Cavaliers have a blast on inaugural ride

The Cavaliers painted a rainbow stripe down the middle of the River Road on their inaugural ride on September 15. Four bikes arrived right on time for our first-ever group ride, with two of the bikes carrying passengers.

-Michael and Doug rode Michael's 1999 Honda Shadow 750
-Poncho and William rode Poncho's 1996 Harley E6 Classic
-Alan rode his 1996 Honda ST1100
-David rode his 1996 Honda Gold Wing SE

Cavaliers stop in front of Destrehan Plantation on their way to Oak Alley. From left: Alan, William, Poncho, Michael D., and Doug.

After briefly getting stuck in Saints game traffic, the group cruised out Claiborne Avenue and Jefferson Highway to pursue the twists and turns of River Road. We dipped through the Bonnet Carre Spillway and made a brief stop at Destrehan Plantation to stretch our legs and snap a few pictures.

On the road again, we headed upriver past Ormond and San Francisco plantations before crossing the river at Gramercy. The view from the top of the bridge was oddly eerie, with a thick haze hovering over the water. Once on the West Bank, we continued upriver to Vacherie, passing Laura Plantation on our way to our lunch stop at Oak Alley.

The six of us had a tasty lunch at the restaurant located on the plantation grounds. The restaurant's air conditioning and ice water were welcome after the heat of the highway. We had a good time getting to know one another, and everyone seemed very enthusiastic about future rides, making many good suggestions about great roads and destinations to try in the future.

Michael D., a new rider with his first bike, a 1999 Honda Shadow 750, prepares to take his first ride with the Cavaliers to Oak Alley Plantation.

After lunch some folks had to hurry back to the city, but a few of us took a leisurely stroll around the grounds to admire the 28 stately oaks that form the Oak Alley leading up to the plantation's manor house. These magnificent 300-year-old oaks were planted long before the plantation house that bears their name was built.

The remaining riders soon headed back to New Orleans under cloudier skies and gratefully cooler temperatures. A quick ride on the Interstate got everyone home soon.

This ride was a great start to our club. Many thanks to everyone who came out to support our inaugural run. We look forward to many more fun rides together in the future.