The hardest posts to write are those describing days when I’m transiting between home and my intended destination. The first destination of my 2018 Spring ride is the home of my friend Scott, who goes by the handle, Shrug. He and his wife live in a log cabin east of Dallas. Their property is surrounded by horse and cattle pastures. They enjoy country living at its finest.

My riding partner for this trip is Jim. We rendezvoused at the McDonald’s in Crystal River, FL.

Jim prefers to ride back roads and avoid interstates at all cost. I followed him as we rode the 1100 miles of secondary highways in 3 days. We took a leisurely pace, stopping for gas every couple of hours and ending each day by 4:30 p.m. This is a much slower pace than what I typically ride, but the trip was enjoyable.

Our first stopover was at the Super 8 motel in Marianna, FL. This was a typical Super 8 that needs a little TLC and an improved complement of breakfast items. All the items are one form or another of carbs.

At least we were able to park in front of our room, which made it easy to load and unload our gear.

We had a nice dinner at the Mexican restaurant across the street from the motel.

On other trips I’ve noted 4-lane divided US highways we’ve discovered. These roads are usually lightly-traveled and have 65 mph speed limits. It’s easy to make good time on these roads and the scenery is pleasant. On this trip Jim followed US-84, which is 4-lanes most of the way, across most of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

We stopped the second night in Natchez, MS and stayed at Hotel Vue.

Our room overlooked the Mississippi River.

We went to dinner at the Magnolia Grill and had a night cap at the Under-the-Hill Saloon as the sun was setting. The picture above of the flowers, river and bridge is from the porch of the Saloon.

The third day we crossed Louisiana. We had a rather unremarkable ride and arrived at Scott and Tonya’s late afternoon. Their cabin is spacious and comfortable. I enjoyed a soak in their hot tub just before bed.

Their neighbors have retired horses. These girls are 27 and 29 years old.

After dinner we chatted for awhile then turned in early.