Description: I finished the 85 mile ride today in Mobile Alabama. Yup, Mississippi was just a flash! I have now ridden through California, Arizona, New Mexico, TEXAS, Louisiana, and Mississippi. I will be leaving Alabama for Florida after another 2 days of riding. Wow, am I really in the home stretch? Having my parents, Carl, Kevin, and Teresa join me has really made this trip easier and MORE enjoyable as I have been able to share my experiences in real time. Anyway, my target destination tomorrow is Gulf Beach Alabama with a 65-75 mile ride.
We all got up early, packed up, and were at the Best Western breakfast buffet at 6:30. I was once again disappointed with Best Western's offering. No eggs, no sausage, no waffles, no good. I made due with several danishes, a muffin, a big bowl of cereal, OJ, and some crappy coffee. After breakfast, Sherpa Kevin raced 35 miles east with the van to our targeted lunch destination of Lucedale. From there he headed back west on his bike at break neck speed (wind at his back) to join us half way. Teresa, Carl, and I were bundled up in our winter gear as it was around 38 degrees and very windy for our start. As with previous days, Teresa lead the group on this raw morning all the way to lunch with a very strong wind breaking effort with us boys struggling to keep on her rear wheel through the rolling hills. The Pine forests and some small farms continued to be the predominate landscape with many of the trees clear cut by loggers. As we moved further east, we started to see Magnolia trees mixed in with the Pines which signals a climate change according to Carl. The road was full of hills and this gave us a good workout. Now that the mountains are gone, I am losing some of the punch from my daily training rides. We passed through an area called "The Big Level" that we thought would bring flat ground but we were disappointed as it did not last long. After 20 miles, Kevin caught up with us and we had a party of 4 once again. After a few more miles, we took a rest break at a Chevron gas station in the middle of nowhere. We grabbed some coffee and snacks to recharge our fuel cells. I had a chicken fried steak biscuit and a Little Debbie coffee cake which hit the spot. Carl grabbed some sugar loaded garbage and went out front to sit on the rocking chairs to feast. It was there that he met his long lost identical twin that he must have been separated from at birth. Get this, another electrician who retired early. The guy retired at age 48 (this made Carl jealous) and was just hanging out BSing with customers like us. Carl started telling his tall tales and the other guy was doing the same thing back. When it was time to roll, we could hardly separate the 2 lost twins. We then motored against the wind and some steep hills the remaining 15 miles to Lucedale for lunch. Teresa was spent from dragging us guys around all morning and looking forward to hanging up her shoes for the day and playing with the dog. We ate at a place called Pockets Diner. The whole theme revolved around billiards including the menu. I went for a chicken tortilla thing, Teresa had a chicken pita (I think), Kevin went with a hogie, and Carl jumped on a grilled cheese & pickles sandwich with grilled potatoes. The food was good and we were just about the only folks in there. We asked a guy about the town name (Lucedale) and he said in French it means lice town...hmmm. We took a group picture in front of their X-Mas tree and then packed up for the road. Teresa drove the van south to Mobile to secure lodging and to begin her recovery routine. Us 3 amigos put our heads down and started cranking as we had a lot of ground to cover in a very short period of time. Kevin fought the wind for us which never backed down. When we went east in the morning, the wind blew from the east. When we went south in the afternoon, the wind shifted and nailed us again. I believe the wind gods are still angry at us for some reason that I cannot figure out. We made great time despite the conditions and rolled through the small towns of Wade and Hurley. We took a quick bio break in Wade. Then we crossed the border into Alabama which was 14 miles short of Mobile. We stopped for pictures at the border and then rode on in an attempt to race the sun to the hotel - my favorite challenge! Immediately after entering Alabama, we noticed that drivers were very aggressive, would not move over, and would not slow down. One guy nearly took me out and then Kevin (ahead of me seeing this in his mirror) stuck out his arm to the driver asking him to give us a break. Then the guy swerved over at Kevin and hit his hand with his rear view mirror - what a jerk! It was dusk as we hit the city limits and we still had 5 miles to go. Then bam, I rolled over a large object which punctured my rear wheel. It was just east of the Mobile Regional air port and just after Carl stopped to take a picture of a gigantic fire works store. I was frustrated as I had invested in heavy duty tires, tubes, and liners back in Phoenix after my prior bout with the goat heads. I changed the tire quickly as darkness was setting in. We jumped back into heavy traffic with all of our lights on and finished in the dark at 5:30. The sun had won the race to the hotel - rats. The Homewoods Suites hotel Teresa hooked us up with is awesome and she got a great rate by leveraging Kevin's AARP card. The deal came with free happy hour from 6-8 pm that included wine, beer, and a full buffet dinner of fried catfish, bratwurst, slaw, baked beans, bread sticks, and a nice salad. We feasted until we could not move any more. Kevin nearly fell asleep in his chair as he had burnt all of his matches for the day and the large meal nearly pushed him over the edge. One final observation that Carl and I have noticed since Texas. We are very surprised at how many dead animals are just laying right in front of houses on the roads. It is clear that the animals are left to decay rather than being cleaned up and buried. This includes a lot of dogs and some cats. Can you believe that people would let their family pet chase cars (and bikes), get run over, and then just leave them there to rot? They almost have to run over some of them to get to their mail boxes or driveway! Nasty.....
Good night!
Weather: cold, overcast, and a strong 10-20 mph wind in our face. It was not as cold as yesterday but it was still downright raw. After lunch, it warmed up and we actually saw the sun for an hour or two before it clouded up later in the day and threatened to rain.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 85 Trip: 2,370
Total travel time: 9:30 Trip: 246:30
Bike Riding time: 8:40 Trip: 192:28
Avg speed: 12.25 Trip: 12.63
Max speed: 26.73 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 1,449 Trip: 54,151
Avg pedal RPMs: 86 Trip: 86
Avg heart rate: 95 Trip: 110
Max heart rate: 149 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 5,117 Trip: 140,902
Weather Statistics:
High temp 61 Trip: 77
Low temp: 38 Trip: 27
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 13:30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: Hurt ALL day
Total good wind days: 11
Total bad wind days: 21
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 1 Trip: 9
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Homewood Suites - Teresa did great on this one
Total hotel nights: 30
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 4 Trip: 102
Pints: 3 Trip: 59
Mood rating (1-10): 9.5 - great day today and my cold is just about gone. One more day of riding and then I will take my first full rest day on Christmas day.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
OK ESN:0-7458562
This is Steve and I am checking in to let everyone know that I have finished my ride for the day safe and sound.
