2009 April 27th: Today was a very pleasant day. I got very little sleep last night due to the amount of wind that seemed to be constantly blowing. When the other people in the RV Park were getting ready to go to work at 5:30am, they woke me up. I got up and said my thanks to the guys that helped me out with power. I tried to go back to sleep, but that was worthless. I got up and started to get everything loaded onto the bike. I decided that instead of risking trying to go forward some 45 – 50 miles to the next gas station, I would just go back the 25 miles to a station that I past. I knew that I could make that and was nearly certain I wouldn’t be able to make the other.
I got fuel and then went back the way I came. I stopped a couple of times to take some photos of some of the houses that had suffered during the last couple of storms. There was still quite a bit of destruction visible and it gave me a very humble feeling. In many places there were pilings sticking out of the ground with no house on top. With many piles of debris and derelict vehicles that used to be motor homes that had been stripped to the frame. Almost every yard had a pile of debris gathered up near the driveway waiting to be hauled off. It was hard to think of the losses some of these people had suffered.
I rode on and upward more to the north and I got into some beautiful bayou country, with lots of large trees and waterways. I past numerous fields of rice farms and the smell of Lilac blooms filled the air. On parts of the ride, the road was lined with flowers, and all of the colors made it just beautiful.
I had been told by several different people since I started this journey that I should stop in Breaux Bridge, LA and eat some real Cajon food. Since this has always been one of my favorite foods, I decided to make the slight detour. Getting there was most of the fun. I went through so many small towns with tree lined streets and small brick buildings that just looked old. Every person that I talked to was very hospitable and friendly.
I had stopped at one point just to take a break, and a state trooper pulled up a few minutes later just to see if everything was alright. He was very cordial and was more than curious about my trip by asking me all these questions. It was nice to talk to him.
When I got to Breaux Bridge, I stopped in at the visitor’s center and asked them where to go eat. The lady’s there were telling me way too much information, but I finally figured out where I wanted to go eat. I chose to go to this place called ‘Crazy ’Bout Crawfish’. I had a very good lunch with a cup of seafood gumbo and a crabcake burger. It may sound strange, but it was very good. The portions were big but I ate most of it.
I got back on the road and stopped in Baton Rouge, LA. I had almost fallen asleep while riding on the interstate, so I figured it was time to find a place to stay. I stopped at a gas station and made some calls. After several calls, I decided to go to a motel 6. I was hesitant due to some prior experiences with the super cheap accommodations.
I had asked a lot of questions on the phone, so when I got there I just wanted my room. I unloaded the bike and one of the cleaning crew said that I should park the bike under the stairs because it was predicted to rain. I took that advice. I went up to the room and had a good shower. I went to set up the computer and couldn’t get the internet to function. I called down to the front desk and the girl told me that it cost and extra $3.00. This sort of upset me because when I called I asked if they had internet and she said yes, but she didn’t tell me that it cost extra. I ran down and paid for this service even though most of the rest of the hotels offer FREE wireless these days.
I had a pile of clothes that needed to be washed and so I took them down to the laundry facility. I tossed the clothes in a washer and went to buy some soap from the soap dispenser. I put in the quarters and got nothing. I went to the front desk to inform them that the machine took the money but didn’t give me the product. The girl at the counter said that she would refund my money but she couldn’t do anything about getting me some soap. This again had been one of those questions I had asked before I went there. I grabbed up my laundry and went back to my room and wash some of it by had using a bar of soap and hung them up to dry in the shower. So, the moral of the story is, don’t stay at a Motel 6 in Baton Rogue because the bitch behind the counter has forever ruined my experience of visiting Baton Rogue, LA. She was very rude and could care less that she had lied to me about all of the questions I had asked prior to going. I could have paid under $10 more and I would have had a more pleasant experience at a more quality place. Cheaper isn’t always better.
I also wanted to mention that I saw a lot of remains of armadillos on the road. I would not want to hit one with the bike as they look like a very hard speed bump that might ruin my day. There were also a lot of snakes and some skunks on the roads. The one that really got me though was right after I had got gas first thing in the morning. I saw an alligator by the side of the road. The part that got me was that I thought it was debris until I got closer and the tail moved. This immediately freaked me out but I was already past it. It just goes to show that when you are in a strange area, you need to be even more aware of your surroundings.
Tomorrow I plan to leave right away and go up to New Orleans, LA and drive through the French quarter and on to Biloxi, MS, where I was born.