Today we rode from Convent to New Orleans. It was a great ride into New Orleans. The majority of the ride was again next to the Mississippi River on the paved levee trail. When we got into the New Orleans area, we took a side trip through Audubon Park and then rode through Tulane and Loyola Universities. A bike path took us almost the entire way to our hostel on Canal Street.
Brent, Chris, Dana, Felix, and I rode together for most of today’s ride.
Today was the 11th straight day of riding since we left Austin. It is the longest stretch without a rest day on this entire trip. We now get a day off in New Orleans which we are all looking forward to.
We have an 8-person room at the hostel with 4 sets of bunk beds. It sounds terrible, but this hostel is really nice. It has a large entry area plus a large kitchen area with lots of seating. For once, I’m enjoying staying at a hostel and we are just blocks from the French Quarter.
Felix, Dana, and I walked down to Bourbon Street (others in the group had already headed out to restaurants). We ate at the Hideout and had New Orleans cuisine while listening to live music, had a hurricane at Pat O’Brian’s while listening to dueling pianos (they weren’t that good…both the hurricane and the piano players), and then went to Fritzel’s which had a 5-piece jazz band that was awesome. Fun times in NOLA.
This is St Michael’s Church in Convent, built in the 1800’s. We saw more churches in Louisiana than any other state, most were more modest than this one. Most churches were Baptist or Catholic. This was originally the site of Jefferson College and the building here was built in 1848. In 1931 the Jesuits took over the site to be used for religious retreats. It is called Manresa House of Retreats. Over 6,000 people participate in retreats here each year.Across the street from the Manresa House. St Joseph in the distance. Lots of riding on the Mississippi River Trail. Nice!Lots of industry on the lower Mississippi. More river action. This is the Bonnet Carre Spillway which can be opened to allow Mississippi River water to be diverted to Lake Pontchartrain. We took a short break under this oak tree when the coffee shop was closed. Dana (a professional forester) took the opportunity to explain there are red oaks and white oaks. This was a red oak because the leaves are pointed, not rounded. There are hundreds of different red oaks and this was likely a pin oak. I passed this guy on the levee path. He just couldn’t keep up!These bridges crossed the Mississippi River to the right. I was amazed how high the train bridge continued. Time for another stop at this legendary bar about 10 miles from New Orleans. Felix and his barstool at the Rivershack Bar. Tugboat pushing two barges. Huge park in New Orleans. Cycling through Audubon Park. Chris, Felix, Dana, and Brent. This was part of Loyola University of New Orleans. This one’s for Jamie S. who received her law degree from Tulane. My first view on New Orleans skyline. Made it to Bourbon Street and Dana (in middle) got pulled from the crowd to be part of the show. Grand finale. Guy jumped over all four of them. Ate dinner at the Hideout with live music. I had the New Orleans taster platter. From top, Red Beans and Rice, Crawfish ettoufee, and Jambalaya. A Hurricane at Pat O’Brians. Felix said it tasted like Gatorade with Rum. My only picture from Fritzel’s Bar. Live jazz and a good vibe.
4 responses to “Day 44 – 11 riding days and then NOLA!”
Ndlouhy
Good times in NOLA 🎉🥳🍹🍻Glad you had another enjoyable ride. That food platter looked interesting 😋 didn’t realize you had 11 days of riding…. Time flies by so fast but glad you had a layover in a fun location! I saw your hostel accommodations online and thought it was pretty cool. I’m sure the rest of your ride will have interesting things to see. 🚴♀️🚴♀️🚴♀️ stay safe! 😊 and enjoy what’s ahead.
Tom's Excellent Adventure 
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