Warmth from California and Florida

Warmth From California and Florida
Over the past 10 years, I’ve met people from all over the country (and beyond) on my motorcycle. I’ve met them on the Internet and I’ve met them in person. We’ve ridden together, shared food and drink together, and perhaps most importantly, shared our lives with each other.

Many of these people have become my very best friends, and despite the distance between our homes, we’ve found ways to find each other and the excitement of that just adds a whole new level to any motorcycle experience. Most of the time, we get together at a common rally or motorcycle event. But occasionally, we visit each other at home and I’ve had more than my share of opportunities to have fellow riders at my house.

A month or so ago, Doug messaged me about the possibility of a visit. Coming from Grass Valley, CA, Doug was planning a 2-week adventure that would take him to the Ozarks followed by a ride down to Huntsville, AL for a space center visit. South Louisiana is on the way home for Doug, and I was honored to have him here for whatever time he was willing to give. I took a few days off work so that we could play, and it was great fun to say the least.

While Doug was here, I exchanged text messages with Dan from central Florida and in an incredible twist of events, was able to convince him to ride the 907 miles east to spend the weekend with me. Doug left on Friday morning, and Dan showed up later that afternoon.

I showed them both some of my history, culture, and favorite roads. In family rider tradition, we rode together, ate and drank together, and shared our lives with each other. In doing so, I rediscovered some things about my backyard, and myself.

I hope you enjoy the pics.

Day 1: Loop Ride from Lafayette, LA to Natchez, MS: Approximately 400 miles.

I left the house early, about 7:30 am heading East and North. Doug is heading south and west, so we decided to meet in Natchez about 11 am. I’ve got plenty of time, so I decided to take the more scenic route to get there. Like many places in the Deep South, the roads in Mississippi are a mixed bag and some are far better than others. Fortunately for me, I’ve been here a hundred times, and I know which roads are the best and I’ve got them all to myself.











The Homochitto River is pretty dry this morning.



Liberty Road is a winding ribbon of pavement with a lot of history that first started out as a game trail for the indigenous people. Today, on this Wednesday morning, it makes for an excellent way to get to Natchez.



You can’t see it well, but in the background is a gorgeous Plantation style mansion. I gave a friendly wave to the security camera just in case someone was watching me.



I got to the meeting place on time, and not 5 minutes later, I was startled by what looked like a rolling hippopotamus coming right at me.



My apologies, I was mistaken. It’s just Doug on his Goldwing.



We took a short ride to the river to eat lunch at a place I like. I was just here a couple of weeks ago.



Doug was having some stomach issues, so he passed on lunch, but my brisket quesadilla was delicious.



After lunch, we crossed the river and into Louisiana.



Then we turned south at the levee and we’ve got the whole world all to ourselves.



We stopped at what we call the Three Rivers Area, which is basically where the Mississippi, Atchafalaya, and Red Rivers all get very close to each other. I told Doug what I know about the topography associated with this place. There’s a flock of Egrets picking bugs on the lawn down there.



After a fuel stop in Simmsport, we turn south on Hwy 105, also known as The Easy Rider Road. This is where that movie was filmed.



After enduring the afternoon commuter traffic in Lafayette, we arrived safely at my house.



I invited my dad and some buddies over to welcome Doug. Happy Hour seems to be going well.



Doug even agreed to try a Ragin Cajun Red Ale – not sure if he likes it or not, although to me, it’s a very good beer.



Earlier in the week, I made a seafood gumbo. Anything cooked with a roux is better when heated for the second time. So tonight, we will have leftovers but trust me, no one went hungry. This is Doug’s first time trying gumbo and I think he liked it.



I know the locals sure did!



Alex asked his wife to pick up something for dessert, something that a “bunch of bikers would appreciate”.



Red velvet cake and ice cream – very well done, Ms. Judy.



We sat around talking and laughing until bed time. Tomorrow is another day.

Day 2: Loop ride around south Louisiana – approx. 275 miles.

Ride Route: https://goo.gl/maps/orhufsD9Ghm

I woke up early and got the coffee going. My wife left for work at our usual time, and Doug and I took our time getting organized and ready for some fun.

We hit the road about 7:30 and unfortunately, we have got to deal with a little bit of morning rush hour traffic before things settle down.



Trust me Doug – if you had to deal with this bumper to bumper crap every day, you’d feel differently.



