This is a ride I came up with to get out of the cold weather and back on the bike in the winter. Anyone from the New Orleans area or anyone who has been thru there that has any tips or other ideas/city’s please share them! I am not from the area and have never been to this part of the country. Also anyone is welcome to join the ride in Memphis. (Graceland RV Park, 3961 Elvis Presley Blvd, Memphis, TN 38116 Jan. 28th Noon)

So far this is the plan-
Wed Jan 27th 6pm trailer 5 bikes from Minneapolis MN to Memphis TN 853 miles only stopping for gas. Unload bikes at Graceland RV park ($6/day truck and trailer storage) Thu Jan 28 around 11am, ride south to ? (eat & sleep). Fri Jan 29 9am ride south to Venice, LA (south of New Orleans, the bottom finger, last town - where the road ends) eat fresh seafood lunch (if there is still a restaurant there after Katrina, I still need to make some calls) then head back to New Orleans for a crazy Fri night partying in the French Quarter. Sat Jan 30th 9am ride back to Memphis. Around 6pm same day load up bikes and head back to MN. Back to work Monday morning 1,000 miles on the bike 1700 some on the truck..

Bikes - 00 Night Train (Me), 05 Big Dog, 06 Swift, 08 Buell Lightning and a 09 Rocker. All reliable bikes & reliable guys last year we rode to Galveston TX from OK for our winter ride, same dates in Jan. Great trip!! I will post pictures of last years trip once I figure it out.

Any help, ideas, stuff you wouldnt want to miss, roads would be great! Thanks!

 

I was down there in the fall of 2008 for 10 days and can't wait to go back.

If you you're staying in the French Quarter, check out Samy's, Court of Two Sisters, Franks, the Coffee Pot and Embers for good eats.

For drinking and listening to music, we liked the Bourbon Street Blues Company, Bourbon Rocks and the Famous Door.

Although it's not exactly in the French Quarter, if you have time check out the World War II Museum- I spent 2 days looking at the exhibits. Half of it is Pacific Theatre, the other half is European Theatre.

There's also a Harrah's casino at the end of Canal St for those who like to gamble.

I'm sure one of our members here who lives down there can be a bigger help, but I thought I'd give it a shot. Have fun.

 

Leaving Memphis at 11am and plan to make lunch the next day in Venice the next day? To make this you'll have to take I-55 to I-10 (this is where I live) takes 5 to 6 hours and near dark. From there it takes 3-4 hours maybe longer depending on traffic to get to Venice going through N.O. Anyhow, very do-able, but you'll have to stay on the interstate and expressway until west bank of N.O.

Sorry, I cannot help you with Venice since I have not been down there since Katrina. But when I was fishing down there, there was not much but the end of the road and Venice Marina. But if you want to go down there, there are a lot of places around Belle Chase, etc. to eat.

As for the weather, it's a toss up. Last week the highs were in the 70's with some rain, this week our lows are in the 20's and high mid 40's (that's cold for us down here). Weather pattern this time of the year is usually cold=clear sky/sun, warm=rain. Hope the weather holds up for you and if I can help just let me know.

 

hell of a plan, I'd join you but I think shipping the HD all that way from Canada might be a bit costly. It's a super cool trip you have planned though.

 

Thanks guys, good information.. Yea we might eat in Belle Chase, I am going to call down to that Venice Marina next week and see what the weather is like and if there is a place to eat. Any ideas as far as a hotel in the French Quarter, more important any biker bars down there that I shouldn't miss, or spots to stop besides Samy's, Court of Two Sisters TW recommended..

Andouille,
I don't want to plan out the whole trip, it's always more fun to just let it happen but is there a little town South of Jackson, North of New Orleans, like a 1 bar 1 hotel kind of place you would recommend staying for the night? As far as the weather if it gets up to 50°F or so I will be happy and no rain would be great!

 

These are some pictures from last years trip to Galveston TX. Late January 2009.
Leaving MN in the snow

Stop in OK to unload and rode to the ocean


And rode along the water for 10 miles, smoother than MN roads!

We stayed in a sketchy town one night.

Texas cops, they let us go..

Great food in the south!

 

No help, just damn jealous. It has been old school cold up here this year as you know.

Have fun.

 

Well, that is the way we like to take our trips, just head out and stop when we decide to.

As for 1 horse towns south of Jackson, I am not really aware of any. Here are the towns heading south out of Jackson that have hotels/bars, etc. Brookhaven, Ms., McComb, Ms., Hammond, La. (college town and Harley dealer if interested), and LaPlace, La., from there you will be in the Kenner/Materie area and the outskirts of N.O. Just be careful in this area because La. drivers are maybe the worst and do not respect bikes. You may want to gas up before leaving Jackson, there is a stretch with not many gas stations between Jackson and Brookhaven.

Weather this weekend, low 20's to 40's, but warming up starting Monday. Just hope the warm weather stays for your ride. Have a safe ride.

I would have met up with you for a little stretch, but I work part time now and probably won't be able to make it Thursday.

 

Andouille - Thanks for the help.

I heard about a road called the Natchez Trace Pkwy, I think from one of your posts. Instead of I-55S the whole way down I was thinking about getting on the parkway around Jackson. Then taking that to 61 thru Baton Rouge on the way to Venice?


I am also hoping for warmer weather, it was -30°F here last week. The 40's or 50's would be great.

19 Days till I see blacktop again..

 

Dress warm. A friend on the northshore found their bird feeded frozen solid yesterday.