Author Archives: Sarah
Day 35: Picayune to New Orleans
Phil, Barbara, Chris and me in Picayune
Phil and I were in the kitchen already when Barbara came in and told us to help ourselves to breakfast. Chris woke up shortly afterwards and packed some food for us to take with us for the day, including some of the delicious pecan pie from the night before. She also fed carrots to the horses and goats outside, so we could get a closer look at them through the kitchen window.
The ride that day was perfectly flat and a stark contrast to every other day we’re ridden thus far. When I had mapped out the last two days on the same route, from Hattiesburg to New Orleans, the first half of the ride was quite hilly in comparison. The elevation chart flat-lined halfway through the route, making it look like someone had died. This was our day, from Picayune to New Orleans, and it was supposed to be sunny with gentle tailwinds the entire way. We were both in a great mood, being so close to our destination for the next few months.
Flat roads for miles
The first road we turned onto was called Flat Top road. It sure was flat, and looking at the elevation chart, we were indeed at the top of the day’s course. Not ten miles into the route, we came to a gate across the road. It was a NASA space station, and the guard would not let us cut through. He sent us back to the main road, and we ended up on a detour that took us about 10 miles east of where we were supposed to turn south. However, if it weren’t for that detour, we would not have passed the ice-cream shop at mile eighteen, where I enjoyed a peanut butter sundae.
We used our phones to reroute ourselves back on track, but the pavement of one of the roads we turned down suddenly disappeared. We found ourselves struggling to go forward on a road of loosely-packed dirt. I ended up getting stuck in the sand and was unable to start again without sinking into the road. A pickup truck drove up from behind and stopped next to me, while Phil slowly continued down the road. The driver, who introduced himself as Deputy Earhart, started talking about how he used to bicycle 75 miles a day. He offered to drive us a few miles down to where the road was once again paved, and I gladly accepted. Meanwhile, Phil had made a bit of progress and was about half a mile up the road. He passed his bike up and jumped in with me. We rode in the back, hanging onto our bikes, for about 2 miles before the deputy stopped and helped us to unload our bikes. He pointed us in the right direction and sent us on our way, down highway 90.
Welcome to Louisiana
We were just about to approach the point on highway 90 where we were back on course with Garmin, when we came to a small bar called Turtle Landing. A sign on the door indicated that the kitchen was closed, but we went in to use the bathroom and then sat outside eating the snacks that Chris had packed for us. We opened one can of the Vienna sausages, which resemble pieces of hotdogs and have the consistency of soggy bologna, but we couldn’t finish it. We also had a package of crackers and a few slices of processed cheese. The meal reminded me of Lunchables. As we were about to get back on the road, a man came up to us and offered us hot jambalaya inside. It was free, and I had never tasted jambalaya before, so I went in to try some. It was quite good.
We still had 40 miles to ride before reaching our destination, and the sun was on its way down. It would get cold quickly. We rode non-stop until we were only 11 miles from the city and stopped to eat the pecan pie and don some warmer layers. At some point we had to cross a bridge to get to New Orleans, and from a distance, the bridge rose up like a roller coaster. I could see cars driving up and disappearing over the other side. It reminded me of the Mario Kart game, where you go over these jumps in the road. Fortunately, the road seemed to flatten out as we approached.
When we were each about 5 miles from our respective friends’ homes, Phil and I parted ways and rode on our own for the last few miles. I arrived at the apartment where Bobby, Aaron, Jeremy, Aly and Matt reside just before 6pm. Aly was home to let me in, and after a shower, we went out to find food.
Aly and Taz on Frenchmen Street
We took the trolley into the French Quarter and ate burritos at Felippe’s. Walking further down the road, we ran into Taz, a busker who was finishing up for the night. We offered to help him carry his instruments (and his door) back to his motor home. After walking with him to the motor home, he offered to buy us beer for our trouble. We ended up going to a convenience store on Frenchmen Street and drinking beer with a few other street musicians. After walking to another convenience store on Royal Street for a second beer, we heard from Bobby and Aaron, who were with two new pedicab drivers, Dennis and Pete, who had just arrived from Boston. We met up with them at Thirteen on Frenchmen, shared some potato puff nachos, and walked back to the pedicab shop, from where Aaron drove us home.
A few days in Hattiesburg
We were hoping to continue down south to Picayune (pick-uh-yoon) after one night at Shivan and Mat’s house, but upon awakening in Hattiesburg, we saw that it was still raining and quite cold. Shivan and Mat told us we could stay as long as we needed to, so we decided to stay another night. It did not help our motivation when it was cold and rainy the following morning, and we ended up staying yet another day.
