NEW ORLEANS!

I am writing from New Orleans after an intense 2 weeks of bicycling from Jacksonville. Pete and I were able to make it here on Thursday evening after riding 11 days straight. With sore muscles and aching bottoms we rolled across the marshlands of Louisiana towards friends and rest. We have dialed in our daily riding routine despite multiple weather and food obstacles and it feels good to have finished a quarter of the trip despite tropical storm Ida.

We have spent most of the last two weeks at private and state campsites with the occasional hotel room used for reprieve from wind and rain. Our days consist of riding from 8pm-5pm and plenty of food. Our drafting has become routine and we have settled into a "10 miles on 10 miles off" schedule. When dealing with headwinds the drafting is crucial. The alternating schedule enables the second rider to relax and pedal far less. It is amazing to watch the person in front struggle with pedaling and have to use the brakes to stay behind.

We cruised through Tallahassee on the way to Pensacola when we first heard about Ida. A ferry is slotted to carry riders across Mobile Bay to Dauphin Island. It was startling but humorous to see the storm track centered on Pensacola, the day we were going to arrive. With the high wind and surf warnings, the ferry was moved and canceled which forced us to head further north and find a land based route around Mobile Bay. The day after the tropical storm arrived, we headed north directly into the offshore winds generated by the counter-clockwise rotation of the storm. With 25mph gusting winds we battled north and across Mobile Bay to eventually arrive in Mobile. We cruised into Mobile after dark and had a near collision with a raccoon. The animal scampered out in front of my wheel and I swerved enough just to avoid a total raccoon collision.

Today was our first day of rest and it has felt amazing. We wandered the French Quarter of New Orleans, ate amazing food, and imbibed several tasty beverages. Now we are off to enjoy a good local play. I will continue to update with photos and posts as able. Our bikes have been exceptional and we have met many kind and interesting people. More to come on our diet and the local culture!

And... a special thanks to my father for his guest posts. If anyone is curious about a certain aspect of our trip, please comment and I will answer!