Baton Rouge, LA - New Orleans, LA Motorcycling

The view along the bridge on Lake Pontchartrain shore on I-10 eastbound.

47. I decided to stay overnight in Baton Rouge, which is only about 100 km east of New Orleans. We had to wait until 13:00 the day before in Shreveport to have my motorcycle serviced. The 100-km remaining distance seems close and far since we want to savor the moment when we arrive in New Orleans on Sunday, June 26.

48. More importantly though my wife and I are frugal traveller. We take pride in traveling cheaply and adventurously. I thought that staying one more night outside our booked accommodation in New Orleans would be more expensive than what we're willing to pay in lest-touristy Baton Rouge. We've been staying in motels in small cities and towns from Calgary to Baton Rouge. They're cheaper than hotels in big cities, like Denver and Dallas, that we passed through. I have more to say about the tips surrounding finding a cheap, clean, and good quality motel in another blog.

49. We had to go to Mall of Lousiana in Baton Rouge to get a cable adapter for my conference presentation in New Orleans. The temperature was 37 degree C, so waiting for 30 minutes in an air-conditioned mall is a real luxury for us. After getting the cable adapter, we left for New Orleans along I-10 eastbound. The ride was good and steady at 110 km/h (with the posted limit of 60 to 70 miles per hour). We were greeted by a beautiful ride along the shore of Lake Pontchartrain about 15 miles before entering New Orleans.

50. The exit direction off I-10 was very clear. I have studied each important highway exit I took in our trip by viewing Google Maps, and this has prevented me from getting lost by taking a wrong exit. We're quickly led to Poydras St from the I-10 and found the street where we're going to stay not far from French Quarter. We're so relieved that the 4000 km journey from Calgary remains safe and celebrated by having a Po'boy and a Cajun catfish lunch not far from Jackson Square.

The precise and logical highway exit sign system in the US. The exit number corresponds to the miles number from the state border. In this case, this exit is 209 miles away along I-10 eastbound from the Texas-Louisiana border and is heading north.