Chicot State Park LA

 

Early start for our long day. Camping on old cabin porch meant tent wasn't soaked with dew. Morning riding was on undulating highway shoulder, and a very slight but noticeable enough to be annoying headwind. Chuck and I were last to leave, and at some point he stopped and stayed behind me. I slowed but given this was the hundred mile day I left him to his own devices. Turned out he had a flat. I rode 55 miles to Oberlin and a stop under tree where Monty and Mark were lunching. As they were leaving Mark discovered he had a flat. I ate quickly and left to find a cold drink and to refill my water and keep moving. Sudden change to landscape, from forests to fields and dead flat terrain: some cattle, hay, but then rice fields being irrigated. 

And high water table so elevated graves. The last 45+ miles went quickly enough, but another change from TX was the more noticeable poverty -- both in towns and the condition of the parish farm roads, with broken sections and no shoulders. And then suddenly we were in Cajun bayou country.

After 7 1/2 riding hours I arrived in Chicot. Here is the view from the deck of our amazingly  deluxe (for a state park) cabins:

Two big cabins, fully equipped with bathrooms, wifi, even tvs. Alligators in the bayou, plus big mouth bass, etc. Astonishing. And thus begins our rest day tomorrow!