Nancy’s Travel Journal

Note:  There are very few pictures when one has to ride so far.  All you can think about is getting there!
Robin and I reluctantly left the beautiful grounds of the Butler Greenwood Plantation to ride 105 miles to Franklinton.  For the first 5 miles we were on US 61, a busy highway at morning rush hour.  At least it had wide shoulders.  Finally, we turned onto a beautiful country road, where the birds were singing and the morning sun was filtering through the green branches of trees.  As we rode, I thought that 105 miles would be a piece of cake.  Wrong!  With the sun shining through the trees and making shadows on the road, it was a bit hard to see the potholes lurking in those shadows.  And, as we made turns from one road to another, the surface would change drastically.  At one point, deep in the woods, we crossed a bridge, where the road suddenly changed to gravel for about ½ mile.  That was a challenge for a road bike, but we all made it safely through the obstacles.
I had been looking for a mailbox since we left the plantation so that I could mail a birthday card to Polly, who turns 60 on Saturday!  When I reached the little town of Norwood (about the size of Aline), I saw a box and dropped the card inside, only to realize it was a drop box for water payments or something else.  A very kind lady walked out, assured me she would retrieve the card, and take it to the post office.  So, Polly, I hope you get the card!
One way I survive riding so many miles it to break up the journey into SAG stops (usually every 20 miles).  It is easier to think about 20 than 100!  So after the second stop at 40 miles, I began to think I would be able to make it if I could just get some lunch.  Alas, all we could find was a convenience store where I bought some orange juice and a sandwich.  As I was enjoying this gourmet lunch outside, a man began asking us questions and giving directions on how to get to Franklinton.  I realized that he had already been into adult beverages for a while that day!  So we quickly made an exit hoping he would not be going our way in his condition.
Slowly but surely I clicked off the miles, mostly riding alone.  At about 3 miles from our hotel, I turned on to a busy highway.  I had not gone very far when I heard a sudden pssst!  My rear tire was flat (only the second one of this whole trip).  I had really wanted to make it all the way.  But, I called the SAG to come pick me up.  Just as I hung up the phone, Michelle, one of the guides rode up on her bicycle.  I told her I had called the SAG.  Sensing my disappointment in not being able to finish, she offered to fix the flat.  We realized that there was a big cut in the tire.  She “booted” the tire (put a patch on it), inserted the tube, pumped it up, and assured me that I could make it.  I did!
I was the last person in to the hotel, but I didn’t really care.  It was all I could do to stay awake for dinner.  As I closed my eyes, I felt pleased that I had made it and felt confident that I could do a century again, just not any time soon!

This morning dawned clear and cool for our 53-mile ride from Simmesport to St. Francisville.   We crossed the Atchafalaya River (formed at Simmesport from the Mississippi River) just out of town. While there was no shoulder and was a rather long, arched bridge, there was little traffic early in the morning.  So we felt safe as we climbed up and over the river.  Almost immediately after crossing the river, we turned onto a small state road that followed the levee, near the mighty Mississippi River.  All day long, we wound through the countryside with the levee on our left and fields of corn, wheat, and sugar cane on our right.  There was an abandoned grain elevator that brought back childhood memories of when Polly and I spent hours playing around the one in Metter.  
Then, there was the beautiful Episcopal Church founded in the 1700s and restored in 1970.  There was even a statue of a Confederate soldier in the cemetery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most graves in the area are above ground, as evidenced by the ones in this cemetery beside an abandoned church

