Coffeeneuring Stop #7: Henderson Point Park

 Last Wednesday, I wrote "What could be more 2020 than sneaking in a coffeeneuring trip with a hurricane bearing down on the area?"  How about coffeeneuring in a declared disaster area following Hurricane Zeta?  With MRE coffee of course...

1. where: Henderson Point Park, Pass Christian MS

2. date: 11/1/20

3. what: French vanilla cappuccino (instant, in a bag, heated w/MRE heater)

4. ride details: CX bike, 70F-ish clear blue fall day

5. distance: 11.5 miles round-trip

Continuing with Disaster Week here on the MS Gulf Coast, after chainsawing for a good chunk of the morning, I drove to the National Guard distro point at the farmer's market to restock on ice.  I didn't need the case of MREs, but the only question the guys working there asked was "How many people?"  "Two."  [turns to shout]"Two!" and four guys run up with the standard load-out, throw it in back of the truck, and move along don't slow down the line.  [rolling out]"Thanks!"  "No problem!  Next!!!"  Eh, won't have to hunt for groceries before next week, and the ice is much appreciated while finishing out the remaining fresh food in the house.

But back to the coffeeneuring.  I had to peek into one of the MREs, not having seen a standard one in fifteen years.  Hm, what's this?  French vanilla cappuccino in a mix-and-drink bag?  That's going in the jersey pocket for this afternoon's ride.

On to the ride.  Today's destination is a half-mile from this year's stop #4, but on the bay side of Henderson point, at the little park tucked next to the Bay Bridge.  Downright cozy, it seems a world away from the windswept Gulf-facing point.  Families were out with the kids on the playground, burning off pent-up energy.  Another group was down on the beach under the bridge salvaging lumber off a washed-away dock.  I took a seat on some of the larger debris, and added water to the coffee bag and the heater...

 

 

While waiting for the cappuccino to heat, I snapped a couple of pictures of the mouth of the Bay of St. Louis, including the Hwy 90 and train bridges...

And then raised a toast to another successful year of coffeeneuring...

For instant coffee in a bag, it was surprisingly good.  None of the synthetic or metallic tastes usually associated with instant mixes.  The new MRE heaters are a big step up, and had things tasty-hot in just minutes.  The drink was a little sweeter than I'd usually go for, but that's just me.  Frankly, it was a good cup of coffee, and much appreciated after a week like this one.

On the way back, I snapped a pic of the park pavilion:

It seems to have made it through Zeta without a scratch, though the rest of the park was looking pretty rough.

And that wraps up the 2020 Coffeeneuring Challenge here on the MS coast.  It has been different this year, to be sure, and it will always be outstanding in its weirdness.  Looking forward to next year already, which will assuredly be quite different: less solo, more social, and lots more coffee-shop-with-walls.

Circling back to the One Good Thing theme for this year: Right after I got home, the electrician called and said he'd be here first thing in the morning to get my power hooked back up.  Truly the one good thing I need!  Funny how these things work out.

In closing, here's a pic of the beach bench where Stop #1 happened last month:

Hm, yeah, that was quite a storm.

Coffeeneuring Stop #6: Waveland's Ladner Pier Pavilions

 With a hurricane on the way (but not here yet), what else to do but take a ride along the beachfront down to the Waveland Pier at lunchtime.  We'll get back to the hurricane part in a minute.  But first...

1. where: Garfield Ladner municipal pier pavilions, Waveland MS

2. date: 10/28/20

3. what: chicory cafe au lait with half&half

4. ride details: CX bike on a blustery pre-storm day

5. distance: 4.6 miles, with another 3.8 miles added on by riding along the beach toward downtown, in sort of a T-shaped route.

What could be more 2020 than sneaking in a coffeneuring trip with a hurricane bearing down on the area?  Well the window boards were all up, the yard objects were all stowed, and the cars were moved away from the trees.  Time to ride off some pre-storm jitters.

So here I sit, typing on my little laptop by the light of a battery lamp, linked to blogger via the phone's wifi hotspot.  Ugh, soooo much cleanup to do.  Second-worst storm I've been through, a distant second to Katrina.  Got to find an electrician tomorrow... and get the chainsaw running... so much stuff to do.  Time to upload pictures and hit the rack.  Main thing: everyone's OK.

Coffee, and listening to storm news...

 

Not too rough, yet.  Water's only up about a foot.  I hear it topped out in the neighborhood of 10 feet.

 

I wonder what Zeta clocked in at when it finally hit the MS Coast?

afternote, 10/29: Gusts to 104 recorded here in town.  I believe it!

Coffeeneuring Stop #5: Washington Street Pier

 Yet another coffee shop without walls, today's coffeeneuring ride was to the Washington Street pier & boat launch area.

1. where: Washington Street pier fill, Bay St. Louis MS

2. date: 10/25/20

3. what: cafe au lait, chicory coffee w/ half&half

4. ride details: CX bike on a cool (~70F) morning along the seawall

5. distance: 3.8 miles round-trip

Another beachfront landmark.  Sat on the rip-rap, sipped a couple of cups, and read for a bit.  Then pedaled home and had lunch.

