This has been a crazy year and my usual 2 long bike trips had been canceled. I was mentally pacing the floor needing a ride fix. A window of opportunity opened this past week and I jumped on it. Where to go? I looked over activities taking place (festivals, rallies etc) and decided to head southeast. I had seen a story on “My Classic Car” TV show about an event called “Cruisin the Coast” and they were expecting over 4,000 hot rods to attend. Sounded like fun so I mapped a route that included no interstate highways for Biloxi, Ms. I also broke with my normal tradition of camping more than lodges and just went with B&Bs for the whole trip. This made packing easier (no camping gear) so at 8:00 am on Wednesday I pulled out of the driveway and started my trip.
I basically took 175 to Rusk then zig zagged to Opelousas, La. I stayed at a B&B there that was a little different. I was the only guest so they gave me the key to a 4 bedroom home and said leave the key in a drop box when you leave. I felt like a weirdo sitting in a strange house watching TV and making myself at home, but it was nice and quite.
Back on the road Thursday for my ride into Biloxi. I enjoyed the back roads of Louisiana and Mississippi except I don’t care for the 55 mph speed limit. That is hard speed to maintain. I hovered around 62 most of the time and no cops shot a U turn to run me down. But, on the positive side, I did spend more time looking at scenery and enjoying the leisurely pace. Maybe cruisers are on to something.
The last time I was in Biloxi was one month before Katrina. Boy what a difference. Highway 90 along the coast is still mostly 1 lane each way as they continue to push sand etc back onto the beach. Lots of empty homes and for sale signs. The whole area looks like a once prosperous beach town that fell on hard times many years ago.
What is left of a good restaurant I dined at before Katrina
Now there are scattered nice homes but lots of empty lots, foundations, and shells of homes. It really is sad, but give them credit, they are working hard to rebuild. One nice thing they have done is to take tree trunks that remained from the storm and make carvings out of them. I don’t have a picture because traffic was so backed up and there is no place to park due to damage. Anyway, now the dead trees look like wood sculptures.
The car rally was really fun.
A couple playing the part
I spent Friday morning sitting under an oak tree on main street in Ocean Springs. Hot rods paraded by all day as I relaxed in the shade.
This is just like (much better condition) the car I drove in high school
I loved listening to the Georgians and Mississippians talk. What a beautiful accent they have.
Is this where Hondas go to die?
The afternoon was spent at a shopping mall parking lot where more cars were paraded while a rock and roll band played 50s and 60s music. After eating a shrimp dinner I rode out to the Gulfport dragway and watched muscle cars race under the night lights. The temperature was perfect with 80 degree sunny days and 70 degree nights.
After spending over an hour in stop and go traffic cruising down the beach I broke off and went up and found a back way to my B&B east of Biloxi.
Saturday morning was my day to ride a different back road route to Leesville, La. Rolling hills and sweeping curves were the order of the day and I really enjoyed cruising at a leisurely 65 mph pace. At St. Francisville I passed a plantation called Rosedown.
I have always had an interest in times past, especially of the wealthy. I stopped and took the tour. I highly recommend this plantation if you like this sort of thing. 90 percent of the items in the house are original to the home in 1840. The owners took meticulous records so they have the purchase orders for all of the items in the home. Very interesting place and beautiful to say the least.
I was riding on alternate highway 10 so as I went through town at St. Francisville I came up to the Mississippi river and was shocked. There is not a bridge crossing the river, instead it is a ferry and it is CLOSED. Hurricane Gustav has knocked it out of order. Uh oh.
That means nearly a 100 mile detour to get to my destination. Rats. As the sun set and moon came out here I go again riding at night down unfamiliar two lane roads. I pull into a little Louisiana town to gas up and clean the bugs off my faceshield and the really weird thing about the trip comes to mind. Two years ago this week I fell riding at night in East Texas. I was trying to pull off and clean the bugs from my faceshield that night. Now, if I’m not mistaken on the very same date one year ago I was riding in Mississippi at night fighting the same bug problem. What are the odds that I’m riding this night and fighting the same problem. Creepy. Or maybe stupid!
Then it gets worse. At the gas station I hear yelling inside the station. Some guys are ranting about the fact the LSU was getting hammered by Florida and these drunks were not happy. They walk out with 12 packs under their arms and see me standing in my Olympia riding gear. With eyes have open they look at me like I’m an astronaut.
So they come over and I prepare for the worst. “A Due Cat E huh?” “Say, I’ll give you $5.00 bill if you will let me pull a wheelie across the parking lot!” I reply, “No thanks, I’ll pass.” He sways back and forth then “Well, if that was my bike I’d have 3 naked bitches on the back.” About that time #2 drunk says “Come on, we gotta go.” They stagger over to their pickup and head off down the road in the same direction I’m going. Great. Add that to my tension level. I ride for another hour and a half before reaching my destination. I was so tired. Thank goodness for Holiday Inn Express. I showered and went straight to sleep.
Sunday morning I load up, have a great breakfast and start heading Northwest for Texas.
I cross the border at Logansport, La and catch 84 to Rusk then 175 back home.
Another adventure with a good ending. I have dared fate for the last time. I will not ride at night on unfamiliar roads again.
Stats: 1370 miles
Days: 5
MPG: 40
Tickets: 0
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