Biker 7: Saturdy Evening Ride.....

Saturday ,being compelled to work till 3:00pm, the need to relax was overwhelming, the need to spit in the devils face was overwhelming, the need to balance on a metal chair in defiance of death was extemely overwhelming. 4:30 pm I leave the house, ride to Williams Blvd, the River, ridng the beautiful River Levee toward New Orleans as the sun warmed my back and enhanced the colors of my front view, waving to the rabbits, Coyotes and Cubracabras. The levee is closed at Oak street so I take Oak street to St Charles, smells tempt me to stop but my determination allows only a slow down. I've already drank 2 waters , I stop at Audubon park , make a circle around the path and fill my water bottles, tired of St Charles I took Magazine, plenty sidewalk food to see and smell, it was supper time now and everyone but I was eating, Beautiful and eccentric shops line both sides, a must go place if you like New Orleans. Rode Camp to the Quarter, good crowd, but not too crowed, I was happy to see the silver painted panhandlers, the bogus musicians, the bottle cap dancers, and the famed bucket drummer, it's a sad thing, there are talented street acts but not these panhandlers... Ate some jelly beans on the Riverfront , stared at the tourist trying to guess where their from , scooted down Decatur, turn left at Esplanade, no, turn left at Elysian Fields , no, Turn left at St Bernard , no, turn left at Alvar, yeah,,,,,. Alvar is mostly brick, goes all the way to the lake with detours..Passed the Alvar Library, read the sign by the bike rack. Found , pictured , and studied the WWI Memorial off Alvar, near St Claude, It has name plates with Ninth Ward soldiers in WWI, the white mem are on the front side and the colored are on the back side,,, interesting, should be visited . Crossed St Claude Continuing down Alva and fnd myself in Desire area, see the new Desire Housing units, had to detour to Louisa street to continue on and found myself in front of abandoned housing units off the interstate near I-10 toward the high rise, just then my pedal came apart, stopped to fix it, darkness was approaching,

continued on Lousia toward the lake and got detoured again, dead end , learned where Piety is and went through Pontchartrain park,,,getting later by the minute,, finally make it to the boat launch at the Seabrook bridge, hopped on Lakeshore Drive, the clouds were turning red , I put on my lights, the wind at my back pushed me along the lake about 16 mile per hour. At the other end of the drive crossing bucktown I'm now on the Lakefront Bike path, smooth fast, dark, tail wind, peddled non stop to Williams Blvd, looped the launch then back to Power Blvd to David Dr to the House , 9:45 pm.... Great Ride...50 miles......

Click to enlarge photos....