Making Groceries

Street Highlights: Capital Heights, Seven Oaks Ave, Keed Ave.

Jefferson Highway is a force to be reckoned with. Like so many thoroughfares in Baton Rouge its origins and organization are shrouded in mystery. Also known as LA Highway 73, it extends tangentially from the side of Mid-city heading Southeast off from Government. While parts of it are tame it does eventually merge onto Highway 61 for two the worst planned and utterly disastrous miles in Baton Rouge. The two Highways run almost parallel to each other but when they collide no amount of lanes, lights, or frontage roads can direct those cars towards civility.


Fortunately we are not going too far down Jefferson. Not even so far as to call it Old Jefferson. I say we for my wife is accompanying my on this bikventure. She too has caught the two-wheeled addiction which is fortunate as I'll need her help and her rack - to haul groceries.





Those avid readers of Bicyclette Rouge will notice a pattern. When heading east I often break the law a bit and travel the wrong way down one-wayed Hearthstone Dr. to cross Government St. at the light. However, law enforcement sticklers will be happy to know when I head West towards downtown or work I go the correct one-way down Bedford Dr. like a good law abiding cyclist.

This light leads through the Westmoreland Shopping Center's parking lot right behind Catholic High School. It's used by the students but once school is out it's a concrete wasteland. I usually take it around behind CVS following Cole Dr. This leads me onto Acadian Thwy. which we cautiously traverse a short, quick block to the turning lane to bike Mecca Capital Heights.




From this now defunct turning lane on Acadian, you can get to a flat, smooth double bike-laned road, Capital Heights. I've written about it before but enough good things cannot be said about that road. It is a beacon in an otherwise dismal biking town. It will take us about half the distance of our 3.5 mile journey.


Coming out the other end of Capital Heights we have our first run in with Jefferson Hwy. At the intersection of these two very different roads is a lively shopping center and art district. Here it is tame, but often we will ride through the parking lot in front of the Compact Disc store just to be safe. We quickly cross Jefferson and do a U-turn into the Goodwood Playground which is circled by two roads, Winn/Esplanade Ave and Seven Oaks Ave.



In the past I have taken Esplanade and headed north to Florida Blvd, but my path here is southward and Seven Oaks is my chosen road. Seven Oaks is lovely. The park is shady and smooth and it lets into a quiet neighborhood with no sidewalk and very slight neighborhood traffic. It runs almost parallel to Jefferson Hwy and will deliver us safely to our destination, Whole Foods Market.


On Seven Oaks we knew we were getting close. We needed only to pick a road to ferry us across Jefferson, which at this point is a 5-laned behemoth with little to no shoulder. Our aim was a light on Jefferson near the entrance of the Corporate Blvd shopping center of which Whole Food is a part. The problem is this light does not connect to any neighborhood road. Our options were to go just east of it onto Thibodeaux Ave take a right onto Jefferson then left at the light, or to preempt the light by taking Keed Ave then left onto Jefferson and right at the light.



We opted for Keed Ave. Traffic wasn't terrible and we were able to take a left into the turning lane and merge all the way to the right to ride in the almost non-existent shoulder - single file of course. It was only a few feet to the light and since we opted to take a right we didn't have to wait for a green.

At last we arrived with our milk crates strapped to our racks and a few bags to carry things in. The trip was easy and worthwhile. We got some delicious foods, some righteous beer, and refreshing drinks all for prices we can afford simply because our gasoline bill is almost non existent. We'll do this path again and often. We'll have to. You know how organic food is. Without preservatives the produce will be wilted and the bread moldy before we get home.







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