Beaumont to Bellaire- a taste of texas

Rode into Houston yesterday on a mix of country road and interstate. Texas is very oil and gas oriented, and doesn't think too much about bikes except near austin. Entering and exiting Beaumont required riding on i10 as 90 merged; Houston was worse with a wagon wheel pattern of freeways to navigate around. Hot, muggy riding with plenty of fast trucks, two elderly women who slowed to a stop and told me kindly to get off the road as it was for cars. Very different style of life, cows, and scenery. Got a bit bored riding in the heat, and two flats due to the lovely roadside debris of Texas were a great help.

Jackson to opelousas and then on to beaumont- finally across the mississippi

1,108 miles so car. A short 70 mile day yesterday balanced out todays 136.5 miler. Wonderful stays in Jackson and Opelousas with Perry and Sarah. Rode the new bridge across the mississippi into new roads, a town that could use some stimulus. Continued my burger king trend on the last day of the cheap smoothie special. From there a long ride through sugar cane, rice and cotton growing on floodplains. 4 mile bridge crossing with no shoulders and a gnarly curb over the achalfalaya floodway. Jarring ride on louisiana side streets through opelousas.
Leaving opelousas chased by hippie dogs and a few big trucks. After a long ride on us 190 the road turned to us 12 and then texas 12 and then I 10. More rice fields, agriculture, oil fields then back to gulf fishing and resorts.
Perry and leps rescued house

Audubon bridge

Southern heat and a broken pedal- text

On a slow internet connection so pixel separate.
More bays and bayous from Biloxi to near Bogalusa, then timberlands from Bogalusa to Franklinton and on to Jackson. Rode 120 miles on the 26th, 85 on the 27th for 901 total. In 100+ degree heat, it feels like climbing at altitude; everything is slower due to the heat and humidity. Passed more beaches, jet skis, and sand bikes in Gulfport, MS and then into fishing territory at Pass Christian. Busy, shoulderless highways in Mississippi turn into Loiusiana 10, a bike friendly, scenic rural byways. Quick stops for cold peaches at fruit stands and $1special smoothies at burger king help a bit with the heat. Saturday night last campsite at bogue chitto state park, and I get full hookup for my nonexistent rv for only $32. Up riding the loose gravel in the park by 7:45, have a pedal fracture by noon, slowing my pace and killing my knees. Rolling riverside farmland turns to prison as I turn off the road south on LA 68 to perry and leps cycling home. Their magic machinic in Baton rouge gets me set up with a new pair of eggbeaters and I am ready to ride. About to head across the mississippi to opelousas.

Southern heat and a broken pedal- biloxi, ms to jackson, la

A 120 mile day to bogue chitto state park on saturday and an 85 miler to jackson today.

More photos

An assortment from yesterday, in order from gulf shores, al to biloxi, ms

From florida to alabama and onto mississippi

Stopped at Big Lagoon state park on the florida/alabama border last night. Got there just as they closed, and the fine park ranger let me pass through the gate as long as I left before they opened at 8. Another night of bugs, stretching, and dew. Left early in the morning to head towards Biloxi, and took a few long detours to ride beach roads to their ends. Lots of colorful homes on piers, some still abandoned and most with Mercer real estate rental signs. Realized the ferry only runs every 1.5 hours and thinking it started at 7:45 instead of 8:45, I time trialed to the ferry and made it by 10:42. Unfortunately, the ferry ended at 7:45, and to top it off the hydraulics were broken so I spent a good hour on the beach at Fort Morgan, a civil war era site with gun emplacements. Talked for a bit to an inquisitive twelve year old and a grandmother, then headed onto the belching ferry to cross the natural gas rig-filled bay. After riding over the dauphin island bridge, I headed into bayou la battery, which has seen better days to be sure. Stopped at the mcdonalds for a shake and a mcchicken and a parfait, none of which were all that filling. Next up were more busy, shoulderless roads through the cash-strapped south, with a final ride into Biloxi via us90 again. Nice bike lane just like i90 across lake washington brought me to the casino clad beaches.
Ferry to dauphin island

Big lagoon state park thursdays campsite

Endless white beaches and fast times from Panama City to Orange Beach, AL

Georgeous ride so far today, almost at Orange Beach via the gulf national seashore. Yesterday, I relaxed for a few hours on the beach, sent out some postcards (if you want one, put your address in comments and Ill do my best), swam, and did yoga. Went through seaside and watercolour, two very ritzy beach towns with a lot of airstream smoothie shops and cruiser bikes. Saw the sunset and had a wonderful dinner and stay with jeff and heide, who have a place just off the gulf. Jeff is a triathlete and marathon runner and just got back from california, Heide is a yoga teacher and real estate investor just finishing off work so she could take a month roadtrip across the us with jeff.
In the morning after a delicious breakfast I headed along 30A again towards Destin and hit the highest point on the gulf @ blue mountain beach just outside of a bike shop with hundreds of rental cruisers. Some busy traffic along the beach, but took side roads by a few airports and military bases. Wishing the roads were a bit less sandy in places, but its not bad to be averaging 17 miles per hour. Tomorrow Ill be heading towards Biloxi through Mobile and other parts of the deep gulf.

From Monticello to the gulf

195 miles over the past two days; 150 yesterday, 45 today. Georgeous 100 miles on us90 after breakfast of hash and fresh eggs with maria. Uneventful riding, some constructions through Tallahassie, but drivers generally friendly. Outside of town I met with Richard, who's on a 14month walk across the us for civil rights: walk.usfreedomring.com. Passed more prisons, headed into central time zone, and biked away from thunderstorms. Clouds kept the worst of the heat off, riding until sunset I had the coolest weather yet. No cars on 20, bugs all over, and the sounds of night brought me to bed.
This morning I biked through Panama City Beach. High rise resort towers border trailer parks and abandoned lots. Shops spray painted neon colors advertise spray tans and beer. Mini theme park too. Rain threatens again, tomorrow should be better from santa rosa beach to orange beach, al.
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Finally at the gulf after rising before 5 to make the sunrise

Greetings from Monticello, FL

Today I rode another 123 miles from High Springs to Monticello by way of us27, us127 and us90. Sad to leave Jill's world of adventuring, but had to get on the road by eight thirty. Not too much heat, some downpour at the end, and mild headwinds. McDs smoothie and Dona tack bus for lunch, along with a few cliff bars. All towns still exhibit churches more than people.

Main highlights include dozens of peanut farms, several cutoff school buses brimming with watermelon, and some georgeous fields along the way. Grabbed a canteloupe from a farm stand too. The river is big biz in sunwanee, tubing sites and parks galore, slow pace of life. Paper still has some business, as do peanuts, but the rural way of life seems to be fading a bit. Went through 4 rural towns of the year, still wondering what the designation means.