St. Francisville to Franklinton to Bogalusa, LA - 127 miles

These rides are killing me.

Map 6

St. Francisville - REST DAY

Today we did a little sight-seeing of St. Francisville. St. Fracisville is located near the Mississippi River which is currently overflowing by 40 to 50 feet and flooded some parts of this region (photo above). Just north of St. Francisville is the infamous Angola State Prison. This town is also well-known because artist-naturalist John James Audubon drew most of his famous bird paintings in this area.

Simmesport to St. Francisville, LA - 53 miles

We crossed the Mississippi River today. The original plan was to take a ferry across the river but the river was to high and flowing too fast and in some places had flooded the roads. So we had to be shuttled to St. Francisville. Some are staying at the St Francisville Inn which is a Bed & Breakfast in town. And some are (including myself) staying in charming cottages at the Butler Greenwoods B & B Plantation (above photo).

St. Francisville has in the past been referred to as "the town two miles long and two yards wide." It was built on the crest of a ridge that slopes on both sides to wooded gullies. It is probable that the village of St. Francisville retained its name from a monastery completed by the Capuchin friars in honor of St. Francis of Assisi.

MONDAY, APRIL 14
Opelousas to Simmesport, LA - 65 miles

Today was a tough day...very strong headwinds and very bad roads. The temperature started out around 40 degrees and it never reached 60 degrees in the afternoon.

SUNDAY, APRIL 13
DeRidder to Opelousas, LA - 90 miles

The scenery is mostly of rice fields/crawfish farms. Apparently the crawfish are kept in wire cages in the rice fields. So, now we are in Cajun country. What is Cajun? Cajuns are the descendants of 17th century French Canada's "Acadia" region. They relocated to the Atchafalaya Basin and as the years passed Acadian turned to Cadian and finally Cajun.

Today, many people associate "cajun" with "cooking." This is because of Paul Prudhomme, a celebrated chef from Opelousas.

SATURDAY, APRIL 12
Kountz, TX to DeRidder, LA - 92 miles

Whoo Hoo!! We are out of Texas, finally! We crossed the Sabine River which is the border for Texas and Louisiana. Guess What? It's Margarita time!

Cleveland to Kountze,TX - 56 miles

Today was a nice relaxing short ride through a thick green forest known as "The Big Thicket." It once covered more than a million acres, with a length of over 100 miles, and a width in some places of nearly 50 miles. There are areas still so thick and brushy with undergrowth as to form a nearly impenetrable jungle. The Big Thicket is neither swamp nor marshland; its soil is dry and rich. It has always served as a handy hiding place for outlaws and smugglers. During the Civil War it became a refuge for service-dodging Texans. The Confederate Army sent squads to look for these men, who became known as "bushwhackers."

Navasota to Cleveland, TX - 73 miles

Sorry, no photos today. My camera remained in a zip lock bag the entire trip because it RAINED all day. At first I didn't mind the rain, but as the day wore on and as I became more soaked, it wasn't fun anymore. We did see some lush green landscape along the route. Much of the ride was through the Sam Houston National Forest which is located just north of Houston.

Map 5