Both days in Hattiesburg were laid back and relaxing. The first day, Phil wanted to find a buckle so he could rig one of his front panniers into a shoulder bag by clipping on a longer strap to the existing buckles, so we biked to Walmart in search of something that would do the trick. He didn’t find anything. Then we went to a restaurant, 206 Front, for Sunday brunch. We spent the remainder of the day lounging at T-Bone’s Cafe, where we hung out the previous night, reading and taking advantage of the free wifi. When we returned to the house, Shivan made delicious sandwiches from cauliflower, cheese, bacon and seasonings, and we drank vodka. When the vodka was gone, we broke out the wine we had bought from the vineyard in Anniston, Alabama.
Brindle
Shivan and Mat have quite a few pets: three dogs and at least three cats, including a tiny kitten. The small dog, Brindle, is an attention whore and insists on being picked up or in someone’s lap at all times. I allowed him to sit on my lap while I played piano, relearning some songs I used to know well, and learning (or trying to stumble through) a few new songs. Mat also has a baritone horn, which he let me play as well. I miss having instruments lying around and being able to play whenever the urge strikes. I spent a good part of our second day in Hattiesburg just playing music, while Phil was walking around the town and visiting the library.
In the afternoon, I walked with Shivan and Mat to their friend Jeannie’s house, where Jeannie had a room full of Mary Kay products she was selling. I’m not a huge fan of overly scented products, and I don’t wear make-up, but I have noticed that my skin has been extremely dry, probably from daily sun and wind exposure, and I had mentioned that I needed some kind of moisturizer. I did not end up purchasing anything from her, but did eventually go with a foot lotion from Shivan the next morning. I will test it out and see if that helps my dry legs.
From Jeannie’s house, we walked to a natural food store that Mat and Shivan frequent called New Yokel, where we ate salads. On the way back to the house, I stopped at a local bakery and purchased a few sweets to share with everyone.
James and me after watching the Saints game
While we still weren’t sure if we’d be able to get in touch with Mat, one of the other couchsurfers we had contacted got back to me. I told him we had found a place to stay after all but suggested we meet up anyway for a drink. There was a trivia night in a pub near the Southern Miss campus, but it was cold and miserable outside and a bit too far. James suggested we go to a closer bar to watch the Saints game. Phil opted to stay in, so James biked over to the house to pick me up. We rode to the Keg and Barrel, a bar with the largest selection of beers on tap and in bottle in all of southern Mississippi. James is originally from Brazil and has been in Hattiesburg for two years. He told me of how he made an enormous flag to support the school’s football team, and the school liked it so much that they opened a fund for him to travel to all of the away games with the flag. He pretty much gets paid to be a fan! Football is clearly very important down here.
Day 33: Laurel to Hattiesburg, MS
Phil, Dallas and me before leaving Laurel
I awoke this morning in such a dark room that I thought it was still the middle of the night. It was after 10am. We didn’t have to travel very far to get to Hattiesburg, so we weren’t in much of a hurry. However, we had not heard from the couchsurfer in Hattiesburg who initially agreed to host us in over a week, and we didn’t have his address or phone number so we weren’t sure if he had gotten my message a few days ago saying that we were a day behind. I sent out messages to a few other couchsurfers in Hattiesburg in case we couldn’t get in touch with him, and Dallas contacted a few of his friends in Hattiesburg. Dallas made eggs and pancakes for us, despite not eating any himself.
We left Laurel even later than we left Meridian, but we had only half the distance to travel. The course was flat, following highway 11 almost the entire way, but it was terribly windy. The wind tried continuously to push us backwards, and we fought it every mile of the ride. In the first ten miles we passed a dead badger on the side of the road, and shortly afterwards passed by a dead snake. This brought the badger song into my head for nearly the rest of the ride, and I found myself actively on the lookout for mushrooms on the side of the road for the next few miles. We made one stop at a fruit stand, which had a sad selection of old-looking citrus fruits and a few bad apples. I spent less than a dollar on a small bag of pretzels and a Capri Sun.
Relaxing at T-Bone's Records & Cafe
It had rained on and off on us during the ride, and by the time we arrived in Hattiesburg, it was steadily sprinkling. Phil was craving Chinese food, so when I spotted Panda, we pulled into the parking lot so he could get some food. As we pulled in, another cyclist rode up to greet us. It was Mat – the couchsurfer who had agreed to host us when I had first contacted him a few weeks ago. He was on his way to the Southern Mississippi football game, and when he saw the two of us in our touring gear, he figured we might be the couchsurfers he was supposed to host. He gave us his phone number and we planned to meet up after the game.
