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Thursday, November 09, 2006


University of Southern Louisiana at Lafayette, where I am now. I cycled 84 miles yesterday from Baton Rouge to here--my second longest distance in a day.

Cycles of Uprising ready to bicycle back to New Orleans from Baton Rouge!


Cycles of Uprising circus/singing cycling group that biked from St. Louis to New Orleans to Baton Rouge performing all along the way. I rode from New Orleans to Baton Rouge with them, and we camped out twice along the way.

A loaded bike with extracycle. See www.xtracycle.com.

Cycles of Uprising riding along River Road towards Baton Rouge.

Cycles of Uprising riding out of New Orleans with me.

Description of Plan B Bicycle Project, one of the Bicycle Coops in New Orleans.

A new house on stilts, now extra-high.

Where some homes used to be, Southeastern Louisiana.

Appliance still in the tree over a year after the storm.

Where some homes used to be, Southeastern Louisiana.

Entering Louisiana.

Wetland in Southwestern MS.

Sunset on the Gulf Coast, MS.

I finally hit the coast here on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. Near the coast, which has been cleaned up dramatically since the storm, lay slab after concrete slab of where homes used to be. Some of the larger homes, and the historical estates are being rebuilt. Further along the coast, the bridge was out at Pass Christian, but the next morning, a vehicle ferry began operating. I camped out on the beach and took the inaugural ferry ride at 6:30am, and I was intervied by the local radio station!

Friday, November 03, 2006


Photo of some of the firemen at the D'Iberville, Mississippi. As I write this post, I am in New Orleans, and despite the destruction in parts of the city, the place is unlike any other, and I can see why they want to save this place.

Monday, October 30, 2006


My waitress, a statue of Buddha, and I at the Chinese Happiness Restaurant in D'Iberville, MS, just north of Biloxi. This was just after enjoying an all-you-can-eat tasty buffet. I practiced my basic Chinese with her. Tonight, I am staying at the firehouse in D'Iberville. The firemen are taking a course on Haz-mats, and they put me up in the trailer. They also gave me access to the internet, which I am using right now to update this blog. Lots of activity tonight in town including a billboard on fire, a motorcycle accident, and a seventy-year man who may have overdosed on his medication. I plan to roll through Biloxi tomorrow, cruise along 90, which runs along the Gulf Coast towards New Orleans, and see much of the damage of Katrina that is still very evident.

Melanie, co-worker, and I at the Indian Head Motel in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, on the Gulf Coast near Biloxi. Melanie put me up for the night--thank you so much. Her motel is just getting up and running--stop in if you are ever in the area!

Hanging out with some folks at Mobile--folks with lots of character and lots of adventure stories, lots of knowledge of Mobile, and interest in my trip.

Me at Mobile Bay.

Cute, adorable, faithful and amazing Blue Heeler puppy. This little girl followed me from her house to my campsite over a mile away, spent the night with me, and followed me down the road all the way back to her house. I told her owner the story, left, and then she followed me another four miles down the road to the point of nearly throwing up (when I ran a 10K race across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, I threw up. Biking is way easier than running). I almost put her in my backpack and took her along for the trip, but thought better of it, and had someone at the corner store take her back home. Blue Heelers are cow dogs, similar to Australian Sheepdogs. They are smart, they heard, but unlike sheepdogs, which block the sheep or cows from the front, the blue heeler nips at the heels of the cattle, hearding it from the back.

The Broken Arrow Cafe in Uriah, AL, just South of Monroeville. The community gathering place and watering hole. All know all, and the community never forgets. Native American owners--the Creek reservation near Atmore is nearby, as well as another tribe reservation.

Tina and Chrystal make the Broken Arrow Cafe an attractive, homey community base.

George and Martha of Uriah, AL. They work at the Broken Arrow Cafe, where I stopped to put the rain cover on my saddle and ended up staying in the community overnight due to its great spirit. George and Martha have a home-made home made of antique salvaged materials and artifacts. One of their couches is made from an old horse carriage, and some of their walls are made from a log cabin 115 years old. Other antiques are integrated into their furniture and walls.

Striking sunrise one chilly morning Southwest of Montgomery. Everyday is a new beginning.

