Old Home Week... Revisiting the Mississippi River Trail

We left St. Francisville with excitement and trepidation. We would be retracing in reverse part of our 2015 journey along the Mississippi River, but we knew we were facing 80+ miles in the hot, hot heat of Louisiana.

We were hoping for an early start, but we also needed to spend some time on bike maintenance. We were disappointed to learn that the B&B had NO ICE, so we knew we’d have to stop before long to ice down our water.

Soon after descending the ridge of St. Francisville, we were headed to the Audubon Bridge. This bridge is the second longest cable-stayed bridge in the world. We crossed this beautiful bridge on the way to Baton Rouge (the heart of darkness according to Ignatious).  It was just as impressive this time around.

We stopped in New Roads to get ice and more sunscreen. The downtown was beautiful, situated along False River, an oxbow lake that was once part of the Mississippi River. After getting all we needed, we were on our way to Morganza. In 2015 we stayed at the Maxey Care RV Park, and hoped we could stop there for lunch. Sure enough, the couple who runs The park were more than happy to let us picnic in our old spot! We reminisced about our last trek, when we were only four days from the end of our journey. We have a lot more to go now!

Back on the road, we were relieved to experience nice flat roads, the same ones we traveled three years ago. We even stopped at the same grocery store for good ol’ Fritos and Coke. As we sat enjoying our refreshments, a couple wished us well, and even gave us a hug for luck! We were amused when the gentleman referred to Bruce as a senior!!!

We traveled on busy Highway One for many miles, and were glad to get off  in Simmesport. We rode back roads for many miles after that.

As we entered the town of Cottonport, it was really beautiful, with a serene Bayou and pretty buildings. But the dogs... they were everywhere! At one point, three dogs seemed intent on feasting on Kelley’s legs, until an oncoming van intervened! Whew!!!

Finally we arrived in Bunkie, LA. In pitch dark. We  had arranged with the local fire  department to camp on their premises. Weren’t we surprised to find that they wanted us to sleep inside the firehouse! We were able to use their showers, and their kitchen to prepare our dinner. What a treat! It was our luck though, when the alarm sounded in the middle of the night, and out went the men to do their duty. 

Total cycling miles: 82

Total hiking mileage: 2