The Old Guy Bicycle Blog

Quick Take: My bicycle ride from Lubbock, Texas, to Pensacola, Florida, included hundred-mile days, dangerous storms, summer heat, and plenty of unexpected challenges. Yet one of my favorite days from the entire trip was a peaceful ride along Louisiana’s Tammany Trace, where a gentle rain, two unexpected conversations, and an alligator that never appeared reminded me why I love bicycle touring. A peaceful day on Louisiana’s Tammany Trace became one of my favorite memories from the entire ride to Florida. When people hear that I rode my bicycle from Lubbock, Texas, to Pensacola, Florida, they usually assume my favorite memories involve the biggest accomplishments. They imagine the hundred-mile days, crossing state lines, surviving the summer heat, or finally reaching the Gulf Coast. Those moments were important, but they are not necessarily the ones I remember most clearly. Looking back now, one quiet and rainy day on Louisiana’s Tammany Trace may have been one of...

My destination that night was Natchitoches, Louisiana. Just a few nights earlier, I’d been caught in one of the worst storms of my life while camping in a tent in Bowie, Texas. That night, the lightning was so close and the rain so sideways that I ended up calling the police to rescue me. You can read that full story here . So as I rode into Nacogdoches, I already had a little weather-related PTSD. I could see storms building on the radar and hear the thunder rumbling in the distance. I had originally planned to camp in the city park that night. But before heading over, I stopped at a Subway restaurant to grab dinner and think through my options. It was a newer Subway, located right next to a couple of hotels, including a brand-new Hampton Inn. I sat down to eat, watching the radar, trying to decide: Do I spend the money to stay somewhere dry and safe, or do I take my chances in the tent again and hope there's no lightning? I don’t mind rain. But lightning? Not anymore. As I ...

In 2016, while touring by bicycle from Lubbock, Texas to Pensacola, Florida, I had the pleasure of riding one of the most enjoyable car-free stretches of my entire journey: The Tammany Trace in Louisiana. It’s not often that you get to pedal for miles without worrying about traffic, and this 31-mile trail—running from Covington to Slidell on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain—was just what I needed. I even stopped at a bayou where a game warden told me that a massive alligator was known to hang out along the bank behind me. Sadly, I didn’t see him—but the anticipation made that rest stop unforgettable. 🚲 Trail Overview The Tammany Trace is a rail-trail that follows a former railroad corridor built in the late 1800s. Converted into a paved, multi-use path in the 1990s, it now welcomes cyclists, runners, walkers, and nature lovers from all over the country. What makes the Trace truly special is its combination of nature, history, and small-town Southern charm . The trail me...