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.6832
Longitude:-88.2039
Nearest Location:not known
Distance:not known
Time:12/23/2008 15:35:40 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.6832,-88.2039&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.6832
Longitude:-88.2039
Nearest Location:not known
Distance:not known
Time:12/23/2008 15:35:40 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.6832,-88.2039&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Day 31 - Monday, December 22
Description: Finished the 70 mile ride in Wiggins Mississippi. Tomorrow is a big question mark. We want to go south and across a ferry below Mobile but it might not be running due to the high winds. Our other option is to go more south east and straight to Mobile. The forecast is for high winds in our face, cold in the morning, and maybe rain. You will have to watch Spot to see which way we decided to go.
We made our own breakfast in our rooms this morning and I had 2 yogurts, Pop Tarts, a banana, and a cup of hot Cappuccino. Carl had a similar meal. After loading up the van, Kevin performed the now routine Sherpa duty. We agreed on the day's route and then Kevin blasted to Poplarville to park the van and ride back to meet us for a brunch in Bogalusa. This way, Kevin gets just about as many miles as Carl and me. Teresa typically rides with us to the van and then takes it in the afternoon to find lodging and get provisions for the evening. This Sherpa system has worked great and I feel fortunate and spoiled. After Kevin took off from the hotel, Teresa, Carl, and I bundled up big time and braced for a cold day. Today totally redefined any prior definitions I have given for a "raw" day. Freezing cold (puddles had ice), 15+ mph winds in the face, and overcast. We should have just stayed in bed. This weather did not help my cold as well. Anyway, enough complaining. We sucked it up, bundled up, and pushed Teresa to the front of the pace line to break the wind for us. We rode out of Franklinton and into the countryside. The area was full of rolling hills (this continues to shock me) and lots of pine woods that are farm raised for lumber. Many of the forrests were clear cut. We also saw a lot of hunter's stands in the empty fields as hunting is big around here. We rode for 27 miles through Springhill and Plainview before entering Bogalusa to meet Kevin and grab a bite. Bogalusa is a big paper pulp mill town complete with a Wal-Mart and a Donut Palace. Kevin had asked that we meet further down the road but Carl's and my bike would not go past the Donut Palace (a fueling station) without stopping. We called Kevin and said to come meet us there. After pounding grease and fat and washing it down with strong coffee, we bundled up and made a break for Poplarville which was about 20 miles away. We rode in a nice pace line with Kevin doing all of the pulling. He was a man on a mission and pulled almost as good as David, Ron, Dayn, Brian, Fast Tim, Slow Tim, Josh, Teresa, Susan, Jae, Doug, Sheila, Slow Todd, Norris, Christy, Christine, my daughters, and every other rider I have ever known. He tried and we appreciated the effort. We crossed into Mississippi over the Pearl river which was flooded well over it's banks. the river had all kinds of floating houses (like house boats) on it and the area looked exactly like the location of the great movie - Frankenfish. If you have not seen this Sci-Fi flick, check it out and you will know exactly what we saw. After several border pictures, we had a long and steep pull out of the river basin. At one point, Teresa was feeling strong and spunky and passed me with a smile on her face. This hurt me real bad and I reached down deep to find the strength to pass her back. Wilson was screaming GOSTEVEGO with what little air he had left in him. Kevin was watching this race play out in his rear view mirror and had a big smile on his face. Carl just thought we were nuts. We continued battling the winds through rolling hills, cattle farms, and catfish farms until we reached Poplarville. Teresa had another great ride and did most of the work earlier in the day. She was ready to warm up and drive on to perform her Sherpa responsibilities. Kevin, Carl, and I wolfed down Snickers bars for a quick fix and rolled on for the final 24 miles of this cold and raw day. We arrived in Wiggins around 4 and celebrated with high 5s as this was a tough day. We checked into the Best Western and Teresa had snacks and beverages waiting for us. She could do this Sherpa thing for a living! We warmed up with hot showers and then walked next door to a Pizza Hut for supper. Teresa, Kevin, and I had baked pasta dishes and Carl had an entire pizza plus a salad. I also had their tater tot nacho appetizer. We all were real full and waddled back to our rooms to retire. Believe it or not, we all still had a fun day.
Good Night.
Weather: Bitter cold today. It was 23 degrees when we woke up and it was only 27 and very windy (15 mph+) when we began riding. It never warmed up above 38 all day and the strong winds fought us all day. The wind gods were very angry as the forecast was for light winds.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 70 Trip: 2,285
Total travel time: 8:00 Trip: 237:00
Bike Riding time: 6:02 Trip: 183:48
Avg speed: 11.55 Trip: 12.65
Max speed: 22.48 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 1,603 Trip: 52,702
Avg pedal RPMs: 82 Trip: 86
Avg heart rate: 99 Trip: 110
Max heart rate: 143 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 3,781 Trip: 133,785
Weather Statistics:
High temp 38 Trip: 77
Low temp: 27 Trip: 27
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 13.30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: Against us
Total good wind days: 11
Total bad wind days: 20
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Best Western
Total hotel nights: 29
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 3 Trip: 98
Pints: 3 Trip: 56
Mood rating (1-10): 9.25 - need more warmth and favorable winds to get back up to 10. Overall, still loving this trip and appreciate all of the support and followers. Thanks
We made our own breakfast in our rooms this morning and I had 2 yogurts, Pop Tarts, a banana, and a cup of hot Cappuccino. Carl had a similar meal. After loading up the van, Kevin performed the now routine Sherpa duty. We agreed on the day's route and then Kevin blasted to Poplarville to park the van and ride back to meet us for a brunch in Bogalusa. This way, Kevin gets just about as many miles as Carl and me. Teresa typically rides with us to the van and then takes it in the afternoon to find lodging and get provisions for the evening. This Sherpa system has worked great and I feel fortunate and spoiled. After Kevin took off from the hotel, Teresa, Carl, and I bundled up big time and braced for a cold day. Today totally redefined any prior definitions I have given for a "raw" day. Freezing cold (puddles had ice), 15+ mph winds in the face, and overcast. We should have just stayed in bed. This weather did not help my cold as well. Anyway, enough complaining. We sucked it up, bundled up, and pushed Teresa to the front of the pace line to break the wind for us. We rode out of Franklinton and into the countryside. The area was full of rolling hills (this continues to shock me) and lots of pine woods that are farm raised for lumber. Many of the forrests were clear cut. We also saw a lot of hunter's stands in the empty fields as hunting is big around here. We rode for 27 miles through Springhill and Plainview before entering Bogalusa to meet Kevin and grab a bite. Bogalusa is a big paper pulp mill town complete with a Wal-Mart and a Donut Palace. Kevin had asked that we meet further down the road but Carl's and my bike would not go past the Donut Palace (a fueling station) without stopping. We called Kevin and said to come meet us there. After pounding grease and fat and washing it down with strong coffee, we bundled up and made a break for Poplarville which was about 20 miles away. We rode in a nice pace line with Kevin doing all of the pulling. He was a man on a mission and pulled almost as good as David, Ron, Dayn, Brian, Fast Tim, Slow Tim, Josh, Teresa, Susan, Jae, Doug, Sheila, Slow Todd, Norris, Christy, Christine, my daughters, and every other rider I have ever known. He tried and we appreciated the effort. We crossed into Mississippi over the Pearl river which was flooded well over it's banks. the river had all kinds of floating houses (like house boats) on it and the area looked exactly like the location of the great movie - Frankenfish. If you have not seen this Sci-Fi flick, check it out and you will know exactly what we saw. After several border pictures, we had a long and steep pull out of the river basin. At one point, Teresa was feeling strong and spunky and passed me with a smile on her face. This hurt me real bad and I reached down deep to find the strength to pass her back. Wilson was screaming GOSTEVEGO with what little air he had left in him. Kevin was watching this race play out in his rear view mirror and had a big smile on his face. Carl just thought we were nuts. We continued battling the winds through rolling hills, cattle farms, and catfish farms until we reached Poplarville. Teresa had another great ride and did most of the work earlier in the day. She was ready to warm up and drive on to perform her Sherpa responsibilities. Kevin, Carl, and I wolfed down Snickers bars for a quick fix and rolled on for the final 24 miles of this cold and raw day. We arrived in Wiggins around 4 and celebrated with high 5s as this was a tough day. We checked into the Best Western and Teresa had snacks and beverages waiting for us. She could do this Sherpa thing for a living! We warmed up with hot showers and then walked next door to a Pizza Hut for supper. Teresa, Kevin, and I had baked pasta dishes and Carl had an entire pizza plus a salad. I also had their tater tot nacho appetizer. We all were real full and waddled back to our rooms to retire. Believe it or not, we all still had a fun day.