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Talking to the animals has been one of our favorite experiences on this trip.  Ramsey is learning to communicate with the horses by blowing on their noses.  They seemed to enjoy talking to her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After crossing a Morganza Spillway Bridge (built to control flooding on the lower Mississippi River), we entered the town of Morganza. Scenes from the 1968 movie “Easy Rider”, starring Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson were filmed in this location in 1968.  Anyone remember that movie?  Alas, it was time to eat again.  At “Not Your Mama’s Café” almost everyone in our group stopped to enjoy seafood gumbo, fried onion rings, and fried fish sandwiches. Yes, I have been eating fried food on this tour!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One has to eat what the locals enjoy! To create ambiance, the café featured stuffed wildlife, including a huge turtle and a turkey and other unusual art.  This chicken greeted us at the door.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, we added our own “wild women” to the place.  The sign reads "I'm not a fast cook, I'm not a slow cook, I'm a half-fast cook!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The seafood gumbo gave us energy for the last 20 miles of our day’s journey.  After a few miles on a rather bumpy highway, we turned once again to a road that followed a levee beside the Mississippi River; anticipating the highlight of the day, reaching the ferry crossing that would lead us into St. Francisville.  As we reached the crossing, the ferry, which runs every thirty minutes, was just pulling away from the dock.  Instead of being frustrated at missing the ferry, we struck up a conversation with J.T., who was also waiting to cross.  He entertained us with local history stories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, we never would have met him if we had caught the earlier ferry.  

In years to come, Womantours riders will no longer be able to have this experience.  In 2010, the John James Audubon Bridge will be completed at a cost of $348 million.  At 1583 feet, it will be the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America.  For an interesting story on the ferry, see this article written by the owner of Butler-Greenwood Plantation, the B&B where we are staying. http://stfrancisville.blogspot.com/2006/12/farewell-to-st-francisville-ferry.html

Located near St. Francisville, Angola is the Louisiana state penitentiary.  Some of our riders visited the prison on our day off.  I chose to stay in town.  But for more information on Angola, go to http://www.corrections.state.la.us/lsp/history.htm

Everyone appreciated the day off and the lodging(s) we had in this charming little town of St. Francisville.  It is steeped in history. http://www.stfrancisville.net/town_new/index.html

Because there was not room for all of us at either of the locations that Womantours had chosen, we were split up.  But, it worked out fine.  Some of the group stayed at the St. Francisville Inn, built in the 1880s.  It had a delightful courtyard for the group to have drinks and swap stories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stayed at the Butler Greenwood Plantation.  This plantation has been in the same family since the 1790s.  We were housed in various little outbuildings near the main house.  Rebecca and I stayed in the Treehouse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After dinner on our first night, the owner; Anne Butler took us on a tour of the home.  It was fascinating.  I have included several pictures and a website for more information.http://www.butlergreenwood.com/history.html

Wine Cellar under the house-no longer used.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Original furniture for the house

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Bedroom is still used

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the main house 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The original kitchen behind the main house, now a guest house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anne has quite a history herself.  In 1997, her fourth husband, Murray Henderson, the warden at Angola shot her.  Miraculously, she lived and has told her story in Weep for the Living.  I bought the book and am reading it now.  It is a real page-turner.

On our day off, I wandered around the town and found several interesting spots.  Here is the Methodist Church.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beside the Magnolia Café, where we had lunch, was a “motor court” still operating as it did in the 1930s.  Any one remember staying at one of these?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I returned to the plantation in the afternoon to rest and take care of my bicycle before the long ride (105 miles) on Thursday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since Womantours does not furnish meals on days off, our group decided to have a potluck dinner and invite our guides, who normally cook for us.  I found a Louisiana delicacy at a meat market, called Boudin Balls.  Boudin is a kind of sausage in Louisiana made pork, rice and spices.  To make the balls, the sausage is removed from the casing and fried.  It was a big hit!  The big pot of crawfish was another local delicacy.  Finally, someone brought boiled peanuts, both regular and Cajun.  They were cooked to perfection and enjoyed by everyone.  The whole evening was a huge hit.   

Notes on this posting: I am in a library in St. Francisville, LA, working on this post.  I don’t have access to the pictures for this post.
Internet access in public libraries across the country has been a real blessing.  The St. Francisville library is a WiFi hotspot, great for folks who have their own computers.  I hope the Candler County library will be able to provide this service when it moves back to its building.

