Day 29, Winona, WI - 94 miles

All day as I ride I plan what I am going to write in my blog.  Today I was going to talk about why I didn’t take any pictures (it turns out I did), why I got in the van (I didn’t), how cold it was (it warmed up), and what a miserable day it was (it was great!).  So here’s the story.

The forecast was for a high of 60 degrees, light winds out of the north (our direction of travel), and a 30% chance of rain.  Sixty degrees and rain is quite miserable to bike in so we were prepared with rain gear and warm socks in the SAG.  The cue sheet said to take the first right turn after heading out of the hotel but there was a great, less traveled road that paralleled our course for the first four miles so about six of us took that instead.  We were rewarded with very little traffic which meant we could ride side by side and chat.  Then we turned onto the official route and we returned to our single file riding.  The shoulder was crap for the next five miles or so, and the drivers were not very good, so it was a little hairy initially.  Then the shoulder became as wide as a lane, with beautiful bluffs on the right and the mighty Mississippi stretching out for miles on our left.

Then it started raining.  It had been drizzling all morning but the rain started to come down aggressively.  And the wind picked up.  At the 20 mile SAG stop I put on my rain pants and continued down the road.  By mile 40 my feet were cold so Mary D recommended I put baggies on my toes to retain the heat.  With that and a shower cap on my helmet, I warmed up enough and kept on biking.

Our route was supposed to take us through LaCrosse, Wisconsin, on a busy road into downtown.  Because I looked at a map the night before, I knew there was an easy and safe way to avoid all the traffic and I was relieved to see the turn as it was starting to get messy on our road.  I had told all my fellow riders about the alternative and, as I have not seen anyone yet, I can only hope they took the turn, too.

I found Mary D, our SAG driver, on a side street in LaCrosse and, because it had stopped raining, I flagged her down so I could change into dry socks.  The weather continued to improve and I was warm enough to remove my shower cap and rain pants (but not the baggies from my toes!).

Just north of LaCrosse, we got on a bike path that headed out of town almost to our destination of Winona, Minnesota.  The path wasn’t paved but it was very beautiful and, with the improved weather, I was able to get my camera out and snap a few pictures.

I got into the hotel just after the trailer and van carrying about 15 of my cold and wet compatriots.  Tonight’s dinner is pizza, one of my favorite foods, and I am starving.  What a great day.

Day 28, Prairie du Chien, WI - 45 miles

It was only a 45 mile day but the wind continues.  It wasn't as bad as yesterday but coupled with the hills, it was a tough day.  Speaking of hills... only three of note but they got up to an 11% grade (which is rather steep) and seemed to go on forever.  Oh, and it was cold, but not too bad with a high of 63 or so.  Just a little unexpected.

Tomorrow is a 94 mile day but 25 of that is on a bike path.  It's a crushed limestone path, which has some people worried but I bike those all the time at home so I know they are fine.  I've also made some route adjustments which should make the route significantly safer that what the tour company proposed.

Mary and me with a pink elephant who we named "Ellen."

Day 27, Dyesville, IA - 58 miles

The wind does blow.
One day friend,
One day foe.
- Anonymous

Yesterday we had tailwinds of 25 mph.  Today they turned into headwinds and they were just as stiff.

We started out this morning with brisk winds out of the southwest.  They weren’t too bad and we were headed north so it wasn’t a big deal.  In short order, the winds shifted to the west, and then out of the northwest.  And they blew - it was a battle to stay on the bike at times.  At one point I was going down a 4% hill, peddling, and going only 12 mph.   Now that’s a wind.

Headwind

Today was marked by two interesting sights.  The first was Maquoketa Caves State Park.  Although not a very large park, it is unique for its limestone bluffs, rock formations (including Balanced Rock and Natural Arch) and for its caves.  Dancehall cave has a paved, lighted path that was easily followed by those in bike shoes, and Mary and I took our time exploring.

