Day 15-17: Kinder, Silsbee and Shepherd Sanctuary Campground

I left the Cypress Inn Motel and my parents at 8:00 a.m. on Day 15 (March 27th) to begin my first solo ride of the trip.  The weather was pretty nice and I had a 10 m.p.h. wind pushing me Westward off my left shoulder.  The first part of the ride was through some pretty scenic and country roads and I made some really good time.  After lunch I started riding again just as the rain started coming down and got soaked for the last 2 hours of riding, but still made some really good time.

I finished at 3:00 p.m. in Kinder, LA having logged 94 miles and hunkered down into a Motel to wait out the storm.  

The rains and winds were pretty strong all night, but by the next morning it had calmed and I got another early jump at 8:00 a.m.  There were more thunderstorms that were supposed to be rolling in by later in the afternoon on this day as well so I knew I had to push miles.

At right around 11:00 a.m. It started to rain so I slipped under an entrance to a nearby church to throw on my rain jacket and just as I stopped I realized my back tire was flat.  So after about 30 minutes of taking the bike gear off, taking off the tire, checking the tire, pulling out the small piece of metal that had penetrated the tire and then replacing the tube I got back on the bike to continue on.  Obstacle #1 overcome!  If only this was it for my troubles....

A little before the Louisiana/Texas border I had my first run in with dogs.  Two dogs came tearing out of a driveway like wild little beasts with one trailing on the left of me and the other coming up on my right.  But, like the expert marksman that I am I pulled out the Dog Pepper Spray, cocked that shit, aimed it at nemesis #1 on my right and hit him square in the nose.  He immediately dropped back and the other dog to the left followed suit and I put the safety back on and holstered my piece.  Obstacle #2 overcome!  

Then, crossing over the Sabine River into Texas I stopped at the border sign to get my pictures (which I might add is much more difficult when you don't have someone to take the picture for you) and as I'm about to get on the bike I hear a huge explosion!  As I'm now in Texas I assumed that I had been shot and was in shock and just hadn't felt the pain yet from the bullet but, alas it was that damn back tire again and I was alive and well breathing that fresh and free Texas air.  After another 45 minute excursion fixing the tire again I got back to riding.  Obstacle 3?  No match for me.

Next came Ebner Rice Field Drive.  Oh, Ebner Rice Field Drive how I despise you...  This was the road that Google Maps sent me on to get back onto the Adventure Cycling maps and to get me to Silsbee.  According to the map I was to take this road for 9 miles to get to another State Route and at first the road started out wonderful.  It was flat and debre free and I was riding along all happy and them I passed a dirt road off to the side and laughed at how horrible that road was and kept on down my nice road.  Then I hit a dead end at a county landfill and was informed by the man standing guard at the gates that the dirt road I'd passed was indeed Ebner Rice Field Drive.  So I turned back and rode back the 2 miles to the dirt road and started in... (Now I will admit that the smartest thing to do would have been to go all the way out to the main road and then find my way around that way, but where's the adventure in that....). So I headed through this dirt road that went from bad to worse, to holy shit where the hell am I GAAaaaAHhh!!!!!! A little exaggeration but, not much.  I was peddling in sand mush the whole way which I kept getting stuck in and then would have to stop and then walk my bike around puddles and then small little pond puddles and then little bit larger lake puddles.  I came across a snake that was laid out across the road (maybe 5ft in length) that I thought was dead... And it most definitely was not dead.  I found that out when I attempted to kick its tail after throwing two rocks at it and it not moving.  Lets, just say it did move when I went to kick it and my bowels also attempted to move..  I booked it away from the Cobra and ventured further into this road.  Amazingly, google maps still was working back there and it kept pointing me in the right direction as there were so many off shoots that led to who knows what.  About a mile from the junction of the more major road where I'd be back on pavement I hit a gated road block that said no trespassing and that any person beyond that point would be prosecuted to the fullest.  Most sane people would turn back here.  Not this guy.  I bushwhacked into the woods and around the gate with only minor injuries from thorns and then finally got out to the main road.  Obstacle #4, No More.

From there I had a 13 mile ride to get me to my ending point in Silsbee.   Along that last leg I got attacked by 2 more dogs and again used my excellent shooting skills to avoid any further trouble for the day and got to Pinewood Inn and Suites just as the thunder and lighting began at 6:30 p.m.  97 miles for the day.

And all I kept thinking was it's my damn birthday!  It's my birthday!  Not your birthday but, my birthday!  Any day, but this one day.  My damn birthday!  My. Birthday.  27 was not being kind to me so far.... 

I fiested on some Pizza Hut, got a nice shower and even got to wash my clothes and then fell asleep watching The Hangover III after a long and hard day.

 

After a bunch of very long days in a row I decided to take it easy for today (Day 17).  I biked only 60 miles and finished at 2:00 p.m.  at Shepherd Sanctuary Campground just outside of Shepherd, TX and am quite enjoying the leisurely day and the time off the bike to rest.  For a $10 tent space I got a shower and am about to get a delicious home-cooked meal from Peaches (the owner) and am looking forward to the night ahead with Peaches and the other guests staying here.

Other minor accomplishments during this period was I've crossed into Texas (scratching Louisiana off of my list) and I've also crested over the 1,000 mile mark.  Only about 11,000 more of those and I'm done.....

Also, I heard from a little birdie (i.e. Laura) that people were trying to comment on the blog but it wasn't letting them.  I checked the settings and it was for some reason set to only allow registered members of blogger to comment.  I fixed that and now anyone can comment so have at it with the comments.  I would love to hear from anyone who is reading.

Day 14: West of the Mississippi

We followed up yesterday's 100-mile day with another solid ride of 89 miles.  And we even did 59 miles this morning before stopping for lunch in Zachary, LA.  To date that is the most amount of miles we have ridden before stopping for lunch so far.  Another record!

