Southern Tier (East bound) - Detour to New Orleans??

[Patrick Eckford]

Anybody detoured off the Southern Tier from Baton Rouge to New Orleans... and then back to the Southern Tier route somewhere before Mobile?  Especially want to know if Hwy. 90 is rideable from NOLA to Grand Bay.  Or are there other good alternatives?   Two older riders, fully loaded.   Should be in NOLA by 20th of May.

[John Nettles]

Hello,

Numerous people have done it (check out CrazyGuyonaBike for some journals.  I did it (East>West) a few years ago.  However, I actually rode along or near the coast from Perry, FL to Galveston, TX.  Doing Galveston westward in early April.

The coastal route definitely has more traffic than the ACA route but was quite doable.  I road the west side of the Mississippi from NO to BR due to lower traffic counts and quieter roads.  In NO, be sure to cross the Inner Harbor Navigation Channel up next to Lake Pontchartrain as the other crossings would be suicidal.  There is a nice sidewalk/bike path along the beach in the Gulfport/Biloxi area also.

Lots of services once you are in Mississippi.   Be sure to check on campgrounds ahead of time as several do not accept tents (ACA should use it advocacy for that!).  Lots of hotels but most are not inexpensive.

Hope you have an enjoyable ride.  John

[Patrick Eckford]

Many thanks John.  Very helpful.   

Maybe we'll see you along the road!  We'll be off the main route through Az too... presently planning San Diego - Yuma - Tucson - Bisbee - El Paso - Austin...  Really taking our time.  Starting out mid-March.

P

[aggie]

There are two other industrial canal crossings that you could use.  The one with the least traffic is Florida Ave and the other is St. Claude Ave.  Both have a sidewalk to keep you out of traffic.  Don't use Claiborne.  If you get on St. Claude you will pass by Chalmette National Historical Site.  This is where the British were defeated during the War of 1812.  Then take Paris Rd north to Gentilly Rd.  You'll pass by NASA's Michoud Facility (where they use to make the big tank for the shuttle).  Then you are on Hwy 90 and past most of the city traffic.  In Biloxi, MS the bay bridge has a nice sidewalk that is on the other side of a barrier so you don't have to worry about traffic.  (Same thing on the new bridge near Bay St. Louis, MS.)  Should be nice weather, enjoy.  Just off Hwy 90 you should be able to find some hotels that aren't as pricey as the ones right on the water.

[John Nettles]

Aggie,

The Paris Road bridge looks a little iffy with no shoulder and a pretty good climb up to the top with moderate traffic.  Have you ridden it and is it similar to what is shown on Google Maps in the Streetview mode?  I crossed the channel on a Sunday on Simmon Drive based on a local rider's suggestion (it was nice and quiet but it was a Sunday afternoon) but am always looking for better ways.  Thanks, John

[Patrick Eckford]

Thanks much Aggie and John!  Good info.  We'll be sure to leave very early in the morning or on a Sunday if possible.  John, I assume you mean Leon Simon Dr.? I see that as the northern most channel crossing.  P

 

[John Nettles]

Correct.  Again, I did it on a Sunday afternoon and all was quiet.  Don't know what it would be like on a week day and I would probably avoid rush-hour if possible. Enjoy the ride.

As a side note, I HIGHLY recommend going from Pensacola to Navarre along FL-399.  I'm actually surprised ACA did not take this route.  From there you can go north up to Milton and rejoin the ST or turn right and go along the coast.  Again, if you don't like traffic, the section between Navarre and east of Sandestin, FL and around Panama City is more miles, not smiles due to the traffic.  Also, DO NOT cross the bridge Tyndall AFB during rush hour and ESPECIALLY west bound Friday night at 5:00pm.  Normally semi-quiet, it was absolutely terrifying as a thousands of 20-somethings driving fast rush into Panama City to start the weekend partying. One of my top 3 worst ever experiences but again should be OK during non-rush hour times.

Best, John

[MaxE]

You can ride a levee trail or river road from BR. 90 east from NO is not so bad. A variation of it from the lakefront to NO east is the road bike route. The bridge crossing is not so bad on the weekends, during the week maybe a little sketch. 90 bridge (chef mentour) is another option from the city east.

[Patrick Eckford]

Thank Max! 

[aggie]

I haven't ridden over the Paris road bridge just driven.  The road does have low to moderate traffic depending on the day and time of day.  I wouldn't attempt to ride most of the bridges during rush hours.  Unfortunately, the old bridges in Louisiana didn't make any accommodation for any form of alternate transportation.