Spelunking

Towards the end of the day we encountered the Field of Dreams Movie Site. Yep, it is the actual site where the movie was filmed and it is a ball field in the middle of nowhere.  Not being a big fan of baseball, I didn’t spend much time there but I can see the appeal to those who are into such things.

Field of Dreams

Overall it was a great day.  There’s nothing like a long hard day of biking to fire the appetite and our chef, Lynne, does an excellent job satisfying.  Tonight’s dinner was turkey chili, corn salad, corn bread and fresh Iowa pie.  That hit the spot.

Day 26, Maquoketa, IA - 58 miles

We are on day 26 of this 40 day ride and it feels great.  We are certainly out of the flat lands of the Mississippi delta region and into the rolling hills of eastern Iowa.  The route was, for the most part, on rural country roads with corn as far as can been seen.  Because today is Memorial day, there were American flags at every cemetery and in every country farm house.  Also because it is Memorial Day, construction zones were empty which was a big plus for us.  About 3 miles into our day we found our route blocked by large Road Closed Ahead signs.  Those who were new to cross country biking were a little hesitant but for those of us who have done a few of these rides, we knew that a little construction wouldn’t stop us.  It turns out that only about a half of mile of road was actually closed and it was an easy portage over and around.

Road Closed

The rest of the day was full of tailwinds up to 25 mph which would just push us along with barely any effort.  When we would turn slightly the wind would become a crosswind which could be a little challenging. But that never lasted long and we blew into the hotel very early - some before noon.

We are staying in another nondescript chain motel - this one a Comfort Inn.  There is nothing around for miles except a WalMart and a BP gas station.  Apparently it is not entirely in the middle of no where as good friends of mine from Florida, Pat and Bev, came by for a lovely visit.  It was great to see them again and it reminds me that I am getting a little closer to home and the end of the ride every day.

Day 25, Muscatine, IA - 58 miles

Another beautiful day.  Tailwind, sunny skies, hot.... Not much else to say.  Check out my photos for some entertainment.

Day 23, Burlington, IA - 52 miles

Out of the hotel, exit Iowa and back into Illinois for the day.  I’m not sure how WomanTours comes up with these routes - they really don’t make sense, but at least this route was safe so I'm not complaining. Early in the day we entered the town of Nauvoo. Nauvoo was established by Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon church and in 1844 it was almost as populous as Chicago with 12,000 residents.  Shortly thereafter, Smith was assassinated here and, although the Mormon influence is still prominent, it is now more of a pilgrimage site than a home base for Mormons.

As we approached closer to Burlington, traffic picked up a bit and initially I was wary about going over the Burlington Great River Bridge.  I stopped in a gas station and spoke with a local farmer who assured me people bike over the bridge all the time and there was a wide shoulder.  He was right and the crossing presented no problems.

Burlington Bridge

Today was a day off in Burlington where the annual Snake Alley Criterium is taking place.  This criterium is one of six qualifying races for the big Nature Valley Pro Chase which happens to take place in my hometown of Minneapolis the week I return from my tour.  Another qualifying race will occur in Muscatine, IA, where we will be heading tomorrow.  I feel like a race groupie but it sure is fun to watch the best amateur bike racers go at it.  Tomorrow on the way out of town several of us have vowed to do a few laps up Snake Alley.  It averages a 21% grade so I am not optimistic about making it up even once.

Snake Alley

Day 22, Keokuk, IA - 71 miles

What could have been a challenging day turned out to be easy and very fun.  Once again I didn’t like the route WomanTours choose to get out of the city so I found my own.  While all the other riders were on US-61 heading out, I (and the two Marys) meandered along designated bike lanes and rural farm roads for the first 13 miles.  After that, we met up with the other members of our group and enjoyed the 25 mile per hour tailwinds that pushed us along at lightning speeds.  We had to hit the breaks at mile 36 when we pulled up to our designated ferry crossing and found out it was closed. According to the captain, the ferry had been shut down by the Coast Guard only the day before for a minor violation in their running lights.  When he understood our predicament, he offered run us across the river as long as we were all together.  After urgent phone calls to the SAG to pick up the slower riders, we assembled at the dock, boarded the ferry and made it across without incident.