Good Night.
Weather: Bitter cold today. It was 23 degrees when we woke up and it was only 27 and very windy (15 mph+) when we began riding. It never warmed up above 38 all day and the strong winds fought us all day. The wind gods were very angry as the forecast was for light winds.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 70 Trip: 2,285
Total travel time: 8:00 Trip: 237:00
Bike Riding time: 6:02 Trip: 183:48
Avg speed: 11.55 Trip: 12.65
Max speed: 22.48 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 1,603 Trip: 52,702
Avg pedal RPMs: 82 Trip: 86
Avg heart rate: 99 Trip: 110
Max heart rate: 143 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 3,781 Trip: 133,785
Weather Statistics:
High temp 38 Trip: 77
Low temp: 27 Trip: 27
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 13.30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: Against us
Total good wind days: 11
Total bad wind days: 20
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Best Western
Total hotel nights: 29
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 3 Trip: 98
Pints: 3 Trip: 56
Mood rating (1-10): 9.25 - need more warmth and favorable winds to get back up to 10. Overall, still loving this trip and appreciate all of the support and followers. Thanks
Monday, December 22, 2008
OK ESN:0-7458562
This is Steve and I am checking in to let everyone know that I have finished my ride for the day safe and sound.
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.8527
Longitude:-89.1543
Nearest Location: E Frontage Dr, Wiggins, MS, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/22/2008 14:00:18 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.8527,-89.1543&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.8527
Longitude:-89.1543
Nearest Location: E Frontage Dr, Wiggins, MS, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/22/2008 14:00:18 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.8527,-89.1543&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Day 30 - Sunday, December 21
Description: Finished the 83 mile ride in Franklinton Louisiana. Tomorrow, the target will be Wiggins Mississippi with a solid 70-75 mile ride.
Bad news - I have come down with a cold and suffered some today with my nose and a sore throat. Got some good drugs and hope to kick it tonight. I think I got it the day we went without stopping at a Donut Palace:-(
We all got up early today, grabbed some light breakfast snacks (I had a Smores Luna bar) and hit the road at 7:15. Kevin lost the coin toss again and reluctantly agreed to be the Sherpa for the morning. He took off north with the van to drop it off at Chipola and then ride back our way to join our party. Teresa, Carl, and I headed north out of Baton Rouge to look for a Donut Palace for some good Community coffee and some sugar bombs to fuel our day. From the beginning, Teresa charged to the front of the pace line and broke wind (I guess that could have been worded better) all morning for us 2 guys. The wind was very fierce and blowing at 15-25 mph straight into Teresa's face which she fought for the first 27 miles of our day. After about 5 miles, we found Mary Lee's Donuts & More shop and immediately hit the breaks. We could smell the grease and sugar from the road. The apple fritters were just coming out of the oven so all 3 of us snagged one and some Community coffee to wash it down. It was great and hit the spot. We then zipped up and charged into the wind knowing we would be turning east at our 27 mile marker and hoped for some wind relief. After about 20 miles, Kevin caught up with us and he helped Teresa out in the breaking wind duty. Kevin is great at breaking wind and if you have ever ridden behind him, you know what I mean. We stopped in Clinton for an early brunch at T-Man's Downhome Cafe and Bar-B-Que. This place was real proud of Obama as there were pictures, posters, and printed shirts of him all over the place. I was going to ask if they had a McCain shirt but was advised to shut my trap. We warmed up with more Community coffee (this is a local brand that is very smooth and in my opinion, much better than Dunkin Donut's coffee) and placed our orders. Carl went with a shrimp po-boy and a salad. Teresa had a bar-b-que chicken sandwich and fries (that I ate). Kevin and I had the breakfast special with 2 eggs, sausage, grits, and a biscuit. The food was excellent. Outside we went and into the cold again as we were on a mission We finally got rolling and made our turn east and out of the wind god's breath. It ended up being a cross wind for the remainder of the day and we were happy with that. We rode another 15 miles up to Kevin's parked van at just over 40 miles into our day. Teresa loaded up her bike and then took over Sherpa duty. The record will note that she rode extremely well today in very difficult conditions (A+). She then jumped in the van and blasted 45 miles east to Franklinton to secure lodging, purchase snacks, and beverages. Kevin, Carl, and I had a long and difficult ride ahead of us. I was excited as it looked like it would be a good race with the sun to the motel (which I love doing). Carl said for Kevin and I to go on ahead as he planned to have a slower pace and to take a number of pictures - remember that he is retired! We passed large plantation homes, big pine woods, small dairy farms and rode on some very hilly roads (almost Texas like) which surprised us. We rode through the small towns of Easleyville, Tangipohoa, Bolivar, and Richardson before ending our day in Franklinton. In Tangipohoa, Kevin and I ran into a young couple who were also touring. They were stopped a lady's house who was offering them (and then us) some hot chocolate which was cool. Their names were Ben Becker and Christine Compton (I will call them BB & CC) and they were from Baltimore Maryland. They have been riding for 2 months and were heading west and then south to Argentina - can you believe that? Also, CC had the exact bike as my Mean Green Machine but without the dents. BB was riding a classic Schwinn. Their web site is www.lettherebmorebikes.com. I also just put their link and Carl's on my web page link list. Back to riding again, Kevin and I had a bad dog encounter. As we were going up a hill, a big Pit Bull came running from the front porch of a house next to the road. This guy was bounding so fast that his front legs and his back legs would all be stretched out at the same time with nothing on the ground on each stride. It was wild looking and I wish my camera was available. He came within inches of getting his teeth into my rear wheel or from biting my rear bags. I pulled away just in time. From here, we rolled into town and made it to the hotel just before dark so we beat the sun today. Carl came in about a half hour later and lost to the sun as he had to use his lights. Carl had a tremendous ride today and this was one of the longer rides of his entire trip. Carl also saved the day by noticing and then finding Teresa's computer that had fallen off of her bike plus he notified me when my Spot device and Wilson almost fell off my bike. The roads were rough at times which is why stuff was falling. I must also give Kevin kudos for a job well done today as he was a great Sherpa plus got in close to 90 miles of riding himself with a lot of pulling against the strong winds. I just don't understand why he does not ride this well on his normal weekend rides where he regularly bonks after just 30-35 miles. After cleaning up, hydrating, and snacking, we hit the town for dinner. We ate at the Grand Buffet which had one of the best all-u-can-eat spreads I have seen in a long time. Tons of fresh local shrimp, crabs, and every other Chinese food item you would ever want. Kevin and Teresa just shook their heads as Carl and I gorged ourselves with 4 or 5 plates each. Then we went to a Win-Dixie to get breakfast supplies and finally back to the room to plot out tomorrow's ride. Everyone is crashed now. Our Sherpas looked very tired and worn out from their long day of babysitting Carl and me.
