Nancy's Travel Journal

Note:  There are very few pictures when one has to ride so far.  All you can think about is getting there!
Robin and I reluctantly left the beautiful grounds of the Butler Greenwood Plantation to ride 105 miles to Franklinton.  For the first 5 miles we were on US 61, a busy highway at morning rush hour.  At least it had wide shoulders.  Finally, we turned onto a beautiful country road, where the birds were singing and the morning sun was filtering through the green branches of trees.  As we rode, I thought that 105 miles would be a piece of cake.  Wrong!  With the sun shining through the trees and making shadows on the road, it was a bit hard to see the potholes lurking in those shadows.  And, as we made turns from one road to another, the surface would change drastically.  At one point, deep in the woods, we crossed a bridge, where the road suddenly changed to gravel for about ½ mile.  That was a challenge for a road bike, but we all made it safely through the obstacles.
I had been looking for a mailbox since we left the plantation so that I could mail a birthday card to Polly, who turns 60 on Saturday!  When I reached the little town of Norwood (about the size of Aline), I saw a box and dropped the card inside, only to realize it was a drop box for water payments or something else.  A very kind lady walked out, assured me she would retrieve the card, and take it to the post office.  So, Polly, I hope you get the card!
One way I survive riding so many miles it to break up the journey into SAG stops (usually every 20 miles).  It is easier to think about 20 than 100!  So after the second stop at 40 miles, I began to think I would be able to make it if I could just get some lunch.  Alas, all we could find was a convenience store where I bought some orange juice and a sandwich.  As I was enjoying this gourmet lunch outside, a man began asking us questions and giving directions on how to get to Franklinton.  I realized that he had already been into adult beverages for a while that day!  So we quickly made an exit hoping he would not be going our way in his condition.
Slowly but surely I clicked off the miles, mostly riding alone.  At about 3 miles from our hotel, I turned on to a busy highway.  I had not gone very far when I heard a sudden pssst!  My rear tire was flat (only the second one of this whole trip).  I had really wanted to make it all the way.  But, I called the SAG to come pick me up.  Just as I hung up the phone, Michelle, one of the guides rode up on her bicycle.  I told her I had called the SAG.  Sensing my disappointment in not being able to finish, she offered to fix the flat.  We realized that there was a big cut in the tire.  She “booted” the tire (put a patch on it), inserted the tube, pumped it up, and assured me that I could make it.  I did!
I was the last person in to the hotel, but I didn’t really care.  It was all I could do to stay awake for dinner.  As I closed my eyes, I felt pleased that I had made it and felt confident that I could do a century again, just not any time soon!

This morning dawned clear and cool for our 53-mile ride from Simmesport to St. Francisville.   We crossed the Atchafalaya River (formed at Simmesport from the Mississippi River) just out of town. While there was no shoulder and was a rather long, arched bridge, there was little traffic early in the morning.  So we felt safe as we climbed up and over the river.  Almost immediately after crossing the river, we turned onto a small state road that followed the levee, near the mighty Mississippi River.  All day long, we wound through the countryside with the levee on our left and fields of corn, wheat, and sugar cane on our right.  There was an abandoned grain elevator that brought back childhood memories of when Polly and I spent hours playing around the one in Metter.  
Then, there was the beautiful Episcopal Church founded in the 1700s and restored in 1970.  There was even a statue of a Confederate soldier in the cemetery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most graves in the area are above ground, as evidenced by the ones in this cemetery beside an abandoned church

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Talking to the animals has been one of our favorite experiences on this trip.  Ramsey is learning to communicate with the horses by blowing on their noses.  They seemed to enjoy talking to her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After crossing a Morganza Spillway Bridge (built to control flooding on the lower Mississippi River), we entered the town of Morganza. Scenes from the 1968 movie “Easy Rider”, starring Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson were filmed in this location in 1968.  Anyone remember that movie?  Alas, it was time to eat again.  At “Not Your Mama’s Café” almost everyone in our group stopped to enjoy seafood gumbo, fried onion rings, and fried fish sandwiches. Yes, I have been eating fried food on this tour!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One has to eat what the locals enjoy! To create ambiance, the café featured stuffed wildlife, including a huge turtle and a turkey and other unusual art.  This chicken greeted us at the door.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, we added our own “wild women” to the place.  The sign reads "I'm not a fast cook, I'm not a slow cook, I'm a half-fast cook!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The seafood gumbo gave us energy for the last 20 miles of our day’s journey.  After a few miles on a rather bumpy highway, we turned once again to a road that followed a levee beside the Mississippi River; anticipating the highlight of the day, reaching the ferry crossing that would lead us into St. Francisville.  As we reached the crossing, the ferry, which runs every thirty minutes, was just pulling away from the dock.  Instead of being frustrated at missing the ferry, we struck up a conversation with J.T., who was also waiting to cross.  He entertained us with local history stories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, we never would have met him if we had caught the earlier ferry.  

