Day 28, Kirbyville to Oberlin, Louisiana, 80 miles

Adios to Texas and Bonjour to Louisiana! Finally after more than a thousand miles and sixteen days in Texas, we crossed the Sabine River and arrived in Merryville, LA.

After cycling just one more mile we also celebrated the TWO THOUSAND MILE mark. We only have one thousand miles to go!

The morning began eating breakfast with the locals at the grocery store.

The morning was cool and refreshing as we cycled on back roads. At noon we arrived in DeRidder, La. and ate lunch at cecil's Cajun cafe on the patio. In the center of town the Doll Festival was beginning and the president of this event, Todd, enthusiastically introduced himself to us, as he too is an avid cyclist. Check out www.ladollfestival.com.

We listened to the Dixieland Band which did include the mayor of DeRidder and Ruth found some pink bows for a favorite grandaughter.

The afternoon was hot but parts of the route went through the towering pine trees that provided shade. We also crossed two rivers,' the clearest in all Louisiana', according to the locals who were sunbathing and tubing.

Oberlin has a population of a thousand. We have lodging but there are no restaurants opened. There is a casino nearby and they will pick us up for dinner.

Ruth visited the local drive-through crawfish shack to get a picture of their 5 foot tall crawfish display. Upon hearing about our biking adventure, the owner gave her a free snowcone.

Breakfast shopping was done at Carol' s supermarket where there were two aisles of food.