Rogers Lake, Mississippi

In a good groove now. Awoke early and were on the road by 8:30, 45 miles by noon. Had a 2 mile stretch on a busy divided four lane state highway. It was all downhill with a screaming tail-wind and a very wide shoulder. Unfortunately, we overshot our turn from the highway and I broke a spoke. Back-tracked into Perkinston. Found a little store that served food. (We rode right by it, as it was obscure and no one was parked in front. We were directed back to it). Got a good lunch, then went to the shade of a church and fixed the spoke. Broke on the rotor side. Had to remove the rotor. The Schwalbe Smart Guard tires are very difficult to mount and dismount. Did the job efficiently and were on our way.

The addenda lists a bridge out on our route. We asked several people. Most didn’t know (a frequent response in the south!), some said yes, some said no. We called the sheriff’s office. The lady answering the phones didn’t know. She checked with others. They said they didn’t know of a problem. Left town hoping to get through. A woman going in the opposite direction stopped and asked if we were going to Rogers Lake. We said we had hoped to go 25 miles further. She had an RV park closer that had been damaged by Katrina. She quoted us $5/each and coffee in the morning if we wanted to stay there. She said the bridge is out, but we may be able to get bikes across. When we got to Rogers Lake, we decided that the repair delay had taken away our chances of the further spot. Also Nella Ruth Rogers has the best price around. We are the only ones in the campground. Extensive damage to the property from Katrina. Very pleasant evening. 62 mile day with favorable winds.