Southern Tier Day #12 Dauphin Island, AL to Ocean City, MS
Southern Tier Day #12
April 9, 2021
Dauphin Island, AL to Ocean City, MS 63 Miles
Start 9:05 AM
Finish 4:48 AM
Ride Time 5:56
Ascent 227 Feet
Descent 180 Feet
Tour Total 734 Miles
Last night while coming back from the restaurant in pitch darkness because my lights were being charged back at the room, we got a wagon tire flat about a block from the hotel. I brought the wheel into my room and attempted to fix it with a patch and new tire. I realized that the Schwalbe tires I had purchased in Tallahassee were the wrong size. They were 16” x 1.35” but the inner diameter was too big to fit on the rim. The old tire had worn through, and I now had a problem. I patched the tube and fit boots into the worn areas. I pumped up the tire and got ready for bed. I didn’t know if the tire would make it to the final destination, about 50 miles away.
I slept fairly well in room two of the Dolphin Island Harbor House B&B. Blanka woke me up in the middle of the night with her gurgling stomach. Heavy thunderstorms came through early in the morning. Light started streaming through the window about seven and we got up. I slowly packed up all the gear. There was a heavy downpour while I loaded the bike. The rain was forecast to break on the Dark Sky app. I had breakfast in the common area and met some folks from northern Alabama who were here birding. We talked about birds, Brooklyn, and hurricanes. I mentioned that my grandparents were from Bessemer Alabama, and they were familiar with Green Pond where my grandfather was born.
It rained quite a bit last night, and there were huge puddles out on the road. The sun was trying to pry itself through the dark clouds. I was racing against weather and tire problems. As I was climbing up over the first bridge, I heard a loud ping and I knew what it was. The boot hadn’t held and there was a big blowout in the tire and the tube. My first thought was to try to cut one of the Schwalbes and put it inside of the tire but I was unable to cut it with my serrated knife. Then I got the idea to put the Schwable on the outside of the worn tire. I inflated the tire sandwich, and it appeared to hold. I was out on the middle of the bridge and lightning was striking to the west. There were dark clouds approaching. The second span, the Gordon Persons bridge, was much higher, and I was completely exposed to the elements.
We were in Mobile County on map section #89 riding down a long causeway that separated Mobile bay from the Mississippi Sound. It started to rain so I pulled over to don my rain jacket, turn on the lights, and fasten the cover over the wagon. We reached the mainland and entered the Alabama Port city limits. Here we reached the intersection of State Highway 188 that would take us west and inland away from the Gulf. I pulled under a dilapidated awning to put on my waterproof socks and call to confirm tomorrow’s rental car pick up. A few miles down Highway 188 the rain stopped.
We passed a gun club where all sorts of guns and ammunition were advertised on billboards; 33’s, lugers, self-defense training. The entrance resembled a prison gate with searchlights and a life-sized dummy at the helm. Then I passed a sign advertising ‘Kids shoot for free’. Since we arrived in Alabama I’ve seen numerous red A’s, along with the expression ‘Roll Tide’. I remember the long distance touring cyclist I met on the second day of my Northern Tier tour whom had cycled from Key West. He was headed towards Bar Harbor and was from Alabama. He had a red A on his rear pannier.
We rode through Bayou La Batre, named for the former French artillery battery located here on the inlet. The town is now the seafood capital of Alabama, and was featured in the 1994 film ‘Forrest Gump’. The town is a center for shipbuilding and we passed many large anchored fishing boats. Several miles west of town we left State Highway 188 and took a right on Argyle Road. I flipped the map to panel #88. The rain was holding, as well as the jury-rigged tire.
It started to drizzle so I pulled over and stretched the hood over Blanka’s wagon. We took a left on 2 mile Road and were barked at by some vicious dogs, who were fortunately behind a fence. We were then chased by another dog that gave up pretty easily, and wasn’t a mean dog. That said, my pepper spray was ready in my rear pocket. Claps of thunder ricocheted to the south west. The drizzle stopped so I pulled over to remove the wagon cover. We were passing dozens of seafood operations including oysters and crabs. We crossed over a railroad track and then took a left on US 90 west.