Last night at the cue sheet meeting, our guides suggested that we have breakfast around 8:00 AM, and plan to leave around 9:00 AM.  Seems that a 68-mile day is now perceived as a short day!  Plus, the Sportsman’s Motel is not exactly to place to hang out for long periods of time.  I had a great breakfast of blueberry pancakes, orange juice and coffee to give me energy for the ride.
Getting out of Opelousas was a bit of a challenge, with morning traffic and roads under construction.  Finally, we turned onto a quiet, country road and enjoyed 10-15 miles of farmlands and country homes.  Fields were in various stages of preparation and growth.  We could still see the stalks of sugar cane left from last year’s crops, along with tiny stalks of corn popping out of the fertile ground.  Some fields were already green with some sort of wheat or other grain, but I was not sure what kind.  At the first SAG, Charlie Daniels was singing “Play Me Some Country Music” on the radio.  Quite appropriate music for the morning!  At the next SAG, there was classical music from NPR, also somehow fitting for the scenery.
The roads of Louisiana can be very smooth for a few miles, then, turn into a pot-hole nightmare, without warning.  I am very thankful for the roads in Georgia.  Signage is not the best either.  But, we did make lots of turns today without getting lost.
We stopped at Big Cane Grocery for yet another feeding frenzy.  I enjoyed a sweet roll, V-8, and some Powerade.  Apparently this store is a favorite for cyclists.  When the clerk asked us to sign her book, we saw entries from last year’s Womantours group.
I left the store alone, went only a few yards down the road, and out came four dogs, BIG dogs!  I got off the bike as they came at me from two directions.  The only defenses were my water bottle and putting the bike between the dogs and myself.  About that time, three riders came up and the dogs ran off.  Guess there is power in numbers!
Just past the dogs was a pond where crawfish are raised.  We couldn’t figure out why the water was so green.
We pedaled through several small towns before coming to Plaucheville, another place to eat!  It was here that we saw the horrible news about the shootings at Virginia Tech on television.  It is one of those incidents that you will always remember where you were when it happened.  I guess we will find out the rest of the story in the next few days.
As we have been riding over the past 2-3 days, I have seen what I think is some sort of spider lily in the ditches.  Finally, today I was able to get close enough to get a good shot of one.  If anyone reads this and knows what it is, please post it on my blog. (Note:  I will post it later.)
We finally arrived at our “five-star” lodging for the night.  I think the sign says it all!  But, they did put out a welcome sign for us.  That is the first one I can remember.  We were told that some Katrina victims were still staying in the rooms before we arrived.
(Picture posts later)
Tonight Michelle, one of the guides, played her guitar and sang for us as we waited for dinner.  One of her songs is “Jesus Loves You, But My Dog Still Bites”.  She is quite the musician.  As she sang, I thought about these final days on the ride.  While it will be good to get home, I will miss these women.  
We went back to our rooms reluctantly, When Donna and I turned off the light (no reading light-just one light fixture on the ceiling), we heard Spanish music from the next room.  It was so loud that Donna went to the office and requested that the management get them to turn it down.  They did, but it was back on again the next morning about 5:30 AM.  Then there was the train that came by, right behind the hotel, in the middle of the night.  We have truly experienced a variety of lodging “opportunities”.

