Day 37 - Opelousas, LA to St Francisville, LA

67.5 miles today
1,979.8 total trip miles
12.6 mph average
1,082’ climbing
FF - 6
MP - my sister Mary & her family.  Mary & I didn’t really spend much time together as kids since she was younger by 5 years.  As an adult she is very decisive & somewhat hard to convince she’s wrong about anything.  We get along great even though I am the same.  She now enjoys her accounting business, helping mom with a variety of things & most of all her children & grandchildren.

Today had an interesting start.  The tour has a chef that travels with us across the country & most days she provides us with breakfast & dinner.  Lunch we buy for ourselves on the road somewhere.  An exception to the rule is that usually when we are staying in a hotel we have the hotel breakfast.  Last night we stayed in a hotel that doesn’t provide breakfast, but somehow the message didn’t get to the chef.  So at 7 AM there was no breakfast.  Bubba is creative & today his solution was to have everyone go to a nearby Waffle House & he paid for everyone.  Some riders were worried it would take too long so they just got on the road & bought something when they could find it.  The Waffle House had little warning, but they kept their night time staff in & I had a full breakfast & was still on the road before 8 AM.  Part of the concern for some folks was because the weather forecast said heavy rain storms after noon, but I’m happy to report that I didn’t get wet at all.

My knee was even better than yesterday, but I’m not at full strength yet.  I really slept well last night after the 90 mile day & I had little doubt I could do 67.5 miles today.  The roads were in better condition, there still weren’t many hills & I had a good ride.  It was a little more effort than normal because I have to be aware of the knee, but without that issue my fatigue would have been negligible.  Tomorrow we have a day off & I’m hoping that will help my recovery even more.

We had an interesting ride through some swamp land on a private road that used to be the main highway through the swamp.  Didn’t see any alligators, but we were in the right neighborhood.

We also reached a true milestone - we crossed the Mississippi River.  Somehow I’ve always thought of that river being in the middle of the country, but we have about 2,000 miles done & “only” 1,000 miles to go.

You can see a couple of our riders climbing the bridge & the minivan with the bike on top is our mechanic.  Some days he is busy all day helping with flat tires, bike adjustments & other repairs, but lately he just drives from one SAG stop to another waiting for something to break.

Here is my Cruzbike at the top of the bridge over the mighty Mississippi.

Since I started with a food theme for this post, I will end with another food related item.  Our chef never repeats a meal in the 52 day ride & she works hard to include cuisine from the area where we are.  Tonight at dinner there were about 6 different types of sausage available including deer, rabbit, shrimp, chicken, pork, beef & alligator. See WDYLT for my review.

WDYLT - ILT alligator sausage is really quite good. (Yes, it tastes like chicken)

Day 36 - DeRidder, LA to Opelousas, LA

90.9 miles today
1912.3 total trip miles
11.3 mph average
1,450’ climbing
FF - 9
MP - 2nd oldest daughter Laurie & Her husband Keith.  Laurie was “the question girl” growing up.  She’s always been curious about everything & never afraid to explore new or interesting ideas.  That works well with Keith, who has similar interests & it will be really great for Luka, my 2nd grandson.

Well, I got up this morning about 5:30 AM & the knee felt much better, so I took the bike out in the parking lot of the hotel we were staying at.  I made 4 or 5 circles around the building & decided I would try riding today.  This was one of our longer days, with over 90 miles scheduled.  There were 3 opportunities for me to get a car ride in if I was having problems: at the 20, 40 & 60 mile marks.  Each time I evaluated the situation & decided to continue riding.

The hardest part of biking was getting started because the knee would tighten up a bit when I stopped.  I learned to do some deep knee bends before getting back on the bike after a rest.  I also avoided stopping for pictures since that would cause a restart, which was more difficult.  90 miles is a long way & although the profile was quite flat (that was good because climbing hills with the bad knee would have been hard), we did have some bad road conditions & some headwinds.  Toward the end of the day, I was pretty exhausted so I violated my no stopping plan to get a picture of our destination city sign.  Gave me a little rest & this picture.

I did get an unusual picture today at one of our rest stops.  I wonder why these wheel covers are even legal, but I saw them on a couple of cars.  Looks like a weapon to me.

I am currently icing the knee & hope that will allow me to ride again tomorrow.  I will decide in the morning.  It is a shorter day tomorrow & then we have a rest day.  

WDYLT - ILT walking on a sprained knee is much more difficult than riding a bike.

Day 35 Silsbee, TX to DeRidder, LA

0 miles today
1,821.4 total trip miles
0 mph
0’ climbing
FF - 7
MP - my #4 daughter Jennifer & her husband James.  She is the “hugger” girl because from the time she was little, she was always ready to give a hug.  I can feel it today across the miles.  She has a big heart, a wonderful husband & my 1st grandchild Theo.

I hope Shakespeare was right when he wrote “discretion is the better part of valor”.  My knee is definitely better than yesterday after my romp in the mud, but I decided to take the day off riding the bike.  It’s no fun, especially when I see all the bikes coming into the SAG stops.