I lead us over to Scott, Louisiana for a little Cajun heart attack breakfast.



Tom is retired, and I was glad that he decided to join us today. While our breakfast order is being prepared, Doug enjoyed perusing the fine selection of meats.



Boudin and Cracklins is a traditional Cajun breakfast. It however is not for the faint at heart. I warned Doug that he would need to check his diet at the door.



This little critter like pig skin fried in hog lard too.







After breakfast, we endured about 30 miles of I-10 heading east across the Atchafalaya Swamp, the largest wetland in the United States.

Looking quite well guys!





Now off the slab, we stopped on the side of the road to poke around.



Many of our grave sites are above ground as the water table in these parts is very shallow.



Our Live Oak Trees are massive.



We jumped back on the bikes and I led us through some of my favorite curvy back country roads. Everyone is having a good time. The sugar cane is tall and ready for cutting, so I stopped at a field for a special sweet treat. Doug’s got this part mastered pretty good.



Doug and Tom swapped bikes for a turn. Tom just bought this 2017 Versys 1000 and I like this bike a LOT.



In Plaquimines, we fuel up and then skirt over to the Mississippi River Road for some more adventure. I’m taking this is small 20-mile chunks. We’ve got no where to go and all day to get there.



Next stop is Nottoway Plantation, fully restored in all its glory.

Old Man River is running southeast toward New Orleans.



We walked the beautiful gardens surrounding the home.





My botanist friend is having a nice time in his element and that makes me happy.



Then it was back on the bikes heading south through the swamps.





I remember thinking: “I’ve got a pretty nice backyard.”

Don’t get me wrong, it’s no Yosemite. And it’s no Tail of the Dragon. But it is beautiful in its own rite. I suppose it’s natural for all of us to take the beauty of where we live for granted. After all, we see it all of the time and at least for some of us, redundancy tends to squash excitement. But seeing Doug enjoying himself invigorated me. It was kind of like re-discovering my backyard through the enjoyment of my friend. This was all new to him. I purposely didn’t tell him about what to expect, what he would see, where we would go, or anything of the sort. I wanted him to experience it raw. I wanted him to just relax and let Pants take care of everything. Just enjoy his motorcycle and the day exploring new territory. It was working wonderfully, and I was real proud of how things were going.

Regardless, all of this adventure has worked up our appetites, and so in the town of Pierre Part, LA, we stop for lunch. This is the land of the Swamp People TV Series.



It’s a pretty cool place to eat.



Stuffed shrimp and fried softshell crab for my Californian friend.



Grilled shrimp and sweet potato fries for Pants.



During dinner, through only text messages, I confirmed that Dan is heading my way. He’ll be here tomorrow. Tom has to get home early, so he breaks away after lunch. But I’ve still got more adventure in store for Doug, so back into the cane fields we go.



Heading toward the Gulf coast, we ran over the Intracoastal Canal Bridge.







It’s a great day to ride.



We stopped here to poke around. The park attendant let us in for free.



Located on the shores of Vermillion Bay, this is a fisherman’s paradise.





I brought my cast net and thought I would teach Doug how to throw it.







It’s not quite as easy as it looks, but in short order, Doug’s becoming a regular pro!!



Back on the bikes, I lead Doug through the coastal Marsh.



We ran through the perimeter roads of the Port of Iberia.



These are called Jack-up Boats. When they get to the oil well head off shore, they can “jack up” the spuds and work off the boat.



Seeing all of that equipment in the Port reminds me that it is not being used off shore. And that reinforces the repressed economy down here at this time. I’m very fortunate to have a good job.

Avery Island is a salt dome island on the coast, and home to the world famous Tabasco Hot Sauce. We’ll pass on the hot sauce factory tour, but most people don’t know that the island also supports a wonderful garden drive tour. I think the grove of Live Oaks here are among the best in the State.



At first, Doug didn’t think this critter was real as it was being very still.



Once he saw the eye blink and the tail shift around, then he approached a little more cautiously. Hey Doug – they will happily eat California fingers too!



We rode and walked through the gardens – the wind is blowing the moss through the trees.










It was just a nice day to be out and on the motorcycles exploring my backyard.

From Avery Island, it’s a short 20 minute ride to my house. Doug threw a bucket of soap on the ole hippo.



And then we cleaned up and with my wife, drove down to one of my favorite restaurants.





Oh yeah, babe – we ain’t going hungry tonight.