Carol explaining to Yolande the ferry is closed.

Once in Iowa we twisted along farm roads until a left turn put the wind at our back again.  It was like shooting out of the Battlestar Galactica as we caught the air and it moved us down the road at 20 mph with no effort on our part.  We arrived in Keokuk, IA, to stay at a Baymont Inn, which used to be the Riverview Inn, which used to be a Holiday Inn, which is in need of upgrades.  But dinner was great and the company couldn’t be beat so all is well.

Day 21, Hannibal, MO - 34 miles

Wow, I am glad I got into the van today.  For many reasons I am glad.  The cue sheet said that the shoulder ended and rumble strips started at mile 35.  Given the road we were routed on, I knew it was going to be hairy and I just didn’t want the tension.  So I arranged with our guide to wait with the van at mile 34 and that’s exactly where she was.  She picked up me and the other guide and, just as the cue sheet promised, the road turned to shit within a mile.  Penny, Moira and Kris were in the van already so a good time was had by all.  We booked up to the cute town of Clarksville, MO, at mile 66 where we had time for lunch, surfing the internet and a little bit of shopping.  Lock and dam 24 is located here and Penny and I enjoyed visiting that.  After picking up more riders who opted to stop for the day, we piled back in the van and back tracked about 15 miles to get a group of five who agreed: the road was shit.

By then there were 15 people in the van and we high tailed it into Hannibal.  Traffic lessened a bit but it still wasn’t a road I wanted to bike on.  I was congratulating myself on avoiding the anxiety a ride like that would have given when we turned a corner to face the first of several tremendously steep hills.  At this point we were at mile 95 on the route and the hills were just beginning.  We went over a series of long hills that went up to a 16% grade and kept up until the last, long downhill into Hannibal.  The total distance today was 115 miles and only about 6 riders did the entire ride.  I am glad I was not one of them.

It’s a shame that WomanTours chose the route and the distance they did.  There was a much shorter, less hilly and safer route available. This once great company seems to be slipping lately.

Day 20, Grafton, IL - 45 miles

You would think it would be difficult biking out of a big city but not so.  We started out from the Hyatt in downtown St. Louis by walking under the Arch to the riverfront. We turned left and before we knew it, we were on a bike path right along the river.  There were murals on the flood wall and friendly people fishing in the river.  We crossed over the Chain of Rocks pedestrian/bike bridge and continued on another bike path in Illinois.  Soon we came up to Camp River Debois museum.  The camp, located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, is where Lewis & Clark spent their first winter training their newly assembled Corp of Discovery.

The day continued in a similar vein, going very slowly along bike paths and bike lanes.  At 3pm with only a few hundred yards to go to the hotel, Penny, Bernadette and Yolande and I pulled into the Loading Dock for a cool beverage overlooking the river.  We were able to walk to the hotel with ease afterwards.

We are staying at the Ruebel hotel, a cute, family run establishment with free laundry and internet.

Tomorrow’s ride is supposed to be 112 miles but I have decided I don’t want to deal with it so I am planning on getting in the van early on.  That decision has made this evening a lot nicer.

Day 18, St. Louis, MO - 74 miles

Sacagawea, Daniel Boone, Kit Carson, Ferdinand Magellan.  They’ve got nothing on me.  On Sunday I went exploring.  Because I thought there may be a more peaceful route from Ste. Genevieve to St. Louis, I stayed up late (past 8pm) on the computer looking for an alternate to our established path.  I found what I thought might be OK and invited some friends on an adventure.  We started on the official route, first across the Mississippi on the Ste. Genevieve-Modoc ferry (which didn’t start running until 9 am giving us a very late start) then on to Bluff Road heading north.  The road was lightly traveled and in the shadow of limestone bluffs.