I rode today with one of the staff & it really gives a different perspective on this adventure.  Although I would much rather be riding my bike, it was still a learning experience.   I even learned a new way to spell “inconvenience” !

I did have lots of time to reflect on my MP for the day & I considered the challenge Jennifer & James faced when trying to get James’ visa for entrance into the USA.  If they could be diligent & persistent in the face of multiple bureaucrats, I can wait until my body is ready to get back on the bike.  I’m also reminded of the prayer “Give me patience, Lord - quickly please”

I will monitor how I feel overnight & make a decision for tomorrow in the morning.

WDYLT - ILT there is an awful lot of work, coordination, planning & dedication needed to run a cross country bike tour.  Thanks Bubba & staff.

Day 34 - Shepherd, TX to Rye, TX

18.9 miles today
1,821.4 total trip miles
13.4 mph average
209’ climbing
FF - 10
MP - my two grandsons - Theo & Luka.  When asked about grandchildren I like to say that I have both oceans covered, with Theo on Long Island & Luka near San Diego.  I now understand why my friends enjoy being a grandparent so much.  Both boys are still under 2 yr old, but I love watching them grow and learn more every time I see them.  I look forward to lots more grandchildren in the future.

This was not what I had planned for the day!  It was a misty morning when we left camp - not raining hard, but damp on the road.  That did not cause me a problem, but as I was going around a bend at about mile 16 there was a patch of mud on side of the road.  Unfortunately I didn’t see it & the instant the bike hit the mud I went down.  There was no chance to take any evasive action.

I ended up twisted at a 90 degree angle in the road with my left leg wrapped around the back of the bike like a pretzel.  I was powerless to get up because every muscle I moved just seemed to trap me more in the maze.  There was a rider right behind me who stopped and said “what can I do to help?”  I said “to get me out you will have to pick up both me and the bike so I can untangle myself “. That is exactly what he did.  The first car that came along was a home healthcare nurse who looked at the situation & said it didn’t look like anything was broken.  She also took my blood pressure (which was fine).

After I walked a bit, my left knee seemed to have some pain, but it wasn’t terrible.  I was able to get back on the bike and ride another 2 miles to our first rest stop.  By that time the pain was more persistent so I decided to stop riding for the day.  One of the staff took me to a hospital in Livingston where they did an X-Ray.  The nurse on the road was right - nothing broken & the ER folks didn’t see any evidence of ligament damage.  It could have been much worse.  This is my only picture for the day - a selfie in the ER

I am back with the group now using various remedies recommended by the wide variety of medical experts who are riding across America with me.  My plan is to see how the knee feels in the morning & decide whether to try riding tomorrow, or to wait for more relief.  I’ll let you know.

WDYLT - ILT muddy road shoulders are an unacceptable riding surface for a bicycle.

Day 33 - Richards, TX to Shepherd, TX

61.9 miles today
1,802.5 total trip miles
13.3 mph average
1,984’ climbing
FF - 4
MP - brother-in-law Dave Prom (RIP) & family.  He always had a story to tell, but was interested in your story too.  Skilled maintenance mechanic.  Loved the Land.  Worked hard, played hard, died young.

It took a few miles to get the legs working this morning after our off day.  The off day was sunny & warm.  Everyone was happy to have it.  The ride today wasn’t too bad - a little wind & a few hills.  The worst thing today was the traffic.  There was a nice wide shoulder to ride on, but the surface was really rough on the shoulder, so everyone wanted to ride on the road.  When a car was coming from both directions it was prudent to move to the shoulder.  The problem with that was a rumble strip that was deep & about 12” wide.  Every time I crossed it was a jarring experience.

We rode through the Sam Houston National Forest & if I didn’t know I was in Texas it could have been Northern Wisconsin.  There was even a large lake with fishing boats out.

I think the most interesting part of the day is the place we are staying tonight.  It is a home built facility with some indoor spaces.  I am sleeping in my tent.  This place was certainly not designed or built professionally & would not have a chance of passing any building codes.  The woman who owns it says that her interior design plan is to find stuff along side the road & bring it home to add to the collection.  Seeing the place, I believe her.

The above is just a small sample of the construction & here is her idea of art.

Everyone is turning in early tonight.  The weather forecast is 90% chance of rain & thunderstorms for tomorrow.  We were supposed to be camping again tomorrow night, but Bubba has found us an indoor space to stay in.  We still have to ride 60 miles tomorrow because the schedule doesn’t allow any off days.  Everything is reserved for us to stop every night & with a group this big it’s hard to just move things back a day.  All part of the adventure, but everyone is ready for some stability.  I’m impressed that the attitude of the group is still quite upbeat considering the challenges we have faced.

WDYLT - ILT Sam Houston is the only person to have been elected governor of 2 different states.  First in Tennessee, then Texas. 

Day 31 - La Grange, TX to Richards, TX

88.3 miles today
1,740.6 total trip miles
12.7 mph average
FF - 8
MP - sister-in-law Sue Heiden & family.  She has always been willing to chart her own course in life with various careers,  raising 4 successful children & moving out of the busy suburban life to a quiet place up north at a young age.  She’s shown me that following “normal” paths in life isn’t necessary, or maybe even best.

