Day 41-43 rest days in new Orleans

Love new Orleans. I'm not going to go into too much detail because read a travel blog if you want to know more about new Orleans. Basically I did everything that I wanted to do though:
-took in some live jazz music
-hit bourbon street
-voodoo shop
-wandered around, soaked it in
-ate very nice meal with nice drinks
-ate alligator

I feel like other things happened also but I'll forever remember pizza cone and "REV YOUR MOTOR BRO!"

Seriously though, Rev your motor life right? Put that on a shirt and smoke it... Smoke it with hickory then eat it. REV IT!

No miles, bike on lock down.

Day 40, basically Poplarville, MS to new Orleans LA

It was one of those unexpected good days but it was great overall. Initially I was thinking that I was just going to try and get to Frankville, no New Orleans and no Halloween. I was sad about it but accepted it. Then it happened...

Called up Kevin (beloved cousin) and he made it happen. New Orleans. Halloween. Kaboom.

The wind was in my face before Kevin and then I started traveling south having it at my back. It was glorious, I was built for speed. The sixty miles to travel just clicked off, so easy. Downhill with wind? Do I even need to pedal? Too easy.

So I posted up at a bar in Slidell waiting for a ride from Kevin the rest of the way. Nice little taco and beer place appropriately called tacos and beer. Overall delicious, great brew.

Got picked up and drove into town and what a place! Went to different bars and had a blast of a time. What. A. Time. Love new Orleans, I might never leave. Jazz clubs everywhere

Trip stats
Hours riding: ?
Day miles: 59? That can't be right.... Probably is
Total miles west: 796.17
Average speed: ? Fast though
Max speed: ?

Day 38, Dauphin island AL to Vancleave MS

Oh Alabama, I hardly knew thee. Already out of Alabama, only in it for a day I guess. The good news is that I took my time getting out if it. Slow rolled my way into Mississippi, are a cinnamon bun in the morning, delicious.

The thing I'll probably always remember about Alabama, is the barbeque. OH MY THE BARBEQUE! Actually maybe I can just sum it up and remember baton rouge more than specifically barbeque. In about an hour inn baton rouge I got everything that I wanted out of that town. I'll start with the barbeque and say it was huge and the best of the trip so far. Went to captain Frank's smoke pit and got the sampler platter, enormous:
-Three giant ribs that were the best ribs I've ever had, absolutely perfect. They kept on the bone but when you took a bit they gave up easily. Great flavor and rub too, these ribs will haunt me.
-A half a chicken that was so moist and tender you could start a religion about it. I don't know how they didn't let it dy out but my mouth was too full of it to ask.
-a bunch of delicious pulled pork that was tender, juicy and just plain delicious. My oh myyyyyy!
-a big slab of brisket that was good but definitely fourth place on my platter. A little tough but definitely tasty. I would put some chicken in it for a meat sandwich.
-fixings of beans, slaw and tater salad, all delicious.

Basically I ate it all and it was definitely enough for two people, but I couldn't stop. I'll never forget this barbeque place in Bayou LA Batre, it fed me right and made moving difficult for hours to come.

Another reason while I'll never forget it is because while I was in there everyone kept talking about shrimp! A guy walked in and said they had unloaded 40,000 pins of shrimp already! Crazy! Then the cashier lady who calls everyone babe (here you go babe, sure thing babe, how's it taste babe) started talking about all the ways she likes her shrimp: fried, baked, grilled, gumbo.... I've never seen anything like it!

Then on my way out I saw a drawbridge that takes the road up like an elevator. It was pretty cool but maybe I was in a meat coma and just thought it was neater than it actually was.

When I got into Vancleave I found a bar to ask if they were playing the baseball game. As I pulled in though I noticed they had a huge backyard so I also asked if I could call in their yard. Score two for the good guys because I ended up with free bar adjacent camping and watched the game. Great game, heart thumping, heavy intensity. She even made food for the bar so I got a free meal out of it also. Mississippi you're trying to make me forget about Alabama but I can't, I just can't.

Back on the road now, short day to just get to some other place where I'm staying. Last three nights of sleeping: behind a bar, under a house, in a church. Weird.

Trip stats
Hours riding: 5:13.51
Day miles: 72.26
Total miles: 673.99
Average speed: 13.8 mph
Max speed: 32.7 mph

Picture of barbeque
Picture of barbeque shop
Picture of bed under home
Picture of bike crossing state lines

Day 39, Vancleave MS to 773 magnolia road outside Poplarville MS

I was thinking about today and I don't think much happened for the bulk of it so I'm just going to blast through the morning section.
- had breakfast at BJ's cafe and it was amazing. Vancleave was such an affordable town. Accommodation, dinner, five beers, big breakfast and coffee cost a total of 17 dollars tip included.
- radio stations today weren't all bad, even grabbed some NPR and they said that they liked the new Taylor Swift album. Thanks NPR.
- dogs chased me again. I'm so tired of angry dogs. So tired. I'm going 20 mph and they still rip after me. You're too slow man!
- beautiful riding today, low traffic and peaceful trees.

I'm staying tonight at Paul and Judy's place outside of Poplarville. They are both extremely nice and Paul is loaded with stories to tell.... Probably too many stories. I'm a little concerned that Paul is a bit racist and extremely conservative, but I'm white and don't talk about politics so I think it's going to be fine. In the end they cooked me a fantastic dinner and are planning a great sounding breakfast tomorrow so I'm in for that. The only place cheaper than Vancleave might be here. They are getting into bee keeping and are calling the honey magnolia honey, I'm okay with that. I don't think they know anything about coffee because Paul was really complaining about Ecuadorian coffee. The man says folgers is the best coffee he's ever had.... It's like talking coffee with someone that claims Tim Horton's is the greatest. Different tastes I guess. Anyway, nice enough folk that have been extremely hospitable to me which I enjoy.

