Leaving from Kyle did give me some variety though. I used TX-21 to slide east and slightly north to Paige, Texas where I hooked up with US-290 and hauled butt to Houston. I had breakfast plans with friends in Houston and didn’t want to leave them hanging too long.
We were scheduled to meet at a place called The Egg and I, or something equally as un-biker-like. Come on man! I ate breakfast at the Cowboy Café the day before. How was I supposed to eat at some she-she foo-foo place called The Egg and I? Luckily, the place was packed and my buddy Patrick was able to convince his wife, Tanya, that JBs Steakhouse and Grill would be the better place to go for breakfast. So, before I could get off the bike at The Egg and I, Patrick and Tanya stopped me and suggested JBs. God is good.
Breakfast tacos...yum yum!
I had a giant plate of breakfast tacos at JBs and enjoyed spending time with Tanya and Patrick. They were our poker buddies for many years in Texas and I still miss those Saturday night get togethers. Plus, it hit me that the little old lady I met in Roswell reminded me of Tanya. The Roswell lady was much older, but if you added 25 or 30 years to Tanya, I’m guessing you’d get my Roswell girl as the result. They had similar builds and sounded similar although the Roswell lady was raspier. Still, I couldn’t help the comparison between the two and had to tell Tanya I had met her in the future. Maybe there’s something to that Roswell UFO mystery stuff after all. I may have been experiencing time travel in the parking lot of the Cowboy Café.
I spent an enjoyable time with Tanya and Patrick, not to mention loaded up on a good breakfast. We said our goodbyes and I rolled out of JBs parking lot in search of US-290 again. My intention when planning this ride was to stop at the Houston Fisher House on my way through town. But, as usual, I was running later than I planned and wanted to get to Mobile before too late in the day to have dinner with my old high school friends. It was a Saturday morning and I hadn’t hooked up with the director at the Fisher House at the VA hospital in Houston, so all I would be able to do was get a quick picture and keep going. I opted to skip the stop and make up some time.
This brings me to the worst part of the trip. If you are traveling to Mobile, Alabama from Houston, Texas there’s really only one route and it includes hundreds of miles of I-10. You will encounter some of the worst highway in America traveling this section of I-10. It is rough, they throw in miles and miles of construction, and you never know when traffic might just come to a complete stop for no apparent reason. Needless to say, it is not my kind of highway. The only saving grace is the 18 mile bridge across the Atchafalaya Swamp. It’s rough too, but at least you have the swamp on both sides of the highway to keep it interesting. The Atchafalaya Swamp is the largest swamp in the US. It is about 20 miles wide from east to west and 150 miles long from north to south and covers approximately 595,000 acres.
The Atchafalaya Swamp
I had lunch (my usual McDonalds cheeseburgers) in Covington, Louisiana and called ahead to my friends to make sure we were still on for dinner. I was back on I-10 in no time and continued east to Biloxi, Mississippi. Biloxi is home to Keesler Air Force Base and home to another Fisher House. I knew I wouldn’t be allowed on base without the proper paperwork (i.e. I left my registration somewhere other than on me or my bike). Still, I decided to try my luck with the security detail at the gate and see if I could either talk my way onto the base or be allowed to walk. Unfortunately, the gate closest to the Fisher House was not open and the signs directed me to the main gate. The Fisher House was too far from the main gate for this old man to walk, so I had to pass on a visit to this Fisher House too.
I wanted to visit the Keesler Fisher House in particular because they took care of my mom and dad during my dad’s eye surgery at the VA hospital there. Dad couldn’t say enough nice things about the director there and how hospitable the Fisher House staff was. I had exchanged email messages with the director and knew he wasn’t going to be around that weekend, but I still had hoped to be able to pop in for a visit. Oh well, maybe next time I’ll be better prepared.
The lighthouse on US-90 in Biloxi.
I grabbed a couple of pictures in Biloxi and took I-110 back to I-10 for the final run to Mobile. I stopped at the welcome center on I-10 as you cross into Alabama from Mississippi. It’s one of the prettiest rest areas you’ll find. I always make it a point to stop there when I’m traveling east on I-10. The giant oak trees with the Spanish moss hanging from the limbs are beautiful. I like finding a quiet place and sitting there for a few minutes. It refreshes me better than any energy drink and I like to think it restores a little piece of my soul every time I visit there.
The beach in Biloxi with the Beau Rivage Casino in the background.
I had dinner with several friends at a Mexican restaurant just south of I-10 near Theodore. It’s becoming a habit to drag my high school friends out any time I’m in Mobile. It’s nice to get to see them and catch up, but it’s also nice to watch them as they interact with old friends that, in some cases, they haven’t seen in a while either, even though they live in the area. It’s amazing to me how those friendships from more than 30 years ago continue to last and how exciting and interesting it is to get together and hear what everyone has been up to.
After dinner, I jumped back on the bike and rode the remaining 50 miles to Foley, Alabama where my mom and dad live. The next day was Mothers’ Day and I was hoping to surprise my mom. Unfortunately, I let the cat out of the bag when I called Dad earlier that evening to let him know when I’d be arriving. She was standing there as he tried to answer my questions without giving away the secret. She figured it out and he had to tell her before I got there, but it was still a nice surprise.
My niece and former sister-in-law were also visiting, so it was go to get them too. It was a quick visit because I needed to be on the road again the next day, but still, it was worth the extra time to get to say hi, particularly on Mothers’ Day. Of course mom got up the next morning and made us all breakfast, but I think that made the day that much more special for her (at least that’s what I tell myself).
This day covered 700 miles with all but 70 miles on interstates, either US-290 or I-10. 630 miles of interstate riding isn’t really my idea of a good day on the road, but sometimes you just gotta suck it up and roll with it.
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