New Orleans

April 1, 2018

I was so distracted by this morning's beautiful weather that I failed to check my Garmin to ensure it was recording properly. I didn't notice it until about 15 or 16 miles into the ride . . . so I had to recreate the first part . . . hence, two links today!

Today’s ride to New Orleans, Part One.

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Today’s ride to New Orleans, Part Two.

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I woke up to a beautiful day. Gorgeous! What more could I ask for on my last day? Well, adventure would do! We’ll see! But first, the easy part. Getting out of town was quite easy once I figured out which way was north! Which didn’t help much since the streets are not laid out on the four compass points! But wandering is OK, and I eventually found my way down Old Spanish Trail.

That was my warmup. The B&B had fed me a fairly decent breakfast, and I was full and content when I pushed off at 9:30 in just a short-sleeved jersey. It warmed up fast! It was an easy four miles down Old Spanish Trail and then a short half mile on US-90 as I entered Waveland, the next town south of Bay Saint Louis.

That sounds like a made-up name for a town . . . because it is. I’m not sure why it was ever incorporated. Its entire “history” (per Wikipedia . . . because I just had to look it up) consists mostly of a regurgitation of the two major hurricanes that have severely damaged the town over the years. I passed through the outer edges quickly and was unimpressed. But again, it was US-90.

But it did lead me to a cute little road that I had reservations about but turned out to be a fine connector to Lower Bay Road, which I would follow, on and off, for ten miles, until forced back onto US-90. It was a nice ten miles!

Old Gainsville Road, which led me to . . .

. . . Lower Bay Road, which would be my way back to US-90 . . . eventually.

And I was under no rush today, as I was riding under beautiful blue skies.

At about MP 12.5, however, my course turned onto Old Lower Bay Road . . . presumably the original, but narrower road. That was fine with me as it looked great . . . but I was only on it for about 1-1/2 miles before it went to dirt! Well, dirt is not so bad, especially if well-packed. It’s just a bit slower. But I was in no rush, and the scenery was beautiful. I even passed a local riding a bike in the opposite direction. All I heard (or understood) was the word “bulldog.”

Old Lower Bay Road was equally delightful to ride (if not a bit slower).

I immediately computed that one in my head, said “Thanks,” and moved on down the road, now leery of any property that looked like it might be a candidate for a loose dog. After passing several, I became a bit more relaxed but then happened on a fenced property with two dogs, who, once they spotted me, made a racket. Well, no real concern. I’ve experienced many a barking dog behind a fenced yard, so on I pedaled. And then, all of a sudden, one was right beside me, yapping up a storm.

Well, that surprised me! And in most cases (the very few) when this has happened, I would use my frame pump to ward the dog off. Except I had replaced that old pump with a nice compact one that snapped into a bracket . . . I was defenseless except for my legs. Eventually I outran the one (maybe both, and the other was the bigger one). Of course, the other guy survived as well, and he was slower and heavier than me. But that only came as an afterthought!

So back to the road. It was really a nice road and very relaxing to ride, even if unpaved, remote, and slow. And no more houses in sight. Not a bad way to spend part of my last tour day! And it took me almost to US-90 . . . which I would ride for 30 miles before a single turn, but for a slight side road I had mapped out that would keep me off it for maybe another 1-1/2 miles. Well, when I got to the turn, it did not look promising. It was unpaved and had a chain across it that said "Wide Load" (which doesn't sound anything like "Keep Out"), so on I went. After all, it was last-day adventures!

And it looked doable, although not in as good a shape as Old Lower Bay Road. And it looked entirely uninhabited . . . and mostly filled with abandoned cars and construction equipment. But that gave way to some nice views . . . and deteriorating road conditions, which were all successfully navigated.

Right into this! Ha ha, time to tiptoe. There were more of these to come.

Partway through, however, I stumbled across these "bird cages," one of which housed a single bird desperate to get out. As I looked it over, all of a sudden, a hawk-like bird swept down right past my head and landed on the cage and started dancing around like the captured bird was prey. I quickly took a series of pictures and think I captured both in this single photo.

Note: In an earlier version, I asked if anyone knew what this is about and to please let me know! Well, a reader indicates this is one way to raise birds while protecting them from hawks . . . which is what I just witnessed! Glad to know, as I was wondering if I had stumbled onto something "illegal," since this setup seemed well-hidden. The "captured" bird (in one of three cages) looked to be what I would call a "mourning dove" (or pigeon), which sometimes sits on my balcony at home this time of year and coos. If he is, he certainly was not doing any cooing the day I saw him. And I guess I'm lucky I wasn't the target of the hawk . . . although I did have my helmet on!

From there, it was a short ride to US-90, with one more gate to cross that was clearly marked "Posted," and away I went.

In retrospect I realize I was trespassing . . . but I have no buckshot to prove it.

Then I was back on US-90 with rumble strips but a wide shoulder.

And some nice views, this one over an unnamed bayou.

So US-90 at least had a nice shoulder, and I wasn't feeling as daunted about the long ride as I might have thought earlier. Plus, it promised to traverse some interesting terrain and waterways, so I was looking forward to a ride through the bayou. What I had forgotten was my proximity to the state line, which came up rather quickly . . . and fortunately, I stopped for a quick snack and Gatorade right before the crossing, as the next store was many miles away.