Good night.
Weather: Cold, overcast and strong winds in our face for most of the day. Some sun peeked through the clouds for about an hour but it never warmed up. It was not a bad temp for riding.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 83 Trip: 2,215
Total travel time: 9:30 Trip: 229:00
Bike Riding time: 6:34 Trip: 177:46
Avg speed: 12.57 Trip: 12.68
Max speed: 28.48 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 2,094 Trip: 53,193
Avg pedal RPMs: 85 Trip: 86
Avg heart rate: 111 Trip: 111
Max heart rate: 153 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 4,604 Trip: 130,004
Weather Statistics:
High temp 48 Trip: 77
Low temp: 40 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 13.30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: mostly against and hurt bad at times
Total good wind days: 11
Total bad wind days: 19
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 1
Mechanical failures: 1
Hotel or camping today: hotel
Total hotel nights: 1
Total camping nights: 1
Cups of coffee: 3 Trip: 96
Pints: 3 Trip: 53
Mood rating (1-10): 9.25. The wind was real tough today plus I have come down with a cold - haaachoooo. Overall, I continue to be in a great mood and still love the adventure and friends.
Bad news - I have come down with a cold and suffered some today with my nose and a sore throat. Got some good drugs and hope to kick it tonight. I think I got it the day we went without stopping at a Donut Palace:-(
We all got up early today, grabbed some light breakfast snacks (I had a Smores Luna bar) and hit the road at 7:15. Kevin lost the coin toss again and reluctantly agreed to be the Sherpa for the morning. He took off north with the van to drop it off at Chipola and then ride back our way to join our party. Teresa, Carl, and I headed north out of Baton Rouge to look for a Donut Palace for some good Community coffee and some sugar bombs to fuel our day. From the beginning, Teresa charged to the front of the pace line and broke wind (I guess that could have been worded better) all morning for us 2 guys. The wind was very fierce and blowing at 15-25 mph straight into Teresa's face which she fought for the first 27 miles of our day. After about 5 miles, we found Mary Lee's Donuts & More shop and immediately hit the breaks. We could smell the grease and sugar from the road. The apple fritters were just coming out of the oven so all 3 of us snagged one and some Community coffee to wash it down. It was great and hit the spot. We then zipped up and charged into the wind knowing we would be turning east at our 27 mile marker and hoped for some wind relief. After about 20 miles, Kevin caught up with us and he helped Teresa out in the breaking wind duty. Kevin is great at breaking wind and if you have ever ridden behind him, you know what I mean. We stopped in Clinton for an early brunch at T-Man's Downhome Cafe and Bar-B-Que. This place was real proud of Obama as there were pictures, posters, and printed shirts of him all over the place. I was going to ask if they had a McCain shirt but was advised to shut my trap. We warmed up with more Community coffee (this is a local brand that is very smooth and in my opinion, much better than Dunkin Donut's coffee) and placed our orders. Carl went with a shrimp po-boy and a salad. Teresa had a bar-b-que chicken sandwich and fries (that I ate). Kevin and I had the breakfast special with 2 eggs, sausage, grits, and a biscuit. The food was excellent. Outside we went and into the cold again as we were on a mission We finally got rolling and made our turn east and out of the wind god's breath. It ended up being a cross wind for the remainder of the day and we were happy with that. We rode another 15 miles up to Kevin's parked van at just over 40 miles into our day. Teresa loaded up her bike and then took over Sherpa duty. The record will note that she rode extremely well today in very difficult conditions (A+). She then jumped in the van and blasted 45 miles east to Franklinton to secure lodging, purchase snacks, and beverages. Kevin, Carl, and I had a long and difficult ride ahead of us. I was excited as it looked like it would be a good race with the sun to the motel (which I love doing). Carl said for Kevin and I to go on ahead as he planned to have a slower pace and to take a number of pictures - remember that he is retired! We passed large plantation homes, big pine woods, small dairy farms and rode on some very hilly roads (almost Texas like) which surprised us. We rode through the small towns of Easleyville, Tangipohoa, Bolivar, and Richardson before ending our day in Franklinton. In Tangipohoa, Kevin and I ran into a young couple who were also touring. They were stopped a lady's house who was offering them (and then us) some hot chocolate which was cool. Their names were Ben Becker and Christine Compton (I will call them BB & CC) and they were from Baltimore Maryland. They have been riding for 2 months and were heading west and then south to Argentina - can you believe that? Also, CC had the exact bike as my Mean Green Machine but without the dents. BB was riding a classic Schwinn. Their web site is www.lettherebmorebikes.com. I also just put their link and Carl's on my web page link list. Back to riding again, Kevin and I had a bad dog encounter. As we were going up a hill, a big Pit Bull came running from the front porch of a house next to the road. This guy was bounding so fast that his front legs and his back legs would all be stretched out at the same time with nothing on the ground on each stride. It was wild looking and I wish my camera was available. He came within inches of getting his teeth into my rear wheel or from biting my rear bags. I pulled away just in time. From here, we rolled into town and made it to the hotel just before dark so we beat the sun today. Carl came in about a half hour later and lost to the sun as he had to use his lights. Carl had a tremendous ride today and this was one of the longer rides of his entire trip. Carl also saved the day by noticing and then finding Teresa's computer that had fallen off of her bike plus he notified me when my Spot device and Wilson almost fell off my bike. The roads were rough at times which is why stuff was falling. I must also give Kevin kudos for a job well done today as he was a great Sherpa plus got in close to 90 miles of riding himself with a lot of pulling against the strong winds. I just don't understand why he does not ride this well on his normal weekend rides where he regularly bonks after just 30-35 miles. After cleaning up, hydrating, and snacking, we hit the town for dinner. We ate at the Grand Buffet which had one of the best all-u-can-eat spreads I have seen in a long time. Tons of fresh local shrimp, crabs, and every other Chinese food item you would ever want. Kevin and Teresa just shook their heads as Carl and I gorged ourselves with 4 or 5 plates each. Then we went to a Win-Dixie to get breakfast supplies and finally back to the room to plot out tomorrow's ride. Everyone is crashed now. Our Sherpas looked very tired and worn out from their long day of babysitting Carl and me.