For those of you expecting a blog post by 10 PM every day, I apologize.  Yesterday was a long day - we are in tents - I knew we had a day off coming today so I could catch up & by the time we were done with dinner it was already under 40 degrees.  So I put on 2 layers of clothes, crawled inside my sleeping bag, zipped it up all the way, covered my head & went to sleep.  I am happy to report that I was warm & comfortable all night.  I woke up this morning to clear skies so the sunshine is already warming things up nicely.  Now to yesterday’s ride.

I knew it was going to be a long day, so I forced myself to get going early.  It was another day of cold, so I had on all my layers.  It was also another day of Texas Hill Country, which meant a lot of up & down.  As I’ve mentioned before, my Cruzbike recumbent helps me in these conditions because I can get a lot of momentum on the downhill & unless it’s a really long uphill I don’t suffer quite as much as other riders climbing.  It is still exhausting.  I didn’t count, but there must have been 50 hills.  It seemed like every time I turned a corner, another one appeared.

We also had a new road surface appear for the 1st time on this trip.  The route clearly showed a right turn, but when I got there it was a dirt road.  At first I wondered if it was right, but when I got on it, the surface was smooth, so I kept going.  That lasted about 1/4 of a mile.  Then it was filled with cracks & pot holes.  This went on for about 5 miles & it was worst was when a car would go by resulting in a dust storm.  Fortunately there were no real hills in this section.  I spent the time deciding whether I preferred dirt road or hills.  Answer is: I prefer hills & I was rewarded after the 5 miles with 30 miles of them.

It was really a day of 1st’s because we had a weather condition that I have never experienced on this trip, or even ever on a bike - hail!  It wasn’t heavy or big, but it sounded like ping pong balls hitting my helmet.  This happened 2 or 3 different times during the day.  Our last check-in spot along the route was at a Dairy Queen, so of course I had a Blizzard to maintain the weather theme.

I have taken enough pictures of Texas Hill Country & wildflowers along the route, so I have stopped doing that, but I continue to stop & get a pic at every little green city sign.  There were a record of 6 today.  Sometimes there is a sign, but no real city.  Here is an example of that.

I almost wish I would have taken more pictures of entrance gates to ranches.  The variety is endless.  I might have to make that a priority on a future trip.  I do continue to stop at every historical marker.  Here is an interesting one.

The riding day came to an interesting end.  We have 43 riders of different capabilities.  I estimate that about 10 of them decided they couldn’t finish the day, so they got a ride in one of the SAG vehicles.  Some riders aren’t the strongest, but really put out extra effort to complete the day.  Just before 6 PM, one of the staff called out “Join us at the driveway to welcome our last riders of the day.”  Most everyone appeared to cheer them on.  I felt the emotion of their accomplishment, and they appreciated the support.

I just realized that even though this post is late, it is probably the longest one I have written.  Hope you have found it interesting.  The place we are staying is a working ranch that welcomes bike riders to stay overnight.  They have showers & laundry available.  They also have an interesting sign with a couple of bikes welded above & below the sign.

Apparently they get a lot of riders doing the Coast 2 Coast route from San Diego to St Augustine because they give you the distances to each.  Doesn’t quite match my odometer, but close enough!

WDYLT - ILT I have been dreaming more during this trip than any time in memory.  As my family knows, I don’t remember my dreams, but I am always aware when I have been dreaming.  I don’t know why I am dreaming more, but I find it interesting.

Day 30 - Lockhart, TX to La Grange, TX

60.8 miles today
1,652.3 total trip miles
13.0 mph average
2,066’ climbing
FF - 6
MP - my Common Ground family - an organization of organizations in Southeast Wisconsin including churches of all denominations, community groups & unions dedicated to implementing positive change & developing leaders from ordinary people.  Revitalized the Sherman Park neighborhood in Milwaukee, sponsored the creation of the Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative serving over 60,000 members, working to make guns safer by promoting innovative technology through the “Do Not Stand Idly By” initiative & much more.  I am proud to be a part of this organization.

Two “W’s” dominated today’s ride - Weather & Wildflowers.  We woke up to 40 degree temperatures & a strong wind.  The wind was coming from the north & of course that means we were traveling north into it for a good part of the day.  It was cloudy all day & the temperature never reached 50 degrees.  As in the past under these conditions, I have an advantage with my Cruzbike so I passed a bunch of riders who I usually don’t see.  I would prefer to have an extra 20 degrees with little or no wind & arrive last at our destination, but that can’t be controlled.

The wildflowers are amazing to see, even with the unfriendly conditions & I think they deserve 2 pictures today.

We also came upon a sight that must be leftover from last October!

One more riding day before a day off & hopefully an improvement in the weather.

WDYLT - ILT I have yet to go into a restaurant on this trip that doesn’t offer Dr Pepper to drink.  It seems like about 1/2 the time in Wisconsin I can’t get it.  Might have to move South.  Not!