Baker, LA - Fri 3/30

Today we crossed the Mississippi River and had three flat tires.

We hesitated to leave our motel because rain was forecast, but the ground was dry so we took off.  We started with breakfast at Piggly Wiggly.  A small chunk of glass let the air out of our rear tire at mile three requiring a 15 minute patch job.

After a jambalaya lunch at "Not Your Mama 's Café" we found our tire flat again.  We replaced the patch.  (Note to self: never use Scab patches again.)  When we finished patching
and were almost ready to go, rain started pouring for about two minutes.  We were glad to be under an awning.  It never rained again all day.

We rode past lots of swampland and eventually crossed the Mississippi River on a big suspension bridge.  But about 8 miles before our destination our tire went flat again, this time apparently because of a pinch.  I gave up on patches and just replaced the tube.  Two people stopped on the freeway to offer help.

Miles: 66.8  Average: 12.0

Photos:
Mississippi River.
Breakfast at Piggly Wiggly.
Fixing the first flat tire.
Louisiana swamp.
Not Your Mamas Café.
Not Your Mama 's Café.
Fixing the second flat tire.
Fixing the third flat tire.

The truth from Ruth:  We saw some really dilapidated shacks today that I could hardly believe were inhabited.  I guess there is a lot of poverty here.
Jeff's sister used to live in Louisiana, and told us that there are alligators in the standing water along the roadsides.  We've spent a lot of time scanning the water for them, but haven't seen any yet.  Apparently, they are hard to spot.