Paul Barnard

I have a 31 mile loop I do early on weekend mornings that gives me a glimpse of all that the NOLA area has to offer. Make no mistake about it, I hate living here, but in the quiet of an early weekend morning when I have the roads almost to myself, I can appreciate its character.

After about 3 miles of riding through mostly residential areas, I pop up onto the levee path. This morning the fog was thick and patchy.



The path takes me from Old Jefferson to NOLA. There are only about 10 houses outside the levee protection system. Most of them are run down shacks, but this one is really cool. An architect built it and used a lot of materials of historical significance. One day when I was taking a pic of it, the builders wife started talking to me and invited me in to show it to me.




A little further down I come to a place in Audubon park called the Butterfly. The fog had cleared over the path but still clung to the chilly waters of the Big River. On pretty spring afternoons, people from the two nearby universities come here to lay out.



From there I roll around behind the zoo. Sometimes the giraffes are out. I always say "hello giraffes." Dogs, cows and giraffes rate a hello. Past the zoo a multi-use path encircles part of the park. It can make a fascinating study in human stupidity when it's crowded. Although the path is very well marked with one way bicycle symbols marking the bike side, two way pedestrian symbols marking their side and a separation zone, people just don't get it.




Out onto historic St Charles Avenue past the century old mansions, there is a narrow bike lane that presents some challenges. To stay out of the door zone sometimes you have to hug the left edge of the lane. While it's never busy when I ride it, some motorists feel a need to buzz pass. I guess they don't get why riders avoid the door zone.





My ride takes me down into the CBD, into The Quarter and onto Bourbon Street. During non-Covid times, it can be nasty as hell. It was lightly littered today.




Then I emerge into an impoverished part of the city. If I am running late, sometimes I am treated to the joyous and soulful sound of southern black gospel being sung in this church. I stop to listen when they are singing.




From there I hit the Lafitte Greenway. This lane marking is new since the last time I rode this route. It was the highlight of my ride.



Then I pick up a path that parallels Bayou St John. BSJ used to connect the river to Lake Pontchartrain, but it has long been blocked off.



Then I ride along Lake P for several miles before I am back into the residential areas winding my way home. I make it hard for anyone to say "I didn't see him." The constant movement of the high vis socks is very attention getting.



That's it. Back home to cut and edge the lawn.

bikemig 

I enjoyed this thread. I grew up in New Orleans (Carrollton area near Tulane), worked in a local bike shop long since out of business (the Bikesmith), and I've cycled all the areas you mention though the bike paths weren't there when I rode that river levee. I used to do a ride along Lake Pontchartrain bike path in Jefferson and then down to the river going behind the airport (that was a dirt road and likely now closed off) and back on the river levee. That was roughly a 60 mile round trip from where I lived in Mid-City near City Park.

Rage

Nice ride. And socks.

Paul Barnard

The gravel road still runs behind the airport. Part of Jefferson Parish's master bike plan calls for connecting the Lake to the River by paving that path. I enjoy cycling the city early on weekend mornings. Traffic is minimal. I guess all the drunks have made it home and folks aren't yet headed to Waffle House to work off a hangover.

Paul Barnard

One day I was riding the levee path when a cyclist in the distance caught my attention. He was wearing neon pink shoes and the constant movement of them really commanded my attention. I thought I'd borrow from that rider.

Random11

That was fun! I've visited New Orleans many times in the past and enjoyed having a little taste of it today.

Snotrub

I love NOLA. I'd ride that with you any day. Looks fun.

mstateglfr 

Hey cool ride!

I spent more spring days than I can count at the fly doing nothing and recovering from the night before, visiting my now wife when she was in college at Tulane.
And the Audubon Park pic made me shudder because I still remember the death marches I went on that were sold as 'a nice run in the park'. Running is for the devil.

Paul Barnard

Come on over!

Snotrub

My wife and I were planning a trip to NOLA in April, but with all the COVID shutdowns in LA and especially NO, we decided to dock in Natchez, MS. I'm going to ride the Natchez Trace Parkway a couple of days and she's going to tour the antebellium homes and stuff.

Paul Barnard

Forums can be so cool for how they make the world a smaller place. A few years back I was posting pics of ride on a CO forest service road and another member posted pics from the same scenic spots. The fly and park aren't a good place to make speed on a ride, but people watching can be interesting.

Snotrub

One of my most memorable people watching episode in NOLA was when my wife and I took the street car all the way up Canal St to the cemeteries late one afternoon. It was quite the event.

Thomas15

This thread has me really wanting Spring to get here in NE PA. I know that there are some hearty souls that ride in the winter but I'm not one of them. Last time I rode outside was October 25, that was 18 weeks ago.

The temps have been in the low 40s the last two days. Still, we have a lot of snow on the ground. I think another 3 or 4 weeks for me, before i venture out into the hills. It's easier to just get on the trainer and Zwift.

Interesting pictures and story line. Thanks for sharing!