Today’s ride was all about the levee along the Mississippi River. Although it was only the first 16 miles it’s what Tom and I remember most about the day. And those cool temps, clear skies and that tail wind were pretty unforgettable as well. No traffic up there on the levee and there was always something to look at. Nice to get the Cuttys rolling on dirt too.
Our first stop was the Louisiana State University campus and a quest to find Mike, their Bengal Tiger mascot. Mission accomplished!
Then it was back to the levee for some of the sweetest riding this trip. The miles sped by.
We stopped for lunch at the landing near the historic Houmas House as Tom had a foil wrapped cheeseburger in his frame bag calling his name. And what? … a cruise ship on the Mississippi River? Never heard of such a thing.
At the landing we chatted with a nice family driving from El Paso to West Virginia. We were thinking, dang that’s a long drive for them but then we thought… heck we rode our bikes through El Paso! Meet Dylan (in the rad T shirt), Doug and Denise. Super nice peeps!
Our goal was to get to the town of Lutcher at 4pm to meet our Warmshower host before he left for his church men’s group. Not long before Lutcher we met Jerry from Cincinnati and his brother Jeff from Columbus, westbound on the Southern Tier route. We swapped ride intel and they gave us the good news that the bridge over the Pear River is passable for bikes (not cars) meaning we won’t have a 117 mile detour to contend with. Also apparently there is a talking parrot in an RV park past Pearlington we just have to meet. Wishing these guys well – especially on a day of headwinds for westbounders. #ouch
Once at our warmshower, we had a nice chat with Jerry (who goes by Dewaine). He and his wife, Stephanie have done missions work all over the world. He is the founding pastor of his Pentecostal church here in Lutcher and and he was a joy to talk to. Built like a lumberjack but with the heart of a shepherd, if we return to Lutcher, we want to hear him preach. And he gave me a couple of book reccs! I’m always down for those. 😉
Almost to NOLA!
Click on the image below to view more pics and vids:
Keep Calm and Pedal On 