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Post date: Feb 19, 2017 2:8:29 AM
Having been rain delayed into staying one more night in Texas I awoke this morning ready to move into Cajun territory. I was also keen on getting to New Orleans. My first stop of the morning was in Lake Charles. Harper Lee is an amazing artists because entering the lakeside town from an eastern off-ramp it looked just like I imagined the town in To Kill A Mockingbird. Small shacks gave way to, stately houses with front porches, which gave way to a old courthouse and downtown that looked closed for the weekend. The Marti Graz celebrations I had heard were going to take place here were not. I latter learned these were taking place back in Sulphur. A town I had passed about 10 miles west of the lake.
It being Saturday not much was going on downtown I decided to back track to Sulphur but before doing so I s
wung by SOWELA Lake Charles’ Junior College. It’s out by the airport and as expected it was an absolute ghost town with nobody around, just nice new looking buildings that were closed. So much for being an overachiever, the Marti Graz in Sulphur was small and not ready yet, just a zydeco band doing a sound check in a park. With well over 200 miles between me and New Orleans I devoted the rest of the day to moving eastward which I did not via the most direct route but by the most scenic.
I took highway 90 that runs the coast route through the bayou. Mid day temps were in the high 70-80’s and it was a thoroughly enjoyable ride seeing a part of the country I had not experienced before. Because the highway has to be elevated in many areas to transverse the wetlands. Depending on the traveling speed the bike would develop harmonics with the concrete joints in the road surface. If the correct tempo song came on the iPod the experience was sublime, with the bike and myself head bobbing to the music in time as we roared along at freeway speeds. I’m not sure any other motorists noticed this but in the movie that will later be made of this trip it will feature prominently as a feel good moment.
I made it all the way to New Orleans, but with no good luck finding hotel accommodations or open camping sites; I did not cross the final bridges into downtown proper. I guess the rest of the world is celebrating the long presidents day weekend in the city, leaving no room for itinerant motorcycle travelers. I backtracked to where I could find an open room for the night and I will explore the city tomorrow…
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