Pecan trees are prevalent throughout Southern Alabama and Mississipi. People gather them and sell them for up to $8.50/lb. Here was a Pecan processing plant in Fort Deposit, AL.

Tricia Crowley and I. Tricia was my mother away from home, preparing meals and food for the road, providing conversation and guidance with routes, and attending Mass with me at St. Bede's. She introduced me to some teaching assistants of hers at the Catholic High School where she teaches French part-time. One of those was Mary, who went to Yale, teaches English, Literature, and Religion. She is part of a two-year Masters of Education program that involves classroom teaching during the school year and three summers of classes.

Joe Crowley and I. Crowley is a Professor Emeritus of Auburn University. He currently works part-time for a half-way house in Montgomery. He was an excellent tour guide of Montgomery for me, showing me such landmarks as the Civil Rights Monument and the Dexter Baptist Church of Dr. Martin Luther King.

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Best Pictures From Western Georgia to Mobile, Alabama
















Colombian family, Camp Hill, AL. They make me spell Colombia with two "o's".

Message from me to you.

One of my jacked legs.

Preparing lunch on the road.


Entering Alabama!

Lizard on outcropping, Western GA.

Western Georgia

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Monroeville

Hi all. I am in Monroeville, AL, visiting the courthouse featured in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Lee grew up in Monroeville and the novel is based on characters and places in Monroeville.
I ate at Sweet Tooth Bakery and Restaurant, and the nice lady/owner of the restaurant comped my meal. Thank you Sweet Tooth!
This afternoon, I will head down towards Mobile and camp out near Uriah or Chrysler, or perhaps somebody will put me up!
See the article in the Mongomery Advertiser to the left!

Sunday, October 22, 2006

This man makes my trip look like a piece of cake!

www.vancouvertovancouver.com (copy and paste) or click link to left. This man, Tim Harvey, is finishing up a two year trek around the world without fossil fuels--zero emissions. He envisions a future where all of us use less fossil fuels.

Saturday, October 21, 2006

Montgomery

I have arrived here in Montgomery after a 57 mile day from Penton, Alabama. I am staying with the Crowleys, friends of the Cooler-Stiths who I met through the bike coop in Mt Rainier. Very happy to be staying with the Crowleys.

Camp Hill


Hoy, yo anduve en bicicleta doce millas, y paré para beber agua y comer un poco, y escuché un hombre, Ricardo, hablando por telefono en español, y me presenté. El me invitó para comer algo en la casa. Entré y conocí la esposa y los hijos. La comida fue deliciosa. Ahora no puedo esperar llegar a Colombia!

Camp Hill

I am writing from the house of a couple of Colombians who just moved to Camp Hill, Alabama. I met them as I stopped on the side of a country road to drink some water. The husband, Ricardo, was talking on his phone outside, and when I heard he was talking spanish, I introduced myself. He invited me in for lunch and I met his wife and kids, and his grandfather. I heard about where they live in Colombia, that the wife's sister married a man from Switzerland, and now lives there. The lunch was delicious and I cannot wait to arrive in Colombia!

The family lived in Cali, Valle, Colombia. This city is about two hours from the Pacific Coast, and it lies on the Pan American Highway--perhaps I will pass through it! They recommend taking the boat from Panama to Cartagena, though, and visiting Guajira--a beautiful city on the Atlantic coast.

I showed them a site, renewus.org, where their landlord can purchase clean energy, and where any of their friends living along the road can purchase it, too. In Alabama, it costs just six bucks per month to guarantee that the energy you pay goes to adding clean energy to the power grid.

The family asked about what they could do to reduce global warming, besides supporting the bill (Climate Stewardship Act). I told them the most important thing an individual can do is to live close to where they work so that their daily commute is short--perhaps walkable or bikable--but at least not a very long daily car ride. Another is to purchase green, clean electricity at renewus.org. Another is to have a car (if any at all) that gets high gas mileage.

The primary sources of greenhouse gas emissions are the way we make electricity and the way we transport ourselves. In both areas, we have technology to make them cleaner, and the Climate Stewardship Act would provide motivation to use that technology.