While Phil was eating Chinese food, I continued a few blocks west and found a cafe where I could order salad, coffee, beer and a turtle dessert bar. The turtle bar was SO good, I had to have seconds. T-Bone’s cafe is also a record store, and they had pretty good music playing. Phil joined me shortly after I sat down to eat and made himself comfortable in one of the couches to read his Kindle.
We heard from Mat around 6:45 and rode to his house. His girlfriend, Shivan, was working at the football game and hadn’t come home yet. Mat showed us around, and their numerous dogs and cats introduced themselves, begging for affection. An artist who moved to New Orleans had lived in the house for years, and his drawings and sculptures were all over the house. There were also several musical instruments, including a piano and a baritone, which I played a bit. Shivan came home, and we ate some grapes and sushi and drank wine before heading to bed.
Day 32: Meridian to Laurel, MS
Crystal's dog
After a late night of tarot card reading and more conversation back at Crystal’s trailer, we woke up relatively late for a 60-mile day. Phil and I made breakfast, packed, and eventually made it out of Meridian around 12:30. Once again, it’s tough to leave when we have such nice people hosting us!
The miles went by slowly for me – the wind was in my face, and the roads were hillier than anticipated. We didn’t take any long breaks though, and we managed to roll into Laurel just around 5pm.
Interesting trees in a stream
Our host, Dallas, grew up in Laurel and lives in an apartment downtown with his brother. We were the first couchsurfers to contact him. I guess not a lot of travelers end up passing through these small towns in Mississippi. Dallas was also the only couchsurfer in Laurel, so if anyone were to pass through, he’d be their only option and would probably know about it.
After Phil and I showered, Dallas grilled some steaks on the barbecue. We rested for a bit, and then I walked with Dallas to a pub nearby while Phil stayed and watched a documentary. I needed to stretch my legs out, and had been craving a beer to help with the muscle soreness. We talked for a while in the pub before walking back. I realized that people in Mississippi are not that much different from Rhode Islanders.
Happy Thanksgiving from Mississippi!
Phil made breakfast in the morning, and baked an apple pie to bring to Crystal’s cousin’s house in Collinsville. I ate a mixture of avocado, banana and cottage cheese and made some phone calls outside, where the sun was warm and phone reception was decent.
Phil, Crystal and me at Daphne's house for Thanksgiving
When the pie was out of the oven and Crystal was ready to go, we drove to her cousin Daphne’s house, about 15 minutes away. At least 30 family members were in town from all over for the holiday. I didn’t recognize a lot of the food, but it was all delicious. I even enjoyed the deep-fried turkey. There was cornbread stuffing, corn casserole, a baked bean/meat dish, ham, broccoli rice casserole, green beans disguised in a creamy dressing, and mashed potatoes. Of course, the desserts are always my favorite, and I had to save room for the pies, puddings, and cake. Aside from the desserts that Phil and I brought, there was pecan pie, a lemon layered pudding dessert with a pecan crust, yellow cake with chocolate frosting, and banana pudding. Banana pudding is something I’ve seen almost everywhere since we reached Alabama, and it’s incredible.
After eating, the family dispersed – the kids played outside with the dog, some watched football, and most of them just talked. Several hours later, after many people had gone home, the food was broken out again. I had a second course of much of the same food, plus extra banana pudding.
Day 31: Eutaw, AL to Meridian, MS
Me, Deirdre, Ken and Phil before leaving Eutaw
We began our day with eggs and grits that Deirdre made for breakfast. Grits actually reminds me of cream of wheat, but most people put butter and salt in it. Phil and I enjoyed ours with pure maple syrup. Real maple syrup is one thing I really wish was more popular down here.
After cleaning off our bikes and packing up, we said goodbye to Deirdre and Ken (George and Nola were still sleeping) and left Eutaw. The ride was a gradual, steady uphill for most of the route.
The river between Boligee and Epes, Alabama
We rode for 26 miles, non-stop except to snap a few quick photos of the river from a bridge we crossed over. A woman driving by in a minivan slowed down to let us know there was a historical fort nearby, in case we were interested. We stopped at the Touch of Home Bakery in Livingston, by the University of West Alabama. For the next 33 miles, we were on the same road. The weather was pleasant, but the ride was long – almost 70 miles.
Welcome to Mississippi!
We made it to Meridian before dark and were greeted by the large dog Crystal shares with her neighbor as we approached her trailer. We were Crystal’s first couchsurfers, and she kindly welcomed us to join her family for Thanksgiving the next day. We showered in her newly redecorated bathroom and ate some tasty sweet potato casserole that Crystal had made the day before.
