham Haven’t got an hour to lose Head up to the coast to Virginia Read the newest Newport News Back across the Appalachians Blowin’ into Louisville Love to feel the big wheels turnin’ Always have and always will Somewhere inside me There’s a new direction Somewhere before me There’s an open road Can’t go to sleep Without that diesel singin’ Somebody tellin’ me It’s time to go Let’s ride Come on boys, let’s ride Come on boys, let’s ride Little Rock, Texarkana, Dallas, Fort-Worth and El Paso 110 in the desert Pedal down Go dog go Always love to see the people Always love to hear the crowd Always love to bring a party Turn it up and play it loud Somewhere inside me There’s a new direction Somewhere before me There’s an open road Can’t go to sleep Without that diesel singin’ Somebody tellin’ me It’s time to go Let’s ride Come on boys, let’s ride Let’s ride like the wind I’ll be back again As sure as this world’s spins around One day I might find a reason To shut this thing down But for now Let’s ride Somewhere inside me There’s a new direction Somewhere before me There’s an open road Can’t go to sleep Without that diesel singin’ Somebody tellin’ me Tell me, it’s time to go Let’s ride Come on boys, let’s ride Come on boys, let’s ride Yeah Let’s ride     Submit Corrections TRACE ADKINS Lyrics A-Z Lyrics Send “Ride” Ringtone to your Mobile Writer(s): Peter Sven Kvint, Craig Michael Wiseman Copyright: Kvintsongs, Universal Music – Mgb Songs Powered by Share on http://www.amazon.comMP3 Share on emailEmail Share on printPrint Enter artist/album/song to search lyrics for: Advertise Here Privacy Policy DMCA Policy Contact Us TRACE ADKINS lyrics are property and copyright of their owners. “Ride” lyrics provided for educational purposes and personal use only. Copyright © 2000-2014 AZLyrics.com

Bogalusa to Wiggins, MS

61 miles

Total: 2348

17 miles into our ride today we entered our 6th state, Mississippi!  Hard to believe we only have two states left!

I have been very fortunate to have traveled to most of the United States, prior to today I had 5 states left to visit to complete the entire US.  One more checked off the list and as of Sunday when I arrive in Alabama, I will have just three to go!  (Alaska, Nebraska and Arkansas – for those that are curious!)

We had company at one of our SAG stops today – they were very curious about us! It was a welcomed change from the charging, barking dogs.

Our SAG drivers always seem to find just the right spot to park- our second stop today included a bit of encouragement

The last few days we have traveled away from the crawfish ponds and have moved inland.  Tomorrow we head down to the gulf coast as we head to Pascagoula.  I am looking forward to the change of scenery.  Today we had more hills that we have had in several days – and worked a bit harder than we had.  The weather was in the low 60’s and was quite damp and felt raw.  I am thankful that it has not been hot – but I would like a little warm up!

Tonight we had our margarita celebration to mark our arrival into another state.  We moved it indoors as it was cool, and threatening to shower.   We have also been celebrating birthdays- yesterday we wished Joyce from England a Happy Birthday, and today it was Carol’s turn.   Special shout out to Janine, one of our fellow riders, who is incredibly thoughtful and downright fun planning each birthday to make it special.   Tonight after dinner, the entire group donned masks to sing Happy Birthday.  It was silly and fun and we had a blast.

Freaky?

Hammond to Bogalusa, Tx

55 miles

Total 2287

Hmmmm, what to say about today?   As we travel through eastern Louisiana we are encountering more of the same as the last few days.  Green, horses, cows and dogs.  Good news is that it was warmer than yesterday, but we did get caught in a rain shower.

We use cue sheets to navigate from one place to another, and every now and then we have to make a turn on a “unmarked or unnamed street”.   I am amazed by the number of streets and intersections, of all sizes that are unmarked. It makes it more exciting as you are trying to make a decision that may take you down a road for miles before the next cue.

I have also noticed that the word “only” has crept into our vocabulary.  It is used in two ways:

Use 1:   “How many miles today?”  “Only 68”

Use 2: “We only have 35 more miles to go today”

Six weeks in and ONLY two weeks left!

Tomorrow we cross another state line!

Day 39 Rest Day in St. Francisville

Day 40 St. Francisville to Hammond, LA

88 miles

Total 2232

Enjoyed a relaxing day off at the Butler Greenwood B & B.  This historic home has a number of cottages/buildings that half of us stayed in.  We were 3 miles from  town, and I decided to stay put.  Food options were limited, but included a continental breakfast, I had a sandwich from the day before and snacks – so I would survive!  A group of us ordered pizza for dinner.