Although we did not have any rain today much of the morning ride was under cloudy skies and the temperature was cool.  

After lunch we got back on the road to finish the last 30 miles into New Roads, LA and the clouds still loomed overhead.

Then, just as we were beginning to climb the bridge up and over the Mississippi River the skies parted and the sun came out which was a welcome surprise that made the last few hours riding really pleasant.  

As a celebration of our last day riding together before my dad and mom head down the coast of Texas and I head out due west towards Austin we stopped in for a meal at Ma Mama's Kitchen, a Cajun and creole style restaurant that we saw riding into town.  And when I say that this food was good it would be the understatement of the century and would do it no justice.  This was quite possibly the coolest place and best food that I have ever tasted.  Our waitress Angela completed the experience. (Lots of pictures below)

Tomorrow marks the first day of riding that I will head out on my own and I'm excited to start this new part of the adventure.

Day 13: Welcome To The Club

My dad has accomplished some big things in his life.  In 8th grade he hit a game-winning shot at the buzzer in the last game to preserve a perfect season.  As a college student he graduated Magna Cum Laude and earned Phi Beta Kappa honors.  He taught at the Sauquoit Valley School District for 30 years and retired.  And he has been with the same woman for almost 40 years, but none, yes none of these things can even come close to compare to his most recent milestone...

Let me go back... There is a prestigious group of gifted cyclists within the biking community dubbed "The Century Club."  Now, this club does not let in just any old John off the street with a set of wheels under his ass.  This club is for those truly exceptional bicyclists that have riden over 100 miles in one day.  I was able to join this storied brotherhood of man and or woman on my last trip in 2008 while riding through Kansas.  But, the big guy had never done it yet although we'd already come close on this trip with a 93-mile day and a 92-mile day.  

Well, today good friends he broke the 100-mile mark and joined me among the ranks of biking masters and he earned it. On a day with winds of 15-20 m.p.h. Coming almost directly in our faces we were able to push through and ride 107 miles.  We rode from Gulfport, MS to Hammond, LA with the wind whipping us in the face all day and the sun baking us from above in the cloudless sky.. (We left Mississippi!!! 3 states down!)  We even had time to get a quick McDonald's lunch in with the mother and a stop at the Abita Brewing Company Pub (which just so happened to be along our route).

We finished the ride into Hammond at 6:30 p.m. and got a delicious dinner at Voodoo BBQ & Grill and needless to say we  are pretty tired.  To be honest we will most likely be asleep as soon as this post goes up.

Day 12: "What is that feeling when you're driving away from people and they recede on the plain til you see their specks dispersing? - it's the too huge world vaulting us and it's good-bye. But, we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies." - Jack Kerouac

Stage 1 of riding is over.  Vacation in Gulf Shores is over.  It's time to get back on the road en route to Austin for another 2 days off...  

We woke up at 4:30 a.m. this morning to drive Laura to the airport in Pensacola for her early morning flight.  Had a quick goodbye and then turned around to drive back to Gulf Shores.  We got back to Gulf Shores by 6:45 a.m. and packed the  bikes onto the car to drive to the end of the island to Fort Morgan State Park where we were set to get on the 8:45 a.m. Ferry across the Mobile Bay so that we could start our riding in Dauphin Island.  We had already riden the 20 miles from our hotel in Gulf Shores to Fort Morgan the day before so that we could drive the bikes down this morning without losing any of our riding miles.  We are no cheats!!

We got across the Mobile Bay and began our morning ride at just after 10:30 a.m.  The skies were cloudy and we had intermittent rain early as we road the 13 miles off of Dauphin Island across the bridge and back onto the mainland.  Once we got over the bridges we had a pretty decent tailwind and the riding went well.  The most difficult part of the day was trying to decipher the language of one Mississippian who stopped to talk to us while we were eating lunch.  (Oh yeah,  we also have left Alabama behind and entered Mississippi! 2 States down!)

We finished the day with a really beautiful ride from Biloxi to Gulfport that took us right along the Southern coast and then up a pretty busy Route 49 to our hotel just off of Interstate 10.  We got some delicious Mexican food at Los Tres Amigos which happened to be across the street from our hotel and are now about to call it a night.

It's really nice when an 84 mile ride like today feels pretty easy...  Back at it  tomorrow with what is forecasted to be a pretty powerful headwind.  Wish us luck!

Day 8-11: R&R in Gulf Shores

Well, stage 1 is officially complete.  St. Augustine to Gulf Shores, Alabama.  After getting breakfast with Jeb (pic below) our host from the night before we rode the last 36 miles into Gulf Shores, Alabama (checking off the first state of many on my list) to meet my mom and sister for a few days or rest and relaxation.

Just a few numbers for you.... We rode a total of 528 miles in 6 full days of riding and 2 half days which comes out to 75.4 miles per day and we averaged 13 mph throughout this section.  Not too shabby if I do say so myself.  

Today marks our first true day off where we don't get on the bikes at all.  Although we did pick up a few needed supplies for the journey going forward today at Infinity Bike Shop here in Gulf Shores...I picked up a new hand pump to replace my broken one, got a CO2 Cartridge Pump as a backup, and also got some dog repellent for my ride in Mississippi and Louisiana which I was told was a necessity by a fellow Southern Tier traveller who had just come through those states.  

I'll be using these days today, Saturday and Sunday to recharge (although my body feels exceptionally well after the first 8 days of riding, minus the sunburn on the legs) for the next stage which will take me from Gulf Shores to Austin, Texas where I will take another 2 days off before heading out through the rest of Texas towards San Diego...

Thanks for all of the support and I will be back to the blog posts by Monday after I get back on the road.