Houston - Natchitoches, LA - Lake Village, AR - Memphis, TN - French Camp, MS - Monroe, LA - Nacogdoches, TX - Houston
2021.7 Miles
What is a testimonial ride? In this case I am referring to one of the reasons for having taken this journey. It is really simple. I wanted to offer a testimony about God's unending powers to heal our souls, our minds, and our bodies. Planning and setting up this trip was done with that in mind, just barely over six months after undergoing back surgery. Before and after the intervention, I was covered in prayer by friends and elders in my church, the City of Refuge in Houston. Taking this journey for His Glory has guided my efforts, my prayers and discussions with God, and my rehabilitation. The photos and text I offer here are an attempt to document my life and experiences during the 10 days I spent on the road.
Day 1
Houston to Natchitoches, LA
Houston to Robeline and Natchitoches | 335 miles
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The day started at 7 am in Houston with breakfast of waffles and black tea. From there I finished up packing and loading up Hidalgo, getting ready for take off at 8:30 am. Adelina and my friend Joe came over to see me off, and the two of them and Sandra prayed over me. They asked for safety, for exiting surprises, and for me to feel God's presence along the way. They day before I also got a wonderful letter from my friend Don. This letter truly blew me away and it traveled with me, along with my journals and books. Also with me, a pen with an atlas motiv, a gift from Betty, to be used to write in my journal at night.
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Heading out of town put me on I-10 East to the Beltway and from there to Highway 90 East. There are roads that seem to work as springboards to a variety of journeys, and 90 East seems to be one of those for me, along with 90A West. It feels like that familiar brush a painter will take to get the basic strokes and lines on a canvas, before embarking on a full blown color blast. Ninety East took me on one of my first out of town trips on the SilverBandit, and has since been the route I have taken to explore the country East of Houston.
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The route took me through Dayton and Liberty, traveling along railroad lines and bringing me to my first encounter with a logging truck. I would regularly encounter these, loaded with tons of trees, filling the air with the aromas of newly cut wood and pine resins. I continued East on US-90 until I hit 326 between Nome and China. As I turn left I start heading North with sod plantations to my left and bands of egrets as cheering companions. The road takes me through places like Sour Lake and Silsbee.
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