Two steps from our hotel and we were on the highway on a cool (70°) and foggy morning.  With no wind in our face, pedaling was easy and rhythmical; the traffic pulling us along.  As the amount of  tractor trailers and traffic in general increased, so did the grip on our bikes.  Not much to see, but we had our eyes glued to the shoulder trying to avoid glass and road wire that always accompanies heavily trafficked roads.  The noise of the now continuous traffic was almost deafening.

Just before this narrow bridge and our steep assent over the Mississippi, most of the traffic thankfully turned off to join the interstate.  Knowing there was no shoulder on the bridges, we were happy the competition for driving space was minimized.  Drivers we did encounter were very polite, not only moving over a lane, but driving past us at school zone speed.  We were surprised to see a Baton Rouge skyline filled with industry.  Once on the other side of the Mississippi bridge, roads were dreadful, shoulders virtually nonexistent.  We were happy to rest when waved down by a driver.  “Don’t even think about stopping in the next five miles,” he said.  The area seemed harmless enough, an enormous refinery on one side and spacious parks on the other.  But, when we heard a siren blast behind us, we could not wait to get out of the way; instead we got pulled over.  Apparently, our picture taking of the Exxon plant was concerning.  Once it was determined we were not a threat, Officers Van (Homeland Security) and Barry (Sheriff) were wonderful and apologetic. (last names withheld).  Seriously, us threatening?!?  No harm, a good laugh, plus directions to our hotel.

Once again we found a road in desperate need of repair or under repair; very tough to tell.

We thought the “River Road” would be scenic, but it just proved to beat us up, gaps in the pavement threatening to swallow our bikes.  Once downtown, a turn into the city dropped us into the middle of set up for the Crawfish Festival (they really cannot get enough of crawfish in these parts).  Three block and 33 miles later, we found our hotel; happy not to be too far away when the party started later.

We could not have picked a better location, even if we knew what we were doing.  Charming streets, The Old Post Office (built in 1894, then became the state capital in 1935), The (other) Old State Capitol, the Science Museum, The USS Kitts, plus several veteran memorials including Lieutenant General John Archer Lejeune and of course, the Mississippi River.

Tonight in downtown Baton Rouge was “Live at Five” (happens only five times a year) and the once a year “Crawfish Festival” – all you can eat; shame that we are not big crawfish fans.  But there were plenty people that came for the food and festivities.  The place was packed and everyone seemed to be enjoying the entertainment.

We elected to find a place to sit for a drink, a quite authentic Irish bar, except for our bartender, R2D2, “May the 4th be with you” (get it?), yes, she actually said it! After happy hour, we walked around the corner for a delicious yet totally nontraditional (for this area) Mediterranean dinner.  Served with plastic, like all the vendors outside, but we got to sit and the food could not be beat……especially the Baklava.

A humid but comfortable 70°, as we pedaled away from the state capitol of Louisiana and home of LSU.  A last minute change in the road out of town, offered tree lined streets, large expensive homes and small painstakingly reconditioned homes.  Could not take pictures quick enough to capture the essence of the wonderful neighborhoods we were going through.  The further we moved from the city, the larger the homes became….…seriously larger.

An hour and a half later, we joined our original route; it had been a delightful 17 miles.  Surprised how many people were on the roads on a Saturday morning; but the busy road was not without it’s benefit.  A light (6 – 10 mph) northwest breeze caught our backs and helped our ride along the rough shoulder.  Shortly before ten, the skies darkened and the wind began to swirl around us.  A rain shower went through so fast, we didn’t even get wet, but stopped anyway for a twenty minute refreshment break.  It was a good choice, since we would not see civilization for another 25 miles.  The traffic disappeared, as the road narrowed and the shoulder became too rough to ride.  Out on the road, we were cruising with the wind at our backs, covering 40 miles in three hours.  For once, we were on the right side of the construction, naturally, it did not last nearly long enough.  Even with the light breeze at our back, we were wearing down.  A turn in the road our last 15 miles put the wind at our shoulder, slowing us down and making us work to get to our hotel.  Thankfully, the temperature never reached 80° and the sun stayed away, so heat was not a factor.  All the motels in this town, were two miles from any restaurant, the Kentucky Derby was on and we were tired after 63 miles, pizza delivery was the perfect call.  It was a good day, but it will be an early night.

A beautiful, crystal clear 70° morning; light north breeze remained, but gone was yesterday’s humidity and overcast skies. Instead of backtracking two miles on the busy road, Jerry found a pleasant neighborhood that spared us the highway for a few miles.  The bike map had recommended a river trail, but we’d been fooled by the levy road once and that was enough.  The highway traffic was not bad, well, except for this….…. so able to check out something other than the road in front of us; fisherman and the never ending refineries along the Mississippi.Halfway into the ride, we picked up commercial business andtraffic increased.  Then, as we reached the top of an railroad overpass, we were at the airport (practically on top of it).  Traffic was heavy, our shoulder was on and off, but everyone was courteous.  We passed a mixture of ball fields and buildings including the New Orlean Saints training facility.  As always, the exits on to the interstate proved a challenge and an uphill sprint; thankfully it was the weekend, so traffic was light.  As we approached the city, we were happy to have a designated bike path, plus some amazing buildings.