I walked around the grounds, and was startled by a beautiful peacock.  I learned later that his name is Humphrey.   Very relaxing day – I caught up on my blog, emails, thank you cards and a bit of “housekeeping”

Day 40  called for an early start as we had an 85 mile day ahead of us.  We were greeted with a record low temperature!  38 degrees, with a wind chill factor bringing the temp to 34.  Most of us had sent our warm weather gear home, so we layered what we had!   It eventually warmed up to the low 60’s – sunny and bright but very chilly.

The ride itself was uneventful- lots of green, pretty countryside – more narrow roads, and of course our constant companions- the trucks.    Oh, and dogs.

Stopped for lunch at mile 50 and had a terrific vegetable soup and grilled cheese. – Highlight of the day!

Tomorrow we head to Bogalusa – not expecting much when we get there!  Last night in Louisiana – and I am striking out on finding Louisiana postcards (especially since I stayed put in St. Francisville!)

I want to wish my Pinkerton Academy, Class of 1981 classmate, Kristen McIsaac all the best as she prepares for the Boston Marathon on Monday. I know that all of your hard work and preparation will have you running like the wind!  I hope that this year is everything that last year was not for you . Be safe, enjoy and we are all rooting for you –and very proud to know you.

Lafayette to St. Francisville, LA

100 mile day!!

Total:  2145

Under the threat of severe thunderstorm warnings, we rolled out at 7:15 to try and beat the storm, the heat and cover the many miles that we had to get to St. Francisville.

A high mileage day interferes with my picture taking!  I have a few to share – but I do not stop to take pictures that I normally would, as I feel the need to keep pedaling, keep  moving, keep pedaling, keep moving!   Admittedly, I miss a good shot or two with this approach,  one of which was a spectacular tree shot.  The tree was partially submerged, but the roots where exposed and in view and they resembled tentacles of an octupus.  It really had a personality — as I passed it all I could think of was the Trees from The Lord of the Rings movies!  Sorry not to have captured it to share with you.

Road surface in Lousiana is certainly hit or miss, and it is always better to miss a pothole or uneven surface.  Unfortunately, I had a momentary lapse in focus once or twice, and hit a hole or two, that rattled just about everything out of it’s proper place.  Ouch.

Reeling off the miles today included a couple of bridge crossings!  We crossed the Atchafalaya River on a steep bridge that was undergoing construction.  After we crossed it, we had to continue on the Morganza Spillway.  I had no idea what a spillway was — but it was another raised road surface (bridge…like..)  but it went on for miles.  The spillway was a four lane highway without any shoulder.   For safety purposes, we assembled and crossed over in groups.  The group I was in had 13, and we started across with the SAG Subaru behind us with flashers on.  We were our own parade for 3.5 miles.  Louisiana drivers are much more patient and courteous than those that we encountered in Texas.   Time ticks more slowly here, and they are not in such a rush. I also choose to believe that all of what they are yelling out their truck windows is complimentary!

At mile 67 we were hungry and searching for lunch — we were looking for “Not Your Mama’s Cafe”” in Morganza – but just our luck, it was closed for renovations.  We headed to LaHaye’s Market which had a deli counter in the back — we enjoyed a very relaxing lunch (service is much slower…..patience is required…..).  As I was enjoying my BBQ Brisket po’boy I noticed this sign.

The next adventure of the day was crossing the mighty Mississippi River!   We came upon the John James Audubon bridge which was constructed in 2011/2012.  Previously, there was a ferry that was used to cross.   Traffic was not too heavy when we arrived, and we were able to get a few good shots.  I enjoyed

traveling across with Tanya and Sue.

And yes, we were getting closer to the storm!  The sky was this ugly gray/yellow.  It was around 2:30ish – and we were still 15 miles from our destination.  Good news is that we did outrun it, but barely – it started to shower the last mile or so — I was at 98 miles and wanted to complete a century – so I circled the driveway of a local Baptist church. The thunder started when I arrived in the church parking lot…coincidence or message? hmmmm?   Tanya and a few others  completed their first century!  Congrats to all!

The group is in two locations about 3 miles apart – I am at the Butler Greenwood B & B which is a lovely property.  I have a small cottage all to myself — what a luxury after a few of the places we have stayed.  Tomorrow is a rest day, and I am committed to staying put.  Not willing to get on the bike to go into town 3 miles away.  Next stop Hammond, LA – 90 miles away……….

Mileage shot of the 100 and a few pictures from the property. First one is the rain as soon as I got my bags and bike in!    My room is called the Treehouse!

Lake Charles  to Lafayette, LA

85 miles

Total : 2045!  Wahoo! Surpassed 2000 today.

With a new shifter in place, today’s ride was long and windy, but the ability to shift gears was wonderful!   The appeal of flat terrain was easily negated with the constant head and crosswinds that accompanied us during our first full day in Louisiana.

