As well as I was treated by Texas it was a relief to get out of the state and into the smaller, seemingly more manageable, state of Louisiana. I left Texas on a bright sunny Spring morning, stopping for a cup of tea with my friend Joe on the way out of town. Being back on the road felt good, as it always does, and after a couple weeks in Austin my legs were well rested and raring to go. From the outskirts of Austin I followed a maze of back-country farm roads through the towns of Bastrop and Giddings, intersecting Highway 290, which headed east towards Houston. My goal was to avoid the huge sprawling city of Houston, staying further to the North. Cutting off the 290 and onto farm roads, I eventually caught Highway 90 through Southern Texas and into Louisiana. With the exception of a few diesal trucks that felt the need to prove their dominance over cyclists, either by swerving into the shoulder or blowing exhaust, South Texas was awesome. Although there was more traffic than what I had been used to in West Texas, the roadways were lined with the rich green colors of Spring, and the added daylight provided for some productive days on the road. It is pretty amazing the number of miles you can cover on a bike, riding at a leisurely pass, when the sun is up at 7am and goes down around 8pm.
The two weeks I stayed in Austin made a big difference in the color along the roadways. Getting back on the road, green grass and new spring leaves made for some good miles on the farmroads east of Austin.
Got a send off from Joe Rich, after a good cup of tea at Terrible One. Joe is the real deal, super nice guy! It was a real pleasure meeting him. Thanks again Joe!
Last glimpse of Austin, before heading east.
Texas Blue Bonnet was in full bloom along highway 290 in South Texas.
A couple nights out of Austin I was waking up in the morning to thick, muggy Gulf Coast fog and as the days passed I could tell I was getting closer to Louisiana by the change in climate as well as the increased number of mosquitos in the evenings. The last 30 miles out of Texas, from Beaumont to the border dragged on slowly. I guess because I was following the interstate and seeing nothing but fast food restaurants, billboards, and trucks blazing by. I made it to the state line stopped at an information center to get a map and pedaled on. The excitement of being in a new state pushed me to keep pedaling and made some rough stretches of scary shoulderless roads more managable. I got stuck in a rainstorm for about a day in the swamplands of Southern Louisiana, but continued riding, making it to Abbeville. The final days of riding before making it to New Orleans took me through some of the port cities in the gulf. I passed giant shipyards with fields of oil rigs, tankers and barges, all being built, re-built or maintained. The size of these operations was truely mind-blowing. I spent a night camping between one of these shipyards and the interstate, falling asleep to the tune of heavy equipment and passing semi-trucks. I made it to New Orleans without any trouble, beating the forecasted heavy rains and thunderstorms by a couple hours. Arriving on the banks of the Mississippi River I took a ferry across to New Orleans and avoided any hefty fines for riding across the West Bank bridge. Thanks to my friend Nick back in California I had a place to stay at his old home in the city. Over the next couple days I was shown around New Orleans. I got to hear a ton of good music, including some real New Orleans Brass Band Music, and got to eat some of the best food in the country. After almost a week of crawfish(C&A Seafood is the spot to be), gumbo, po-boy sandwiches, muffulettas, and beignets I was rested and ready to start pedaling again. Only a couple days of riding from New Orleans before I start cutting North/Northeast in the direction of my final destination, New York City.
Stumbled across this perfect camp spot late in the evening a couple days out of Austin. An empty lot behind an autobody shop in Tomball, Texas.
Waking up to my first morning of thick Gulf Coast fog.
A South Texas morning in all its glory.
Texas... its big.
Day 32(riding days only): Cornudas to Guadalupe Mts. National Park, TX (70 miles)
Day 33: Guadalupe Mts. National Park to Highway 54 (40miles)
Day 34: Highway 54 to Valentine (50miles)
Day 35: Valentine to Alpine (60 miles)
Day 36: Alpine to Study Butte (90 miles)
Day 37: Study Butte to Chisos Basin, Big Bend NP (35miles)
Day 38: Chisos Basin to Highway 385 (55 miles)
Day 39: Highway 385 to Sanderson (60 miles)
Day 40: Sanderson to Pumpville (55miles)
Day 41: Pumpville to Dell Rio (70 miles)
Day 42: Dell Rio to Carta Valley (40 miles)
Day 43: Carta Valley to Highway 41 (70 miles)
Day 44: Highway 41 to Fredericksburg (70 miles)
Day 45: Fredericksburg to Pedernales Falls State Park (40 miles)
Day 46: Pedernales Falls State Park to Austin (40 miles)
Day 47: Austin to Giddings (60 miles)
Day 48: Giddings to Tomball (85 miles)
Day 49: Tomball to Devers (80 miles)
Day 50: Devers, TX to Lake Charles, LA (85 miles)
Total Estimated Mileage in Texas: 1235 miles
New state!!!!!!!!! Number 5
Stoked on life after making it over the I-10 Lake Charles Bridge in one piece. Louisiana provided for the most, “How did that car not hit me moments?" of any state yet.
Some ominous looking storm clouds in Louisiana. Not long after this photo, I was riding through heavy rain and hail, thunder/lightning and strong wind. The rain gear I was wearing was only partially waterproof, bummer.
Sampling some Louisiana cooking. Fried chicken, fried okra, and a biscuit on the river in Franklin.
These guys know their tractors down here. Some Americana in the deep south.
Riding into the Gulf, just past Morgan City. Along this same road, I passed some of the huge shipyards and warehouses where oil rigs and tankers are constructed. Judging by the scale of the operations, me not supporting the oil industry by pedaling everywhere has not made much of a difference... yet.
Waking up to a very foggy morning in the gulf, I decided to hop on the interstate, not only to save some time but also because there was a shoulder, something I had not seen for a couple days riding the smaller highways of southern Louisiana.
Closing in on New Orleans, and the Westbank bridge. Trying to find a ferry across the Mississippi.
Ferry crossing. The bike and I floating over the Mississippi into New Orleans.
Downtown New Orleans and the famously raunchy Bourbon Street.
During my stay in New Orleans, I was fortunate enough to stay at this wonderful house. Located in Mid-City, but only a 5-10 minute bike ride from the French Quarter, I got to spend plenty of time exploring the heart of the city. Thanks to Ann, the lady I stayed with, I was shown around to all the good music venues and food joints and had a blast living the New Orleans lifestyle for almost a week. Thanks Ann!
My days in the French Quarter consisted of riding back and forth down one-way streets, stopping to sample some famous cajun foods, listening to exceptionally good street performers playing great music and occasionally stopping in at the local pub for a good brew.
After covering a couple thousand miles through the southwest with this hat on my head the majority of the time, I have developed a sentimental attachment to it. Had to throw it away though, as it was just not doing the job anymore. Heres some closure. Cheers to good hats!
Thanks for following my journey! Stay tuned.
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