Boyhood escape comes trueWell strange day, woke up in rain at 5, rode 460 miles and brilliant sunshine. Downtown Natchez is nothing to write home about, Cars kept driving in and out all night, hooting, a man would come out of a room and talk to them and off they went. Leave you to decide. But bike was under the dry and there were folk about all night who were friendly with me.

Got up at 5, packed and headed off across the Mississippi, brown river, no where to stop and raining, my choice keep going. Bit further and turn North up the Route 68, stopped raining but cold and wet. Road was recommended as a good biking road, ‘ often ride it at weekends, have some food in Tallulah and head back’ said a friendly biker. God it was dire, almost straight and lots of farm fields and accompanying vehicles. Tractor that filled the road dropping mud everywhere - great.

Got to Tallulah, not what I expected so skipped breakfast and headed onto national route 100 miles to Shreveport, Illinois. Sun came out but thought knock off 140 miles into the sunshine then turn North which I did. Stopped on way to remove wets and headed on past Shreveport into Texas and the North towards highway 28.

Zane Grey country, Red River, Reno and Paris to mention a few places, T’Bar. Lone wolf and loads of other ranches and saw my first horse and cows. No cowboys or gun slingers. Staying in Paris, got it’s Eiffel Tower, memorial to Davey Crocket who camped under a tree before the town existed, John Chisum Memorial and the Old Bonham road or trail., Any cowboy fans from their childhood will know what I am talking about, and I thought it was fiction.

Had some real Texas grub, baked potato, shredded pork and beans, tasted great, hog roast, beans and potato but special as it came from Texas. They did not do coffee though, bonus is they all talk like cowboys or John Wayne only a stronger accent.

5 oclock fed and 460 miles done, been to where I escaped to in my head as a young teenager. What a fantastic day.