Today was a marvelous conclusion to my long journey. Weatherwise, it was another gorgeous day. Forty-three of the past forty-four days have been perfect or near perfect weather conditions where I have been. The only thing that I brought on my trip that I did not use at all was a hooded poncho.
When Bob and I went to breakfast at the Woodland Plantation B & B at which we stayed last night we learned that it was until very recently the plantation depicted on the label of Southern Comfort whiskey bottles. We wandered around the grounds and the lodgings after breakfast. It really is a beautiful place.
Today is election day in Louisiana. I have been amazed by how interested and involved the citizens of Louisiana are in the democratic election process. Every single government position in Louisiana at all levels of government seems to be an elected position (tax assessor, tax collector, county clerk, judiciary clerks, traffic court judges, etc.). There are more yard signs down here than I can ever remember seeing anywhere and people seem truly engaged in the races. For example, they seem to know and care about the elections of local district court judges. In Minnesota, many of the judiciary races are uncontested and most people, including even many lawyers, know little or nothing about many of the candidates.
Not surprisingly, election day seems to be a great excuse to have a party in Louisiana. We passed a number of roadside parties where campaign workers were hoisting signs for passing motorists to see, cooking barbecue, and, generally, having a lot of spirited fun. We stopped at one of these parties being hosted by campaign workers for a candidate for district court judge, and I waved the candidate's sign while the organizer tended to the barbecue. Within moments someone handed me a cell phone and I found myself talking with the candidate himself. He was the former district attorney in Placquemine Parish and we had an enjoyable conversation. Based on that conversation and things I heard about him from the campaign workers, he impressed me as a very articulate, intelligent, experienced and amiable attorney. He asked if I would send him a photo of myself holding the sign for inclusion in his campaign scrapbook. I think about 3/4 of the passing motorists honked their horns approvingly and gave me a thumbs up; so based on my very unscientific poll I am thinking he probably won. :-)
The southernmost part of Louisiana is very pretty and economically vibrant. The river and bayous widen in this area and the land narrows to less than a mile wide as the mouth of the River approaches. There is a lot of waterfowl and the bayous are full of cypress trees. The oil industry has brought a lot of prosperity to this region, and so has shrimping and commercial and recreational fishing. It also serves as the gathering point for tow boat pilots on the River. There is a lot of temporary lodging, restaurants and bars to serve their needs.
There deep sea fishing is excellent and the fishing boats we saw returning to port were full of very large tuna, red fish, trout, and other types of fish. I spoke with a deep sea fisherman who told me that they tended to fish 60-90 miles offshore in about 6,000 feet of water and they routinely catch big game fish, including marlin and swordfish. There was a very festive atmosphere around the docks as the fishing boats returned in mid-afternoon with their catches.
Bob's sister, Laura, and niece, Kate, did us the enormous favor of driving down from New Orleans to meet us at the end of the ride and give us (and our bikes) a ride back to Bob's parents' home New Orleans. But before returning we had a very nice celebratory lunch at one of the seafood restaurants at the marina near Venice. Thank you, Laura and Kate!
When we arrived back at Bob's parents' house and were unloading the bikes and equipment, we saw noted left wing political commentator and New Orleans native James Carville returning home from a jog. We did not catch a glimpse of his equally famous, slightly less flamboyant, right wing spouse Mary Matalin.
Last night Bob and I celebrated a little more by going out to hear some music at the famous Tipitinas nightclub in Uptown. It was a nice way to cap off a fabulous day and a tremendous trip.
I looked at my odometer as I finished the ride and noticed that the entire trip was almost exactly 2,400 miles. The ride and the nomadic lifestyle I have been leading for the past six weeks has become a very comfortable way of life for me. Were it not for the fact that I miss my family and friends in Minnesota tremendously, I would gladly turn around and ride back up the river.
I am afraid, though, that the weather may not be so cooperative were I to do that!! :-)
I will add a few more posts addressing topics about which I constantly get questions, and then wrap this blog up. I to go back to read it myself from time to time and re-live this unbelievable journey. I may even add detail to some of the posts that made in my tent from my cell phone.
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