Today’s ride was exhausting. The headwinds were relentless. Seriously, we can’t catch a break with wind on this trip. If we were riding east to west, which, by the way, some groups are doing, it would have been a very different experience. Maybe?
At mile 3 we were in Gulfport riding along the coast. We rode about 100 feet from the water and at some points the water splashed us. On the beach, we were immediately faced with 20 mph headwinds, with higher gusts. The wind blew the sand so hard it was stinging my legs (and sticking to my legs from all the sunscreen). And my bike, well, sand and salt water have to be a bike’s worst enemy. Not a great way to start at 57 mile ride. I keep thinking just please get me to Florida. I’ll take my bike into the shop and get the 3,000 mile check up. Literally! Chain, tires, brakes, derailleur, and check for all the loose screws from the rough roads I’ve been on.
A lot of today’s route was through beachfront communities a block or so off the beach. We rode through Pass Christian, Long Beach, and Gulfport neighborhoods.
We rode through Biloxi. It reminded me of a mini Las Vegas. Big hotels, casinos, fountains, restaurants. After Biloxi, there were several bridges to cross. Mainly the Biloxi Bay Bridge. The bridge over the Pascagoula River was intense. All of the bridges had a separate bike lane. The wind over the bridges was wicked. The locals tell us that today’s wind is pretty much a daily occurrence. 🌬🌬🌬
Tomorrow we ride to Dauphin Island, Alabama!!! 🤗
Bike path in Gulfport
Biloxi Bay Bridge
Today‘s route
Late entry. My friend took this when we were leaving Cafe Du Monde in NOLA.