The crossing of the Pearl River, the state line with Louisiana.

The only drawback, if you could call it that, was the bridge crossings. No shoulders! Which meant riding in the travel lane for the length of each, all of which were relatively short (depending on your individual speed, of course). But for the five crossings I made this way, I had no problems. Traffic was extremely light, and I only waited once for an overtaking vehicle to cross ahead of me. Of course, this was a Sunday, and Easter at that . . . so maybe a weekday might be worse. But honestly, I suspect parallel I-10 sucks off most of the traffic.

But this more intimidating and longer crossing of the Old Pearl River had to be navigated as well.

Speaking of which, at MP 25 or so, most traffic bears right into US-190, so life got better right there. Plus, since US-90 bears left, you are on the approach to cross the southern edge of Lake Pontchartrain, the largest body of water in these parts outside of the Gulf.

After the split with US-190, US-90 loses its shoulder, and road conditions deteriorate somewhat.

But the scenery, at times, remains spectacular!

The US-90 Rigolets Bridge, over The Rigolets, a waterway connecting the Gulf of Mexico with Lake Pontchartrain.

And the view from the top, looking north.

After that, it seemed like an easy breeze into the Big Easy, although a bit less interesting. More "beach" homes and tackle and bait shops (with snacks and beer, of course). There was one last bridge crossing, and then I was in the New Orleans suburbs . . . such as they are on this side of town.

Some of the lakefront property seen along the way.

Followed by the crossing for Chef Menteur Pass, a truss swing span! Again, no shoulders, but no problem (not today anyway).

Because most of this side of town is industrial, US-90 widens out to four lanes shortly after the crossing, so I imagine this means more traffic from somewhere, just not today. The other drawback I noticed after crossing the "big" bridge was the increase in what I can only describe as "more crap" on the shoulder, requiring more attention to steering. Mostly I was concerned about glass, but there were plenty of other road hazards, and a careful eye on my trajectory paid off.

US-90 beyond the Chef Menteur Pass crossing.

And finally, the floodgates. New Orleans is not far!

So when I got to my turnoff that would take me off US-90 to a parallel track, it didn't make sense to stay the course (which I was considering). So off I went . . . into the real industrial part of the course!

My turn off US-90 onto Old Gentilly Road.

And an even more industrial look as I rode into New Orleans.

So that was not a bad choice . . . at least initially. And I would have been OK if I had stayed on that road, Old Gentilly Road, which becomes Almonaster Road. And, by the way, the road naming is a little confusing here as you transition from Old Gentilly Road to Almonaster Road without even being aware of it, as it all looks like the same mainline. You actually need to make a conscientious turn to return to Old Gentilly . . . which I did shortly after crossing I-510. Well, I would have been better off continuing straight, as this section of Old Gentilly was really, really, really old. It was mostly lined with the lowest form of industrial services, including many, many junkyards and/or auto recovery and salvage chop shops. And the road was poorly maintained. And at least one yard had a free-roaming yard dog who gave chase for a short distance.

Low (or is it high?) water crossing . . . do I dare cross? Or turn back?

Cross it once, cross it twice (and several times more).

I actually rode through those ponds. While it looks intimidating, you could actually see the pavement through the murky water . . . and looking at the terrain, it appeared to be a usable road (for what are probably mostly trucks). That said, I was fully prepared to get my shoes wet . . . but didn't have to. And there were dry high points at some of these high-water crossings, and since I could actually see where they were, I could steer for them just in case they were needed. If you ride with me, be prepared for "The Adventures of Tom" (as Mark likes to call them)!

But that said, at the end of all of this, OSM Cycle was sending me across railroad tracks that fed a large CSX yard at a crossing that just didn't exist. I could have crossed earlier, but that was not how my course was laid out. Fortunately, there was a railroad worker out today (on Easter, remember) who got me back on Almonaster and onto the US-90 crossing of the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal. I only had to navigate an interchange and a bridge crossing to be "almost" there.

Back on Almonaster and approaching the interchange to US-90.

And in the far distance, my desired crossing.

Which, by the time I made my way around to it, I found had a minimal sidewalk width that I successfully navigated.

The main span, another vertical lift structure.

After that, I was quickly off US-90 using an exit ramp on the far side and down into a quasi-residential neighborhood of sorts, where I inadvertently ran over some glass that I swore went "crunch" but had no other ill effect on me. In three miles' distance, I found myself in the midst of an Easter parade/party, and in four miles, in front of Jackson Square. Then, on to my hotel for cleanup and relaxation. I was also hungry! I'm in New Orleans till Wednesday morning, when I catch a 7:00 AM overnight train back to Washington (Alexandria) and home! Tour (almost) over!

I made my way through one "parade" contingent . . .

. . . only to find myself behind another, all headed where I was headed (of course)! I was done and went with the flow! Time to party!

And finally, at Jackson Square, where it is always easy to find someone to take your picture.

From there, on to my hotel, Lamothe House Hotel.

Next stop, relaxation at The Maison on Frenchmen Street (with live music, of course).

Today's ride: 62 miles (100 km)
Total: 773 miles (1,244 km)

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