In the Louisiana Slow Lane -
Cycle Main Street 2001
If you want to take a bike tour, you can select options ranging from luxurious to Spartan and as few or as many companions as you can stand. Some tours are massively publicized and attract thousands, with the attendant hoopla that goes with mass gatherings. Others, take a more casual approach...
In 1999, the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism sponsored their first Cycle Main Street bike tour. (The Main Street program is designed to help communities promote, preserve and develop down town areas. Participating communities have a local manager, but much of the work is done by volunteers.) A goal of the tour is to introduce tourists to the smaller communities of the state.
The 1999 tour took 123 riders on a north to south route. In 2000, a circular route was chosen through the heart of Cajun country. The 2001 ride would focus on the northeastern and north central portions of the state, beginning and ending in Monroe.
I enjoyed the 2000 ride, and when I discovered that the 2001 ride would pass through my home town of Winnfield, I had to sign up.