Skip to main content

Day 38 Merryville LA


 Goodbye Texas — hello Louisiana!

The sleep at the red cloud RV park was sparse and I was left wondering what could possibly be causing the train whistle to Echo in this flat area. It’s a mystery for sure.

You’re probably wondering why I am posting a picture of the road. It’s because it was such a pleasure to ride. After hundreds of miles of chip seal it was quite a treat. Even if it only lasted for 20 of our 50 miles.

Texas wept the closer we got to the border. Not the “girl, fix your face” kind of weeping but a soft “how could you leave me “crying. It was warm enough that it wasn’t uncomfortable.


We crossed the Sabine River and were officially in Louisiana with a scant 7 miles to go to get to the Maryville Historical Museum who is hosting us for the night. The jambalaya was already underway when we arrived. We got a tour of an 1885’s cabin which belonged to the grandmother of one of our hosts. Her children played in it as youngsters and it has since been restored

  History has it that “Uncle Webb” moved into the cabin after the death of his parents. He was a delivery rider for the Postal Service who worked six days a week at $100 per year. The cabin was simple — a rope bed, a pie safe, a kitchen table and a woodstove, and a fireplace made of mud and straw as well as the chimney. You could see daylight through the outside boards, and his family said he’d wake up with frost on his chest in the winter. He lived there until 1960.



After that we went in for dinner. The historical society went all out to give us an authentic Cajun dinner. The food was mostly donated by the Louisiana seafood association.  It was incredible and included étouffée, jambalaya, catfish, alligator, fried oysters, Boudin, and salad. It was more than we could eat… And then there was dessert. Bananas foster put me over the top. And in the morning they are making us breakfast. Lord help me!


Things I learned today:

  • Alligator and oysters taste the same if they are fried
  • Cowboy crack is real
  • Duct tape is not an effective long-term watch repair strategy
  • Today has to be October 32 because to acknowledge it could be November 1 is the same as acknowledging this epic trip will end this month.



Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 3, 2022 at 5:08 AM

    Wow. Louisiana! And you are not wanting the trip to end...that is so amazing. I continue to be ever so impressed by you...not that I wasn't before anyway. Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousNovember 4, 2022 at 2:08 PM

    I love every bit of this narrative! Thanks so much for sharing. Jennifer V.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 42- Jackson LA

 It rained hard all night and this morning brought thunderstorms. Again we were lucky to have indoor accommodations. It continue to rain through breakfast. Drunk Bob, our weather app, predicted  possible clearing around 1 o’clock, which meant we’d have to fit 60 miles into six hours to get in before dark. Doable, but not preferable. At around 1015, after much standing around, adjusting layers and stretching, we set off. It stayed cloudy but dry. We were thankful for that small mercy as it was chilly. The ride took us across our first bridge of the day. This time it was to cross the Atchafalaya river. From there it was a route of back roads with light traffic. The sun kept peeking out, promising warmth and we were soon peeling layers. I saw some interesting things along the way. This group of cows had loose wattles  and humps like camels.  This church had a no trespassing sign on one of the doors. Just like Jesus said we should do. And this is the machine that cuts th...
3 comments
Read more

The Ducks Come Together

Since I pulled the trigger on this trip I have had the feeling that in trying to get my thoughts organized I am really in the process of herding cats. No, not cats. Squirrels. Wild, wooly, anxiety ridden squirrels. What sleeping bag? What tent? Will my bag be too heavy? Will all my stuff fit in said bag? What if my air mattress pops? What if I get cold (I hate to be cold). What if my tent leaks. What if - And then, all of a sudden, things start to come together. The squirrels are turning into ducks who are settling into rows. My bike is shipped. My backup bike has a new seat that is so comfy I might just bring it with me. I rode 80 miles yesterday and could have gone farther. I am upping my mileage and enjoying it all. I've decided on a tent and gotten the stuff to seal the seams and waterproof the fly. I've decided on a bag and today a sleeping pad came that might just suit me. I'll try it out this weekend in the backyard. The maps arrived and while I'm not sure how AN...
Post a Comment
Read more

Day 9- Tonto Basin

 Where to start? The 6:30 AM takeoff, the Tonto national forest where there are cactus instead of trees? Maybe the ropey cactus that could be CHOLLAS. Or the incredible views of the superstition mountains that we rode through. They stunned me with how beautiful they were. I even enjoyed the 12 mile climb, even though I stopped every half mile to breathe. The grade was about 4% so it was doable, and the switch backs and wide shoulder negated the fast traffic. I had to just stop and take it all in at the top. The pictures just do not do it justice. And then we went down — 6 and 7% grades made for sore hands. I picked something up in my tire that didn’t seem like a big deal at the time. Stay tuned. We stopped in Jake’s corner at the general store for something to hold me for the last 10 miles. The sky was dark and threatening and we heard thunder closing in. The girls in the store said if we were going we should go, so Carl, Kelly, Adam and I booked to camp with a storm on our heels. ...
1 comment
Read more