At mile 13, in the town of Prairie du Rocher, Mary B, Mary D, Lea, Carolyn (the birthday girl) and I took a left turn off route and started on our own.  Within less than a mile I had a flat tire from a huge piece of glass but with everybody working together it was quickly repaired and we were off again.  The route was very nice but the sun was getting warmer and the terrain was very flat and there wasn’t a lot to catch our attention (other than the railroad gates being down and no train in sight so we crossed anyway).

Railroad crossing

When we encountered a dirt road that wasn’t supposed to be there, we headed back out to the main route and caught a tremendous tailwind into the SAG.  At that point Mary D, Lea and Carolyn had had enough shenanigans and decided to stick with the official route.  Mary B and I apparently hadn’t had enough so we headed back into no man’s land onto the levee road and turned north towards St. Louis.

The tailwind was great, the road had very infrequent traffic, and a few clouds moved in providing some relief from the sun. At mile 58, 15 miles out of St. Louis, we had our first view of the downtown skyline and the St. Louis Arch.  We wove through the town of East St. Louis, passed the Gateway Geyser and, after an elevator ride on the route, crossed the famous Eads bridge on a bike-way to our hotel in the shadow of the Arch.

Arch

Today was a rest day so I was on my own to explore St. Louis.  I went to the Arch (although not up it), to the museum and to movies about Lewis and Clark, and the building of the Arch.  The old court house was near so I learned more about Dred and Harriet Scott and the now universally panned Supreme Court decision. Then I went to Bailey’s Range for one of the best burgers and milk shakes I have ever had.

Tomorrow is a short day, most of which is on a bike path.  Now that’s the kind of biking I like.

Day 17, Ste. Genevieve, MO - 64 miles

I road with Mary for most of the day, great weather, nice tailwind, great fun.  As we were getting into our destination we met up with a man named Steve Quam.  Steve is biking 4000 miles from North Carolina to Washington.  He is raising money for Parkinson's disease, which he has.  And I thought we were doing a tough tour.

Day 16, Cape Girardeau, MO - 50 miles

Not much to say about today.  Beautiful weather, slight tailwind, great company.  I took only two pictures today, displayed below.  Check out my other photos through the link near the top of the page.

Rainbow irrigation

SAG stop at a cemetery

Day 15, Charleston, MO - 76 miles

You would think 78 miles wouldn’t be so hard, but it was.  There was enough of a head wind this morning that at mile 22 I opted to skip the 2 mile detour to the Reelfoot Lake visitor center.  I was glad I did because at mile 35 there was another visitor center, smaller but still nice, on pretty much the same thing.  At mile 40, we entered Kentucky and I started riding with Pat.  (Pat is my great friend with whom I rode across the southern portion of the US in 2008.  She had ridden a total of about 100 miles in training for this trip.  I probably rode 1300 miles in training.)  We took a cute ferry across the Mississippi and met up with the SAG for the 60 mile stop.  The headwinds turned nasty and Pat turned on the gas.  She pulled me (meaning she rode in front of me, breaking the wind) for the next 15 miles seemingly without effort.  After that, I graciously offered to be in front for the remaining 3 miles.  Wasn’t that nice of me?

Dinner was once again amazing with caprese salad, and an eggplant/tofu concoction for those of us who prefer not to eat meat.

The hotel for the night is another nondescript Quality Inn.  It’s 8:30 and I’m fighting to stay awake.  I don’t think I can last long.

Day 14, Dyersburg, TN - 43 miles

Today was a short day, only 43 miles, but not very scenic.  At about mile ten, we passed through Henning, TN, the boyhood home of Alex Haley, the author of Roots.  It’s a cute home and, oddly, his grave is in the front yard.
 

Alex Haley's Boyhood Home

To spice things up a bit today, Penny, Pat and I took an alternate route which I scoped out on the internet.  I think my compatriots were a little angry at me when the path I found started out with a 13% hill on cobblestones.  Then I led them through the local community college.  Then we had to walk over a small patch of grass after the road ended.  It certainly was different and much more scenic than the original route but the jury is still out on whether it was better.  At least Pat and Penny are still talking to me.