Get into it!

Trip stats
Hours riding: 4:52.15
Day miles: 62.22
Total miles west: 736.22
Average speed: 12.7 mph
Max speed: 28.4 mph

Day 37, Pensacola FL to Dauphin Island AL

The day started off right with a solid breakfast from the church man. We talked cycling and bike trips and he was just an all around good dude. Very nice guy and he even gave me a bunch of energy gels and bars on my way out (he has millions). This could have been the most comfortable stop to date. I've been thinking about those milkshakes all day.

I'm also finally out of Florida and into Alabama. You were good to me Florida, I'll never forget you. I crossed a ferry through the gulf and it was weird seeing all the oil platforms. Bunches of them, full of oily oil. Mmmm, I wish they were pumping olive oil instead, yum. Update: turns out it is natural gas and not oil... Wish it was olive gas.

Staying under a random guys house tonight which is nice. There is internet, a hammock and I'm under a house so if anyone wants to get in the house I can charge them a toll like a troll. Profitable stay if the foot traffic picks up.

Watched some of the baseball game at the pelican pub tonight but it got out of hand fast so I left for sleep. Rowdy little town bar though, not a bad place but I'm always thrown when they allow smoking inside.

Trip stats
Hours riding: 4:42.55
Day miles: 65.93
Total miles west: 601.72
Average speed: 13.9 mph
Max speed: 30.7 mph

Day 36, Defuniak Springs FL to Pensacola FL

Not a bad day I say, not a bad day at all. It started off with a big risk by going off route and following Google instead of my maps. Some people I'd run into on the road said there was construction going into Pensacola and that the route was dangerous. I never actually found out what roads I should about entirely but I risked all and came in from the south. It turned out really great! Peaceful roads to start things off and then when I was confronted with traffic there was a wide shoulder. Just some beautiful riding along the beach also, full of serenity.

Things of now that happened today:
- had a pulled pork sandwich that was delicious. Moist and delicious I ate it up and didn't look back. Beans and slaw did the ticket also, delicious.
- collected some sand from the beach for my father. It was nice sand so I grabbed some and intended to give it to him probably by mail. It was weird when someone yelled at me saying I was stealing their sand but I just threw some sand in their eye and they left me alone.
- worked up a huge sweat today, really sweaty. Not sure in particular why today was so sweaty but it was and I had to live with it. I mostly lived with it by not doing anything but in fine with that.
- went to a "make your own burger" place that also does gourmet alcoholic milkshakes. If ordering two milkshakes two beers and a big burger is wrong then you need to reevaluate your priorities.... Also never talk to me again. Friendship over if that's how you feel.
- I'm staying at a church tonight for free and the church guy is really nice. He just did the trans America trail and it looked really cool. We talked Yellowstone for a bit which was cool. Also he is buying me breakfast tomorrow so that is just really nice, great time so far.
- Pensacola looks like an incredible cool town, very fun. I'm almost thinking I should stay another night because it looks so neat. I walked by an outdoor piano and give different pelican sculptures (Pappy). There are pelicans here like we had those bears and whales.
- I can make it to new Orleans for Halloween on Friday but since I didn't reserve anything I would have nowhere to stay. I'm not sure what to do anymore really because I want to push forward but definitely need to see new Orleans. I'll have to come up with something, some sort of a plan.
- did I mention the milkshakes? The only problem is that it is really only feasibly to order two at most.... I really wanted a third.
- the style pelican is named "stylican". Nice going art, you nailed it.
- MILKSHAKES!

Tomorrow I'm going to Dauphin island unless I stay here a day. I'll probably leave because I think the island had a campsite basically on the beach. Sweet sweet beach.

Trip stats
Hours riding: 6:21.11
Day miles: 92.01
Total miles west: 535.78
Average speed: 14.4
Max speed: 35.3
Sweat: loads

Day 35, Chipley FL to Defuniak Springs FL

October 26, 2014

Not much to report about riding today because I basically just got down to business. Business riding, business like. Short day also so just kind of did it. Fun fact about Defuniak, it is home to the second roundest lake in the world apparently. It is definitely a round lake, spring fed of course. Very nice little town, there is an old library and everything.

I did run into some people going the other direction while riding, a couple on a tandem bike and another guy who was on his first tour. He was just using Google so I told him about the maps I have, should help him out in the future. I saw what looked like another touring bike outside of the library in town but didn't track them down. Proof I'm not crazy.

BBQ: Had the barbeque sampler from 4-C barbeque in Defuniak. It was pretty really good but the ribs fell off the bone too easily, knife and fork ribs. Pork and brisket were also really nice, good eatin' I tell yah boy. When I took a photo of my meal the manager walked by and yelled, "Yeah, take a photo of that delicious 4-C barbeque to remember forever and to tell your friends. Send it to your friends and tweet it and put it on Facebook." I feel bad about taking food pictures but I have to do it, barbeque diary.

Today also marks the first Mexican food I've eaten which was also good. The dream is starting to come together. Barbeque and Mexican food, it's all happening. I want all the food, all of it.

Trip stats

Hours riding: 2:55.11

Day miles: 40.57

Total miles west: 443.77

Average speed: 13.8 mph

Max speed: 30.4 mph