Biloxi, MS. (Pop. 47,445)

Our night at the Dollar Tree parking lot was splendid. We asked if we could sleep overnight, and they thought it shouldn’t be a problem—and it wasn’t.

It was a cold, crisp morning. The thermometer dropped to 45 degrees, and we waited as long as we could before rolling out of bed. I got the stove started, just to get some heat in our space. Soon, we were dressed and warming up. We left around 6:40 for McDonald’s. It was about a mile on the way, so I dressed for the day and rode through the semi-darkness to the restaurant. By the time I arrived, Dana had already ordered, and the coffee and sandwich were waiting for me. We sat there for about an hour before I finally worked up the courage to brave the cold. By then, the temp was a blistering 47 degrees. I headed out, and soon my fingers and chest were getting cold. After several miles, I stopped, added another layer of warmth, and continued on. I wished for my full-fingered riding gloves, but I made do with what I had. Before too long, I warmed up, and my fingers thawed. Around the 10-mile mark, I took off my outer coat and kept riding. The day had warmed up nicely, and I was quite comfortable.

We had pre-arranged to meet at a coffee shop about 17 miles from our day’s destination. I was on US 90 for most of the day. It was a busy road with a nice shoulder. Aside from the noise of traffic and a few hectic city moments, it was a decent day to ride. With a slight breeze at my back, I was making pretty good time. I arrived at Garden House Brew Co., a small family-owned coffee shop. They seemed to be doing well, and the drinks were delicious. The odd thing, though, was that Dena (the owner) mentioned they sell four cases of Red Bull every week. Go figure! After we drank our coffees, we chatted with her for a while, but eventually, we had to pull ourselves away and get on with our day.

Dana, as usual, headed to our destination and found a place to park for the night. We are staying at a casino parking lot. I mean, how do they know we aren’t gambling our savings away? Actually, casinos allow overnight parking, assuming there will be some gambling during the stay. Who said we’re normal? So there!

We crossed into Mississippi today. Hopefully, every state goes that quickly. Just kidding—these were the easy ones. I passed the 600-mile mark today, which feels great. Hitting these milestones makes it feel like I’m making progress.

For dinner, we walked down the boardwalk to Shaggy’s Biloxi Beach and had a good meal to top off the day. I’m done for the day!

Peace to all, and to all a good night!Les mer