All of a sudden we have entered a whole different space: the rice fields. We’ve never seen anything like it, much less had the opportunity to ride bikes through acres and acres of them.
Rice is planted in fields and then the fields are flooded with water. The plants grow in the water until ready for harvest and then the water is drained. Louisiana is the second largest rice producing state in the United States.
The COOLEST thing about the rice fields however is that farmers set crawfish traps in there. Had Chris in DeRidder not shared that, we’d have no idea. Apparently rice and crawfish thrive in clay soil and water so BOOM! The crawfish deposit waste that fertilize the rice field for the next season and the rice plants provide shelter and a breeding habitat for the little critters.
The other animals that like the water? Snakes. Big snakes. They were all dead (I’ll spare you a pic). But… there are a lot of them around the rice paddies. The Gardners will not be throwing their tent up around the rice fields even if they now have a working zipper. Not to mention reconning the area around road side bio breaks have become a little more vigilant.🐍👀
Today was the first day we had even a smidgen of rain and it was just a mist. Riding among the rice fields in overcast skies was peaceful and the 70+ miles passed quickly.
And oh one more thing people have asked about now that they see us wearing differing clothing: what do we bring and how much does it weigh?
Here’s Tom’s packing list. And here is mine. Notice this doesn’t include two liters of water (about two pounds each) and food. Also, we don’t carry a stove or “kitchen”.
Aside from a couple of snack stops and continuing to marvel at the rice/crawfish fields I’d say it was a fairly uneventful day (sans doggos).
Click on the image below to view more pics and vids:
Keep Calm and Pedal On 
Never knew rice is grown in the USA. I’m surprised we can do it cheaper (assuming our government is not subsidizing it, which they probably are) than the Asians. A couple posts ago you mentioned making up time. Do you have a schedule or is your end date open ended?
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The end date is definitely open. We are fortunate in that our son is going to pick us up and has some flexibility. We have been making good time while still enjoying the areas we ride through but I think Baton Rouge and NOLA will take some time to ride through. Looking forward to it though!
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Do you feel compelled to make miles or not take a zero? Or are you comfortable with whatever?
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Another good question! We feel pretty good and like to move forward. The one place we did take a zero was Sanderson and that wouldn’t be our first choice. It was only because of weather. It’s not a bad little town, just let’s say under resourced for bike travelers. A good night’s sleep (as you know) recharges you so well for the next day and you can’t wait to see what’s coming so a zero really isn’t needed. There’s also that innate sense of wanting to reach a destination. At least that’s us. 😊
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Sounds like the same type of riding as us. Shauna and I feel the same innate sense of reaching a destination, but enjoy a zero day from time to time. You two certainly take more photos than we do. I need to follow your example on that one.
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I think you do just fine. Loved your Insta posts from PR.
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Oh Debbie,
One of our dearest friends is from Ville Platte! So many memories from my LSU days…we love crawfish, etc! The Cajuns are lovely people once you get to know them, but sometimes that takes a while, which you don’t have…enjoy this special part of the US!
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Every single person we’ve talked to has been friendly, waved and the cars give us good clearance. It’s a wonderful area. Chris (the ER nurse we met in DeRidder) explained the different sub cultures and regions in Louisiana. Very interesting and our route doesn’t expose us to all of them. Soooo I guess we will need to come back!
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Meoh myo. Interesting and humorous blog ‼️🎶😎
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Finn… snakes are not funny 🫣
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Entertaining & educational!
Thanks for the extra work you both put into your pics, vids and fellowship along the way!!☮️
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It’s so much fun sharing. We appreciate the follow!
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