In years to come, Womantours riders will no longer be able to have this experience.  In 2010, the John James Audubon Bridge will be completed at a cost of $348 million.  At 1583 feet, it will be the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America.  For an interesting story on the ferry, see this article written by the owner of Butler-Greenwood Plantation, the B&B where we are staying. http://stfrancisville.blogspot.com/2006/12/farewell-to-st-francisville-ferry.html

Located near St. Francisville, Angola is the Louisiana state penitentiary.  Some of our riders visited the prison on our day off.  I chose to stay in town.  But for more information on Angola, go to http://www.corrections.state.la.us/lsp/history.htm

Everyone appreciated the day
off and the lodging(s) we had in this charming little town of St. Francisville.  It is steeped in history. http://www.stfrancisville.net/town_new/index.html

Because there was not room for all of us at either of the locations that Womantours had chosen, we were split up.  But, it worked out fine.  Some of the group stayed at the St. Francisville Inn, built in the 1880s.  It had a delightful courtyard for the group to have drinks and swap stories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stayed at the Butler Greenwood Plantation.  This plantation has been in the same family since the 1790s.  We were housed in various little outbuildings near the main house.  Rebecca and I stayed in the Treehouse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After dinner on our first night, the owner; Anne Butler took us on a tour of the home.  It was fascinating.  I have included several pictures and a website for more information.http://www.butlergreenwood.com/history.html

Wine Cellar under the house-no longer used.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Original furniture for the house

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Bedroom is still used

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the main house 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The original kitchen behind the main house, now a guest house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anne has quite a history herself.  In 1997, her fourth husband, Murray Henderson, the warden at Angola shot her.  Miraculously, she lived and has told her story in Weep for the Living.  I bought the book and am reading it now.  It is a real page-turner.

On our day off, I wandered around the town and found several interesting spots.  Here is the Methodist Church.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beside the Magnolia Café, where we had lunch, was a “motor court” still operating as it did in the 1930s.  Any one remember staying at one of these?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I returned to the plantation in the afternoon to rest and take care of my bicycle before the long ride (105 miles) on Thursday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since Womantours does not furnish meals on days off, our group decided to have a potluck dinner and invite our guides, who normally cook for us.  I found a Louisiana delicacy at a meat market, called Boudin Balls.  Boudin is a kind of sausage in Louisiana made pork, rice and spices.  To make the balls, the sausage is removed from the casing and fried.  It was a big hit!  The big pot of crawfish was another local delicacy.  Finally, someone brought boiled peanuts, both regular and Cajun.  They were cooked to perfection and enjoyed by everyone.  The whole evening was a huge hit.   

Notes on this posting: I am in a library in St. Francisville, LA, working on this post.  I don’t have access to the pictures for this post.
Internet access in public libraries across the country has been a real blessing.  The St. Francisville library is a WiFi hotspot, great for folks who have their own computers.  I hope the Candler County library will be able to provide this service when it moves back to its building.

