Trans America Cycling Day 32 - Kountze, TX to DeRidder, LA

The link to today's route and statistics is found here.

We were looking forward today to leaving Texas, after riding for 18 days in that state, and entering Louisiana.  We had eaten plenty of Tex-Mex and barbecue and were looking forward to Cajun cooking.  Congratulations to the 14 riders for making it out of Texas.  It was a bit of a slog getting outta Texas.  We had rain today over the 42 miles from Kountze to Kirbyville, some rain quite heavy.  There was a great shoulder on much of the highway, so standing water there was not much of a problem.  At one point we had some lightening, and a group of riders were transported in the SAG vehicle to a Subway.  Everyone persevered and made it to Louisiana.

Kristin took state sign photos to another level.  She mentioned something about a modeling career from the Welcome to Louisiana photo shoot, but it looks like she also has talent as as some kind of dancer, or even as a Gold's Gym trainer.

Kristin showing off her talents

The Sabine River divides Louisiana from Texas in our vicinity.

Sabine River, including two swallows flying from nests under the bridge

On the Texas side of the Sabine River was a welcome to Texas sign.  Since cyclists entered Texas on small streets near El Paso and thus did not get photographs at a proper Texas welcome sign, cyclists posed at the sign here.

Ahnie photographs members of her team departing Texas

SAG due to lightening, as Trans-America Cycling looks out for the well-being of the cyclists

Looking forward to searching out some Cajun eats today.  The Hank Williams song Jambalaya names Cajun favorites jambalaya, crawfish pie and file gumbo.  Gumbo is soup thickened with okra.  Jambalaya contains rice, meat, seafood, veggies and almost anything else.  Etouffee has seafood in sauce over rice or even blackened fish, yum!  Gotta get some!

Who are these Cajuns whose food is world famous?  Cajuns are descendants of 17th century French colonists who settled on the shores of the Acadia region of Southeastern Canada.  They were fisherman and farmers who stayed close to the shoreline.  Acadians were caught in the rivalry between England and France.  Starting in 1755 the English rounded up Acadians in Canada and literally shipped them off to faraway places.  When Spain gained control of Louisiana in 1762, they needed settlers, and Acadians were shipped from the faraway places to Louisiana.  Over time the word Acadian morphed into ‘Cadian and eventually Cajun.