This morning we left DeRidder around 7:30 AM for our second 90+-mile day in a row! The air was cold, no other way to describe it!  Of course, I had sent my long-finger gloves home with Bill.  So, my fingers got really cold really fast!  But, I did have arm-warmers, a jacket and headband, which I kept on all day.  It is still cold in Louisiana.
I missed the first turn out of DeRidder, so went a couple of miles out of the way before I realized what I had done and called the SAG for help.  I saw riders ahead of me and let the SAG know that they were on the wrong road as well.
After about 46 miles, our route took us to State Road 104.  This is a diked road through rice fields.  This area is one of the leading rice-growing districts in the US.  Unfortunately, it was at this point that I realized the camera batteries were gone.  Alas, no pictures of the rice fields!  Despite early primitive rice-farming methods and much-despised barbed wire fences, the early rice farmers learned about irrigation systems after the Civil War and the crop prospered.  
Our route took us into the small town of Mamou, in the heart of Cajun country.  Cajuns are descendants of 17th century French colonists who settled in Canada, in an area called Acadia.  During the rivalry between England and France for ownership of North America, the English rounded up Acadians to be sent to the American colonies.  Unfortunately, they were not welcomed there, either.  In the late 1700’s, when Spain gained control of Louisiana, it needed settlers to establish claim to the land.  So the Acadians ended up in the bayous and prairies of this area.  The French Acadians became known as Cadians, then finally Cajuns.  Today, the name is primarily associated with cooking.  Paul Prudhomme, who made the blackened redfish famous in the 1980s, is from Opelousas, our home for the night (Sunday).
The wind continued to help or hinder us all day, depending on which way the road curved.  We fought an evil head wind for about 5-7 miles.  Just when I thought I had had enough, the road took a turn and we had a beautiful tail wind.  For the first time in several weeks, dogs plagued our route.  Several folks have bought whistles that seem to help scare them off.
Toward the end of the day, Judy and I were riding together.  We decided to stop one more time to rest before arriving in Opelousas.  As we were eating our snacks, we looked down in a nearby ditch and saw crawfish and minnows.  That may be as close as we get to the famous clawed animals!
Tonight I was able to get new batteries for the camera.  So here are a couple of shots from dinner.  The guides opted for pizza for dinner.  This is Patty, one of our guides.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unless the weather is really bad, we eat dinner outside and have our “cue sheet” meeting for the next day.  This is a typical evening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Tomorrow night we are in Simmesport, at the Sportsman’s Motel.  From what I understand, it may be our biggest lodging challenge yet.  I asked one of the guides if we needed to stop by the local Walmart for sheets.  Since internet access is slim to none, there may not be another posting until we get to St. Francisville.  It has been referred to as the town “two miles long and two yards wide”, and on the Mississippi River.  We will spend two nights there.  I will be ready for a rest.

Last night, there were predictions of bad weather, including tornado warnings for the Kountze area.  Whether it was anxiety about that or anticipation of the 92-mile ride today, I was not able to get much rest.  I kept waking up, thinking I was hearing tornado warnings.  So when daylight came, it was almost a relief to get up and start the morning routine.
While there was a chance of rain, it seemed that we might have missed the worst of the storm and maybe we would only see cloudy, cool weather.  We left the motel around 7:30 AM.  The road was quiet, except for the occasional frog voices, as we rode the first 20 miles.  The SAG was supposed to meet us about mile 20, but she was nowhere to be seen at mile 22 (in the town of Fred).  So, we made our own SAG stop at a convenience store.  It was there that I had my first Yoohoo of the trip.  I have been missing those since I left Georgia.  The woman at the store said she wished she had a "composition book" for us to register our names and where we lived.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We found out later that someone had a flat, so the SAG had to turn around and help her fix it.  That happens sometimes, so we have to stay prepared. The cue sheet suggested that we have lunch at Elijah’s in Kirbyville.  It featured lots of real home cooking.  From the looks of things, it seems the majority of riders stopped there to enjoy fried okra, butter beans, and Texas corn chowder

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 As we paid our bills, I began to get really cold.  It may have been related to the 2-3 glasses of ice water I consumed with my meal and the still-cloudy weather.  In order to warm up, I hopped on my bike and rode fast (for me) for several miles.  As I rode, I kept looking for wild flowers.  This thistle was the day’s highlight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mile 71 of this day was a real highlight.  After three weeks in Texas, we crossed the Sabine River into Louisiana.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had our own celebration there, despite the fact that there was not even a sign marking our entering another state. I really think we felt a renewed energy for the day after that event, even though we had more than 20 miles left to ride.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the riders lives in Louisiana, not too far from DeRidder.  She had arranged for several massage therapists to meet us at the motel.  As I rode in, I saw the therapists setting up their tables in some of the rooms.  Just by chance I walked up to one of them and asked about my appointment.  He said that I was on his schedule and could see me right away.  So, I changed clothes and returned to his designated place.  Things always have a way of working out, even when they are not planned.  While I would never say that anyone could top Gary, Kathy, Sean, etc. at Power of Touch, the therapist sure did a great job.  I feel so much better tonight, even though it was a 92-mile day! At dinner, we continued the tradition of Margaritas as a celebration when crossing a state line.  The same friend who had arranged the massages handed out Mardi Gras beads as a welcome.  We all returned to our rooms early, in anticipation of another long day tomorrow.  As I think back over the past week, I really feel that I am becoming a stronger rider.  Now, if I can just stay in good shape for BRAG.

