Day 10 - Lousianna

Hi folks! This trip is really doing me some good. I really needed a major change of scenery and this trip is a major change! Merrilou wasn't happy about two weeks apart and I wasn't looking forward to two weeks away from her but I needed some time alone. Can you believe that this is the first time she and I have been apart for this long? Really, it is! I've been to various classes and seminars over the years but they all were for 3 or 4 days at the most. All I can say about this trip is that "longing makes the heart grow fonder."

I didn't start taking pictures today until I got past New Orleans. The freeway was uneventful (always a good thing!) And navigating through New Orleans demanded all my attention. Once I got on US-90 from N.O. to New Iberia though, I started snapping pics. As is usual for my attempts while the bike is in motion, most of them are not worth showing to anyone, but I've posted a few here.

US-90 is soon to be no more. Plans are to convert it to I-49...a freeway. It will be a sad day when that happens. The loss will be great. However, after driving it today, I can understand why. It's currently a high-speed road with practically unlimited access. I suspect there are a lot of accidents.



There is still a lot of character on this road even though most of it has been converted to freeway standards already.



Louisiana has a lot of waterways.



...and spooky-looking woods.



Some of the waterways are not capable of large ship traffic.



Some of the old bridges are still standing.



and there are a lot of trailer homes everywhere.



US-90 is mostly a high-speed road now built to freeway specs. It's too bad really, I'm sure back in the day, this was a great little byway with character and places to stop along the way. Now, though, it has off ramps to anonymous roads that disappear into the woods. Who knows where they go.



My back tire is doing fine. I pumped it up to 47 this morning before I hit the road. It was at 37. Higher tire pressures will make the tire wear slower at the expense of the contact patch. But, since I'm not pushing the performance limits of the tire on this trip, I'm not worried about a smaller contact patch. I'm confident that it will last the rest of the trip. These tires are Metzeler ME880 Marathons. They're supposed to have a harder compound in the center where the tire doesn't need as much traction. They really are a longer lasting tire.

Oh, by the way...if you ever get the urge to clean the bugs of your plastic windshield with a kitchen scrubber (the yellow sponge with a green scrubber on the other side), DON'T! I can guarantee you won't like the results. (You'll probably have to replace the windshield...like I'll have to do.)

Tomorrow I enter Texas...again. It will be freeway all the way from Lafayette, LA to San Antonio. Yes, the dreaded I-10 through south Tx again.