Day 13, Covington, TN - 63 miles

Clark and Jean, friends who I met on previous WomanTours rides and who are Memphis locals, said our ride begins here.  Up to this point we have been in the Mississippi Delta, the remarkably flat alluvial plane between the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers.  Today we headed into the gently rolling hills of southern Tennessee.

What a beautiful ride.  We traveled back country roads through rural farm areas with sunny skies and only a light breeze.  We are on a portion of the Mississippi River Trail, the 3000 mile signed bicycle route that goes the length of the river, so local folks are used to seeing bicyclists and they waved from their porches as we passed.

We pulled into the Holiday Inn Express and did the usual shower and laundry.  We are each allowed only 50 pounds of luggage for the six weeks of the tour, and a lot of it ends up being bike related equipment so we do laundry frequently.

Day 11 & 12, Memphis, TN - 92 & 0 miles

Another rest day!  About every seven to 10 days we have a day off from cycling, often in a interesting city.  In our second rest day of the trip we are in downtown Memphis, not far from all the action of Beale Street.  But getting here took quite the effort.

We knew the ride from Clarskdale was going to be a haul.  The cue sheet which gave our route for the day listed 94 miles of turns.  A lot of this was on back roads and most of it was heading north.  OK, I thought. This won’t be too bad.  Unfortunately there was this pesky wind, gusting to 21 mph, out of the north.

The first 20 miles was heading east and I rode with my great friend Penny.  I have known Penny since we rode  the 3000 miles across the Southern Tier of the US in 2008.  We took our time and stopped for a few pictures, including at “Gurleyville, Population 3.”  It seems Ty Gurley has some fun on his property and has erected numerous whimsical statues including rows of tractors and a dinosaur.

After the first SAG stop to refill our water bottles and get snacks, we turned north and the wind began.  I started riding with Mary D and Carolyn, two strong riders who are a lot of fun.  The fun was kept to a minimum as the wind speed increased along with our effort level.  There was some confusion with the cue sheet at mile 60 but our guide, Carol, was there and directed us down the road.  This allowed us cut a few miles off our route and we enjoyed the wide, almost debris-free shoulder of I-65.  At mile 78 we crossed into our third state, Tennessee.

After almost nine hours on the road, we pulled into the Memphis Marriott.

The next day, on our actual day of rest, five of us met up with our friend Jean, who we know from various WomanTours rides and is a Memphis local.  She took us to the famous Arcade diner for breakfast then drove us to the Apple store (to get Penny’s phone repaired) and a local bike shop.  We have three terrible bike pumps that are constantly pulling the valve stems out of our tires and we have had enough.  Penny sprung for her own floor pump and is going to ask folks to chip in what they can.  Yay for Penny!  After that, I went to the National Civil Rights Museum, housed in a building attached to the Lorraine motel where Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated.  The exhibits were wonderful and the presentation was amazing.  It was an educational, informative and stirring presentation on the struggle for civil rights for those of African descent in this country.  But there was only two paragraphs about gay rights and women’s rights.  A great museum but I disagree with the name - it did not discuss my civil rights.

Afterwards Penny, Barb and I went to Gus’s Fried Chicken, rated number two on TripAdvisor, for a fried chicken dinner. It was wonderful.

Tomorrow is a 63 mile day with a forecast for sunny skies and temperatures in the low 80s.  I’m afraid to look at what the wind is going to be.

Day 10, Clarksdale, MS - 64 miles

Maybe I should have checked the forecast before cleaning my bike yesterday.  Today the prediction was a 70% chance of rain so it didn’t look great for bikers.  Oh well.  An expression I learned on WomanTours is “There is no bad weather, just poor clothing choices.”  The rain actually held off for most of the day.  This allowed for some amusing times playing in a wheat field and looking at catfish ponds. 