In an unusual move, the staff called a meeting of the group after breakfast this morning.  One issue was about one of our group who had decided to leave last night.  She was having some personal issues that she could not overcome.  The other issue was that it was in Cleveland last year where one of the riders was killed.  She had missed the turn into the motel, stopped at another place to ask directions, then, rode out in front of an on-coming car.  Both issues created a rather somber mood as we left this town.  For the first 15 miles, I managed to keep up a 16-mph ride with two of the better riders.  It felt good to be among the leaders, if only for a short while.
We were warned about log trucks this morning.  Visions of log trucks in South Georgia came to my mind.  They looked the same, but there were not nearly as many has I had perceived.  Once again, I think of Churchill’s quote.  “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” 
Then, there were the wildflowers.  As we made a turn from a very bumpy road onto a smooth blacktop and stopped briefly to rest, I looked over into a ditch and saw these flowers, some sot of iris, I think.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A bit further down the road these red clovers were standing like little soldiers guarding the side of the road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, of course, there is the ever-present humor we see when stopping to rest at the SAG.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Watching the Weather Channel this morning, we were anticipating possible rain.  It came in the form of a mist about 46 miles into the ride, not too bad.  The road was quiet, smooth and with a wide shoulder.  So the ride was okay, even when the rain became harder.  At least it was not cold, like last week.  Just so happened that we reached Kountze about lunchtime.  Mama Jack’s Restaurant seemed to be a local favorite.  So most of us stopped for some etouffee and muffallatas before checking into the motel.  After all, we are 70 miles from the Louisiana line!  We are in the Big Thicket area. http://www.nps.gov/bith/  It sounds a bit like the Okefenokee Swamp.  Unfortunately there is no time to see the Visitor’s Center since we have 90 miles to ride! Good news tonight!  The woman who left this morning has decided to return.  I think that is a good thing.  Most of us have had or will have meltdowns on this tour.  But, we are all strong women and we will prevail!  Speaking of prevailing, the weather forecast for the morning is not very good, thunderstorms, etc.  We will watch the Weather Channel in the morning and do what is safe.  If you read this post on Saturday, say a little prayer for safely.

