Big riding day today, 90 miles with a head wind and navigating a major city. It was a beautiful day, sunny and perfect temperature (about 60 when I left). I started along highway 90, nice wide shoulder and no German shepherds. There was a head wind but the truck backdraft would punch an occasional hole in the wind. Even from the highway the countryside was pretty. I’ve driven this rode via car and motorcycle many times but seeing it slowly on a bike changes its complexion quite a bit. You see more of the bayous and waterways which are beautiful. I knew today was going to be long and tiring so I was prepared and I was excited about getting to Nola so my mood was great. I got into a good groove and clicked away the miles. About half way I stopped at a roadside stand for some crawfish pie and to relax a bit. Saw my first alligator on the side of the road, a 4 ft long gator that sadly for him, was dead but good for me because I didn’t get eaten! Now I need to keep an eye out for trucks, dogs AND gators!
A little further down the road I ran into my first big obstacle, a bridge with no shoulder. Impassable on a bike without getting flattened by a semi so I needed to reroute. I found a parallel road (old 90 then the Old Spanish Trail route along country roads). With an eye out for dogs and gators I kept on it for 20 miles, it was empty and pretty (one little dog too slow to catch me). It took me to the Mississippi River which I was very excited to see! I’ve gone a long way that is for sure. The river was high and flowing fast and there was a great bike path on the levy which I could follow off and on for the remaining 30 miles. It was a beautiful ride although windy and the river road I had to occasionally hop onto was pretty busy with no shoulder. Rather than take the massive bridge over the Mississippi at bridge city I opted to follow the river and levy trail as far as I could then take river road to a ferry that ran from Algiers to the French Quarter where I was staying. A few extra miles and some crappy truck-filled sections but worth it! The levy was awesome and ferry a cool way to arrive! Two rest days ahead of me in New Orleans and I finally get to see my wife! This has been the longest time we’ve been apart and I am pretty sure she won’t recognize me as a skinny bearded dirtbag biker! Lol.