Doug ordered Crawfish Etoufee’ and a Crab Cake.



Softshell crab and sweet potato fries for Ms. Pants.



And Grilled shrimp and onion rings for me.



After dinner, back to my house for a nightcap and some good conversation. I gave Doug some suggestions on how to get through Texas on the way home.

Day 3 – one buddy leaves and another arrives.

I woke up a bit tired but I’ve got the day off and I’m ready for whatever comes.

I fixed Doug and I some breakfast. There is nothing like good ‘ole protein to carry you on the road.



Then it was time for Doug to move on. So long, my friend. I will see you soon.



Meanwhile, Dan is on the way. I promised wifey I would do her chores as well as mine before he got here. So I put my head to the grindstone and got it done.

Dan arrived just in time for happy hour!



We went out to dinner at another one of my favorites.



Pretty cool hot rod in the parking lot.



Eating good in the neighborhood!



Then it was back to my house for a couple of snorts of the good stuff.



Day 4: Ride places, eat things.

I woke up early excited for good things to come. Made coffee and cooked Dan and I a decent breakfast.



We gear up and taxi out of the neighborhood at a comfortable 63 degrees.



Dan is from Central Florida – he’s familiar with our topography. So today, I’m going to concentrate a little more on some history, culture, and riding. Again, I didn’t tell him much about what to expect. I’d rather he just enjoy his ride and let Pants take care of the details.

It seems to be working.



Still pretty early, we stopped at Jefferson Island to poke around. I’m a birder and sometimes, there’s a lot to see here. I brought 2 pairs of binoculars and hoped for the best.



Not much luck, but we did spot one Osprey looking for breakfast on the calm water of the pond.



I forgot how much I love this place. It is the epitome of the Deep South. Beautiful mature live oak trees, a green manicured lawn, birds, and waterways. This particular place is very well kept – no sign of litter, no commercialization, and this morning anyway, we have it all to ourselves. I live 15 miles from here. Pass right by it often and not even give it a second thought. But experiencing it with Dan reminds me that there is beauty everywhere. I just need the courage to see it.

It’s a short ride to the fishing community of Delcambre, Louisiana. We stopped at the dock and checked out the shrimp boats there. We even talked with a fisherman working on his boat.



From Delcambre, it was a 30 mile run through the cane fields to St. Martinville, an old community on the Bayou Teche. If any of you are Longfellow fans, you might recognize this sign. Our local arborist believes this tree is at least 400 years old.



The old Plantation home is now a bed and breakfast. I don’t know anyone who has stayed here.



This is a nice place to imagine life back in the day.



We walked a half block to the Acadian Memorial Museum. The mural was painted by Robert Stafford, who is a fairly famous artist from these parts. The presentation tells the story of the deportation of the Acadians by the British from what is now Canada, and their journey to where I live now.



I am not a descendent of these people, but I have a strong bond with their story and I believe that it explains a lot of the goodness that still exists here today.

We gear back up and ride out of town toward the swamp levee. Looking quite well, my friend!



At the levee, we turn north and it’s time to stretch the legs a bit on the FJRs. Wide open spaces here.

I like this picture.



I’m real glad you made the trip, bud.



I got to the community of Henderson, LA and it started sprinkling. I checked the radar and it was only a few small spotty showers. So we grabbed the slab west for about 15 miles back to Lafayette.

After all, it’s time to eat.

Dan made the trip to eat Boudin, and I was going to make sure he got some. So we parked the bikes downtown and walked 2 blocks to the official 2018 Boudin Cookoff.

(Our 9/11 memorial contains real steel from the twin towers)



My peeps are already in party mode.



The guy that runs the cookoff is a colleague of mine. I saw him immediately and introduced him to Dan. He was impressed that Dan rode over 900 miles to attend the cookoff, and rewarded us with free food tickets and a T-shirt. Swag!!! Way cool, thanks Dr. Carriker!!



Then it was time to get down to some serious business.









The band was playing modern Cajun music and we listened to a few songs.



Even though each sample was only a couple of bites, after 15 samples, we had plenty. All of the competitors made good Boudin and I honestly couldn’t decide which one was the best. Dan enjoyed the experience too.

After lunch, we get back on the bikes and head north out of town. I’m keeping a half an eye on the radar, and there are a few showers in the area, but for the most part, we are dodging it.