Our two day stay in New Orleans has many purposes.  One to rest, two we had to make up for our last trip here, that did not go so well, but the best reason was to reconnect with old friends.  We had made a point to get here in time to catch Kurt before he headed home, but Thomas and Angie was a last minute surprise.  Thomas (whom we had not seen since 1995) took us to a place we would have never found or even considered going to.  A cool and quirky backyard bar with live jazz, fabulous wine and amazing cheese trays.  We spent several bottles of wine there then moved on to a delicious dinner in another part of town; thank goodness we were not driving.  It was a good afternoon/evening with great friends; one we will not soon forget.

Guilty,

like many others, to think that New Orleans is only about the French Quarter. Naturally, if you are coming here for the first time it is a must and had it not been for our brief introduction last night, we would have not ventured from the famous French Quarter.

After an amazing breakfast, smoked salmon bennie, served on a homemade biscuit, we jumped the trolley car, not unlike the ones in San Francisco, and headed for the Garden District.  The homes here are elegant and quite large, the majority of the space reaching deep into the home with a narrow street presence.  One of the most famous is the Buckner Mansion, 20,000 of haunted square feet and featured in “American Horror Story”.  Scattered among the homes were churches of all sizes and trees that grow from large to immense.  There is also the Lafayette Cemetery, striking in it’s size and sad in so many ways.

Back in the French Quarter, we revisited a “hot spot” from our last trip and a new stop for an iced coffee and beingnet.  Could not get a picture, before the three of us jumped in on the pile of sugar that doubles as a French pastry.  With several hours on our legs, we needed to rest.  A quick goodbye to Kurt, a few more tourist pictures before retiring to our awesome hotel (originally the Franklin Printing Company), just in time for their “Taste of New Orleans”, featuring some mighty good jambalaya!  More than full from a fabulous day packed with food, we ventured out for a light dinner, which include a very delicious (and sizable) helping of down-home cookin’ bread pudding.  We Must Bike, tomorrow!

After a quick breakfast of muffins and coffee, we were out of the door just before seven.  With a long ride ahead and the temps supposed to get toasty, we wanted an early start.  The morning was still a comfortable 70°, but a bit humid.  Between the early start and heading against commuter traffic, the wiggle out of the largest city in the state was fairly easy, colorful and new sights, enjoyable.  One last goodbye to Satchmo and the city of New Orleans.

Thirteen miles later we were crossing the Inner Harbor Navigation Channel that connects Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River.  Less than a mile later, we lost most of the traffic to the interstate.These shrines/temples seemed very out of place in the middle of nowhere.  Eighteen miles from the center of the city, we crossed part of “The Great Wall of New Orleans”, built after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, totally encircling New Orleans from the water.

After passing Textron, a manufacturer for military support vehicles, we were in the middle of the bayou, aka: nowhere.  A small neighborhood appeared with large homes backing up to deep canals, this too, seemed out of place in the middle of the bayou, but had a very romantic name – Venetian Isles.

We pedaled through a stretch of vacation homes bordering Lake Ponchartrain and Lake Saint Catherine; the house names as interesting as the houses.

Our blistering 12 mph pace was no match for the tenacious horseflies.  You could almost hear them laughing at our defenselessness as they swarmed our heads and bodies.  The morning was getting hot, the horseflies were driving us crazy, we were getting cranky and the morning muffin’s energy had worn off.  Thankfully, all we had to do is cross this bridge, past Fort Pike and end up at a bait and tackle shop on the other side.  The shop had the best prepackaged sandwich we’ve ever had and the proprietor, Shanna, gave us a remedy for the relentless flies….jungle strength bug spray!

After her shop, the road narrowed and every joint in the road was a jolt to our duckies; one last road insult.

Exactly four hours of riding, we crossed the East Pearl River and were in Mississippi.  Looking forward to hopefully better roads and finding them, complete with shade.  It was a pretty ride with very little traffic and only the occasional gust of breeze in our face, but the heat was wearing us down.

Shortly after one and on the edge of town, we stopped for something cold to drink (milkshake and sandwich) and a break from the now 92° (shade) 105° (sun) heat; thankfully the humidity was gone.   We had pumped out 62 miles in five and a half hours and our legs (and bodies) were struggling against this first real day of heat.  The thirty minute break was just what we needed for the last three miles.  For dinner, we had scouted out a German/Italian restaurant, but neglected to check if they were open; unfortunately not.  The second choice of Mexican was tremendously anticlimactic, so much so, we could not even take a picture.  But we’ve crossed into another state, better roads and hopefully a cooler day, tomorrow.

