LA, MS, AL, FL..yeah, we've been there!

Well either we are getting much speedier or these states are becoming increasingly smaller....heh heh. Even though I said we'd be out of New Orleans on Friday we caught the NOLA vibe and decided to hang around a day longer. And to be honest the cold winds would have been a terrible fight. So we bundled up and spent the day roaming NOLA and really being tourists....an experience we haven't had much of as we fly through towns. We also got to spend time with some Quiet Corner friends who just happened to be in New Orleans fo the week AND had a wonderful stay in the Irish Channel neighborhood with Dot's high school friend Molly, her wife Sheryl and Bubby the dog :)

Moving eastward from LA was beautiful. Highway 90 winds through trees, marshes, over bayous, and into small fishing villages. Although the wind hasn't died much, the weather has warmed up enough that makes it possible for Dot to scoot without freezing to death. The goal was to not only make it to Mississippi, but to meet up with a few members of the local gulf coast cycling club in Bay St. Louis and ride with them to Long Beach were we'd be staying. The coordination of these efforts is all in thanks to Eddie Holmes who I was put in contact with after calling a church inquiring about a place to stay. Eddie is not only an athlete himself, but knows just about everyone AND even hosted us in his home that night...thank you Eddie and Angie!

Riding the next day through Biloxi and towards Alabama was a special day for me. I took off earlier than usual not only because I knew I had to cover 110 miles that day (not including a 30 minute ferry ride), but because I wanted to tour some of my old Biloxi haunts and see what had changed. In a nutshell: many lots are still empty, some houses are on stilts, some look cleaned up, and overall it just looks a little cleaner, especially the Gulf highway area and the beaches. It is nice to see the whole coast really look lived in. That said, if you're looking to buy there are many lots for sale but I doubt you could afford the insurance....this is why so many didn't/couldn't rebuild. The highlight of that part of the day was not only a stop in my favorite Vietnamese cafe, but also biking over the bridge to Ocean Springs since the last time I was there it looked like dominos that had been knocked over.

Biking 110 miles takes a long time, there's no two ways about it. Despite my meandering through Biloxi, warding off numerous Alabama dogs, and fighting yet another day of gusty headwinds, we did manage to be one of the last folks let on the 3:30 ferry to Dauphin Island....*highfive!* We celebrated by adding on another 25 or so to Gulf Shores where we hoped to camp for the night. Like most areas, we spend our time feeling like we're constantly flip flopping between areas of extreme poverty and extreme wealth. Bayou La Batre is a classic working fishing village only to be soon followed by Dauphin Island and Gulf Shores....two good places for a mega mansion. I'm not saying the middle class doesn't exist here or that this dichotomy is unusual, we just feel it more since our movement through these places is a bit slower and more personal.

That said, we made it to Gulf Shores just in time for me to have a serious sugar crash (ie: adult melt-down) and find out that it was spring break so all the college students were camping in the tent sites....and did we want a $40 RV slot?? No sir! We wisened up and for just a bit more got a cheap hotel room that guaranteed showers and a shelter from oncoming rain. In a moment of pure sugar weakness, I also allowed Dot to ride my bike for the 2 miles back out of the park since it was nice and dog-free. In hindsight, this was probably a bad idea because it went really, really well. Too well.

So now we are in Florida....our last state. Because Dot's bike ride went so well on Sunday night, I have relaxed my grip on her collar bone health a bit and have shared the bike. Dot has now ridden for two mornings in a row on roads that are safe, beautiful, and along the water. This is creating a big win for the well-being of the trip and Dot is ELATED to get her first big dose of endorphins in over a month. I, on the other hand, am perfecting my scooting skills. Highlights of the last two days include:

1.) Finding 2 for 1 pulled pork sandwiches we'd been dreaming about since hitting Texas a month ago!

2.) Staying Danielle and Haze, new Couchsurfing hosts who were awesome

3.) Biking/scooting along the Gulf Shores Seashore which is just about a half mile wide strip of sand. Stunning. AND it was a unexpectedly clear and warm day.

4.) Spending the night in Niceville with my old college friend Amanda and her son Noah. Wooster unite!...picture to follow

We are now in the final stretch, keeping our fingers crossed that this nice FL holds on for another week and trying NOT to think about this adventure slowly closing in. Over and out friends....onward we roll.

Molly, Sheryl and Bubby in NOLA

 

Eddie and Angie in Long Beach

Danielle and Haze in Pensacola

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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