Sunday, December 4, 2011

Keepin it rubber side down.

Wheres the bmx!?? Well after Dana and her dad were finished with their thanksgiving visit in Houston,Tx and were heading home to Newport news, VA they stopped in baton rouge and met me right after I had crossed the great mississippi river. They gave me some much needed encouragement to keep pedaling and a very tasty turkey sandwich.  With my bmx rear tire looking rough from 2000 miles of glass and potholes, And my next 400 miles was going to be through the swamps and bayous of Louisiana I decided to let Dana hang on to it till she meets back up with me in Austin,Tx.  

This is how you take full advantage of a hotels free continental breakfast.

This was the bridge to Biloxi, Ms. home of the great Elvis Presley and to billion dollar casinos.
If you know me then you know how much I love to gamble, lets just say it took all I had not to go into the casinos and try to win big on the roulette tables.
Bustin...
Through
State Lines!
<>  <><>
This runaway pup kept me company while I was having some bike trouble one morning 30 miles east of Baton Rouge, La.  A couple flats and a broken skewer later I was finally on the road by 11 (I hate late starts).  Little did I know this was about to be the worst/hardest day of the trip to date.
For the rest of the day it was random flat after flat using up the rest of my tubes and patches. Had to resort to some extreme measures, this trick lasted for about 2 miles till it blew. With nothing else to do but hitchhike into baton rouge I tried and tried and tried, A few rides later totaling a grand 15 miles after 6 hours of having my thumb out I was still 10 miles from my destination in BR.  By this time it was raining, dark and I had came down with the flu, for real! I had stuff flying out of both ends of my body. So feeling like complete shit and being in probably the skecthiest part of town I finally broke down and called a cab for the last 7 miles to my buddy nickos house who was still out on a critical mass ride when I got there.  Completly exhausted and running a high fever I just passed out on his porch happy to finally end the most trying day of my life.  
Of course I find this spot when its raining and I have the flu.

Finally feeling better 3 days later I leave Baton Rouge after stopping by the bike shop first for a couple tubes and patches.  I ride about 60 miles outta town worrying about where to sleep that night because the forecast had it going under freezing. I come across this gem of a sleep spot, an insulated storage shed behind a church with a fucking space heater!.  It also had electrical outlets, endless amounts of coca cola, and a door that locked from the inside. I'll call it a miracle. 

The arsenal,.. machate, hammer, knife, and mase. This is usually how I sleep when guerilla camping.  In other words don't fuck with me when I'm sleeping.

After sleeping behind a cemetery and hearing noises all throughout the night, I woke up and realized it was just these two cute little guys just running around digging for some bones...... get it, bones, cemetery.

East......Texas

West.....Texas

This what it's like when your riding with a good wind at your back. I go real far on these days.
The enemy..

Yeeeeaaaaaa!!

Ferry jumping to Galveston,Tx.

Getting fruity in Houston.


Huge Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to every one who's helped me out on this trek so far, wouldnt be here without you.   Going to Work, ride bmx, and just chill in Austin,Tx. for a bit till the newyear, before I ride across the desert to San Diego.   Untill next time Cheers, I'm Stoked dudes!! 




Hell Yea Dana!

Lets here it for Ms. Dana Wright!  Pedaling over 1500 miles through 6 states while towing her pup mia, before finally finishing her leg of the adventure in Daphine,Al .  Your awesome babe. Thanks for going as far as you did with me, sore bum and all. 

Once in Alabama Dana said screw this pedaling crap im hopping trains to Texas.
Our last day was a big one trying to get to a hotel near Mobile to meet Danas father, strong winds, steep hills, and wet weather really made us enjoy the free cookies and coors light at the front desk in the hotel lobby of the hampton inn. Thanks Gary!
So Dana rode all this way on the same exact path as I did and while i've had my fair share of flat tires, Dana had ZERO!!  We noticed this nail in her back tire halfway through her last day not pucturing her tube just the tire, we left it in there and finished out the day without her getting a flat.  Over 1500 miles for about 45 days and no flats, how's that for karma.