For two miles on the way out of town, we were looking directly into the sun and not seeing much around us.  Then we came to the best bridge our entire trip, gradual grade over St. Louis Bay, a dedicated and separated bike and walking path with lots of opportunity for photos of the area.

As we crossed the second bridge, a quick look back impressed us with just how big our first bridge was.  One turn from the bridge and we were on the Gulf Coast, seabirds singing, beautiful water, white sand beach……just gorgeous.

Huge old homes sat on a ridge separated from the gulf by a large greenway populated by huge old growth trees.  With the sun reflecting hot off the water, we rode a couple miles along the shady ridge, enjoying the homes’ spectacular views.  It was ten miles before we saw our first commercial business and that was set far from our beach road.

New homes were obviously built with new codes to minimize hurricane damage.

Several miles later, we entered Gulfport and evidence of the huge shipping port appeared, along with a very colorful lighthouse.  The promenade of the Port of Gulfport was quite impressive, views of the ships and another lighthouse could be seen through the boats.  More gorgeous homes, beautiful beaches, extravagant restrooms,  only a couple souvenir shops, city hall and a coliseum, all with views of the water; but no tourists to enjoy the amenities.  We pedaled past Jefferson Davis’ home, Beauvoir, the Biloxi Lighthouse,an entrance/exit to the interstate over the water and an interesting art museum, plus several huge casinos.  A bridge over the Biloxi Bay dropped us into Ocean Springs.  It had been recommended we go into town and it was a great call.  A charming downtown greeted us and invited us to stop; an early lunch at a small shop that bragged about their “sassy salads”; not sure about sassy, but delicious, indeed.  We were also instructed to stop at Tato Nuts, “The only real donut” and after you’ve had one, you would agree.  We followed the donuts with a beautiful ride through Gulf Island National Seashore then back out on the highway for the last hour.  Thankfully, the clouds that had been building, shielded the sun’s intense heat for most of the remaining miles.  Two more bridges over Singing River and the very industrious Pascalouga River led us into Pascagoula, the birthplace of Jimmy Buffet.

It was a beautiful ride (hence all the photos) and finally (after 59 miles) a dinner and dessert (Bananas Foster) to write home about.

A cool 72° when we left this morning; the highway sun was  hot, but the breeze we created by pedaling kept us cool and shade trees were always a plus.  The highway was sparsely populated by cars and homes, but the homes we did see were impressive.  For days we’ve been seeing signs for “swamp tours”, but this is as close as we want to get to a swamp tour.

Not sure when in the morning it hit, but the road conditions deteriorated.  We are pretty sure we had entered Alabama at that point; the state just waited a few miles to post the sign (near fresh pavement).

After 15 miles we turned on what looked like a rural road, but was called a highway or Alabama Scenic Byway Coastal Connection.  We drank in the singing birds and homes with yards so large, they could be mistaken for a golf course.  Of course, with backroads comes a few turns and humps and bumps, a small price for the quiet roads.  As we entered the town/village of Bayou La Batre, we wished we’d not had breakfast; fresh shrimp and oysters were being advertised everywhere…rightly so.  It was a working mans town, so Mardi Gras beads everywhere, seemed very out of place.

Once out of town, we traveled several miles of straight road filled with not a lot to see.  A small bridge over the West Fowl River and we were on Mon Louis Island.  We could not see any water, but the homes and churches reflected the proximity to the sea.

Another straight stretch of road, brought us to a six mile causeway with a long view of the four mile bridge over Mobile Bay; plenty of time to contemplate our big climb.  One last stop before the bridge to catch this bird, so still we originally did not think him real.  As we approached the high ridge over the channel, it was like looking up on a rollercoaster.  Thankfully, the breeze that had swirled around us all day, remained at bay (pun intended) and once again the view at the top, spectacular.  Just at the bottom of the bridge we found a restaurant touting the “best food on the island”.  We split a Shrimp Club Po’ Boy (our first), amazing; the shrimp were so huge and delicious…..this will not be our last.  We only had a few miles to our hotel, so stopped to pick up a (happy hour) refreshment and met this crew from Tallahassee biking to the west coast and then north.  Their enthusiasm and innocence reminded us of our first tour.  The couple miles we trekked to our hotel were wonderfully peaceful.  Not sure how we picked our hotel, but the setting was amazing,except for the view of the bridge we just crossed.The only way to top the 45 mile (no humidity, no wind day) was with food and wine.  We shared a Seafood Gumbo, an amazing Spring Salad and a Seafood Sampler with (definitely the best) fried oysters, shrimp, cobia and calamari.  We grabbed a quick ice cream, just before enjoying an amazing sunset.  After all, this is a must in the “Sunset Capital of Alabama”.

Good Night!