Newcomers join Cavaliers on Baton Rouge ride

The Cavaliers showed strength in numbers on Jan. 19 when six bikes showed up for a sunny midwinter ride to Baton Rouge. We were thrilled to have three people riding their bikes on a road trip with us for the first time.

The prior Sunday had been cold with rain and sleet when we wisely chose to postpone the ride for a week. The decision rewarded us with a beautiful, sunny January day that started and ended a bit chilly, but made for a glorious ride in the middle of the day.

The great weather inspired five riders from New Orleans and one from Baton Rouge to join us, making this the Cavaliers' largest road event yet.

-George rode his 2003 Honda Shadow ACE
-Doug rode his 1998 Honda Shadow 750
-Todd rode his 2001 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide
-Poncho rode his 1996 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Classic
-Michael D. rode his 1999 Honda Shadow 750
-David and Michael W. rode David's 1996 Honda Gold Wing SE

Temperatures were a bit brisk in the upper 40s when we left the Phoenix shortly after the 10 am rendezvous. David took the lead, followed by George, Doug, Mike, and Poncho. We got separated in traffic not once but twice, but eventually all got back together for the ride up I-10. Things got a bit colder briefly as we crossed the spillway near Lake Ponchartrain, but warmed up fast as we moved inland. By the time we stopped at the rest area near Sorrento, we were already enjoying sun-warmed temps in the upper 50s.

Todd rode down from his home in Baton Rouge to meet us at Sorrento. After introductions all around, we headed off again and turned of the Interstate at Gonzales, where we followed LA 30 toward the town of St. Gabriel, where we turned onto the River Road. We followed a couple of the river's bends, keeping the levee to our left and the farms and pastures to our right. We even passed the ruins of an old plantation home, where only a few columns stood surrounded by piles of crumbling brick.

David asked Todd to take over the lead and guide us through the surface streets of Baton Rouge to our lunch destination. We were glad to have him, since most of us only had a hazy notion of the street layout in Baton Rouge. Todd got us all safely to the Las Palmas Mexican restaurant on Jefferson Highway, where we all sat down and relaxed over a really delicious meal. My chicken enchiladas were outstanding, and everyone had great things to say about the excellent food.

During lunch we made the decision to scrap our plans to visit the Lousiana Purchase exhibit at the Old State Capitol and take advantage of the warm midwinter sunshine. Poncho suggested we head east on US 190 and follow it across the northshore as far as Slidell before returning to New Orleans. Todd guided us out of town on I-12 to a gas stop, then pointed us in the direction of US 190. We bid our farewells and took off for the piney woods of the Florida Parishes.

With Poncho in the lead, we had a wonderfully pleasant ride across 190, which took us through Denham Springs and right through the oldest part of Hammond. But as the sun was getting low behind the pine trees, it was starting to cool off fast. Poncho stopped in Covington, and everyone agreed to take the shortcut back to the city across the Lake Ponchartrain Causeway.

It was the Cavaliers' first ride across the 24-mile span, and it was a really beautiful day for it. Clear skies, a bright sun, and calm winds made the lake very peaceful. We also got to see the downtown buildings grow slowly taller as we rode mile after mile across what was the world's longest bridge when it was built in the 1950s.

It would be hard to ask for a finer day for a ride with friends in the middle of January. It must say something about the vigor of our young club that even in the dead of winter we can attract our largest number of riders yet. Special congratulations to George, Doug and Todd who rode with us for the first time. We look forward to seeing them again on many future rides.