Day 36 – Three-Cookie Day

Tuesday, November 25th

Waveland, MS to Baton Rouge,  LA

Thankfully the roads were mostly dry this morning.  They predict rain for tomorrow night, Thursday and Friday, but today, it’s dry.  We hoped to leave by 7, but packing took us awhile and as we prepared to roll out the door, Dad found his back tire was flat from a slow leak.  He changed the tube (a cheaply made Kenda that had deteriorated and split along a seam) and we got on the road, planning to follow Hwy 90 to Hwy 190 which we would take all the way to Baton Rouge.

Our legs drug (and my knees hurt) in the cold cold morning air.  To make matters worse, 90 was closed.  We followed the detour signs and stopped in a gas station just South of Pearlington, desperate for a break.  We talked with the customers and the cashier at the station while Dad waited on me to down a sugary coffee.  Rejoining 90, we crossed myriad bridges over the bayou and eventually rolled through Slidell, following Business 190 then 190 West.

Just short of Mandeville, we stopped at a gas station to rest, pee and eat.  As a super-classy gas station with attached coffee shop and hand-detail car wash which cater to the rich moms of the suburbs, everything was over-priced.  We bought a root beer and sat at one of the picnic tables, eating Fig Newtons and watching immigrants detail SUVs.  The super-fancy gas station did have a beautiful, giant, very detailed map of the parish in the hallway to the bathroom, so we stood around for while reviewing our route.  190 turns North in Mandeville and head toward Covington where it turns West again.  We hopped back on the bikes – to the amusement and amazement of several bunches of kids waiting on their moms SUVs to be washed -  and followed 190 into town.  We turned North with the highway and soon found ourselves on the ripped-up shoulder of what had, without warning, become a controlled access highway.  Eek!

Dodging vehicles using the on and off ramps, we stayed true to the horribly paved shoulder since we had no where else to go.  (The off ramps led to other highways and to access roads that veered off in random directions.)  Eventually, 190 returned its normal, though still poorly-paved self.  We took the Business 190 option through the charming downtown of Covington.  We turned a few heads moving at the speeds we did, but passed through town uneventfully and began the long haul West to Baton Rouge.

There’s little to say about the rest of the ride exccept that it was horrible.  The road was cracked or repaired every few feet and the ride felt like riding over railroad ties.  Miserably bumpy and jarring.  Our joints hurt before from the cold, but now they hurt from the non-stop bouncing.  It was impossible for Dad to draft for any significant period of time, so we both just went about the day, pedaling for as long as we could.

We made a couple stops to pee, to snack, to research motels.  We charged the batteries for a short while at a grocery store East of Hammond while refueling on bananas, peaches, crackers and peanut butter.  We didn’t think we’d make it to Baton Rouge, but when we reached Hwy 61and heard that a friend I planned to visit near LSU had a couple beds open for us, we found the extra strength to keep going.  Unfortunately, we hit Baton Rouge right at rush hour.  Though we got the usual honks and aggressive drivers, we surprised several people by keeping pace with traffic.  We also drew a lot of stares, sometimes from drivers who should have been watching the road.  Thrilled to see my friend and joyed to have a bed in a home rather than a motel, we settled in then walked to a nearby convenience store for dinner.  From the outside, it looks like a normal convenience store and even has a big sign advertising “Grocery & Deli”.  When we walked in we found over half the store filled with a wide selection of liquor, about three rows of junk food and soda, and in the corner, a teeny deli counter.  We didn’t expect much from what we saw, but bought a soda and some cookies and ordered two Cajun turkey pitas that each come with a bag of chips.  Oh, what a glorious sandwich!  It was unexpectedly delicious!

We ate at a picnic table just outside the store, and midway through the meal, Dad opened the cookies and handed me one, which I ate quickly and enjoyed thoroughly.  He set out another for me, but I was busy with my pita, so I left it where it lay.  But he ate his and set out another for me.  “I get THREE cookies?!” I asked.  “I used to have to beg you and Mom for an extra cookie and you’re offering me THREE!?”

“Well, you earned it.  You worked hard today!” Dad joked.

“If I had know all I needed to do was bike halfway across the country to get extra cookies, I would have done this a long time ago!”

We will certainly enjoy our stay in Baton Rouge and maybe even get some rest as we keep an eye on the coming weather.

All told we did almost 130 miles today.

Today’s Quick Stats:

Bike              Distance (mi)    Average Speed (mph)     Trip Odometer

MiniWini           128.10                    18.3                          2545.8

Sti(ck/g)          127.60                    18.3                             –

Stampedes: 2

Roadside Pees: 2