Good night.
Weather: Cold, overcast and strong winds in our face for most of the day. Some sun peeked through the clouds for about an hour but it never warmed up. It was not a bad temp for riding.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 83 Trip: 2,215
Total travel time: 9:30 Trip: 229:00
Bike Riding time: 6:34 Trip: 177:46
Avg speed: 12.57 Trip: 12.68
Max speed: 28.48 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 2,094 Trip: 53,193
Avg pedal RPMs: 85 Trip: 86
Avg heart rate: 111 Trip: 111
Max heart rate: 153 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 4,604 Trip: 130,004
Weather Statistics:
High temp 48 Trip: 77
Low temp: 40 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 13.30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: mostly against and hurt bad at times
Total good wind days: 11
Total bad wind days: 19
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 1
Mechanical failures: 1
Hotel or camping today: hotel
Total hotel nights: 1
Total camping nights: 1
Cups of coffee: 3 Trip: 96
Pints: 3 Trip: 53
Mood rating (1-10): 9.25. The wind was real tough today plus I have come down with a cold - haaachoooo. Overall, I continue to be in a great mood and still love the adventure and friends.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
OK ESN:0-7458562
This is Steve and I am checking in to let everyone know that I have finished my ride for the day safe and sound.
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.8454
Longitude:-90.141
Nearest Location: Washington St, Franklinton, LA, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/21/2008 15:06:58 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.8454,-90.141&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.8454
Longitude:-90.141
Nearest Location: Washington St, Franklinton, LA, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/21/2008 15:06:58 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.8454,-90.141&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Day 29 - Saturday, December 20
Description: Finished the ride in Baton Rouge LA after a light 54 miles. Tomorrow the target is Richardson LA and a longer 85+ mile ride.
We were up, packed, and at The Palace Cafe for breakfast by 7:20. This is the same place we had dinner last night. They had the best Community brand coffee to go along with a great breakfast. Kevin, Teresa, and I had sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits and Carl had a plain biscuit and hash browns. I also had a double stack of pancakes to ensure the tank was full. All of our food was excellent. We plotted our route to take a ferry over the mighty Mississippi and end up in St Francisville. Kevin lost the coin toss to Teresa and agreed to be the Sherpa today. His plan was to drive up to the ferry, drop the van, and then ride back to us to join the party. Teresa, Carl, and I started rolling at around 8:15 in perfect riding weather. There were no shoulders leaving Olpelousas but it opened up once we got on Rt 190 heading toward Baton Rouge. Carl (feeling spunky without all of his packs) jumped out front and did most of the pulling in the morning. Eventually, Teresa took over the "pull" position and led the way for the rest of the day. She is a very strong and consistent rider, unlike her husband. Shortly after leaving the Opelousas city limits, a car passed us, waived hi, and then pulled over to talk with us. At first, I was not sure what was going on. It was Gordy Heitzman who is a biker and wanted to know where we were going. He is from Minnesota but is temporarily working on a local FEMA project. He is also a regular in the Iowa RAGBRAI event which Kevin, Teresa, and Carl have all done multiple times. After exchanging web and email info, we rode on. Then we spotted a cajun night club called Bada's Bar which had a sign that said "Biker's Welcome". We wondered if they ment motorcyclists or cyclists. We met the owner, used his facilities, and got the grand tour of his bar including his huge rear deck on the bayou. Off we rolled again with Teresa pulling and the wind at our back. We stopped for lunch at a place called Lottie for some good home cooking. Kevin was supposed to meet us there on his bike but instead arrived in the van. It turned out that all of the ferrys were shut down today and there was no way to cross the mighty Mississippi river by boat. During lunch, we had to recast our plans for the day. The lunch was good as Kevin and Teresa shared a big shrimp po-boy, Carl had a grilled cheese with pickles, and I had a Shrimp sandwich with pretzels. Sherpa Kevin also provided a chocolate milk to me from the support van to help with my recovery. We decided to change course and set sail for Baton Rouge instead of going north. We agreed to stay on Rt 190 which had a good shoulder but was full of garbage and had heavy traffic. Kevin drove toward Baton Rouge to scout out the road and to find us a cheap motel. We rolled on and continued to maintain a great (14-15 mph) pace. Then Kevin called and said there was a 4 mile bridge over a big swamp that had no shoulder and would be a problem for us. He drove back to meet us and the plan was for him to ride behind us with the van with his flashers on for protection. We felt very special with this "escort" service and were glad to reach the other side. Then Kevin raced on to Baton Rouge for a hotel. After 4 miles, we stopped at a gas station for a bio break. As we were mounting our bikes, we spotted another cross-country biker and flagged him down. His name was Tom and he was riding west to San Diego solo. He is riding to raise money for MS. His web site is http://myspacetimebicycle.blogspotcom. I advised him to get better tires and liners to protect against the goat heads in New Mexico and Arizona. After a few pictures and chit chat, we rolled on again. We saw numerous farms, some donkeys, and also some sugar cane fields. One sugar cane field was on fire! There was also miles and miles of road work where they were clearing lots of big trees out of the swamps for a road expansion project. We also saw miles of cool swamps and lots of wind damage from recent hurricanes. Then we called Kevin for an update and he informed us of good news and bad news. The good news was that he found a cheap motel that it was a step above the dirtbag lodging we had last night. The bad news was that he did not recommend crossing the Mississippi river bridge due to heavy traffic and zero shoulders. For the day, we tried to cross the river by 2 ferrys and then by bridge. Eventually, we finally submitted and threw in the towel. We loaded our bikes into the van and got shuttled across the bridge which deeply disappointed Carl and me. However, we lived to tell this story so I guess that is good. We checked into our motel, showered up, hydrated ourselves, and gorged on snacks that Teresa provided. We then headed into town for a good meal. We found a great Cajun/Mexican restaurant called Superior Grill which was packed. They were able to quickly squeeze us in and we had a huge meal. Kevin and Teresa had fish tacos, Carl had a shrimp quesdillia with beans & rice, and I had the Superior Mexican Platter. We also ate about 5 lbs of chips and salsa which was washed down by a few margaritas and Modelos. It was a hopping place and we had a great meal. We then headed back to the motel to settle in, plot out tomorrow's route, and crash.
