Got up as usual time and had a very nice breakfast prepared by Kathy and Frank. (Yesterday, I mistakenly called him "Jim." Sorry.) Scrambled eggs, bacon, fig preserves,, muffins, orange juice, coffee .... Noticed a box of Enstrom's Toffee on the kitchen counter. For those who don't know, Enstrom 's Toffee is a world famous delicious toffee made right in Grand Junction. In past years, they have been donors to the ride.

Fond farewells to this special couple who hosted us and treated us so royally!

We drove out of Baton Rouge on the two Interstates (10 and 12) and out East for a ways. Got off the Interstate and started riding in Walker. US 190 used to be the mane road through the area before the completion of the I-10. At times, there was a pretty good shoulder on which to ride, but at other times there was no shoulder. We moved along at a pretty good clip. Passed through a parish called "Tangipahoa." Sounds more like a Hawaiian word although the Hawaiian language doesn't have a "T" or a "G." Crossed over the Tchefuncte River. How's that for a name? See PS at end.

Finally arrived in Covington where Charlotte, Sherri, Mary Ann, and I ate lunch from the cooler. The remainder of the way to Slidell will be on the Tammany Trace Trail, a scenic recreational corridor composed of a main paved trail, a parallel equestrian trail, and other recreational facilities. St. Tammany Parish government acquired the railroad right-of-way from the Illinois Railroad in 1992. It is 28 miles long. It makes its way through five historic communities: Covington, Abita Springs, Mandeville, Lacombe, and Slidell, linking various parks and providing beautiful vistas of rivers. The Trail itself is very nice, but it is lacking in signage, which created many problems. It was hard to figure out where each rider was, because the maps were inaccurate. Lots of frustration on my part. Once Charlotte and I finally connected, we loaded up the bikes and attempted to drive to where the trail currently ends. Got lost for awhile with road detours and I was really getting frustrated. But then the phone rang, and it was Mary Ann saying that she and Sherri were at the Top Fuel gas station which was just on the horizon. Isn't God great! He did a miracle just for us, just in the nick of time. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Loaded up Sherri and Mary Ann and their bikes, and drove into Slidell.

Sliddell is located on the North shore of Lake Ponchartrain . It was founded in 1892-93. It was named to honor American politician and Confederate ambassador to France John Slidell. It became a major crossroads for those traversing the Gulf states with the construction of Interstates 10, 12, and 59.

Slidell suffered extensive damage from the effects of Hurricane Katrina as the storm made final landfall on the morning of August 29, 2005. The municipal area is located about 2 miles inland, and parts of the city experienced a storm surge in excess of 10 feet. In some areas, the storm surge was 13 to 16 feet.

We are being housed in a dormitory not unlike a homeless shelter with 2x4 bunkbeds. Luckily, I'm on a lower bunk. The Aldergrove United Methodist Church is hosting us tonight. They have 60-some others staying here, too, people who are here for mission trips helping to rebuild and refinish homes that were destroyed by Katrina, almost eight years ago.

After a long day on the road, the "poor boy" shrimp sub sandwich tasted pretty good. There was also crawdads, corn, and potatoes for anyone.

Showered, got my bed organized and wrote this message. It's a real labor of love, since most nights I am really tired and want to go to bed.

The route was about 82 miles today, in temps in the mid-90"s and humid.

This is our last night in Louisiana. It has been a great part of the trip!

Found one quarter for "Road Change" today.

With love from the road,
Marie

PS.
The Tchefuncte River (chuh-FUNK-tuh) drains into Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana in the United States. It is about 70.0 miles (112.7 km) long.

In the 19th century it was an important commercial waterway, where building materials and other products of the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain were loaded to be shipped across the Lake to New Orleans.

Madisonville's Tchefuncte River Lighthouse stands resolutely on the Saint Tammany north shore of Lake Pontchartrain.
This lighthouse was built in 1837.