Wanting to contribute something for the holiday, we went to Walmart and bought ingredients for pies. I made a coconut sweet potato pumpkin pie with a gingersnap crust from a recipe I found in a newspaper on the counter, and Phil made banana bread. With all the leftover pumpkin and sweet potato, I made a bread as well.
Don't worry - this is NOT where we stayed in Meridian
Crystal’s friend, Donald, came over for a bit, and I made drinks with the rest of the coconut milk. Sky juice, a drink I fell in love with while in the Bahamas last summer, is made with coconut water, condensed milk, and gin. I already had some coconut water, so with the gin that Donald brought over, I made some sky juice with ice in the blender. After Donald left, we watched Napoleon Dynamite and went to bed.
Day 30: Tuscaloosa to Eutaw, AL
Me, Kenny and Phil at Starbucks in Tuscaloosa
We woke up at 8am, packed, and headed to Starbucks, where Kenny was already working for the day. The weather was supposed to hold off until 2pm, so we decided we would make a run for it and try to get to Eutaw before the impending thunderstorms struck. Kenny treated Phil and I to tea and coffee, respectively, and then we said goodbye and hit the road.
We made it 26 miles before the rain hit us. It came after a small pit stop at a gas station, one of the only things we saw along the entire route. I heard thunder in the distance and started thinking about tornadoes. Tornadoes can form rapidly whenever there are severe thunderstorms, and my imagination fueled most of the energy in my legs for the rest of the ride. At one point the rain came down so hard that I worried about cars being able to see us. The water running down my face was burning my eyes, making it difficult to open them.
View of the river on the way out of Tuscaloosa
Eventually, it eased up, and as we pulled into Deirdre’s driveway, the sun actually peeked through the clouds. Phil and I were both completely soaked – we finally really put the waterproof-ability of our panniers to the test (and they passed).
Deirdre and her son, George, helped us bring everything inside. After showering, the four of us went to the only restaurant in town for lunch, where we had barbecue (pulled pork) sandwiches. The population of Eutaw is greater than that of my high school by no more than a few hundred. Everyone seems to know everybody.
In between lunch and dinner, Nola, Deirdre’s daughter, woke up and joined us, and Ken, her husband, came home from work. Dinner was excellent – baked pumpkins stuffed with rice, cheese, bacon, apple and herbs, and breaded chicken. We talked for a while in between dinner and dessert, which was brownies with ice-cream. The family has great stories about un-schooling (different from home-schooling), what life is like in Alabama, and other people they’ve hosted from around the world. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to all of them.
Resting in Tuscaloosa, AL
Phil, Bailey, Joe, Cooper and me
Joe had an exam on Monday morning and then was driving to be with his family in Memphis for Thanksgiving, but his roommate, Kenny,who was initially skeptical of couchsurfing, kindly agreed to let us stay another night after Joe was gone. Joe also let us use his bed, which was a great improvement over the couches in the living room.
We spent most of the day relaxing and recovering from the 4 hard days of riding we had done since Atlanta. It was just over a mile walk to Bama Jama’s, where we ate breakfast by the football stadium. After walking back, Phil played video games while I napped with Kenny’s dog, Bailey. I brought Bailey out for a walk and then went running myself through the University of Alabama campus and to the Tuscaloosa River Walk, just over 7 miles total.
View of the river during my run
While I was running, Kenny came back from work and went on his own 6-mile run, and afterwards, we all went grocery shopping. Kenny made three pizzas for dinner, which were all delicious (especially the BBQ chicken pizza). Kenny’s neighbor, Chris, and friend, Kari, joined us for dinner.
My good friend from RI, Ashley, has family in Tuscaloosa, and she had put me in touch with her cousin, Jon, who I was hoping to meet later that evening. Unfortunately, he ended up not being able to meet that night. Phil and I weren’t sure if we would leave the next day because of severe thunderstorms that were predicted for Tuesday, so we decided to wake up early the next morning to get a better idea of the weather.
Day 29: Birmingham to Tuscaloosa, AL
Me, Jen, Mark and Phil before leaving Birmingham
Jen was on call on Sunday and got called into work that morning, so Mark made pancakes and eggs for breakfast. By the time we had packed and were ready to go, Jen had returned, so she and Mark walked us downstairs. Mark had to go to work this time, and he rode with us as far as his office, just a few blocks west of their apartment.