The rain didn’t start until mile 45 or so.  We still had about 20 miles to go so on went the rain gear and it was heads down and pedal.

Wheat field (photo by Abby).

The accommodations tonight are the Comfort Inn in beautiful Clarksdale.  People here, and along our entire route (including the drivers) have been exceptionally nice at all times.  I’m afraid that Lee (from Australia), Monika (Austria), Moira (Scotland) and Bernadette and Yolande (Holland) may get a very different picture of the United States as we get farther north.

Day 9, Indianola, MS - 59 miles

I knew it was going to be a good day when I found Roseanne at the snack table making a peanut butter and pickle sandwich.  It’s not that I have a sudden fondness for the things, it was just that it was new and in my mind, new is good.

Roseanne and a peanut butter/pickle sandwich

 Although these days have few miles, today was only 59, they are very pleasant.  I rode out with a large crowd consisting of Mary, Penny, Pat, Lee and Carolyn and we zipped along until the first SAG.  I road the Southern Tier with Mary, Penny and Pat, and the Northern Tier with Mary and Penny.  We know each other well and, although our riding styles aren’t always the same, I think we have great fun when we are together.  Carolyn is a new-comer to touring and seems to be having a blast.  Tonight at the map meeting it came out that tomorrow it will rain.  Carolyn hasn’t done much biking in the rain and we assured her she is in for a treat.  Lee, who is from Australia, got to see her first cypress trees in one of the many bayous we passed.  They were putting on a beautiful show, knees in the air and all. 

Lee and Cypress

We pulled into Indianola, the home of BB King, in time for lunch and, after giving my bike and myself a good cleaning, headed down for dinner.  At our map meeting Yolande and Bernadette entertained us with a fantastic song they wrote about biking and the sights we see.  Too bad it was in Dutch.

The rain has already started.  Tomorrow is going to be fun

Day 8, Yazoo City, MS - 54 miles

It seems the heat has broken.  And the back to back 80 to 90 mile days are over with for now.  For the next little while we will be riding only 50 miles per day and we will be gradually encountering more rolling terrain.  All of this makes our group of 30 bikers very happy indeed.

Our group seems very good.  The slower riders start early in the day and as the morning progresses, we pass them with a happy greeting.  If we have all started in the proper order, we meet at the first SAG stop at about the same time.  This allows our SAG driver to jump to the next stop in time to catch the fastest riders.  As the day goes on we get more and more spread out so we are cautioned that if we go too fast, we will outrun the SAG.

Today I rode with Mary again.  Both of us have a bit of trouble hearing which makes for some funny conversations and a lot of companionable silence.  It was a short day so we arrived at the hotel at around noon to find that Penny, who decided to ride in the van, had gone to Taco Bell and brought back a 12 pack of tacos.  I had three and they never tasted so good. 

Day 7, Vicksburg, MS - 97 miles

What a great day!  Yesterday was a rest day in Natchez, but my research showed that there really wasn’t a lot to do.  So I did something I haven’t done in years.  I took a bath.   The terrain has been so flat that there is little opportunity to stand while pedaling.  No standing means more time in the seat, which means more pain.  The bath was great to soak my tired areas and sooth sore muscles.

Other than that, I did a lot of obsessing over the weather.  The forecast was for thunderstorms in the morning, progressing to showers in the afternoon, with a high temperature of only 80.  But every time I checked the weather, it seemed to get a little better. By the time I was ready to depart this morning, there was a 25% chance of showers at 9am, clearing soon after.  It was a beautiful day!  There was no rain and it was overcast so it wasn’t so hot.  On top of that, at about mile five we entered the Natchez Trace.

The Natchez Trace is an old foot path first used by native Americans, then by boatmen who had traveled down the Mississippi and were returning home to the Ohio River Valley.  It is now a 444 mile long National Park with a beautiful tree lined road dotted with informational stops, of which we biked the first 60 miles.  Also for the first time we encountered hills! Not big hills but enough to get us up out of our seats once in a while.

