ALabama here I come!

Bicycling to Alabama on Sunday April 19^th, 2013

Sunshine, Bridges and Barnacle Bill’s

     Today I pedaled out of Moss Point MS and to Dauphin Island, Alabama. David and Lisa, my son and his wife, came over from their hotel at 8 a.m. to see what the Morning Take-off was like, and took some photos of the early morning snacks, map meeting when we got our cue sheets, and the exodus from the hotel in the uneven line of helmeted Lycra ladies taking off on their bikes to pedal a mere 44 miles.

      It was cool at first along Highway 63, but not too much traffic since it was Sunday.  There was an early bridge over a highway with nasty Rumble Strips I zigzagged round as I pedaled over it. Then it was on the highway shoulder, past the alligator farm which I skipped since I have seen alligator farms before. The one in Cuba was horrendous – hundreds of alligators in different sized pools tearing at the raw meat that was delivered to them twice a week, ripping it with giant teeth and fighting in the bloodied water for the best pieces. Then there were the Really Huge Old Alligators who lived in a crowded fenced off area behind rickety barbed wire. In reply to a question, one guard admitted they sometimes get out at night “but they don’t get far and we catch them in the morning.” WHY does Cuba keep hundreds of alligators with nowhere to go? Apparently the idea was to introduce them to the wild again – but now it seems much too late. So I skipped the Mississippi Alligators.

       After 10 miles I saw the “Welcome to Alabama” sign on the side of the road. The Sag, Carla, had thoughtfully parked there so she and everyone else could get an official photo by the sign to show we’d achieved another state line to cross. She took two photos of me, and then I cycled on to turn right on SR 188, which was a long country-roads Scenic Route to Dauphin Island. It was along quiet roads and lovely houses with green lawns and barking dogs kept behind fences and some places had just been resurfaced, so it was a great ride. The highway had had a chipseal bike lane – yuk.

       At the Sag stop at 20 miles, we exchanged notes on the wind that had come up, and on the lovely green views along the way, and used the “green room”, our euphemism for peeing outside on the grass or a bush or anywhere that’s available. We have become pretty unconcerned about it now since there are no alternatives and it makes bicycling easier. I biked on, staying on 188, and finally turning at the “blinking red light” to 193, which led to the bridge over the open water on to Dauphin Island. Beth, who refuses to ride on bridges, was waiting for a ride over but I rode along the slow approach and began up the step peak steadily, but stopped just before the top to walk. Mel was at the top and came down to encourage me to keep going, as I walked. I got on my bike again just before the peak, and then coasted down the long descent on to Dauphin Island.

        Here it was a couple of miles to Barnacle Bills, a recommended restaurant stop. The Zippety Doo Dah riders had been and gone, but the rest of us – about 20 of us – filled a couple of tables, and flummoxed the waitress, who’d been hired three days ago, with our various orders for shrimp and soft shell crabs and sandwiches and salads, unsweetened tea (apparently all tea is automatically sweetened in the South which is where we are) and French fries. The food was delicious when it came – I had a shrimp club sandwich was had fresh shrimp, lettuce and tomato on a roll. There was a black and white tile floor and we all took photos of the group, and I did some individual shots. Finally, it was time to pay – another major event for the staff with so many of us- and we were out on our bikes to look for coffee at the Lighthouse Coffee Shop and Bakery. Which we found on Chaumont Street, charming little house which closed at 3 and it was 2:30 p.m. I had a medium iced coffee and sat outside on an iron chair on the big porch sipping it, and enjoying the warmth and relaxation after a ride.

       Finally I set off to find the condos but bicycled the wrong way and ended up at the Ferry at the other end of Bienville Road. I turned round and found the imposing condo buildings, used the code to get in, and found the beautifully furnished condo number 303 which is on the third floor and has an elevator. I’m sharing with Wendy, Gale and Judy Rozelle. I have the Master Bedroom (all pre-assigned by the WT office). The balcony and the windows overlook the sky, the ocean, the sweeping white sand beaches and the two blue swimming pools. Wendy and Gale took their bikes down to clean, but I had a shower and decided to relax. I called Katrina and talked to Michael who is fine. I called David and Lisa who were just returning their car to the New Orleans airport and said they’d had a lovely weekend away. And I called Barbara D. and talked about her successful first week at her new job.

         THOUGHT: I am ready to go home, which surprises me. I like the riding and the challenge, but I think going out on the Boulder bike paths two or three times a week on rides will be fine. I don’t feel I want to take on more and more biking challenges – I know what I can do, and what I found too challenging, like large hills. So that’s what I shall do, though I may do one more Womantours shorter tour.

        Margaritas to start the evening, because we crossed another state line. Texas went on so long it’s amazing to have two margaritas in a week since we’ve been in Louisiana and now Alabama. Dinner was pumpkin lasagna with turkey or sausage, and a big salad, and delicious garlic bread, in Linda and Carol’s condo where we all sat round the living room and talked. There was banana pudding for dessert.

        Today is Sunday and tomorrow we have a day off at the beach and the pool and these lovely rooms. I plan to eat out. There’s a washing machine in the apartment which is busy working right now – or is that the dryer that’s on? Because we’re sharing the condo, Gale is watching TV, Wendy is sitting on the deck, and Judy was reading in her room.

         In two weeks it will be May 5^th, and the Sunday I fly back to Boulder CO. Amazing. I’ll have Sunday, Monday and Tuesday at home and then go and stay at my cousins, the Johnsons, who have been taking care of Sammy the Beagle as well as Scooter the Beagle and Stanley the thinks-he’s-a=beagle. They are off to their daughter’s graduation from college in Indianapolis.