I lead us through the bayous, fields, and back country just basically winging it as I feel it. Between towns and villages, there is no traffic as LSU is playing tonight and the whole State is tailgating and glued to the boob tube.



Objects in the mirror are every bit as cool as they appear.



We stopped in the village of Palmetto, LA. The whole place is about 3 blocks long. My wife’s extended family is originally from here. Budden’s is the general store still in business since 1934.



And they have ice cream!!



We continued on, free styling it as we go. I took Dan down a segment of Hwy 105, which is also known as The Easy Rider road. Few people know that this movie was filmed here.

In Melville, we stopped and walked to the Atchafalaya River. I’ve got a thing for bridges, and this one is one of my favorites.



I hope you had a good time, Dan. I’ve enjoyed being with you.





We get back to my house in time for a cold beer before we shuffle off to dinner with my wife. Even though he couldn’t ride with us today, Andrew wants to join us for dinner so we picked this place, which is about ½ way between us.



Good food here.



Not sure what Andrew is thinking here.



Crème Brouillet for dessert, one of my wife’s favorites.



After dinner, Dan and I sat around with some fire water sippsies and discussed the meaning of life.

The next morning after breakfast and coffee, Dan packs up and points his horse East. So long, my friend. I will see you soon.



So that was it. I rode my motorcycle 3 days and about 850 miles, but slept in my own bed each evening. My buddies made it back to their homes safely, and brought some good Louisiana memories back with them. I offer the same hospitality to any of you. I cannot guarantee the twistiest of roads, nor the largest of overlooks. But I can promise that we will eat well, we will drink well, we will find adventure, and we will laugh from our bellies.

My dad says nothing is worth having if you can’t share it with someone else. Like all matters of importance, he is absolutely and undeniably correct. I can share my roads, my culture, my history, and my cuisine. I can share my laughter and I can share my thoughts. I can share my friends.

But sharing your life with others is nothing if you don’t share your joy. Whatever you give is peanuts compared to what you get. You get a warmth in your heart that you just can’t buy. That warmth can only be given to you, for it is priceless and worth cherishing as though it was pure gold.

Stay thirsty, my friends.

After this trip I think Dougie is going to be welcomed into the brotherhood of Los Rosbustos MC. Great trip report and makes me want to tag along, or eat with you.

Most excellent three days 'pants! Thanks for sharing the pics and a tour of your part of the world.

Your Avery Island pics bring back some memories. In a prior life, I was in the sugar industry. For a factory expansion we were purchasing heat transfer equipment from a supplier in LA. On a pre-shipment inspection trip, I visited Avery Island and toured the Tabasco plant. Although it's been a few years I still remember the smells and sights of the area. Enjoyed the trip a lot.

~G

Good stuff pants, thanks!

Doug, even on your tip toes your still ... um, vertically challenged.

Love ya man.

Niehart said:

Good stuff pants, thanks!
Doug, even on your tip toes your still ... um, vertically challenged.

Love ya man.

Click to expand...

Kind of challenged like you.

Pants always a good read, thanks for taking the time.

Pros... I had a great time! Beyond all my first time expectations of what the deep south would be. Gators, swamps, plantations, Mississippi River, cane, food and so much more.

Cons...diet? Forget about it....really.

Seriously, Pants went above and beyond being a gracious host. His homemade Gumbo was soooo good! I insist he needs to ride back west so we can put on a Gumbo feed for the forum at my house. It was great to see Fish and his Pops, those guys drove well over an hour on a work day eve just to join us- thanks gents. It's so much fun to ride with someone who knows the area and history of where he lives with enthusiasm,I will carry many great memories from my visit.

His lovely wife Tammy was such a joy, after a glass of wine she relaxed and went in to Cajun mode, what a delight. A whole new cultural experience for me- I loved every minute of it. Like most of us here he married up, atta boy!

Ragin Cajun Red Ale? Not bad but we know a real beer...



Here's what Pants thinks of my choice of suds



If you ever get a opportunity to visit these boys from down south go out of your way to do it. Both my lovely wife Miss Gayle, (I'm learning that southern lingo) and I have said many of the best friends we have met in the last ten years are from the FJR world. Joey proved this many times over, such good times! Thank you my friend,

Good days, good friends, good rides make for great memories

What a wonderful trip!!Also the pictures are very nice!!Thanks for sharing!

Great RR and the pictures make me want to quit my job and head your way.