What a difference a day makes, 18º this morning, humid and cloudy. No gloves and no jacket. Need to push on this morning slight headwind forecast to get stronger as the day unfolds. Same problem as yesterday in that the Highway 90 runs into interstate 10. a very busy road, although the shoulder is very good.
All going well until I come to the “Calcasieu bridge” it looks like some sort of Thunderbirds take off ramp. But what really concerns me is the lack of hard shoulder. Pull over and check my maps. Detour is a long way. Take on some food and drink and decide to go for it. Put on my rear flashing lights and don my flashing jacket. It’s the first time I’ve warn it and it needs to earn it’s place in my pannier.
Suitable dressed I go for it. Wow what a bridge, long ramp up to the top with a great view of the lake. But I’m concentrating on riding a straight line and keeping in close. Not a peep from any driver, they all do their best to give me space. So relieved to get off the bridge pull over and take my sweaty jacket off.
Take Highway 90 for the rest of the day. Mostly quite but intermittent shoulder isn’t good. 20 to go and I’m making good time when something sticks and is going around with the back wheel. Tyre is still inflated so I pull over to investigate. Huge nail in the tyre, but it hasn’t gone down. Puncture is better than anything I was thinking of, soon back on the road.
Booked into motel and the receptionist is a nightmare, no printer, can’t find my zip code or understand my id (drivers license). Just give me my key please. It rained for the final 15 minutes and I need to get dry.