Other than knowing I had to ride 73 miles, the hardest thing about leaving Navasota was leaving Bill.  Knowing I would see him in just three weeks made it a bit easier.  He did get the truck repaired and was on the road after lunch.  He spent last night in Mississippi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We rode for a while on a busy road, but it had a big shoulder.  From now on, “big shoulders” will have a new meaning!.  Then we turned onto a calmer road (a lot less traffic) and began to see the beautiful wildflowers again. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For some reason, courthouses fascinate me.  Just off the route I found this one in Anderson, TX.  Matt and I talked one time about documenting all of the courthouses in Georgia.  I wonder if anyone has done that?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we rode past Anderson and into the Sam Houston National Forest, the sights began to look more like home.  There were lots of pine trees, live oak trees with Spanish moss, azaleas in a yard, bayonet plants, and FIRE ANTS!  Hopefully, none of the riders will get into to fire ants when they take to the woods to answer “the call of nature”.  The forest is also home to the red-cockaded woodpecker, designated an endangered species in 1970, who makes a home by pecking cavities in the pine trees.  On a bicycle, you can look and listen more closely for wildlife.  But, I just couldn’t see or hear any of those fellows.  During the winter months, the bald eagle is not an uncommon site on Lake Conroe.  Unfortunately, I didn’t see an eagle.  About the only “wildlife” I spotted was a puppy and some crazy women riding across the United States!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stopping at interesting stores (especially those with food) is a favorite past time of cyclists.  The Nut House was no exception.  We found ice cream, candy, and of course, nuts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Hille tried the tractor, but decided to stick with her bicycle for the rest of the trip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The closer we got to Cleveland, the flatter the road became and the more frequently log trucks came by (more scenes like home).  But, there were some distractions along the way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Cleveland, a little larger than Metter, we stayed at the Super 8.  The owner had a welcome sign there to greet us.  Or maybe his daughter is a Womantours girl in training!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everyone has been asking for Texas BBQ, and we were almost out of Texas.  So Ramsey arranged with a friend she knew (Robert, a prison warden) there to take us to a “The Shack” for dinner.  Normally closed in the evening, the owner opened especially for us.  Not only did he have “the best BBQ in Texas” (ribs and beef) he also treated us to the story of how Texas BBQ originated.  And, he had sweet tea!  But, it wasn’t as good as Polly’s!  At the end of the meal we found out that Robert was treating us!  Nothing like Southern hospitality!  Thank you, Robert.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leaving LaGrange was a bit difficult, since the cue sheet was not quite accurate.  The only consequence was that I rode an extra 4 miles that day.  The night before Bill had told us about an antique fair in Round Top.  When we reached Round Top, we must have ridden for five or six miles with tents on both sides of the road.  The fair was bigger than the town.  I have never seen such a big antique fair, even in Mt. Dora, FL!  At about mile 25, we took Texas Scenic Route 390 and stayed on it for about 25 miles.  While there were rolling hills, the beauty of the countryside made cycling up and down well worth the ride.  The fields looked as though someone had taken a paintbrush and made broad sweeps of red, purple, yellow, and blue across the landscape.  This picture could never capture what we saw, but it does give an idea of God’s beauty in Texas wildflowers at their peak.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ride gave us a chance to see two types of cattle raised in Texas.  The Longhorn was brought by the Spaniards, and has been bred with other cattle in the area.  This fellow was standing beside the fence, looking like he was posing and creating quite a traffic jam for a brief time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Brahman is another popular breed in Texas.  We found this fellow in a pasture with a dozen or more of his “women-friends”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At one of the SAG stops, my puppy, Pasha, found the "Peeps" to be quite enjoyable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found Independence, Texas filled with history. It was first called Coles Settlement, but was renamed Independence after the founding of an academy in the town by that name.  This is the restored home of John P. Coles for whom the town was first named.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Baptist church was founded here in 1839 and soon (1846), Baylor University was founded on this site.  The school was separated by gender.  These columns are all that remain of the original female academy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information on Independence, TX, see http://www.texasescapes.com/TOWNS/Independence/IndependenceTexas.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After some lunch at the local country store we headed toward the Antique Rose Emporium.  It is billed as a combination plant nursery, gift shop, and theme gardens.  The roses at the Emporium are “living antiques” from the past, actual descendants of plants from more than 2000 years ago.  It was hard to pull ourselves away from such a place of beauty. http://www.antiqueroseemporium.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While we did not go there, Washington on the Brazos is not far from this area.  It is regarded as one of the most significant historic sites in Texas.  It was here that a group of Texas settlers met and declared their independence from Spain in 1836.

From our easy ride in the country we turned onto a busy highway for the last few miles into Navasota.  Crossing bridges on this highway were particularly scary, since there were no shoulders, but lots of traffic.  A transport hauling a mobile home just barely missed a couple of riders before they crossed the last bridge.  Finally, we arrived at the motel, where Bill was waiting…a most welcomed site. The following morning, a rest day, while I cleaned my bicycle, Bill took one of the women to rent a car in Bryan, TX.  Just out of town on the way back, the timing belt went out on his truck.  Fortunately, the woman was right behind him and brought him back to the motel.  In one of those amazing happenings, the Ford dealer was only ½ mile away, and the tow truck was already out on the highway where the truck had stopped.  So in less than an hour, his truck was at the Ford dealership.  Before the day was over, the service man called to tell us what was wrong and that it would be fixed by the next day.  Bill and I had planned to explore the area during the day, but that was not to be.  As I am finding so many times on this trip, things always turn out for the best.  We had the whole day just to be with each other.  It was a great time!