Kevin gets gold stars for his Sherpa role today as all he did was drive all over the place in the van with the dog. He was not able to turn the cranks at all today. I know it must have been frustrating for me. He said he was anxious about our safety with all of the bad bridges and traffic. This was probably good as I am sure he was sore and tired from the whooping Carl and I put on him yesterday.
Good night!
Weather: Overcast and warm all day with a good 5-10 mph wind at our back all day - the Smit's are good luck! There was a rain cloud just ahead of us most of the day and but we never had any rain. It was very comfortable riding today.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 54 Trip: 2,133
Total travel time: 6:30 Trip: 219:30
Bike Riding time: 3:44 Trip: 171:11
Avg speed: 14.32 Trip: 12.69
Max speed: 26.99 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 174 Trip: 51,099
Avg pedal RPMs: 84 Trip: 86
Avg heart rate: 94 Trip: 111
Max heart rate: 132 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 3,382 Trip: 125,400
Weather Statistics:
High temp 77 Trip: 77
Low temp: 64 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 13.30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: favorable
Total good wind days: 11
Total bad wind days: 18
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Vel Rose
Total hotel nights: 27
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 2 Trip: 93
Pints: 3 Trip: 49 - plus 2 bonus margaritas
Mood rating (1-10): 10 - I really enjoyed the day even though the Mississippi river beat me today! Kevin, Teresa, and Carl were a lot of fun and we did move east.
We were up, packed, and at The Palace Cafe for breakfast by 7:20. This is the same place we had dinner last night. They had the best Community brand coffee to go along with a great breakfast. Kevin, Teresa, and I had sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits and Carl had a plain biscuit and hash browns. I also had a double stack of pancakes to ensure the tank was full. All of our food was excellent. We plotted our route to take a ferry over the mighty Mississippi and end up in St Francisville. Kevin lost the coin toss to Teresa and agreed to be the Sherpa today. His plan was to drive up to the ferry, drop the van, and then ride back to us to join the party. Teresa, Carl, and I started rolling at around 8:15 in perfect riding weather. There were no shoulders leaving Olpelousas but it opened up once we got on Rt 190 heading toward Baton Rouge. Carl (feeling spunky without all of his packs) jumped out front and did most of the pulling in the morning. Eventually, Teresa took over the "pull" position and led the way for the rest of the day. She is a very strong and consistent rider, unlike her husband. Shortly after leaving the Opelousas city limits, a car passed us, waived hi, and then pulled over to talk with us. At first, I was not sure what was going on. It was Gordy Heitzman who is a biker and wanted to know where we were going. He is from Minnesota but is temporarily working on a local FEMA project. He is also a regular in the Iowa RAGBRAI event which Kevin, Teresa, and Carl have all done multiple times. After exchanging web and email info, we rode on. Then we spotted a cajun night club called Bada's Bar which had a sign that said "Biker's Welcome". We wondered if they ment motorcyclists or cyclists. We met the owner, used his facilities, and got the grand tour of his bar including his huge rear deck on the bayou. Off we rolled again with Teresa pulling and the wind at our back. We stopped for lunch at a place called Lottie for some good home cooking. Kevin was supposed to meet us there on his bike but instead arrived in the van. It turned out that all of the ferrys were shut down today and there was no way to cross the mighty Mississippi river by boat. During lunch, we had to recast our plans for the day. The lunch was good as Kevin and Teresa shared a big shrimp po-boy, Carl had a grilled cheese with pickles, and I had a Shrimp sandwich with pretzels. Sherpa Kevin also provided a chocolate milk to me from the support van to help with my recovery. We decided to change course and set sail for Baton Rouge instead of going north. We agreed to stay on Rt 190 which had a good shoulder but was full of garbage and had heavy traffic. Kevin drove toward Baton Rouge to scout out the road and to find us a cheap motel. We rolled on and continued to maintain a great (14-15 mph) pace. Then Kevin called and said there was a 4 mile bridge over a big swamp that had no shoulder and would be a problem for us. He drove back to meet us and the plan was for him to ride behind us with the van with his flashers on for protection. We felt very special with this "escort" service and were glad to reach the other side. Then Kevin raced on to Baton Rouge for a hotel. After 4 miles, we stopped at a gas station for a bio break. As we were mounting our bikes, we spotted another cross-country biker and flagged him down. His name was Tom and he was riding west to San Diego solo. He is riding to raise money for MS. His web site is http://myspacetimebicycle.blogspotcom. I advised him to get better tires and liners to protect against the goat heads in New Mexico and Arizona. After a few pictures and chit chat, we rolled on again. We saw numerous farms, some donkeys, and also some sugar cane fields. One sugar cane field was on fire! There was also miles and miles of road work where they were clearing lots of big trees out of the swamps for a road expansion project. We also saw miles of cool swamps and lots of wind damage from recent hurricanes. Then we called Kevin for an update and he informed us of good news and bad news. The good news was that he found a cheap motel that it was a step above the dirtbag lodging we had last night. The bad news was that he did not recommend crossing the Mississippi river bridge due to heavy traffic and zero shoulders. For the day, we tried to cross the river by 2 ferrys and then by bridge. Eventually, we finally submitted and threw in the towel. We loaded our bikes into the van and got shuttled across the bridge which deeply disappointed Carl and me. However, we lived to tell this story so I guess that is good. We checked into our motel, showered up, hydrated ourselves, and gorged on snacks that Teresa provided. We then headed into town for a good meal. We found a great Cajun/Mexican restaurant called Superior Grill which was packed. They were able to quickly squeeze us in and we had a huge meal. Kevin and Teresa had fish tacos, Carl had a shrimp quesdillia with beans & rice, and I had the Superior Mexican Platter. We also ate about 5 lbs of chips and salsa which was washed down by a few margaritas and Modelos. It was a hopping place and we had a great meal. We then headed back to the motel to settle in, plot out tomorrow's route, and crash.
Kevin gets gold stars for his Sherpa role today as all he did was drive all over the place in the van with the dog. He was not able to turn the cranks at all today. I know it must have been frustrating for me. He said he was anxious about our safety with all of the bad bridges and traffic. This was probably good as I am sure he was sore and tired from the whooping Carl and I put on him yesterday.
