When you’re riding as many miles as we are, it’s unavoidable. Sometimes you find yourself cycling in places that are terribly un-bike-friendly. Baton Rouge was one of those places. To be honest, we couldn’t wait to leave. But a big storm and some freelance had us stay put for a few days. And once we got off our bikes and were able to explore a bit, we were surprised and really enjoyed it.
After a generous Warm Showers stay, we found a sweet spot near downtown Baton Rouge and were able to check out, Spanish Town, the Red Stick farmer’s market, and the Louisiana State Capitol. The highlight for us was the free museum day. We went to the LSU Museum of Art which houses an impressive collection of Andy Warhol pieces. And we also walked over to the Louisiana Art & Science Museum. It’s a great place with some fantastic photography. The best part was the amazing live jazz. Listening to a live jazzy jam of “Sexual Healing” is a great way to top off your weekend.
From Baton Rouge, we went up near St. Francisville and stayed with Perry, a.k.a the Bike Lady. Look her up and you’ll find she’s a Warm Showers host with “Legendary” status. And she’s a legend for good reason. Perry has hosted THOUSANDS of sweaty cyclotourists on her property, and she’s refined her setup over the years: a separate bunkhouse and toilet for bikers, an outdoor shower, a covered deck, and all the bike tools you could possibly dream of. She even cooked us a beautiful Thai curry dinner and gave us a tour of her de facto bike shop. (Perry builds all of her own bikes, her wheels, everything… She is a stud.) Our stay with Perry was short but sweet. But we’re so happy to have had the chance to get to know her and hope we stay in touch.
Our next stop was Natchez, Mississippi. Natchez is the start of the Parkway that’ll take us up to Nashville, and there’s also a ton of fascinating history here. For one, there are more antebellum homes here than anywhere along the Mississippi River. (Homes that were lucky enough not to be burned during the Civil War.) It’s also the oldest city located along the river.
Things also start to feel more segregated here than any place I’ve ever been: white neighborhoods are white and black neighborhoods black. Black restaurant and service workers won’t look at us in the face when we ask, “How’s your day going?” It’s strange. And while people are friendly everywhere we go, there’s this overlying vibe of “Why are you here?”
On a lighter note, biking the Trace seems too good to be true. It’s a cyclist’s dream. There’s a ton of cheap or free camping along the route at decent increments. There are a few cities along the way, but for the most part the parkway is pretty quiet and peaceful pedaling. It’s low traffic. There are no billboards, no stoplights, no commercial endeavors. As a cyclist (or motorist), you have the pleasure of slow traveling through the changing landscape from the Mississippi River country (and the swamp) up into the hills and forests. It’s all quiet, all the time. And there’s so much history along the route—it roughly follows the “Old Natchez Trace,” a historic travel corridor used by American Indians, “Kaintucks,” European settlers, slave traders, and soldiers. There’s nothing quite like it.
I only wish it went from coast to coast.
The only downside is you don’t get to explore towns unless you leave the Trace. And getting fresh water and food requires some strategic planning. We often need to figure out where to take a side road as it means an investment of a couple of extra miles to catch a convenience store.
At mile 260 on the Trace, we hit Tupelo to get a new tire and grab some shelter from a coming storm. We stopped in at Trails and Treads and they were nothing short of awesome. They gave my bike the royal treatment and hooked us up with some awesome local tips and spots to see along the Trace. One of their customers who we made a connection with even went and paid $50 of our bill unbeknownst to us. (Thank you, Alfredo!!)
As a cyclist, you’re immersed in the landscape and culture, so you get to see things up close and personal. The changes have been fascinating so far and now we feel like we’re in the true “South.” Looking forward to what the rest of the Trace has to offer and visiting friends near Nashville.
-Erik
Hi Erik and Cortney,
Love your journal, thanks for so many stories.
If you take Nachez Trace all the way to Nashville, you will be passing very close to “The Farm” in Summertown Tennessee. If you are curious about what “The Farm” is, I suggest you just read what Wikipedia has to say about it.
I remember that you spoke about taking “The Great Allegheny Pass” connecting to “The C&O Canal Towpath” proceeding East.
Another possiblity … we discovered that one can travel by bicycle from Cincinnati to NYC via the circuitous route from Cincinnati to Cleveland, Erie, Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany to NYC.
This 1,000 mile route is approximately 80% bicycle paths.
Best to you, Mark
This is awesome. Thanks, Mark! Hope all is well.
Hi guys. I think I’m finally starting to get it, and actually feeling a little jealous. The more I think about what you doing, and how it’s gone so far, your musings on your travels leaving me wondering what all I missed in my various trips by plane, and even by train. you are really seeing and experiencing this country. Keep rolling and enjoying.
Love you guys
Thanks for your kind note and for all your love and support. We’re grateful for the opportunity to travel the country in this way — and to be able to connect with so many amazing people. You and GG should meet us along the way. (Maybe Rushmore or Yellowstone?)
So nice to meet you both at The Phillips . What a great sense of adventure you have and I am so impressed with your drive and grit to ride and camp daily. Keep it up and stay safe. Have a great trip!
It was a pleasure to meet you, too. We loved hearing about your family’s cross-country adventure and how you all stepped outside of the box for a year! So amazing. Hope you guys get back out there when the time is right. (I’m sure you will!) Go Chelsea!!