Wrap Up

Jessie:  Lives with Bill and Ericka

Niki:  lives with Don and Peggy

Sandy: Lives with us.

I wanted to write a final blog and get boring but necessary figures on the record.  We drove  2289 miles.  We averaged 8.7 MPG with the average cost per gallon of $3.60.  The average cost per gallon for the fall trip was $3.84 so I guess we should be happy that we paid less.

Not only did we camp with some great people, but we camped with some great dogs as the pictures show.  Unfortunately the dogs didn't get along as well as the humans did.  Someone said that the fact that the dogs are all females explains it.  Each dog felt the need to protect their territory.  I did run into a dog in the campground that wasn't territorial.  His name was Augie and he was a Rhodesian Ridgeback.  He was huge, calm, very laid back and basically ignored Sandy when she tried to put him in his place.  His owner said that despite his size, he was just a big baby.

This was a great trip.  We enjoyed every minute of it and hope we can go back next year.  There is so much interesting history in the Louisiana area and we barely scratched the surface this trip.   The temperatures aren't as warm as Southern Texas but it is a whole lot warmer than Central Illinois.  I will end this entry with a final sunset picture.

Home

Our driveway had remnants of the snow that came while we were in a much warmer place.  Notice there are no car tracks, only dog tracks.  Carol was getting the camper ready for the back-in.

Here is our camper back into its home spot in our driveway.   We were glad to be gone when it snowed.


We left Memphis at 7:15 am.  We decided to take I-55 all the way to Springfield and then I-72 to Decatur.    We were home at 3:00 pm.  it was 856 miles to go that way compared to 812 going I-57 to I-55 but it was interstate all the way.  We spent a couple of hours unloading and are relaxing right now so I am not going to write much tonight.  I hope to wrap up our trip and post a few more notes tomorrow.

Following the Geese North

Bill and Ericka Somers...Peggy and Don Mulvany
We are so glad we got to camp with you all!

We were up by 6:30 to pack up and hook up.  As Ericka and I were watching the guys hook up the camper, Ericka saw a flock of geese heading north.  I hope that means that spring is on its way.  It was 38 degrees and we didn't expect it to get much warmer as we drove north.  The high for us was 41 degrees. We stopped at a truck stop in Pickens, Mississippi for gas and it was spitting snow.  Fortunately, it didn't last.   Today we just drove east to Hammond, Louisiana and then that long I-55 north  through Mississippi.  When we reach this point of a long trip, we are anxious to get miles behind us and get home.  Notice I didn't say we are happy to get home; only that we are resigned to the fact that we are going home.  We do love to travel and now that we are retired, we hope to do more.

We made it to West Memphis  at 4:00 and checked into the KOA.  The wind was blowing and it was COLD!  It was spitting snow here, too.  We didn't unhook to make it easier to get on the road tomorrow.  The first thing we did upon entering the camper was turn on the furnace.  It was the first time this trip that we used the furnace. According to The Weather Channel the temperature is 33 but the chill is 22.  This calls for the furnace!    We are settled in for the evening.  Carol called his brother Darrell to see if he wanted to come out to the camper.  He has pleurisy and doesn't feel good so he is staying home.   We will relax for the rest of the evening.

Shouts Outs and Thanks from Louisiana

Today is our final day in this area so we drove some back roads and found some interesting things to take pictures of.  We went to St. Martinsville where in 1765 the first Acadians settled.  One thing we found interesting was how many times the name Durand could be found on signs.  This is a shout out to our friends Dick and Sue Durand.  Dick, you have always told us that your ancestors were French but maybe they are Acadian.  I took a picture of a Durand owned grocery store/deli/casino, an insurance agency, and a Pre-Civil War sugar planter historical sign.  I don't know if Durands still live at the end of Oak and Pine Alley, but if they do, you might want to see if you can be a part of their family.

I love the varied architecture in this area.  In Breaux Bridge, I was able to snap pictures of some interesting buildings.  One of them seems to be a giant birthday card because so many "Happy Birthday" message signs painted on the side of the building.  

The cemeteries are interesting to look at.  I managed to snap a quick picture of one at St. Martinsville.  Because of the high water table in the area, most people are buried in crypts above ground.  The last picture I am posting is of the yard of a house located between Henderson and Breaux Bridge.  I think it is an example of a good idea being taken too far.  One or two concrete statues would be fine but a whole yard full is a bit too much for my taste.

Thanks to Don for helping Carol winterized our camper.  Tomorrow we leave the land of warm temperatures and hope to be near Memphis, Tennessee for the night.  We know it will be much colder there and needed to winterized again.  While I am saying thanks: thanks to Peggy for the computer training she has so generously given me.  My blog still isn't quite there yet, but thanks to Peggy it is much better.  Tonight we have a final Cajun meal at the restaurant next door.  We have enjoyed our time here with Don and Peggy, and Bill and Ericka.

One final note...we could take this trip because we are both finally retired.  It is great being retired. A final shout out to our neighbor, Jerry, who beginning today is retired.  Congratulations, Jerry.  We hope you find retirement as great as we do.  

I know that this is an unusual post but sometimes you have to wrap up loose ends and today was that day.