The original, sunken Trace.

After leaving the Trace, the road was not quite as nice but the weather held.  We passed the Historic Crossroads Store filled with local color.

Crossroads Store

I rode with Mary for much of the day and as we were chatting about how historic Vicksburg was, we decided we wanted to visit the Vicksburg National Military Park across the street from our hotel.  It sounded like a great idea earlier but by the time we got there (after 82 miles of riding) I was getting a little tired.  Well Mary was still full of energy so in the park we went.

The siege of Vicksburg was an important turning point in the civil war and is commemorated in the 1800 acre park.  Biking through the park is a wonderful way to experience it, despite the 11% grades on the hills.  I know Mary from both my Southern Tier and the Northern Tier bike rides and she is great company, even after 94 miles.  We returned to the hotel just in time for showers and dinner.

My roommate today is Moira who is enjoying her first trip to the US from her native Scotland.  She is having a great time on this tour despite her inadvertent 20 mile detour before getting on the Trace this morning.  When she got into the hotel she single handedly unloaded the trailer and sorted the luggage by type and color.

Moira and suitcases

Day 5, Natchez, MS - 86 miles

It is no exaggeration to affirm that a journey by bicycle is like none other; it is a thing apart; it has a tempo and a style of its own.
- James E. Starrs,
The Noiseless Tenor




It looks like we are getting into a pattern: Sweat-ride-drink, sweat-ride-drink. Or as our guide, Carol, puts it "sugar cane on the left, levee on the right, no shade overhead."  Yesterday we actually had a bit of a change in scenery as there was corn on the left.  Due to circumstances, we were more bunched together yesterday.  At mile nine we were advised to wait at "Not Your Mama's Cafe" for the SAG which would then escort us over the narrow Morganza spillway.  This was particularly exciting for those of us who did the Southern Tier four years ago as it was at this very same cafe where we had to wait for four hours to be shuttled across the Mississippi due to flooding. The same Pac-Man machine is there and from the thickness of the dust, I don't doubt our quarters are still sitting in its till.

At mile 20 the SAG was waiting as planned.  With this heat it is imperative that water bottles are kept topped off at all times and you have enough calories on hand so you don't run out of energy.  I rolled out of the SAG stop with Penny and Pat, two of my great friends from the Southern Tier, and we headed down the very empty road.  There was indeed no shade overhead and there were no services anywhere on this road.  Every time we stopped the heat would radiate up from the pavement, seemingly increasing the temperature by 20 degrees.  When rolling, the breeze would facilitate at least a little bit of evaporative cooling.  At mile 40, Lynne (our chef) had a wonderful picnic lunch waiting for us, and at mile 60 was our next SAG.  This SAG stop was at the edge of the only copse of trees seen for miles and, for our viewing pleasure, was accompanied by a bear (pig? wild dog?) pelt stuck on a nearby post.  There were also lots of animal bones strewn about and I was sure it was a voodoo camp or Yeti's feeding ground so I didn't stay long.  Besides, there was only 20 more miles to go.

At mile 80 we still weren't in town and, thanks to my Garmin bike computer, I knew we had another 5 or so miles to go. It was really hot but I had been staying well hydrated and I was even carrying an extra water bottle in my pocket just in case.  That "just in case" came in handy as I soon came across a rider who wasn't feeling too well and admitted she had been out of water for the last five miles.  I shared mine, flagged down the van which happened to be passing at that moment, and all was well.  We rode in together and arrived at the hotel about an hour before a big, booming thunderstorm hit.

Me and the Mississippi

We entered our second state, Mississippi, at the end of the ride.  Our hotel is the Historic Eola, one of only 60 hotels in America on the National Historic Registry.  Many of us gathered in the lobby before dinner to chat and admire Moria's new shoes.  You see, Moria is from Scotland and seems to have brought very beautiful but rather impractical footwear.  Someone in the group convinced her to order a pair of Keen sandals from Zappos and they arrived today.  She said she never heard of Keens and they are not available in her country.  She is quite pleased with her purchase.