The Lone Stars that adorned many a ranch gate, farm fence or home in Texas has now been replaced by the Fleur de Lis and advertising for shrimp, crawfish and catfish.

A 100 plus miles into Louisiana and we have experienced significant terrain changes. Yes, we are rolling on mostly flat landscape, roads are no longer chipseal, but clearly Louisiana does not have a lot of funding for roads and repairs. Lots of uneven surfaces and potholes, and then out of nowhere a smooth road.  You enjoy one when you find it!   We pedaled by flooded rice paddies, crawfish traps and many a marsh.  We saw many live and a few dead snakes.

Upon arrival in the south we were forewarned about the increase in loose dogs.  We have encountered a few here and there, and it seems that most days a rider has been chased or approached by dogs.  Today I was riding with my cycling buddy, Tanya and we were happy to have Nancy with us on her off day from driving the SAG.  We were progressing along nicely when a Boxer came charging out at us.  I was the first rider in our group so I was fortunate not to be the target, but Nancy received a good chase by a very determined dog.   There are several techniques that riders will use- this time Nancy used the  “big voice” approach yelling “go home ! ” loudly and confidently. This usually will work, along with “No!”   Other approaches use whistles, and if the dog does not stop and continues to chase, charge or lunge, riders will stop and get off the bike and put the bike between them and the dog.    I have been thankful that most dogs that run after us, or bark have been behind a fence or on a lead.   We shall see what tomorrow brings.

Tonight we were treated to dinner at a local restaurant to try the local cuisine.  The restaurant had a live band playing Zydeco music, and there were quite a few people dancing.   After the first hour, it felt as if they were replaying songs-the sound has a distinct beat to it.

I tried the catfish for dinner.  It was very mild and there was plenty to share.   A pic of the hot sauce for my brother in law- and no, I did not try any.

Off to bed, 96 miles tomorrow and it looks like we will have inclement weather.  We ride on anyway!

Silsbee, TX to Lake Charles, LA

75 miles  (60 for me!)

Hello Louisiana! Good Bye Texas!  Just shy of three weeks to get across Texas!

We crossed into LA at about the 35 mile mark. The crossing was energizing, and several riders crossed at the same time and stopped to take pictures.

Perhaps the excitement was that we were leaving this behind.  The pic with the chairs is  in front of my room last night.  When I arrived the chairs were occupied by several railroad workers relaxing smoking cigars.   Yum. Not.

Upon our arrival into Louisiana, the landscape began to change – swampy marshes appeared.

Last week I bought a new saddle (seat) and many of you have asked how it is going– it is going very well – a few tweaks, and so far so good!  Today brought a new mechanical challenge- I started the day unable to shift out of the highest gear . I could shift from one chain ring to the other- but not within the ring — which means I had 2 gears.  I was thankful that the terrain was very flat and did not require the use of lower gears.  With that said, i would have liked to downshift on occasion! Easier on the knees.  Looking ahead to the next two days – I knew that we had lots of miles to ride — 88 tomorrow and 96 on Monday.  I needed to find a bike shop and have Sweet Ruby looked at and fixed before  the next few days.   I made a decision to jump in to the SAG Wagon (SAG stands for Support and Gear – and is the Subaru wagon that we check in every 20 miles.  Our very capable SAG drivers Nancy and Carolyn take turns driving and keep us fed, watered, and up and running! They are both terrific!) After Nancy cleared all the riders at mile 60, she drove me to The Bicycle Super Store in Lake Charles, where Ross fixed my shifter!  I am ready to roll tomorrow and am hoping my mechanical issues are behind me! Thanks to Nancy and Ross for helping me out!

It is hard to believe that we have less than 3 weesleft!

Cleveland to Silsbee, TX

64 miles

To prep for today’s ride, I had what will be my last Texas shaped waffle!  After nearly 20 days we will be spending our last night in Texas.  Texas has proven to be a very diverse state. We have sliced across from the desert in El Paso, across ranches and farms, big city of Austin, and of late green, lush state parks nearing the bayou!    Weather has been warm, windy (wicked windy!), rainy, dry and humid!  We have enjoyed the arrival of spring with the many wildflowers that covered the landscape, and watched as baby cows, goats and horses played in the fields. One constant has been the people that we have met along the way.  Proud Texans, friendly and gregarious, curious about our journey and very helpful.

Today was a fast paced ride. I sped along with many of the riders that I usually lose sight of very quickly when there is climbing.  The road was flat with a few gently rolling hills.  I felt as though I was flying.   The road was still narrow with many logging trucks which always adds a hint of fear in my ride.  The one benefit if the log trucks, the fresh smell of pine and wood as they whiz past you!

We are staying in a small motel in Silsbee, unremarkable with the exception of the warm welcome on the sign.

Have pics, but not wifi, so I will get this ou quickly, and post pics tomorrow