Day 4

Today’s trip was from North of Alexandria to Marksville.

Woke up at Cotile Lake and pulled the kitchen out and started boiling water for coffee and oatmeal. After some bike maintenance and packing I got back on the road. It was 6.92 miles back to LA1 but once I was back to LA1 I had my tailwind back again.

I made the Louisiana Welcome Center that is north of Alexandria on I49 by 10:30 where I was greater by Ternice. They had fresh coffee and I was sitting down studying my map when another traveler came in Ternice welcomed him and ask ‘how are you doing?’. Pretty standard greeting but this gentleman said ‘terrible’, while fixing him self a cup of coffee. I took this as a personal challenge to discover the root of his misery or cheer him up. We batted comments back and forth finding out he was from New York, now retired and living in Las Vegas and on vacation with his wife heading for Florida. By the time he left, he was all smiles and talking about what a friendly state Louisiana was. Success!

I crossed 200 total miles at the rest stop.

I made it to Alexandria for lunch and missing the place Ternice had recommended, but found a place with my nose, Mama’s on 3rd street. This is an old gas station that has been converted into a restaurant. They had been open less than a week and the blue FEMA tarp was still on the roof. I got a plate lunch of red beans and rice and sat outside and visited with Leon who was cooking port chops. He said his sisters had started this restaurant along with his brother-in-law who had retired from Coke. I had an enjoyable lunch.

As I was riding I saw some men setting set nets on the side of the road so I stopped to take a picture. I ask them if they were doing any good (catching anything) and Mr. Alford Martin came over and we visited. He is retired from the Army where he was in the infantry and a drill sergeant . He was out crawfishing with his grandson and great grandsons. They had a half of a 5-gallon bucket so far and were planning on using the small crawfish for catfish lines tonight.

I saw two wrecks on the last leg of today ride and with all the traffic I stayed on the side of the road most of the time. This is a busy section without much to see other than closed businesses.

I made it into Marksville and decided no trip to Marksville is complete without a stay at the Paragon Casino and Resort so I booked a room and parked the bike outside. After a warm shower, some street clothes it was off to find something to eat. I ended up at the buffet since it was steak night. I made up for that fruitcake dinner last night to stay the least!

Stats
58.66 total miles
25.6 max speed
* crossed 200 miles at the Alex Visitor Center