Oooh LA LA!

The drawbridge welcomes riders to the Trace from the Slidell/Carollo Trailhead.

St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana.

It's day 24 of Biker Buck's Southern Comfort, and time for the last ride in this 11-state adventure.

Perfect weather,

the renowned Tammany Trace,

and no deadline.

Care to join me?

Homes and boats on the Lake Pontchartrain inlet.

The rail trail is nestled in the bayous on the Lake's north side, across from New Orleans.

Bayou Lavcombe

The Mandeville Trailhead is a complete playground with fun tower, and an important community gathering place.

There are concerts and educational activities at the Trailheads as well.

Heading for Lake Pontchartrain from the harbor at Fontainebleau State Park.

Rest stop for runabouts.

Kalin enjoys the playground at the Tammany Trace Trailhead.

BikerBuck met the Trace's Director, Lisa Pratt Maddox, at her iconic office.

A beautiful little cemetery borders the Trace near Carollo.  Above ground crypts are the norm in bayou country.

The guys all thought that Theophile Prudhomme was just an ordinary Joe.  RIP, Mr. P.

Tammany Trace was truly the perfect wrap up ride for BikerBuck's Southern Comfort section of his 50-50.  The ridin' is easy. The bayous, lake, trail heads and gentle neighborhoods that host the Trace are all delightfully laid back and accessible. The trail surface and shoulders are immaculate maintained and the security presence is conspicuous but professionally warm.


While Tammany does not display its supporters' trade names in the manner of Longleaf Trace and other community bike trails, there is no doubt that the Trace is the result of an effective public/private partnership that knows how to get things done.  If only BB's home town could do something even remotely similar!


So the Buckster stretched his ride to 60 something kilometers to simply enjoy the moment on a perfect trail, in perfect weather and perfectly no more cotton pickin' rides on the calendar until he AND the cotton are ready for pickin'.


Thirty three states in the bag. Seventeen left for the 2012 plan, with the notion of riding number 50, Deleware, on my 70th birthday in early October. The beauty of BB's "expedition style" planning is simply taking what the moment gives.  Of the eleven rides in Southern Comfort, just six happened at "pre-planned" sites and that's being generous. It's mainly about getting out there - being in the moment as I love to say - and picking the highest hanging fruit you can find.


This is a philosophy with legs.  Biking, shmiking, it doesn't matter what your moment's activity is.  Could be art, sightseeing, music, food, or nation-building for the sake of Pete. Whatever you feel it is that needs more of your attention just up and do it, by cracky.


Mahalo for joining BikerBuck on his Southern Comfort segment. He hopes that your virtual tour of America's southland has been a pleasant distraction.  Thank you coming along. Now he feels like reciprocating the gift of your time.  Hmm.  Could he...........................


Bayou a drink?


((he's spent the last 24 hours trying to figure a way to work that line in, so humor the old fart would ya?))

***

After the ride BB beat feet to Lafayatte LA to get a little closer to IAH where he'll depart. And also to check out the promised "Oooh la la" at the Lone Star Cafe, the legendary tonk made famous in Paul Simon's "That Was Your Mother" from his Graceland album. 

Well here's the scoop, listeners. The Lone Star Cafe was recently razed to make way for a big white building about 4 stories tall that's under construction. Bummer. No idea what the Cafe looked like, or even if it really was the place that Simon wrote about.  Guess we'll never know. But supper at the Texas Roadkill was pretty good.

There will be a Southern Comfort wrap up story on this blog in a few days. This morning is for reverse logistics and getting on the plane to Portland to link up with Donivee and Thad, Jessica and Jackson in Beaverton.

Meanwhile BB is eager to get any questions, comments or corrections about the 50-50 blog, Southern Comfort, or whatever.  You can make comments on this blogsite, or email BikerBuck at laird@lava.net.

Now, get out there and enjoy your ride. (Don't forget your helmet.)