Last state line crossing!

Our ride today started with a 45 minute ferry ride from Dauphin Island to the Alabama shore. The rest of the ride we hugged the coast, crossing into Florida and ending up in Pensacola for the night. The roads were excellent....most of the route either had a dedicated bike lane or a smooth shoulder. Although there was a headwind most of the day it didn't seem like much of a factor. Pleasant riding. Stopped in at a bike shop on the way into town for a little preventative maintenance on my bicycle (clean and lube the drive train, adjust the brakes, check things over) for which I was charged $7.53!!! I really thought I had misheard the guy. So I should be good to go until St. Augustine. All and all my 18 year old, much travelled and much loved touring bicycle has performed really well. Happy about that!

Alabama

After an easy 40+ miles yesterday we arrived at Dauphin Island off the coast of Alabama. Today is another day off our bicycles. Went out for breakfast this morning and then walked back to our lodging along the beach with three othes from our group. Lovely fine white sand. No evidence of the oil spill but several oil rigs visible off shore.
As the end of our ride approaches I find myself increasingly ready to return home. I feel as if I have accomplished what I set out to do....rebuild my physical stamina, see parts of the country I hadn't seen in a long time, enjoy time on my bicycle. Now with gardening season arriving I am eager to get my hands in the dirt and enjoy the late afternoons on my deck. And have time with my family and friends, all of whom I have really missed. I am not so charmed by either the physical or social environment of the deep south. And I am absolutely craving good food. The local options are often limited and involve choosing between no food and food I would never eat at home.
I am sure there will be enjoyable aspects of the nine riding days remaining. I will look for them. But once again I will be returning home with a renewed appreciation for the beauty of the Berkshires and for my family.

Another detour

With the weather forecast for the local area predicting strong winds, thunderstorms and possible tornadoes we rode out early yesterday. Less than 20 miles into the ride we encountered another detour and had to spend an hour by the side of the road waiting for our tour leaders so approve an alternate route in the van. After we got the go ahead I found the directions for the reconnect to our designated route ambiguous and ended up spending another hour and an extra 10 miles trying to get back on track. By this time dark clouds had invaded the sky overhead and wind gusts were accompanied by splatterings of rain....and I still had 35 to 40 miles to go. With one eye on the sky over my right shoulder I continued on, never getting drenched but a bit apprehensive. I had my eye out for places to take shelter if a real storm seemed imminent. At times the wind blew in strong gusts, pushing me around on the road, but in the end the weather passed off to the north and I finished the ride dripping with sweat due to the humidity but not soaked by rain.
Last night was another of those nights when despite being bone weary (or maybe because of being bone weary) I was unable to sleep. I got up this morning intending to make the 68 mile ride but realized I was too tired to be out there on a bicycle. So I saw this leg of the ride through Mississippi through the window of the van instead of from my perch on my bicycle. Tomorrow we ride out to Dauphin Island where we will have an official rest day. The weather for the days ahead looks beautiful so we should have a fun time at the beach!

99!!

Yesterday we left the old plantaion after a day of rest and headed out for what was meant to be an 87 mile ride. About mid way we ran into a detour. Sometimes bicyclists can get thru even if the road is closed to vehicles but, in this case, they were replacing a bridge so we were forced to take an alternate route. This added a few extra miles. Then at the end of the day I misread a route cue which added a few more miles. By the time I completed the ride my odometer read 98.9 miles. I was tempted to ride around the parking lot to make it a true century but figured 99 was close enough to count.
For dinner our tour chef prepared a meal in honor of my birthday (this has certainly been the longest birthday celebration in my experience).....shrimp jambalaya, corn bread, green salad and bread pudding with candles for dessert. Delicious! I declared my birthday officially over with the blowing out of the candles. But not quite. I received a birthday gift from our leaders of Mardi Gras beads....four strands in purple, green and gold. Definitely my style!
Today's ride was a mere 55. Even after yesterday's long ride it wasn't that difficult.
Tomorrow we ride into Mississippi. The end of the tour seems suddenly not so far off.

Crossing the Mississippi

We were all up early for the ride out of town yesterday, hoping to beat the Monday morning rush hour traffic and get in a bunch of miles before the heat of the day was upon us. By 6:30 many of us were on the road. Conditions turned out to be more favorable than the day before. Although it got hot we were not batling the wind hour after hour. The weather forecast included the possibility of strong thunderstorms, a bit worrisome, but they passed to our north and we didn't even get rain until late in the afternoon when all of us had arrived at our B&B. By that time I was sitting on a covered porch with a glass of wine in my hand! The ride itself was almost 90 miles, but without the wind it was not overly taxing. Near the end of the ride we crossed the Mississippi River on a ferry boat and then rode a few more miles to our accommodations. We are now officially in the East!
The place where we are staying is an old plantation that has been turned into a B&B. Several cottages have been built on the lovely grounds, each unique, some accommodating two or three guests, and a couple of singles. I am staying in a charming little single. Shortly after I arrived there was a knock on my door and the owner presented me with a vase of lovely purple tulips.....a birthday gift from Sara, Kelly and Lucia :-).
This trip has been such an amazing and challenging experience, and I am waking up this morning to a 68th birthday where I am feeling joyful and strong and very fortunate. Many thanks for the well wishes of friends on this day. I am grateful for your friendship and look forward to our shared experiences in the years ahead!

Louisiana: first impressions

Louisiana is flat, hot and windy.....but it definitely isn't Texas. There are swamps and bayous along the roads, and today we rode past crawfish farms and rice paddies. The wind has been strong and relentless, making a 70 to 80 mile ride seem much longer. Tomorrow we are riding to St. Francisville and staying at an old plantation that is now a B&B for a rest day. We are all ready!!! Longer post on my day off.

Last days in Texas

Our last two days of riding after a day off our bicycles in Navasota have shown us yet another aspect of Texas. As we approach the Gulf area of the state the terrain in flatter and greener. We are also experiencing high temperatures and a definite increase in humidity. Previously at the end of a day's ride our bodies were covered with a fine layer of salt from evaporated sweat. Now we have rivers of sweat running off of our bodies. No evaporation happening anymore. The road surfaces have been smoother as well, though we did have one stretch of exhausting chip seal at the end of our ride today. Guess we're not out of Texas yet!
One new feature of the ride today was the presence of logging trucks on the road. Some of the country we rode through was forested on both sides of the road. Other sections were clear cut. We had a head wind pretty consistently today for our 64 mile ride. It was most intense in the sections which had been clear cut. Nothing to stop the wind! Even though there was little "terrain" to speak of I finished the ride tired. Hadn't eaten much since breakfast so I was also hungry. Didn't even take time for a shower before running next door to Whataburger for a bite to eat. (I have been forced to eat a fair amount of really lousy food on this trip. Although our dinners are excellent and healthy we are on our own during the day as we ride and have to make do with whatever we can find. Sometimes it a choice like today between Sonic, Subway, McDonalds and local chains like Whataburger. I'm going to need a couple of weeks to "detox" when I get home!)
Tomorrow we ride into Louisiana and we are all looking forward to our state line margaritas as we enter a new state!