Rip-rap, coffee, bike.

View looking east, toward Henderson Point (see stop #4).  Pilings are from the old Bay ferry, which ran for a couple of years while the new bridge was being constructed in the aftermath of Katrina.  Pelican!

Coffeeneuring Stop #4: Henderson Point

 Continuing out theme this year of "coffee shops without walls but near water," here's today's lunchtime stop just across the bridge into Harrison County.

1. where: Henderson Point, Pass Christian MS

2: date: 10/23/20

3. what: cafe au lait, chicory coffee & half-and-half

4. ride details: CX bike on a day before a cool front blows in

5. distance: 12.0 miles round-trip

Another favorite turn-around spot, here on the Gulf side of Henderson Point.  It's about the prettiest section of beach on this end of the MS coast.  It's still relatively wild and secluded after being scoured clean by Hurricane Katrina.  There are a few new houses around, but a lot more foundation slabs can be seen, if you know where to look.

Looking west, back toward Bay St. Louis.  You can see town's waterfront over the back wheel and top tube.

Looking southeast toward Cat Island.  Can't really see it from here though, elevation's too low and the island's over the horizon.

Coffeeneuring Stop #3: Cowand Point

 At yet another coffee-shop-without-walls, here's a late morning stop along the Bay of St. Louis.  

1. where: Cowand Point, Bay St. Louis MS

2. date: 10/17/20

3. what: black-black coffee, brewed from espresso beans

4. ride details: CX bike on a mid-70s October day

5. distance: 7.4 miles round-trip

One of those perfect mid-October days just after a cool front blows through.  I had another place in mind, but while zipping by on the seawall I spied this one and quickly turned around.  About the time I settled in with my cup, I knew why this place felt so familiar: it's reminiscent of a favorite fishing spot in Florida where the alligators have taken over.  Hm.  The odds of having a reptile encounter were low, being in town and with the cool weather and all, but it was a definite possibility so I finished my cup and didn't stay for a second.  Beautiful spot though.

Coffeeneuring Stop #2: North Beach Boat Launch

 Just another quiet morning in Bay St. Louis, and time to get out and do the seawall ride again.

1. where: Along the bayfront seawall, all the way at the north end by the boat launch.

2. date: 10/12/20

3. what: cafe au lait, made with Cafe du Monde coffee-with-chicory and a dash of half-and-half

4. ride details: CX bike on a warm, even hot, early October day

5. distance: 11.8 miles round-trip

This seawall route has been pretty much my stock lunchtime ride for this middle part of 2020.  The whole coffeeshop without walls concept is working out really well this year.  Here, have a pic of some pelicans perching just offshore in the Bay; as always, click to embiggen.

Then I came home and took the window boards down.  They'd been up since September 14th(!) when two hurricanes that made a run at the area in one week.  The combination of storms, rain, and yet more storms worked together to keep them up until a sunny day had everything dry and conducive to taking them down and putting back in storage.  Hopefully they won't have to go back up this year, but this is 2020 so who knows?

Coffeeneuring Stop #1: South Beach Blvd

 In true 2020 style, started out close to home, just a simple bike ride down to the beach to sit on a walkway bench and enjoy a couple of cups.  With Cruisin' the Coast going on, the mean streets of Bay St. Louis are no place for bikes this weekend.  Well, at least not for any distance, not out of the neighborhood.  On to the particulars:

1. where: Corner of Beach and Ramoneda, Bay St. Louis MS

2. date: 10/11/20

3. what: home-brewed Columbian, served black out of a thermos

4. details: warm, clear day in the wake of a passing near-miss of a hurricane; CX bike

5. 2.2 miles round-trip

Soaked up a few early fall rays while sipping Columbian at a convenient bench on the boardwalk just down from my house.   Finished a Larry Niven sci-fi short story from the early 1970's, The Last Days of the Permanent Floating Riot Club, which somewhat accurately predicted flash mobs and a criminal gang making organized use of the chaos.  Very 2020, and even though the enabling tech is different, the human psychology is spot-on.  Didn't quite get a sunburn, but got all the sun I needed – or could stand.  Note to self: bring a hat next time. 

ps: For 2020, my coffeeneuring week will run Saturdays thru Fridays.  Started a day late!

Coffeeneuring 2020: One Good Thing

 Every year this event has a theme: "Eight is Great," "The Best of Intentions," etc.  Well this year we all need One Good Thing, and so that's this year's theme.  Anyway, this year's rules (which are much the same as previous years') and the kick-off post are here at Chasing Mailboxes.

Past years' misadventures can be seen here: 2019  2018  2017

Coffeeneuring Returns for 2020

A tad busy watching this year's "S" storm (can't remember the name...  why not "2020-S" etc. for a new naming convention?), so here's a quick bite of good news: 

Coffeeneuring returns for 2020!

Read all about it here.  And expect maybe something more creative in a post later in the week.