Yesterday evening a tour bus full of people arrived at the hotel.  It's interesting to see the differences in our groups.  The bus people disembarked and made a beeline for the cookies and sat down to enjoy them.  Our group also made a beeline for the cookies but we stuffed our cheeks and kept moving.  I guess that's not so much of a difference but by looking at the expressions on people's faces, we were sure having a lot more fun.

Day 4, New Roads, LA - 36 miles

 

What a difference a day makes.  Everybody, myself included, was exhausted after yesterday's ride.  It's not the heat, it's the humidity.  Today we all decided to start a little later and take our time.  We were rolling by 8:30 and got to the first, and only SAG stop by about 10.  I had the opportunity to ride with Yolande and Bernadette.  Because they are from Holland, it is great hearing their take on what they see as they bike along. Today a bunch of us Americans were marveling at the built in locks they have on their bikes.  To them it was just the way bikes should be.  I was also riding with Jeanne, my good friend from Florida.  She is on her first bike tour even and so far she is loving it.  What's not to like about bike-eat-sleep?

I don't usually stop for lunch but we were nearing the hotel at about noon, and we passed a place called Ma Mama's Kitchen, so how could I pass it up.  It didn't hurt that Angela came out to see what the hell we were doing and how far did we say we were riding??  

Angela

Soon afterwards I pulled into the hotel and made a bee line for the laundry.  This was the first day that the luggage beat us to the hotel so we were able to settle in quickly.  Barb, who I met on the Northern Tier ride two years ago, is my roommate.  She is also the sous-chef so she is quite busy and out of the room a lot.  On top of that, she's a really nice person.  Life is good.

Day 3, Port Allen, LA - 101 miles

 

Today's ride was... interesting.  You could call it fun.  It was hot, it was humid, and it was long. But I am quite tired now and don't feel like blogging. Check out my photos to get a taste of the day. I will try to add details later.  No internet tomorrow. The hotel sounds... interesting.

Here are the details:

Today we started rolling at 7:30 and I didn't get in until 4:30.  In between, there was heat, humidity, road kill and a paucity of water.  Because the cue sheet said we were supposed to ride 96 miles, we were all up early and on the road right away.  Some were riding earlier, and some (me) couldn't find the snack table and started a little later.  Our first three miles were retracing our route back to the river from yesterday. When we hit the ever-present levee, we headed north again. 

In our map meeting last night, we were cautioned about two areas.  The first was the Gramercy bridge over the Mississippi at mile 16.  It turns out there was a very wide shoulder and plenty of room for bikes.  In addition to that, the police showed up and blocked the right lane so traffic was no where near us.  Unfortunately, three people got flats on this bridge from all the debris.

 

View from Gramercy Bridge

Police escort

The second area was a complex interchange where we met up with Interstate-10. There was no police escort this time but our support car rode behind each group of riders with flashers on keeping traffic at bay.  In addition, using Google maps I found a great way around most the traffic.  Overall, today's route was some of the calmest biking I have encountered.

In between, we saw plantation after plantation on the River Road.  Oak Alley Plantation was one of the most beautiful and is where many movies have been filmed, including Forrest Gump.  

Oak Alley Plantation

 Also along the River Road were many gas and oil refineries.  You might think this would be a bad thing for bikers but not so.  Because of the refineries, there were porta-potties about every 10 miles, which were relatively clean.  Because it was Saturday, there were no trucks on the road.  And the occasional building servicing all the facilities provided shade and, at one point, a cooling water spigot to drench my head and refill my bottles.  

So the day was hot, and it was long, but dinner was great and the company was, and is, greater.  Tomorrow is a short day but the hotel isn't exactly... good, or so we've been told.  There is probably no internet so I will have to socialize with my group.  You know, I might enjoy that.