It has been very hard to post for the past few days, between not having access to a computer, much less the internet, and a visitor I have had for a couple of days (not complaining about that).  Bill arrived in Navasota, our planned meeting place, a day early.  So I invited him to dinner in La Grange on Monday night.  But, more about that later.
April 9 dawned much nicer than the days before, even though it was cold.  We left Bastrop anticipating a nice ride into LaGrange.  The first 15 miles of our route took us through Bastrop State Park.  There was no traffic and quiet roads, but very steep hills, one reported to be about 15%.  Most of us had to walk that one.  The SAG was waiting for us at the exit to the park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rest of the day was uneventful, except for the beautiful wildflowers.  It seemed that around every curve there was yet another field of Bluebells, Primroses, Thistles and other that I could not name.On this day, I also saw my first Texas oil well on this trip, and some live oaks with Spanish moss.  The live oaks thrive in this part of the state.
We arrived in LaGrange in time for lunch.  I stopped at the courthouse square and ask a man where we could find the best lunch in town.  He answered, “My house, but it is not open today.”  So we opted for Frank’s place, reminiscent of the old Frank’s or Brook’s in Metter.  Several of us chose big, juicy hamburgers and the best onion rings in Texas!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was at Frank’s place that we found out why LaGrange is famous.  Does the name Sheriff Jim Flournoy ring a bell?  How about the “Chicken Ranch”?  If you are still not sure, see this article.http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/CC/ysc1.html

So here is Sheriff Jim.  Wonder if the “Yard Eggs” came from descendants of the “Chicken Ranch” chickens?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After lunch, Ramsay, Hille and I decided to explore the town.  The most impressive building in town is the courthouse, built in 1891 for $96,000. For more information on its history, see http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasCourthouses/FayetteCounty/FayetteCountyCourthouse.htm 

As we entered the building and walked around the lobby and inside courtyard, somehow I could feel Ogden Doremus’s spirit there.  Then I realized that it was the time of his funeral in Metter.  Music was playing in the background as allowed myself to relive some of the ways in which he and Carol had touched my life since 1974, and the lives of so many other people.  It is amazing how feelings come over us sometimes.  We just have to take the time to understand them.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The final site we visited in LaGrange was the old jail, except for the size, not entirely unlike my memories of the old jail in Metter.  While it is now a visitor’s center, some of the old cells and other features have been preserved.

When we left the jail, we found our way back to the motel, where Bill was waiting for me.  It was so good to see him.  He experienced our evening meal, along with several other guests.  One was a vet who gave us a lesson on the various kinds of cows in Texas.  Very informative.

After dinner, I told Bill goodbye, temporarily because he would be waiting for me the next day in Navasota.

This day was predicted to be cold and rainy.  It lived up to expectations with a temperature of 36 degrees.  I was just not ready to subject myself to that kind of ride, with no improvement in the weather predicted. About six of us started in the van, with two more jumping in at mile 12, reporting numb fingers and toes.  This picture as the group started out says it all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we rode along in the van we became more and more concerned about the riders.  The freezing rain continued to pelt the windshield. In spite of the beauty of this river, we were concerned about it rising over the road before the riders passed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we reached Comfort, an appropriate name for what happened there, a couple of the women were suffering from hypothermia. One of them got in the van with us.  The other one had found help in an antique shop, where several others found shelter as well.

The van only holds 15 folks and bicycles.  So, while some waited in the shop for the van to return for them, we rode on to Blanco.  At the end of the day, only four riders made it all the way to Blanco on their bikes about the time it began to lightly snow.  My roomie for the night, Barb, was one of them.  By dinner time, everyone was warm and safe.  The cold weather seemed to be the news of the day all over the country. 

Easter Sunday dawned cloudy and cold again.  Many of us decided to load in the van for Bastrop, not wanting a repeat of the day before.  I had hoped to find an early Easter service in a Methodist Church, but was not able to get any information on time of services.  Later I found out that one of the women had walked into town and found that there was a 9:00 service.  Wish I could have been there.  

Our group managed to keep up their good humor by wearing their Easter finery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was not much to see or do in Bastrop, just good food and a comfortable bed.