Last night at the cue sheet meeting, our guides suggested that we have breakfast around 8:00 AM, and plan to leave around 9:00 AM.  Seems that a 68-mile day is now perceived as a short day!  Plus, the Sportsman’s Motel is not exactly to place to hang out for long periods of time.  I had a great breakfast of blueberry pancakes, orange juice and coffee to give me energy for the ride.
Getting out of Opelousas was a bit of a challenge, with morning traffic and roads under construction.  Finally, we turned onto a quiet, country road and enjoyed 10-15 miles of farmlands and country homes.  Fields were in various stages of preparation and growth.  We could still see the stalks of sugar cane left from last year’s crops, along with tiny stalks of corn popping out of the fertile ground.  Some fields were already green with some sort of wheat or other grain, but I was not sure what kind.  At the first SAG, Charlie Daniels was singing “Play Me Some Country Music” on the radio.  Quite appropriate music for the morning!  At the next SAG, there was classical music from NPR, also somehow fitting for the scenery.
The roads of Louisiana can be very smooth for a few miles, then, turn into a pot-hole nightmare, without warning.  I am very thankful for the roads in Georgia.  Signage is not the best either.  But, we did make lots of turns today without getting lost.
We stopped at Big Cane Grocery for yet another feeding frenzy.  I enjoyed a sweet roll, V-8, and some Powerade.  Apparently this store is a favorite for cyclists.  When the clerk asked us to sign her book, we saw entries from last year’s Womantours group.
I left the store alone, went only a few yards down the road, and out came four dogs, BIG dogs!  I got off the bike as they came at me from two directions.  The only defenses were my water bottle and putting the bike between the dogs and myself.  About that time, three riders came up and the dogs ran off.  Guess there is power in numbers!
Just past the dogs was a pond where crawfish are raised.  We couldn’t figure out why the water was so green.
We pedaled through several small towns before coming to Plaucheville, another place to eat!  It was here that we saw the horrible news about the shootings at Virginia Tech on television.  It is one of those incidents that you will always remember where you were when it happened.  I guess we will find out the rest of the story in the next few days.
As we have been riding over the past 2-3 days, I have seen what I think is some sort of spider lily in the ditches.  Finally, today I was able to get close enough to get a good shot of one.  If anyone reads this and knows what it is, please post it on my blog. (Note:  I will post it later.)
We finally arrived at our “five-star” lodging for the night.  I think the sign says it all!  But, they did put out a welcome sign for us.  That is the first one I can remember.  We were told that some Katrina victims were still staying in the rooms before we arrived.
(Picture posts later)
Tonight Michelle, one of the guides, played her guitar and sang for us as we waited for dinner.  One of her songs is “Jesus Loves You, But My Dog Still Bites”.  She is quite the musician.  As she sang, I thought about these final days on the ride.  While it will be good to get home, I will miss these women.  
We went back to our rooms reluctantly, When Donna and I turned off the light (no reading light-just one light fixture on the ceiling), we heard Spanish music from the next room.  It was so loud that Donna went to the office and requested that the management get them to turn it down.  They did, but it was back on again the next morning about 5:30 AM.  Then there was the train that came by, right behind the hotel, in the middle of the night.  We have truly experienced a variety of lodging “opportunities”.

This morning we left DeRidder around 7:30 AM for our second 90+-mile day in a row! The air was cold, no other way to describe it!  Of course, I had sent my long-finger gloves home with Bill.  So, my fingers got really cold really fast!  But, I did have arm-warmers, a jacket and headband, which I kept on all day.  It is still cold in Louisiana.
I missed the first turn out of DeRidder, so went a couple of miles out of the way before I realized what I had done and called the SAG for help.  I saw riders ahead of me and let the SAG know that they were on the wrong road as well.
After about 46 miles, our route took us to State Road 104.  This is a diked road through rice fields.  This area is one of the leading rice-growing districts in the US.  Unfortunately, it was at this point that I realized the camera batteries were gone.  Alas, no pictures of the rice fields!  Despite early primitive rice-farming methods and much-despised barbed wire fences, the early rice farmers learned about irrigation systems after the Civil War and the crop prospered.  
Our route took us into the small town of Mamou, in the heart of Cajun country.  Cajuns are descendants of 17th century French colonists who settled in Canada, in an area called Acadia.  During the rivalry between England and France for ownership of North America, the English rounded up Acadians to be sent to the American colonies.  Unfortunately, they were not welcomed there, either.  In the late 1700’s, when Spain gained control of Louisiana, it needed settlers to establish claim to the land.  So the Acadians ended up in the bayous and prairies of this area.  The French Acadians became known as Cadians, then finally Cajuns.  Today, the name is primarily associated with cooking.  Paul Prudhomme, who made the blackened redfish famous in the 1980s, is from Opelousas, our home for the night (Sunday).
The wind continued to help or hinder us all day, depending on which way the road curved.  We fought an evil head wind for about 5-7 miles.  Just when I thought I had had enough, the road took a turn and we had a beautiful tail wind.  For the first time in several weeks, dogs plagued our route.  Several folks have bought whistles that seem to help scare them off.
Toward the end of the day, Judy and I were riding together.  We decided to stop one more time to rest before arriving in Opelousas.  As we were eating our snacks, we looked down in a nearby ditch and saw crawfish and minnows.  That may be as close as we get to the famous clawed animals!
Tonight I was able to get new batteries for the camera.  So here are a couple of shots from dinner.  The guides opted for pizza for dinner.  This is Patty, one of our guides.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unless the weather is really bad, we eat dinner outside and have our “cue sheet” meeting for the next day.  This is a typical evening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Tomorrow night we are in Simmesport, at the Sportsman’s Motel.  From what I understand, it may be our biggest lodging challenge yet.  I asked one of the guides if we needed to stop by the local Walmart for sheets.  Since internet access is slim to none, there may not be another posting until we get to St. Francisville.  It has been referred to as the town “two miles long and two yards wide”, and on the Mississippi River.  We will spend two nights there.  I will be ready for a rest.