  The road out of town is a two lane with no shoulder. When you have limited roads between towns, people always go for the direct route. People are almost universally good and giving you space, but you do not know when the driver will not. I feel like I need to be responsible for my safety. I will defer to pull off on the shoulder to live to see another day.  The mirror on the helmet allows me to keep track of cars behind me.  We found a quieter road to get us to our destination.     I have seen Buddy Guy and these other musicians perform. So glad to travel through.  These maps help give me a better perspective.  Coming in to Batchelor.   Near Labarre.  John James Audubon Bridge.  Coming into the state historical site for Audubon. Audubon was a self-taught artist. He created a pictoral record of birds of the North America. An example of his work is below and show vivid detail of each species. Each bird was shown in its natural habitat.  Louisiana Herron.   Here we could get some supplies.  Approaching Bogalusa, LA Tomorrow I will be in Mississippi.
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 On a tour you keep pedaling along. As long and you are walking, coasting, or pedaling, the rubber is moving along. Your little efforts move you along to your destination. I have been plugging along on the Southern Tier starting at the end of September. On October 22 I enter the west part of Texas. One thousand miles later I am now in Louisiana. I have now traveled over 2000 miles on this route. The sites have been interesting.  Near Bleakwood.  This area too was a lumber area. The railroad came to this section of the state and created Bon Wier. The name comes from the two last names of founders. Now I cross the river and into Louisiana.  The Sabine River separates Texas from Louisiana.  California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and now Louisiana!  In De Ridder we found distinctive looking buildings. In De Ridder the elevation is 203'. This was a town of over 10,000 and it had many good services. This town was named after a railroad financier. It seems like so many towns on my western routes have names somehow connected to the railroad. It was the railroad that opened so many areas.  De Ridder to Oberlin.  I like having a perspective of where I am in the big picture.  The woods can give us protection from some wind, but sometimes I think that it funnels it right into our faces.  On the road near Oberlin.   Fewer hills meant more traffic, but I was okay with that today.  Take a break to see something interesting and then back on the road. https://forestheritagemuseum.org/  Always a welcome sight to move you along. Will there be an ice cream stand?   Remains of the Meeker sugar refinary.  Allowed go camp near the Fire Station in Bunkie.   Along the Trinity River near Romayor.  The road near Votaw.  Near Thicket is Nature Preserve.  In the preserve it was good to get off the bike and hike.  A nice Forest Service Road got us back to the route.  The elevation is around 100' and I found some swamp land.   I have not trouble staying in the speed limit.  The land continues to be flat as I approach Evadale.  First Methodist Church in Kirbyville. As we were picking up supplies in the store, we were approached by a minister to offer the church yard for our tents. We stayed at the church above. What a nice offer. We could use the restroom and hand wash our clothes.  What a nice place for us and we really appreciated the hospitality.   It seems like I have been in Texas for a long time. I knew it was a big state, but you do not realize it until you bike across.  We do re-enactments in Michigan too, but ours are of the War of 1812. This is at Washington on the Brazos, the location of the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence in 1836. As I am reading about this area, I read that still 1/3 of those in this area during the 2020 census are of German descent. Awhile back we went through a town that emphasized the German heritage. After revolts in 1848 in Germany, many immigrated to the United States.  Quite an extensive area of Texas. I know there were many Germans who settled in the Midwest. I come from German heritage.  Navasota is a town of 7643 based on the 2020 census. It is 219' above sea level. It was designated "Blues Capital of Texas" by the legislature because the blues artist, Mance Lipscomb, was born near there. The downtown of Anderson has been designated as a historical district and the courthouse is shown below.  Grimes County Courthouse in Anderson.  A favorite spot for touring cyclists along the Southern Tier. 60% completed.   Thanks for posing.  We did some riding on the Forest Service roads in the National Forest. This is one of the four National Forests in Texas and we are in 163,000 acres of beautiful forest. The Lone Star Hiking Trail goes for over 128 miles near here. We are only 50 miles north of Houston.    |
AuthorI love my riding days and look to find interesting and informative items to share. 
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