Saturday, April 9, 2011

Day 37 Silsbee, TX to Lake Charles, LA

What a Difference a State Makes

We rode for 34 miles in Texas this morning then crossed into Louisiana. No chip seal! It sounds better than it was, however. The pavement was full of cracks and potholes. The repairs were not level with the roadway. Trash and debris littered the surface. The shoulders were almost non-existent. Throw in a headwind and high temperatures and imagine one very slow ride! Katherine and I finished the ride; not everyone did. We stopped around mile 60 to recharge at a Mini-Mart. We both drank a bunch of Gatorade and ice water. I bought a turkey sandwich and she ate my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. This area is not hospitable to vegetarians.

The bayous were immediately apparent and so were the many bridges that spanned them. We crossed a drawbridge and a 1.2 mile bridge across the Calcasieu River. New challenges. We arrived at our Best Western in time for the margarita party to celebrate entering a new state.

1 comment:

  1. Congratulations for going the whole way - it doesn't sound like one of the better days on the tour. But Margaritas? They make things better.

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