Slidell to Gulfport

Had a nice sleep in, headed off with Dave and Kristin for company for the first part of the day towards Gulfport, Mississippi.  It was a day of headwinds, so having people to chat with up until the Mississippi border was much appreciated.  The day was fairly tree-ed/swampy for the first half of the ride, followed by a coastal bit on the Mississippi Sound.  This included Long Beach which, true to form, felt rather long indeed (though this was likely a case of the wind and on-off rain rather than the actual distance).  There is a lovely beachside boardwalk/sidewalk which includes not only a traffic-free zone but also some giant potholes and treacherous zones.  So it was a good 25 miles of choice:  riding in traffic on a smooth but shoulderless road or a sidewalk that was quite bumpy and I had to walk in certain parts.  I alternated, mostly favouring the sidewalk as I was not keeping up a very good pace and, well, drivers aren't always so pleased to have cyclists on the road much less when they see what seems like a good alternative.  Alas.

Dave and I at the Mississippi border.  Best of luck, Dave and Kristin, on your upcoming adventure!

The peak of this stretch was the deception of Walmart.  At one point, up ahead, I saw traffic lights.  Excitement!  I figured this was one of my 'waypoint' roads that meant I had actually gotten somewhere.  Turns out that a Walmart parking lot gets its own traffic light and it was full of lies.  Oh well.  The man-made beach was beautiful in the stormy weather and I made it to Barbara and Bernie's in Gulfport right at dusk.  On a non-sarcastic note, there is something awesome about spending that much time out in the wind and salty, sandy air in stormy weather and I finished off with a very content feeling.

Barbara and Bernie were kind enough to show me to what is currently their 'guest house' until tenants move in, and I had a wonderful shower and great meal with the two of them.  They truly are a haven for travelers, as active members of WarmShowers and CouchSurfing, and their guestbook is filled with lucky people who have come through.  Together, we ate tasty meal of pasta, fried okra, salad, fried spinach (so good!), and other Southern treats such as crawfish that I really enjoyed tasting.  They seemed happy to answer my endless questions about the region and their adventures before I headed next door for a satisfying sleep.  Thanks to their hospitality, they sent me off with some oranges and I even had the opportunity to make some rice and lentils in their kitchen to have for lunch the next day.