Alabama Getaway

We crossed into Alabama today, tough going with 15-20 mph headwinds but we got a jump on the day and made it it not only past our 2500 mile mark but to the Gulf Coast too!
Also, we saw a small alligator too, it was my first one, if you look close you can see it in one of the pictures. I could go on about turtles too but I won't.
Still tough to ride hard all day in the heat and humidity. We find that laundry and a hotel room once in a while is sure nice.

Poplarville, Mississippi

We have enjoyed the last two days of riding through mostly tree farms and some light ranching and farming. We have been trying hard to understand the locals with their heavy accents, ours must be pretty wired to them too!
Some harrowing road surface/no shoulders/logging truck action makes me feel sometimes like I'm one of those free, without-a-rope climbers 1000 feet off the deck in Yosemite, one slight wrong adjustment of your balance and SEE YA! The roads generally have zero shoulders down here, heck you could fit 3 of these road widths in the same width as 400 west in Logan for sure! I guess that's why it's so nice riding a bike around Logan, there is SO MUCH ROOM!
Anyway, we are making good time, the weather has been very nice and we are looking forward!

Some Odds and Ends

Well, the green plastic spider I found on the side of the road and put on the front of my bike (back in Arizona I think) is still hanging in there, ha, ha, but I thought it could use some company. Today I kept seeing Mardi Gras beads on the side of the road, so I finally stopped and picked some up to give "Boris" some company.
Also, we have used "tell tales" on our panniers to determine wind speed and direction.
Finally, for the gear heads out there, we switched bags back on Austin, TX, and are now using sleeping bags rated to +60 degrees! They are more like liners than bags.
We are in New Roads, LA, right next to The Lost River, which is a very sizable abandon oxbow of the Mississippi river.

History Lessons Everywhere

From war history to settlement history we are seeing great historical markers and memorials...

Farm Country

We are rolling by huge farms of cane sugar, corn, wheat and others I'm sure. The locals have said it is too wet to get the fields planted. We've also been told that at times it is too dry! So it's either too wet or too dry. Looks very productive to two guys from Utah!

More Cajun Country photos

Cajun Country

Stayed at a great state park last night in the heart of swamp country. Chicot state park. It was a long day to get there but after pigging out on Po Boy sandwiches in Ville Platte, LA (josh had catfish and I had shrimp, see photo, they were huge!) we worked some of it off by pedaling another 9 miles to the park. I fell asleep to the strangest creature sounds I've ever heard! It sounded like a monkey-owl-cat sound all in one. Of course there were other night swamp sounds like frogs, toads, bugs, alligators, etc. We took a leisurely morning enjoying this swamp-like place and had an "active rest" day today pedaling to a city park in Simmesport. The most exciting event was a t-storm that came in right as we found shelter at a grocery store, a Piggly Wiggly for all out there on the blogosphere that have had one of these chains in their hometown!
Tomorrow we cross the Mississippi!