Coast to Coast Winter Edition: Louisiana Fast

Nothing is more comfortable than an Italian superbike made for midgets.

So as scenic as the coastal Route 98 was, the more time spent on long straights the more I considered hiring a chiropractor to ride shotgun.

Florida was long drawn out foreplay for all the pleasure to come. And in hindsight I would have made a beeline for the exit through route 98 instead of visiting Jacksonville.

Still, it beat sitting at home.

Day 3 of the crusade came to fruition and greeted me with low 40F weather. Not only was it going to be a cold ride, the route consisted of - you guessed it.

Long.

Straight.

Backroads.

Fan-freaking-tastic. I could not have been more exhilarated and was doing my best to restrain my excitement:

Le map

My time staring at the endless horizon of highway was as exciting as watching paint dry. My boredom soon turned to concern that I would plow into a tree if I forgot how to turn.

However, three words on a green sign caught my attention - "Welcome to Alabama"

I had a personal task to capture a selfie with every state sign I'd encounter. A marker reminding me of the excitement in that moment.

Yes, it was now truly a "cross-country" trip.

Feeling high as a kite. Although I have been higher before.

If it wasn't the temporary boredom that would shorten my life expectancy, it was the frigid cold of Mobile, Alabama that would give me frostbite.

It turned out cheap heated grips and torn Alpinestars Winter Gloves are inadequate for keeping your manos warm. So that prompted a quick gas station stop.

Fortunately, the gas attendant felt sympathetic for my insane endeavor and allowed me to recover from the cold shock. Another opportunity to record my beautifully brown face.

Enter the kingdom of Mobile, Alabama

An 87 octane quickie

Taking a long break brings the temptation to shorten the day or prolong your departure. The show must go on and one must have the mental tenacity to embrace the experience as miserable as it can be.

But the decision to cope with the, at times, mental torture forges a stubborn will to accomplish whatever you desire.

So with that attempt of a personal pep talk, the bike and I set off towards Mississippi. And very quickly did we see that welcome sign.

State of the art winter gloves

You know what Mississippi and Alabama had in common.

Roads. Long ones.

Watching the grass grow

Soon though, the city of Biloxi spawned on the horizon. Wow. Buildings. Sand. Beaches. And Beeches.

It offered a temporary sanctuary from the drought I'd be enduring in the sarcastic sentences above. There were lighthouses to see. Boardwalks to traverse. And room to take a breather.

Relax, Sal. Enjoy the now tenderizing 50F weather. We're in Mississippi - that's cool, we're in our third state.

Hi to the Bi

Who is that handsome, narcissistic young stud

The pent up excitement transpired into a desire to see a lighthouse near the shore. That required a short stroll through a sandbox.

A loaded Ducati 748 with sport touring tires is not suitable for riding in the sand. That or I just suck at riding.

I prefer to believe the former more.

Questionable judgement

Light at the end of nearly dropping the bike

With only 90 miles separating the Ducati and me from New Orleans, my ADVhost Caesar was notified of a noisy entrance in 1.5 hours.

We'd already completed nearly 1000 miles.

90? Cakewalk.

And so, Lousiana.

My new parish

This frikkin' bike

Marshland

And so, New Orleans.

A sight of a new Ducati Supersport and two other motorized bicycles reassured me this was the correct driveway.

Caesar came out of the house and greeted me as if we'd known each other for years.

As quickly as he said hello, he inserted "I'm furloughed because of the shutdown, so let's go out tonight."

This is what I'm talking about. Hell. To the yeah.

The day was in its infancy, warranting time to decompress and anticipate an outing in NOLA.

The air that chilled me on the way here now chilled me with excitement. The air was dense with a good two days to come.

Good guy. Good vibes. Good bike.

It's about to be a good time.