Good night!
Weather: Overcast and warm all day with a good 5-10 mph wind at our back all day - the Smit's are good luck! There was a rain cloud just ahead of us most of the day and but we never had any rain. It was very comfortable riding today.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 54 Trip: 2,133
Total travel time: 6:30 Trip: 219:30
Bike Riding time: 3:44 Trip: 171:11
Avg speed: 14.32 Trip: 12.69
Max speed: 26.99 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 174 Trip: 51,099
Avg pedal RPMs: 84 Trip: 86
Avg heart rate: 94 Trip: 111
Max heart rate: 132 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 3,382 Trip: 125,400
Weather Statistics:
High temp 77 Trip: 77
Low temp: 64 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 13.30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: favorable
Total good wind days: 11
Total bad wind days: 18
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Vel Rose
Total hotel nights: 27
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 2 Trip: 93
Pints: 3 Trip: 49 - plus 2 bonus margaritas
Mood rating (1-10): 10 - I really enjoyed the day even though the Mississippi river beat me today! Kevin, Teresa, and Carl were a lot of fun and we did move east.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
OK ESN:0-7458562
This is Steve and I am checking in to let everyone know that I have finished my ride for the day safe and sound.
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.508
Longitude:-91.1408
Nearest Location: N Foster Dr, Baton Rouge, LA, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/20/2008 12:53:19 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.508,-91.1408&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.508
Longitude:-91.1408
Nearest Location: N Foster Dr, Baton Rouge, LA, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/20/2008 12:53:19 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.508,-91.1408&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Day 28 - Friday, December 19
Description: Finished the ride today in Opelousas Louisiana after 61 miles. We plan to shoot for St. Francisville tomorrow but had to modify our route due to a lack of "acceptable" lodging. I found out that Kevin requires silk sheets, down pillows, and gourmet food and we could not accommodate that with the official Adventure Cycling route plan so he made us change directions to meet his personal needs:-)
We all started stirring around 6:45 this morning and the plan was to be packed and ready out in front of the motel at 8:00 sharp. We could not wait to go next door to the Donut Cafe to fill our tanks with pure energy. Bad news - the cafe owners must have heard we were coming and figured they could not supply enough sugar and fat for us so they closed their doors for the day - ouch. Not a problem as our new Sherpas directed us across the street to a Shell gas station for coffee and Bear Claw danishes which were not bad but not the same as the Donut Palace. Eventually, we were ready to roll at 9:00. Kevin drove the van (with Eve - their dog in the back) ahead to Mamou to scout out a lunch spot and then rode back toward us to join the group. Teresa, Carl, and I headed out into a warm, overcast, and breezy day. The Smit's must be in good standings with the wind gods as we had an excellent tail wind all day. Kevin, on the other hand, had to fight a strong head wind all the way back to meet us but that is OK because he needs the exercise. We had very smooth roads with good shoulders and Teresa was quoted as saying "this is perfect, I could ride all day with conditions like this". Carl and I agreed as we had unloaded several of our bags into the Smit's van earlier and our bikes were feeling light and fast. Teresa rode strong and we could hardly keep up with her fast pace. We stopped several times to take pictures of the many rice fields which also raised crawfish. What a great combo ehh? The fields were all flooded and ditches along the roads were full of standing water. We were afraid to stop too long for fear the mosquitos would carry us off. Later in the day we saw numerous cattle and horse farms which looks to be the local business. Man is this area flat! For the first 50 miles, we only climbed 40 feet of total elevation. After a while, Kevin caught up with us and we all rode together toward Mamou for lunch. Shortly after Kevin arrived, we came across a 3 legged dog (I think his name was Skip) who had just chased Kevin a few minutes ago. The angry dog took skipped into the street in an attempt to eat all of us. This guy had a big bark and could really move with only 3 legs. Since Kevin is the slowest rider, he was the one most at risk of getting caught but somehow, he out paced this monster for the second time. After recovering from the dog, we breezed into Mamou which was a really neat little town with a population of 2,711. We stopped for some pictures on the downtown streets and then entered Maxie's Cajun Diner for some real home cooked bayou food. Kevin, Teresa, and Carl all ordered the Shrimp Etufe and I had the grilled shrimp with pasta and an awesome cajun cream sauce. Carl and I also had a side orders of fried mushrooms and french fries. They were very nice and even gave us a free dessert of a white cake with cream cheese icing - em em good. After saying our goodbyes, Teresa loaded up her bike and rolled forward in the van as she had a work conference call. Kevin, Carl, and I walked the streets some more and enjoyed the local color before mounting our bikes. Back on the road, we rolled through Ville Platte, Grand Prairie, and then arrived at our targeted destination of Washington. The tall stories and trash talking was significant as we often road 3 abreast on the country roads. We also were chased by rain clouds all day long but never were rained on - wow were we lucky. Teresa did not get off of her conference call before we arrived in Washington so we started looking for housing options. We consulted with a bunch of locals at a gas station and they all said the only place in town was a dump and even dangerous. After a group discussion, we agreed to ride another 5-6 miles to Opelousas to check out a cheap hotel recommendation. After paying for a couple of rooms, we found out this place was a dive. The rooms looked as if they had no maintenance for many many years - especially Kevin and Teresa's. Carl summed it up best by saying it was better than camping and it was fairly cheap. We did not feel like looking anymore so decided to gut it out. We unloaded, cleaned up, and then smacked on crackers & cheese, celery, carrots, and a beverage or 2 while planning out the route for tomorrow. Then we got hungry and walked up the street to The Palace Cafe for dinner. This was a Greek/Cajun place and it looked like it was frozen in time from the early 60s. Teresa had a stuffed eggplant with crawfish (not so good), Carl had the deluxe seafood stuffed eggplant (very good), Kevin had a Greek salad and chicken gumbo (very good), and I had the crawfish bisque which was most excellent. With the meal, we had salads and rolls to help replenish the carbs from the day's ride. For dessert, Carl and I had root beer floats from the Dairy Queen that was between the restaurant and our flea bag motel. We tried to find some Zydeco music but they told us there was none on Friday nights. We thought that was strange as this place claims to be the Zydeco capitol ot the country! We did have an option however, Cherl (our waitress for dinner) said she would dance Zydeco style at our table for $5. Carl offered her a buck and she stood firm on the five. Cherl was "real local" and we had fun with her. Earlier, Carl had asked about some Greek options and she said "this ain't no greek restaurant - it is Cajun. I have been here 33 years and it ain't Greek!". We tipped her well.....
We all enjoyed the ride, the local food, and most importantly the people in the small towns we visited today. It was a lot of fun!
Good night.
Weather: Warm but very comfortable all day with a good breeze and overcast skies. It showered all around us but we were spared!
