Shreveport, LA - Baton Rouge, LA Motorcycling

BMW Motorcycles of Shreveport.

40. During the long-haul Calgary - New Orleans road trip I'm constantly checking the cleanliness of power transmission chain of my motorcycle. Ideally, the chain needs to be cleaned and lubricated every 500 km, but doing this is practically impossible because we've been riding for 8-10 hours everyday for the past 7 days. We feel tired at the end of each day, and on the road it's not easy to spot a car wash for its water pressure washer. To solve this problem I carry a small WD-40 can and use it every second day.

41. After 3400 km from Calgary, the engine oil needs to be replaced as well. I bring with me an air filter wrench for this, so I went to BMW Motorcycles of Shreveport to purchase chain cleaner and lubrication sprays and engine oil. It's probably our lucky day since they can accommodate my motorcycle for a service with their mechanics, so I decided to have the motorcycle checked and serviced. They give a super-friendly service, and I was able to talk directly with the mechanics. I even got a free T-shirt. My tires are more than 50% worn, but they don't have Michelin Anakee 3 tires in stock. He told me that the chain links have some kinks and may have to be replaced in Calgary.

42. We met the sales and service manager and received good tips on Lousiana from him. Now we know the geographical locations of Cajun and Creole people of Lousiana. We learned to pronounce Natchitoches – an old city between Shreveport and Lafayette – and that Cajun people are descendents of francophone Nova Scotians who sailed and were rejected to land along the Atlantic coast until they reached New Orleans. He gave me places to check out for the Delta blues music in New Orleans.

43. We waited for 3 hours at the motorcycle dealership and started riding at 13:00. Luckily the distance between Shreveport and Baton Rouge is 400 km, so we reached Baton Rouge at 18:00 after stops in Natchitoches and Lafayette for lunch and gasoline. We took I-49 to go southbound from Shreveport to Lafayette, and then we changed to I-10 eastbound to reach Baton Rouge.

44. We enjoyed riding on about 20-km long (or maybe longer, I didn't check exactly) bridge network above Lousiana swamp (Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge). We crossed a Mississippi River bridge to arrive in Baton Rouge. It's a special place and is as distinct as riding in Jasper National Park. Now we know and experience ourselves places around Lousiana that we've seen in movies.

45. We had our first rain on the road just off Lafayette, as we entered the Lousiana bayou. Luckily it didn't last very long. Rain makes me more nervous than strong wind.

46. I am impressed by the exit numbering system of the US interstate highway system. It corresponds to the distance in miles from a state boundary and therefore helps me tremendously in locating an exit. I've never gotten lost from Montana to Lousiana – we'll see if the record continues until New Orleans – because I can use the total distance travelled information in my simple GPS unit to anticipate an exit a few miles ahead. The mile marker posts along the highway also help.

The bridge network above Lousiana bayou.