Cavaliers carve the twisties to Taste of Bavaria

Last Sunday the Cavaliers circled Lake Ponchartrain; this Sunday we circled Lake Maurepas. Sure the temperatures hovered in the low 50s, with a thick cloud cover and intermittent showers, but we had a damn fine ride.

Two bikes met at the Phoenix for the Feb. 9 ride. Mark showed up on his 1998 Honda Shadow 750 named "Bettie," and David and Michael W. showed up on David's 1996 Honda Gold Wing SE. Mark brought along some cool biker Carnival beads (the wheels spin!) to share with us. Doug and Michael D. showed up in their SUV "just to see who showed up for the ride." After David took off all his clothes in the Phoenix (I had one layer too many on for the mildly chilly weather), Doug and Mike waved farewell as Mark, David and Michael W. rode off.

Heading out Interstate 10, we barely got to Causeway Boulevard before it started to drizzle. Deciding that it looked like it would be a steady drizzle, we stopped at the Loyola exit in Kenner to don our rain gear. That did the trick, and it didn't rain on us again until we were almost in Ponchatoula.

We used Interstate 310 to cut over to Airline Highway, and enjoyed the more leisurely pace of the old US 61. At a stoplight Mark cracked us up commenting about all the small town hicks piling into their cars to head to Wal-Mart after church.

We made a pit stop in Sorrento, where Mark and Michael fed several dollars worth of quarters into a vending machine that dispensed some way cool dragon stickers. Then we hopped on LA 22 and headed toward Ponchatoula. Well, almost. David missed a turn and wound up heading to Gonzales until he glanced at his GPS a few miles later and realized we were going the wrong way. A quick loop through a bank parking lot turned us around, and soon we made the turn onto LA 22 as we should have.

This is one of the finest little twisty roads in southeast Louisiana, and with light traffic and only two bikes, we took it at a sporty pace. The road follows the curves of the Amite River through charmingly named towns such as French Settlement and Catfish Landing. The road hugs one side of the river while picturesque camps and vacation homes dot the other bank. It's a postcard-perfect picture of life in southern Louisiana.

The road snakes behind the western side of Lake Maurepas for about 40 twisty miles, with dozens of wide, fast sweepers and tight, technical turns. It's a road that's sure to put a grin on any motorcyclists' face. (Michael kept giggling over the intercom to me as we swept through each of the curves.)

The road straightens out at Springfield and makes a beeline for Ponchatoula. But before you get to the quaint town of antiques and strawberries, there's a restaurant on the right, back in the trees, that offers some of the best German goodies you'll get anywhere.

We stopped for lunch at Taste of Bavaria. Our friends Troy and Alan, who live nearby in the town of Pumpkin Center, met us at the restaurant. The five of us were seated in a beautiful glass-enclosed dining room, and we had the most wonderfully delicious meal. It started with the hot and hearty rolls, fresh from the restaurant's own bakery. We all ordered a cup of gumbo to shake off the chill, and it was some of the best gumbo I've ever eaten, thick with okra and full of chicken and andouille sausage. Then we all ordered a variety of German delights. I had a marvelous weiner schnitzel, Michael had some delicious roast chicken and broccoli crepes, and Mark had a big fat bratwurst (and he cracked that the large sausage made him feel less of a man). Troy and Alan had equally delicious meals. We followed it all with some wonderful gourmet coffee (served in individual pots) to warm us up for the road and wait for a rainshower to end.

But we couldn't leave without paying a visit to the bakery case in the front of the restaurant on the way out. Taste of Bavaria is worth a trip just for the wonderful pastries and other baked goods. Michael and I loaded up a box full (and spent as much in the bakery as we had in the restaurant) to take home.

After goodbyes in the parking lot and a fairly lengthy process of suiting up again (all those layers for warmth and rain protection), we headed toward Ponchatoula and Interstate 55. After a short detour back into town (I forgot to have us stop for gas) we were off and riding again, only this time we rode home in a fairly steady rain. I commented to Michael how much I like riding in the rain. It seems odd at first, but as long as you take it easy, it's really kind of nice to be all bundled up, warm and dry, yet still be out in the elements. Michael added that he was "warm as toast" in the rain gear, leather, and an electric jacket liner.

The temperatures warmed slightly as we neared New Orleans, where it reached nearly 60 degrees, but the steady light rain continued the whole way home. We waved goodbye to Mark at Causeway and cut over to the River Road for the rest of our ride home Uptown.

We'll be sure to add the twists and turns of LA 22 and the scrumptious German food at Taste of Bavaria to our ride calendar again this year when the weather's nicer so that more of you can enjoy it.