The first 15 miles of the ride were actually very depressing to me. The homes were all run-down, very small and close together, and Garmin kept sending us down narrow alleys that were littered with trash (and sometimes broken glass). The weather didn’t help. It was cloudy and misty for most of the day. We couldn’t pick up any speed because we weren’t on any roads for long enough before being sent onto unpaved, bumpy pathways or turning onto another ally. Old American cars with pimped out wheels seemed to be in style, and many homes had been patched with random materials for example, the top surface of a small corner desk had been nailed over the bottom corner of a broken window).
Alabama is hilly!
Conditions improved after we stopped for lunch. We were finally out of the city and the mist had lifted, but it was still cloudy and the roads became hilly.
When we finally reached Tuscaloosa, the last stretch looked like a war zone. Joe, our host, later explained that an enormous tornado had gone through in April, picking up everything in its path. Trees, cars, houses – entire neighborhoods – were now completely gone.
For dinner we went to Dreamland BBQ – a place that was rated number one for their dessert (banana pudding) and runner-up for best barbecue, according to the Best of Tuscaloosamagazine. The ribs were good, but the banana pudding was incredible. I’m already thinking about how I could get some more of it before we leave Tuscaloosa.
Walkway leading up to the UA Crimson Tide's football stadium
From there, Joe brought us to the University of Alabama campus to walk around and see the Walk of Champions, outside of the Bryant-Denny football stadium, where a bronze statue was erected for every coach who won UA a football national championship. Ever since we reached North Carolina, it became increasingly apparent that college football is a big deal in the South. The UA football stadium can seat 104,000 people, and another 50-60,000 usually just tailgate outside. Joe told us that home games always sell out, and games can generate over $20 million.
Joe’s roommate, Kenny, came home shortly after we returned to Joe’s apartment. Both Joe and Kenny had to wake up early the next morning, so we had a relaxing evening and watched a movie before going to bed.
Day 28: Oxford to Birmingham, AL
Phil’s alarm clock didn’t sound this morning, so when I woke up and saw that it was 7:30, we both jumped up and started packing. We had told Reverend Chuck that we would be leaving by 8am. We made it out by 8:05, dropped the key in Chuck’s mailbox, and rode about a mile to Starbucks for breakfast.
Phil and I with some of the Oxford locals at Starbucks
Having a loaded bicycle in a small town in Alabama (or anywhere, I’d imagine) is a great conversation starter. Several people struck up conversation, asking what we were doing, offering their advice on places to check out around town and when we get to New Orleans, and informing us that there is a pretty high-profile bicycle race just a few miles away in Cheaha State Park, the location of the high point in Alabama. We were lucky enough to get a photo with a few of the folks who spoke to us at Starbucks.
Back on the road, we backtracked to the church before we were on course with Garmin. I’m afraid I’ve been spending too much time following the purple line that Garmin lays out for me. Like any computer game that one gets addicted to, I’ve been seeing the purple line in my dreams and every time I close my eyes. It’s really quite fascinating, as I thought it could only happen with games like tetris and minesweeper, but a little frightening as well. I’m glad that New Orleans is only about a week away, so I will be free from Garmin’s trance for a few months.
In the first twenty miles of the day, we passed various attractions such as the Eastaboga Nut House (another pecan facility), the Talladega Super Speedway, and Scuttlebutt Wireless (sorry, Verizon, but I think I would switch to this wireless provider just for the great name if I lived here). We also had tremendous luck with the winds and terrain, as route 78 was mainly a gradual decline in altitude and we were going downwind the entire time. This luck changed shortly after we stopped for food in Pell City at the Ark Family Restaurant. We turned off of 78, and were faced with some serious hills for the second third of the journey. Heading back towards 78, we turned into the wind.
We stopped at a gas station for our second break of the day about 20 miles outside of Birmingham. There, we saw all sorts of interesting people, but nobody talked to us except for a cross country coach who was stopping in with the team after they had run a half marathon. The last ten miles into Birmingham were very industrial. We played leapfrog with a train heading into the city, and then ended up riding down a road that reminded me of Allens Avenue in Providence, minus the bike lanes and the strip clubs (I know, I know…what other distinguishing characteristics could there be? It just felt like Allens Ave).
Phil, me, Jen and Mark in Birmingham
We arrived at Jen and Mark’s apartment just before Jen was leaving to go to a movie, so she left shortly after letting us in. After showering, Mark took Phil and me to a modest, but very delicious French restaurant. We finished the night off with a beer at Avondale Brewing Company, the local brewery that recently opened. The beer was very good, and the bartender and brew master were both very friendly.
Nomadic Cycling 