Final Thoughts on Louisiana - Part 1

I love the way the people decorate for Mardi Gras.  They decorate for Mardi Gras just like we decorate for Christmas.  This was over the outside door of a business.

This was over an inside door of Pat's Restaurant.

It is hard to read but under this casino sign is the statement "Gambling Problem" followed by a toll free number to call.  All casinos, billboards, radio advertisements, and television advertisements also contain this statement.  I wonder if anyone gives this statement a thought.    I think the idea behind the statement is to remind the gamblers that there is help for a gambling problem but I doubt many people even notice it.

These two blogs wrap up some random pictures and things I saw on our  trip.  The history, diverse culture, and natural beauty of the state makes Louisiana a wonderful place to visit.  What we have seen and experienced the past two years barely scratched the surface of things to see and do.  Looks like we will have to return to Louisiana!

Final Thoughts on Louisiana - Part 2

While we were in Louisiana, we discovered a local radio station out of Eunice, LA.

It is KBON, 101.1 - All Cajun, All the Time.

We loved the Cajun music.  It also played country music sung by Cajun singers.  One of the songs I really liked was a take off on the Johnny Cash song "I've Been Everywhere."   The change was that instead of singing a list of cities across the U.S., it used cities across Louisiana.

Dinosaurs are coming to Cajun Palms and here is the proof.  The resort owns an adjoining 80 acres and are adding to the activities available to campers.  One of those activities is a Jurassic Park with paved paths through displays of giant dinosaurs.    I am 5 ft 1 inch so you can see how tall one dinosaur is.  In addition to a Jurassic Park, they are building a go cart track and surround it with a lazy river type water ride.   Cajun Palms is quite a place!

Two legs waiting for a body.

This one is already in the park.

Can you see the dinosaur?

A side view of the dinosaur I was standing under.

On the Road Again - Part 1

The spare is doing its job.  Carol doesn't like it that the rim does not match the rest, but, hey, it got us rolling last night. The trailer does have some side panel damage from the tire shredding.  It will probably cost $499.99 (just under the $500 deductible) to replace!  One thing Carol and I have talked about is the fact that we did not see one state policeman patrolling that part of I-55 the four hours we sat there.  This morning before we got on the road, we went to the Walmart across from the motel and spent $150 to replace the space.  Putting it back on the trailer will be a project for Carol when

 We get home.

On the Road Again - Part 2

We woke up in Mississippi and will go to sleep in Illinois.

We crossed into Tennessee at Memphis the home of music legend Elvis Presley.

We crossed the Mississippi River into Arkansas. The interstate narrowed down to one lane each side. The southbound had two semis in the mud on the side.  Traffic was not moving. Glad we are going north.  We saw our first snow since we left Illinois.

This will be hard to believe but as we saw Missouri in the distance, we could see the sun was shining.  Sure enough when we crossed the border, the sun was shining in Missouri.   This is true! 

This is the first rest area in Missouri.  it had had snow, too.  The rest area looked brand new.  It had a 1/4 mile, paved path around it.  Sandy and I enjoyed being able to stretch our legs before we finished the trip.

This is the bridge on I-255.  We crossed the Mississippi again.  We crossed it 6 times on this trip.

We crossed into Illinois at 3:45.  We should be home by 6:00.  I still have some pictures and thoughts on this trip and because the IPad causes me such frustration, there will probably be 2 or three more posts.

Goodbye. Hello. Goodbye (Part 2)

Yep!  This is what it looks like.  The trailer had a tire blow out.  We were cruising along I-55 when Carol saw bits of rubber going everywhere in his side mirror.  The time was 4:45 and we were less then 40 miles from the campground.  He pulled off the road and I called our motor club.  They wanted to know where we were located.  After several minutes we were able to figure out an approximate location.  Let this be a lesson to us...always know the last exit we passed.  

It is now 6:30 and we are waiting for the repair truck.  We were told that the truck needed to get us back on the road is at another call so it will probably be until at least 7:30 before they get here.  So it is 6:30, dark, and here we sit.  I did find a motel in Grenada that takes pets so when we get back on the road we are staying in a motel.  I think we are at mile marker 185 so we are just a short distance from the motel.

At 9:00 after several phone call to the motor club and the wrecker service, someone came to change the tire.  I hope we never sit beside an interstate for 4 hours, two of those hours in the dark.  We sat there while semis, pickups, cars, etc. came whizzing by, blowing against the side of the truck and camper.  It was so frustrating to not be able to do anything but sit and wait.  Thankfully, we had a cell phone and Internet so I could find a motel that would allow pets and had truck parking.  We decided early in this situation that we were not going to pull into an unknown state park and try to find a spot in the dark so we are in a motel in Grenada.  Sandy is nervous because she has never experienced a strange room in which to sleep.

Tomorrow, we will get back into the truck and head for home.  Hopefully, the rest of the trip will be uneventiful! 

Goodbye. Hello. Goodbye. Part 1

We were up at 6:00 a.m. To walk Sandy before donuts and coffee with the gang.  

After we ate, Carol and I finished hooking up the camper and then we took pictures and said our goodbyes.  

The gang of nine.

Don and Peggy and Niki

Bill and Ericka Sommers and Jessie

Carol and I and Sandy

The ladies and their girls.  The human ladies got along very well.  The doggie ladies didn't get along as well.  

Those we left behind to enjoy Louisiana.

The twins:  Carolyn and Carol

The whole family

Tim and Carla Gordon (Carolyn's daughter)

Carolyn and her daughter Alana and Carol

Adam (Carla and Tim's son) And Maggie Gordon and Allie and Reese

We got to Carla and Tim's house about 11:00 and left at 2:00.  Carla fixed us a delicious lunch of vegetable soup, chicken salad, cornbread, angel cake and strawberry jello.

After we left their house, we filled up with gas and hit the road, making good time.  Then.....

Our Final Day

Today is our last day at Cajun Palms.  The day was great weatherwise...60's and mostly sunny.  We sat outside in lawn chairs just soaking up the temps and sun before we head north.  We winterized our camper in anticipation of colder temps.  We filled up the gas tank in the truck and did general packing to make it easier to get on the road tomorrow.  At 3:00 we gathered at Don and Peggy's site for dessert before we ate a late supper.  Cherry cheesecake and chocolate pie...delicious...thanks, Peggy.

We all ate here for a final meal together.  Traditionally, we eat supper together the first and last evening we are here (and many in between).

Carol is digging into a plate of fried alligator.  He said it was delicious.  I will take his word for it.  I had a delicious salad with chicken!  

The band was rocking.  This is Lee Benoit and the Cajun Stampers.

The dance floor always had couples dancing to the Cajun band.  I love to watch them dance.  They move so smoothly across the floor.  None of the men in our group would dance so we ladies watched, too.

Not only did Don not want to dance but he felt a snooze would be a better way to spend the time.  We did have a good time laughing, eating, talking.  Tomorrow the sextet will become a quartet.