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 61 Trip: 2,079
Total travel time: 8:00 Trip: 213:00
Bike Riding time: 4:59 Trip: 167:26
Avg speed: 12.29 Trip: 12.63
Max speed: 19.56 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 85 Trip: 50,925
Avg pedal RPMs: 84 Trip: 86
Avg heart rate: 86 Trip: 112
Max heart rate: 127 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 4,800 Trip: 122,018
Weather Statistics:
High temp 74 Trip: 75
Low temp: 68 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 13:30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: favorable
Total good wind days: 10
Total bad wind days: 18
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Townhouse motel
Total hotel nights: 26
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 2 Trip: 91
Pints: 4 Trip: 46
Mood rating (1-10): 10 - lots of fun today with great riding, weather, company, food, and the local people.
We all started stirring around 6:45 this morning and the plan was to be packed and ready out in front of the motel at 8:00 sharp. We could not wait to go next door to the Donut Cafe to fill our tanks with pure energy. Bad news - the cafe owners must have heard we were coming and figured they could not supply enough sugar and fat for us so they closed their doors for the day - ouch. Not a problem as our new Sherpas directed us across the street to a Shell gas station for coffee and Bear Claw danishes which were not bad but not the same as the Donut Palace. Eventually, we were ready to roll at 9:00. Kevin drove the van (with Eve - their dog in the back) ahead to Mamou to scout out a lunch spot and then rode back toward us to join the group. Teresa, Carl, and I headed out into a warm, overcast, and breezy day. The Smit's must be in good standings with the wind gods as we had an excellent tail wind all day. Kevin, on the other hand, had to fight a strong head wind all the way back to meet us but that is OK because he needs the exercise. We had very smooth roads with good shoulders and Teresa was quoted as saying "this is perfect, I could ride all day with conditions like this". Carl and I agreed as we had unloaded several of our bags into the Smit's van earlier and our bikes were feeling light and fast. Teresa rode strong and we could hardly keep up with her fast pace. We stopped several times to take pictures of the many rice fields which also raised crawfish. What a great combo ehh? The fields were all flooded and ditches along the roads were full of standing water. We were afraid to stop too long for fear the mosquitos would carry us off. Later in the day we saw numerous cattle and horse farms which looks to be the local business. Man is this area flat! For the first 50 miles, we only climbed 40 feet of total elevation. After a while, Kevin caught up with us and we all rode together toward Mamou for lunch. Shortly after Kevin arrived, we came across a 3 legged dog (I think his name was Skip) who had just chased Kevin a few minutes ago. The angry dog took skipped into the street in an attempt to eat all of us. This guy had a big bark and could really move with only 3 legs. Since Kevin is the slowest rider, he was the one most at risk of getting caught but somehow, he out paced this monster for the second time. After recovering from the dog, we breezed into Mamou which was a really neat little town with a population of 2,711. We stopped for some pictures on the downtown streets and then entered Maxie's Cajun Diner for some real home cooked bayou food. Kevin, Teresa, and Carl all ordered the Shrimp Etufe and I had the grilled shrimp with pasta and an awesome cajun cream sauce. Carl and I also had a side orders of fried mushrooms and french fries. They were very nice and even gave us a free dessert of a white cake with cream cheese icing - em em good. After saying our goodbyes, Teresa loaded up her bike and rolled forward in the van as she had a work conference call. Kevin, Carl, and I walked the streets some more and enjoyed the local color before mounting our bikes. Back on the road, we rolled through Ville Platte, Grand Prairie, and then arrived at our targeted destination of Washington. The tall stories and trash talking was significant as we often road 3 abreast on the country roads. We also were chased by rain clouds all day long but never were rained on - wow were we lucky. Teresa did not get off of her conference call before we arrived in Washington so we started looking for housing options. We consulted with a bunch of locals at a gas station and they all said the only place in town was a dump and even dangerous. After a group discussion, we agreed to ride another 5-6 miles to Opelousas to check out a cheap hotel recommendation. After paying for a couple of rooms, we found out this place was a dive. The rooms looked as if they had no maintenance for many many years - especially Kevin and Teresa's. Carl summed it up best by saying it was better than camping and it was fairly cheap. We did not feel like looking anymore so decided to gut it out. We unloaded, cleaned up, and then smacked on crackers & cheese, celery, carrots, and a beverage or 2 while planning out the route for tomorrow. Then we got hungry and walked up the street to The Palace Cafe for dinner. This was a Greek/Cajun place and it looked like it was frozen in time from the early 60s. Teresa had a stuffed eggplant with crawfish (not so good), Carl had the deluxe seafood stuffed eggplant (very good), Kevin had a Greek salad and chicken gumbo (very good), and I had the crawfish bisque which was most excellent. With the meal, we had salads and rolls to help replenish the carbs from the day's ride. For dessert, Carl and I had root beer floats from the Dairy Queen that was between the restaurant and our flea bag motel. We tried to find some Zydeco music but they told us there was none on Friday nights. We thought that was strange as this place claims to be the Zydeco capitol ot the country! We did have an option however, Cherl (our waitress for dinner) said she would dance Zydeco style at our table for $5. Carl offered her a buck and she stood firm on the five. Cherl was "real local" and we had fun with her. Earlier, Carl had asked about some Greek options and she said "this ain't no greek restaurant - it is Cajun. I have been here 33 years and it ain't Greek!". We tipped her well.....
We all enjoyed the ride, the local food, and most importantly the people in the small towns we visited today. It was a lot of fun!
Good night.
Weather: Warm but very comfortable all day with a good breeze and overcast skies. It showered all around us but we were spared!
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 61 Trip: 2,079
Total travel time: 8:00 Trip: 213:00
Bike Riding time: 4:59 Trip: 167:26
Avg speed: 12.29 Trip: 12.63
Max speed: 19.56 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 85 Trip: 50,925
Avg pedal RPMs: 84 Trip: 86
Avg heart rate: 86 Trip: 112
Max heart rate: 127 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 4,800 Trip: 122,018
Weather Statistics:
High temp 74 Trip: 75
Low temp: 68 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 13:30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: favorable
Total good wind days: 10
Total bad wind days: 18
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Townhouse motel
Total hotel nights: 26
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 2 Trip: 91
Pints: 4 Trip: 46
Mood rating (1-10): 10 - lots of fun today with great riding, weather, company, food, and the local people.
Friday, December 19, 2008
We have been in rough territory today.
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OK ESN:0-7458562
This is Steve and I am checking in to let everyone know that I have finished my ride for the day safe and sound.
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.5333
Longitude:-92.0864
Nearest Location: Opelousas, United States
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/19/2008 13:57:48 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.5333,-92.0864&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.5333
Longitude:-92.0864
Nearest Location: Opelousas, United States
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/19/2008 13:57:48 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.5333,-92.0864&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
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