Day 49
Bunkie to New Roads Louisiana
All things considered, a very good day. Still cold, but it is now almost to the point where I can start camping again. I plan to camp tomorrow night at Perry’s Bike Hostel in Jackson, LA. I arrived in New Roads at 4:30pm, after leaving Bunkie at 7:30am. I covered a distance of 82 miles in 9 hours. A bit disappointing. That is just under 9 miles per hour, but that does include stops; and I did spend a good bit of time at the “Daiquiris Express” in Batchelor. I might be able to make 100 miles in a day if I eat my lunch while riding and don’t stop for a daiquiris. I had a goal to see a Friday night High School football game in Texas. I missed that goal. I also have a goal to do a 100 mile day. Since the days are getting shorter now, I may have to forego that one as well, we’ll see.
Some random observations on the day. I don’t always understand what people in Louisiana are trying to tell me. They have “Daiquiris Bars” at gas stations. Cajun Chicken is sold everywhere. I don’t know what a Crawfish is and I won’t be having any. I’m allergic to all fish, but more importantly, I’m opposed to the idea of sucking the guts out of anything. A lot of people are shocked when they learn where I’m coming from and where I’m going. It’s a good feeling to see people smile and wish me well when I answer that question. There are no shoulders on the back roads in Louisiana. Double Oaked Woodford is better with Coke than it is straight. My Davidson is the best damn bike on the planet.
My friend from Florida called me this afternoon. It was great to hear from him. We cycled the Finger Lakes in New York together this last spring on an ACA self-supported tour. We had a great time. It was a very diverse group that became tightly knit in a very short period of time. The leader was a super cool guy and an awesome cyclist. (I don’t use names on the blog, but you know who you are.) My friend offered to open his home up to me for a couple of days so we could hang out. I’m very excited to spend time with him and his family.
Maybe a 100 miles day carrying 60 pounds is not such a good idea, I’m thinking about sleeping in tomorrow morning.
Miles: 82
You can get a fill-up and a daiquiris at a lot of gas stations in Louisiana. God bless Louisiana.
Yes, I need an editor, but I could not afford to pay one to come with me, so you’ll have to tolerate the spelling and grammatical errors. The next time I do an epic tour, I will consider taking an accomplished editor with me.