It was raining again and we stopped at Country Corner Chevron at the intersection of Ramsey Road. This was where the mobile alternative re-joined the main route. It was raining hard and I just wanted to sit under a portico while I drank a Starbucks Frappuccino and ate some honey roasted peanuts. I ended up knocking over the bottle and spilling most of the drink. The rain broke and we headed back out on the road. It was still thirty-three miles to Ocean Springs. To the right of the white line there were rumble strips right down the middle of the shoulder. I could dodge them with my bike, but they were unavoidable with the wagon. Shame on you Alabama DOT. Be civilized and put the rumble strips under the white line.
We crossed the Mississippi border and the shoulder became even worse. We stopped for documentation and Blanka rolled in the grass and munched on a few blades. I once again removed the top from her wagon. It started to rain again as we proceeded down the road. We were riding alongside Interstate 10 to the north. US 90 became divided with four lanes of traffic, and we got a nice eight foot shoulder. It was sprinkling but the sun was trying to come out.
I felt another blowout. The left wagon tire had worn through and was flat. The sticker patch had blown out, so I tried again with another sticker patch. It was raining and I couldn't get it to stick. I then tried with a glue patch. Tt wouldn’t hold pressure as I pumped it up so I knew the patch wasn't holding. I pulled out every 16" Schrader valve tubes I had in my pannier and they all needed patching. I continued attaching glue patches, but the rain made it impossible. Meanwhile I was being eaten alive by no-see-ums. I hosed my legs with Deep Woods OFF! Blanka rolled in the grass, wade into a nearby puddle, and seemed unaffected. Finally, out of desperation, I pulled out one of the Presta valve tubes intended for the Schwable tires. It was technically the wrong size but I decided to give it a go. After what seemed like forever, the inflated jury-rigged tire sandwich was ready to go. It felt like I was there for an hour, but it was probably less. It was interesting that not a single motorist stopped. This area has so many churches.
We entered the town of Pascagoula, birthplace of Jimmy Buffett. Heavy rain was forecast and camping was out of the question. I was planning to get a hotel in Ocean Springs near the car rental place, and it occurred to me to see if I could change the car reservation and pick it up today. I called the rental company and arranged for a 5PM pick-up. As I was on the phone I almost slammed into a cement lane divider that jutted out across the shoulder from a side road. I narrowly averted it and had to swerve out into traffic. It was the dumbest most cyclist adverse thing I've ever seen, and these obstructions continued through town. Shame on you Mississippi DOT.
We rode up onto a large bridge over the Pascagoula River, and it was a long time steep climb. Afterwards we found ourselves on the Martin Luther King Causeway. I should note that I’ve passed dozens of streets and avenues named after the late great Martin Luther King on this tour. I was getting warm so I pulled over and removed my jacket.
We crossed over the Singing River. I've heard of singing bridges, but this was my first singing river. Because I’m a completist and I wanted to pedal every mile from the ACA maps that I purchased, we exited US 90 on Oak Street to Graveline Road, following the route around Shepard State Park. This was where we had originally planned to spend the night. After our tour through Gautier we returned to US 90 W. We rode alongside ugly sprawl while enjoying a wide shoulder.
To the west of Gautier and away from the sprawl US 90 divided into a a busy four-lane highway with a nice eight foot shoulder. The sun was trying to emerge and I was getting warm in my short sleeve jersey.
We passed State Route 57 where the route leaves US 90 to head north. We continued straight to the rental car place. I parked the rig next to a Popeyes Chicken, changed out of my cycling outfit, and walked over the the car rental place. They offered my an SUV with a cracked windshield or a pick-up truck. With Blanka and the upcoming storm, I didn't have much of a choice. I drove back to Popeyes and stripped down the rig. Blanka seemed happy to be done with the tour. Both wagon wheels were flat, and the orange flag was missing- ostensibly from the morning storm. I'll be back here some day to pick up where I left off.
Be careful. The weather is getting nasty in Texas and headed east
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