Navigational Assumptions

April 20, 2013
Cousin Jim and I left Athens in the cold morning air, into the sun. It was a brisk and beautiful ride and not uncomfortable for we had the foresight to "bundle up". Of course Jim, with his hi-tech BMW, was afforded the added comfort of heated handgrips and seat.

At the end of the day Jim would show me the other creature comforts of the GTL K1600 he has had for less than a year. It's total mileage is in the neighborhood of 4,000, most of which was tallied during his commute from his home in Garland to Parker University in downtown Dallas where he is Professor Jim, teaching medical related classes.

We spent around 9 hours on our 340-mile run to New Iberia, Louisiana from Athens, Texas, taking the "back road" and riding through Jacksonville, Lufkin and Jasper before entering Louisiana near DeRidder. From there it was a straight shot south to Lake Charles where we connected to Interstate 10 for our final jaunt east.

Our route to New Iberia required an exit off I-10 at Lafayette. We had our GPS's synchronized and life was good, although neither of us trust the devices when stacked up against our good ol' fashion "horse sense". When in doubt, follow your nose.

Well ..... as happened to me in the maze of country roads the day before when I gave up on it and made an "I'm lost" phone call, it was discovered our "horse sense" was whoa-fully deficient.

Most everyone of those 340 miles Jim and I had each other in sight. But at the critical off ramp in Lafayette we were immersed in traffic and in my rear-view I did not see Jim, just a big flatbed pickup truck .... not far off my bumper I might add. It was then I took the GPS-prescribed 103A off ramp that would lead to New Iberia and the "Super 8--$80-before-tax-rooms we had reserved with a cell-phone call earlier in the day.

I took the ramp and the truck didn't ..... but neither did Jim. Where was Jim? I stopped. I waited. No Jim. I had to get to a better place to pull over and wait. I rode on, and on, and on, and on ..... no place to pull off. I was in an old section of town with narrow, heavily traveled streets in disrepair. And because any driveway to a parking lot was also narrow, requiring a near stop and 90-degree turn, I feared being rear-ended should I attempt it in the sea of bumper to bumper ghetto traffic.

I traveled maybe 3 miles before I found a wide-driveway-gas-station where I could get off the road and call Jim's cell phone on the chance he was broke down on the shoulder of the freeway, just shy of the off ramp. Then again, he rides a BMW. Breakdowns only happen to Harleys.

As I expected, Jim didn't answer his phone, which was a good sign. He was still riding .... somewhere. Logic told me to continue to the motel and wait. Guilt told me to go back and check the freeway for a busted Beemer or busted cousin. Experience told me to allow time for the problem to resolve itself.

Unbeknownst to me Jim was at warp speed, westbound on the interstate, returning to ramp 103A after a six-mile search for the next off ramp after purposely passing the 103A, thinking I had done so. He figured it best to stay with me even if I was wrong. He was certain I'd passed the off ramp because he didn't see me on it from the angle in which he viewed it from behind that truck. It was a major "oops" moment when he glanced over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of me sinking into the bowels of Lafayette.

As it turned out, I'd only been at the motel for about 5 minutes when Jim arrived. Hadn't even dismounted yet. Rather, I was trying the cell phone again while aimed in the direction from which Jim would come. He did. We were both relieved.

We ended our day with dinner at the El Chili Verde next door to the motel. They don't have green chili.

 

Cousin Jim, Ready To Ride



Jim's Beemer

Texas Game Warden Walks Among Us



Taking a Break in Newton, Texas

View To The Right From Above Picture



Two Nights In New Iberia, LA

Stair-Climbing Lizard

Actually, I Don't Know What It Is

But This Is Where He Lives

Video of The Day's Ride



Athens To New Iberia, 341 Miles