FMF Day 3 - Natchitoches, LA

(Nack-a-dish) (Seriously?)

First an update: Wow was dinner ever GOOD last night! As good as anything in NOLA, I bet. I had Crawfish Etoufee, then redfish with crab and crawfish topping (just mounded on there. O yum!), and a crab and squash casserole side. OMG! Gontran said he goes there a few times a week. How is it that he doesn't weight 700 pounds???? (because he doesn't eat the starchy parts, that's how!!)

The trip so far:

the journey

273 miles today/854 total

The big divide today - crossing the Mississippi. You know - there's "east of the Mississippi" and "west of the Mississippi". Well ... I'm "west" now!

I love the names of things here in Louisiana. Etoufee. Tchoupitoulas Street. Oauchita fertilizer company. Marie Laveau. A shout-out to my 3 breaux. And of course parishes, not counties. Love that!


Today's drive was again all interstate, but the state is hillier where I am now. The trees are about 1/3 into spring, so still some bareness but more shades of green than you can possibly imagine! You always hear about the fall colors, but the greens of spring just knock me out. And honestly the grass is so green it looks like somebody threw buckets of paint on it.

I passed a bunch of crawfish farms today. Here's a funny article about farming them here in Louisiana.

I was so glad to be driving over the Atchafalaya Water Basin again. It's really kind of a marvel! 20 miles long. To get an idea of what the drive is like, go to this link for a great aerial shot. (It's not my photo, so I'm just giving you the link.) I drove over this area last year on my way home and had to learn more about it. This year I stopped at the visitor's center to pick up a little info.  They do a movie (it runs every 4 minutes), but here are the characters that greet you and talk to you before you go into the movie.

Can you see the raccoon coming out of the tree stump? I didn't want to crop him because I wanted you to see the whole set-up. 

I also couldn't resist  this dude!

He's so ginormous that I cut off his feet.

Here's a link to the wiki entry if you want to know more about the basin.

And that was my drive today. Where will I land tomorrow?

Thanks for stopping by!

FMF Day 2 - Slidell, Louisiana

Oy. The drive today was as boring as the day before was exciting! And it rained. Fortunately it was also brief. There is absolutely nothing interesting to tell you.

OK maybe a couple of things. I finished my drive out of Destin on US98. The last part of Destin is really beachy-beachy-beachy. Sort of like old St. Augie, with kinda sugar-shack looking buildings.  Suddenly there arises this monstrosity! I'm talking turrets and all kinds of stuff; I half-expected to see gargoyles! Turns out it's a condo building, right there on the beach, right in the middle of all the sugar shacks. Talk about not fitting in!

The next town was Mary Esther. So cute! I saw a motel there that consisted of lots of little pink out-buildings. I thought "Wow! What a perfect spot for the Old Quilters Retirement Home."  Then I wandered through the beautiful white-sand beaches of the panhandle. Gosh they're gorgeous! The sand is so white it looks like snow.

Then ... alas ... I was back on interstate with nothing but bleh. Such is the nature of traveling by car if you want to go more than 45 mph.

Now, though, I'm safely here in Slidell with a friend from childhood. Some of my BK Classmates may remember him, even though he was a few years (3) before us:

Good ol' Gontran (Celerier) was kind enough to let me stay at his house tonight. I was sort of hoping we'd hop over to NOLA for the evening, but hey - I'm the guest!! And I don't think I have the energy  in me, anyway.  So instead we're talking politics (he's Republican; how do you think this conversation is going?) then headed up to his local hang-out for fish and beer.   Well one of us is having beer; the other one of us is the designated driver (yes that would be ME!).  At least the end of the day won't be boring!

That's my uneventful day! But so nice to see an old friend! I'm trying my best to convert him to liberal thinking. Tune in tomorrow to see where I land!

The drive so far is here:

To Slidell, LA

Thanks for stopping by!

Launching

"California 2012: Facing my Fears" kicks off in just a couple of hours. Lawrence (the ever-droll Navi system) and Leroy the Decoy (faithful "fake them out" travel companion) are ready! I won't be relying on Lawrence so much this year, though. I'm armed with Rand McNally (the "large print" version) and Google Maps - I can conquer anything! (except icy roads. ugh) My plan is to come home sometime in late June but one of the nice things about driving is that I can change my mind - multiple times.

The car isn't as packed this year. I learned a lot from the extended travel last year AND I bought a cargo carrier (HA!!) (Oh yea - and I lost 75 pounds. My gas mileage should improve!!) I got some cheap-o storage cubes from Target and have packed things like exercise clothes, shoes, undies in those cubbies. It worked out really well!  I can easily grab what I need for overnight rather than having to shlep suitcases full of this stuff.  Most of the stuff in the cargo carrier won't be needed until I get to California, so I shouldn't have to be up there for awhile.

Packing the carrier was quite an experience! Since I'm traveling on my own, I have to be able to get stuff in, out, and stabilized on my own. It was quite the trick to get the strapping down! I should know within my first few miles on the road whether or not I have everything secure up there.

As happened last year, the gas prices have been creeping up. (Creeping, my Aunt Fanny! They're sprinting!) I did a post on this last year so I won't repeat this year. I find it funny, not annoying.

I'm taking a number of "scenic routes" this time - the first one is today. Having made the drive last year, I now want to see more of the "off the beaten path" stuff. Hopefully I'll have the opportunity to stop and take pictures. I'll by trying for oodles of pics this year!

Why "Facing my Fears"? There are a number of things along the way that are scary to me. Big mountains. The PCH (Pacific Coast Highway). Bears at Yellowstone. But what the heck ... being afraid doesn't mean you have to stop: it just means you're afraid. (I snagged that quote years ago but can't remember who to attribute it to, if anyone. Maybe Anonymous.) So .... I'll be afraid, but I'll keep going. The car didn't slide down - or fall off - any mountains last year. The odds are in my favor that I won't fall off the PCH into the Pacific. So - shaky belly or not, I'm facing the fears!

So wish me luck and fun, and leave me comments as I travel so I'll still feel in touch with you. Thanks for stopping by!