Day 4-New Roads, LA,to Natchez MS

We started out at 7:00 and quickly covered the 9 miles to "Not Yo Mommas Cafe" to meet the SAG vehicle that was waiting there to escort us across the Morganza Spillway, a narrow low bridge with high cement barriers on each side and no shoulder. As soon as ten people were there we formed up in two columns, took the lande and rode the 1.5 miles with the SAG behind us with blinkers flashing.

The ride was along the levee with sugar and corn fields and lots of blackeyed susans on our right with an occasional farm or drilling site. We crossed several bridges across locks and one bridge across a wide branch or section of the river. One of the small bridges had a no bikes sign so we are all just criminally minded. The final bridge was a hydro electric dam and just on the other side was a visitors center with some trees and shade. This was actually the only sun we saw all day.

Although it was only about 10:30 but because today was a long day along the levee with no place to find lunch, the van and trailer met us at about mile 40 with a cold pick up lunch. There was a bit of shade under the trees so we sat or stood and ate egg salad, quinoa salad, cold cuts, cheese, pickles, chips and watermelon while watching a team of men erect some sort of a drill rig and a crop duster plane doing his maneuvers on the other side of the road. Aside from an occasional patch of shade from trees along the road, and the excitement of crossing the river in the shoulder of the highway bridge, lunch was the most exciting thing of the day.

The rest of the 40 mile ride was flat and hot and humid. The cloud cover had dispersed and whatever coolish breeze we had had was gone. We took advantage of the 60 mile SAG stop to spray ourselves liberally with water, soak our clothes and heads, refill empty water bottles and chow down some energy food.

Throughout the day I was riding in a group of 3, sometimes 4 other ladies and we kept a steady 16 mile pace, taking turns to lead the line. By the time we reached to highway bridge at mile 82 I had sung "99 bottles of beer", and "de head bone connected to the.." in every language I know even a smattering of along with all of delta blues songs I could think of.

The bridge crossing was fairly sane since it had a traffic light just before the start, and a wide, all be it somewhat dirty shoulder to ride in.

We found the Eola Hotel, a restored Belle Epoch style hotel with a palm court, victorian style lobby with heavy furniture, marble statues, chinese urns and flowers everywhere. They had cookies and punch (with ice!) out for us to have while waiting to register. It was very symbolic Southern hospitality.

The van pulled up and we started unloading the bikes of the riders who had been picked up. About halfway through this, the first signs of a pending storm showed up as strong gusts of a cold damp wind. The luggage was unloaded to the side walk, and the hotel staff that could be found came out to help drag the luggage and the bikes in out of the rain which was starting to seriously pour down. The van unhitched the trailer and went back out to pick up the riders still on the road.

On a long hot day like today, the luxuries of a hard hot shower, a thick towel to dry off with and a real actual bath mat instead of another semi thick towel pretending to be a bathmat, cannot be underestimated.

Because there was no where to park the van and trailer except on the street in front of the hotel, dinner was take out Thai and margaritas made by guide Carol to clelbrate crossing a state line. The margaritas and a slightly later dinner hour were a slightly dangerous combination for a bunch of dehydrated, tired, relieved to have the day done with bikers. We were telling changing tires stories when one of the younger, maybe experienced but maybe not so, piped up and said "what's a tire lever?"

Somebody replied " it's what you carry in you seat pack along with a tube and a multitool in case you get a flat. Don't you have one?"

To which the young (she's 42 , blonde and from Wisconsin)
lady replied "Well I wasn't planning on having a flat."

Much hilarity ensued, and just as it was all beginning to subside, she said "and what's a tire lever?"

More hilarity ensued which finally calmed down with firm hints that she should hit the bike shop tomorrow, buy two tubes, a set of tire levers, come back to the hotel and attend the tire changing workshop being given by guide Carol.

Today's mileage=86
Today's air temperature 92

lunch with drill rig and crop duster

no bikes on bridge

Natchez sign

color coordinated statue and bike (sheltering from the rain.)