Category: States

Good Eats, Hot Sauce, and rain in Cajun Country

Posted in Birds, Louisiana, Parks, Rainy Days, Restaurants, Road Trip, RV Parks, RVing, Tourist AttractionsTagged , , , , , , , , , , 11 Comments

After a rough ride traveling west in Louisiana on the worst section of I-10 in the United States we arrived at Poche’s Fish N Camp in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana for a couple of days. The campsites are arranged around a large fishing pond lined with Cypres trees. Most of the sites have a paved pad, full hookups, and WiFi. There are several ponds for fishing, a clubhouse, swimming pool, and laundry. The staff was great. Many thanks to them for recommending Fun in the Sun RV Repair to repair our heater and many thanks to the repairman who came out in the rain the same day we called him and got it fixed.

It rained off and on the whole time we were there so we couldn’t do too much exploring in the area. I had to do my bird watching at the campground. A Snowy Egret walked along the pond right behind our campsite in the afternoons and Cormorants and ducks were in the water every day. A Great Blue Heron even made an appearance.

Office at Poche’s Fish N Camp
Clubhouse at Poche’s Fish N Camp
Our site from across the pond
Campground at Poche’s Fish N Camp
Ducks on the pond
Picture taken through our back window of Snowy Egret behind the camper
Great Blue Heron

The rain couldn’t stop us from enjoying some amazing Cajun feasts! Crawfish etoufee, rice dressing (dirty rice), slaw, fried catfish, fried shrimp, chicken and sausage gumbo, Boudin, Andouille sausage and more! We ate several delicious meals at Poche’s Market and Restaurant. Their market has a large selection of sausages, meats and seasonings so I filled the freezer with Andouille sausage and Boudin to take with us and now my pantry has some of their seasoning mix and File powder.

It’s so good we had three meals here!
Poche’s Cajun Cuisine
Our meal at Poche’s – Crawfish Etoufee, Dirty Rice and Slaw – Sooooo good!

A visit to the Tabasco Factory on Avery Island was a must see on this trip. Henry is a hot sauce aficionado and Tabasco is a staple on our table along with the salt and pepper. We visited the factory 30 years ago when our kids were young and we both have memories of walking into the aging room with the aroma of the sauce so strong that most of the other people in the tour got out of there as fast as they could. Not Henry! He loved it! Unfortunately, they no longer take the tours through that room.

The sauce is aged in barrels that were first used to age Jack Daniels Whiskey. We watched a short video and then watched original Tabasco sauce being bottled and labeled before browsing in the museum. We had our first taste of Boudin sausage (yummy and spicy) from a food truck and spent a few dollars in the gift shop before heading back to Breaux Bridge. A stop at Walmart for some necessities and we were back at camp in time to watch the rain come down the rest of the day.

Avery Island, Louisiana
Visitor’s Center at the Tabasco Factory
Can we take this bottle home?
The world’s best known hot sauce
Even Queen Elizabeth uses Tabasco Sauce
Waiting for the tour to begin
The sauce is aged in barrels that were used to make Jack Daniels Whiskey
Original Tabasco sauce going down the assembly line
The peppers are made into a mash
Lunch was delicious Boudin from the Tabasco food truck

 

A night on the Mississippi Gulf Coast

Posted in Mississippi, Parks, Road Trip, RVing, State ParksTagged , , , 9 Comments

Our day began driving south on I-65 to Mobile, Alabama and heading west on I-10 to Mississippi. Our home for the night  was Buccaneer State Park in Waveland, Mississippi.

This part of Mississippi suffered major damage in August, 2005 when Hurricane Katrina came ashore with winds of over 160 MPH and a storm surge of 30 feet. Damage from the storm was evident all along the beach. The remains of several docks are still standing as a reminder of the power of the storm.

Blondie always enjoys a walk on a beach
Laughing Gulls
Dock remains in Waveland, Mississippi
Walking along the beach in Waveland, Mississippi
On the beach in Waveland, Mississippi

All of the structures at this popular state park were completely destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Reconstruction of the park was completed in 2013 and the results are amazing. All of the buildings, water park, wave pool, and splash pool have been rebuilt and look brand new. It looks more like a resort than a state park. The large campground has several loops with paved pads and full hookups as well as a primitive camping loop. There are even some beach campsites with views of the Gulf of Mexico.

The hurricane also destroyed much of the vegetation in the park but some old oak trees survived the storm.

Majestic oaks in Buccaneer State Park
New Activities Building and Campstore at Buccaneer State Park
Office and registration building at Buccaneer State Park
Castaway Cove at Buccaneer State Park

As I walked on the beach and around the park I couldn’t help but think about what the area must have looked like before Hurricane Katrina came ashore 10 years ago. I also thought about how much work must have gone into the restoration of the state park and the private homes in the area. Kudos go out to the people of the state of Mississippi for doing such a great job with the rebuilding.

On the Road Again

Posted in Alabama, City Park, Parks, Road Trip, RVingTagged , , 12 Comments

After several months at home taking care of doctor’s appointments and chores we are finally on the road again for our much anticipated spring road trip!

I am calling this the Lonesome Dove Cattle Trail, Gulf Coast, Cajun Country, Whooping Crane, Bluebonnet and Brisket Tour. Can you guess where we will be going?

Our first stop was Sherling Lake City Park, a wonderful city park just a few miles from I-65 in Greenville, Alabama. For $25 we had a full hookup, paved pull through site with a nice little deck. There was even WiFi at the site!

After setting up camp we took a short hike on the walking trail along the lake. Spanish moss draped trees surround the lake. Campers can fish without a permit.

Taking a walk beside the lake at Sherling Lake Park
It’s great to get out and walk after a day of driving
Sunset at Sherling Lake
Sherling Lake
Early morning at Sherling Lake
Campers can fish without a permit
Sherling Lake

As we traveled from Georgia to Alabama we entered the Central Time Zone the weekend we were supposed to spring forward an hour for Daylight Savings Time. So on Saturday we were on Central Time an hour behind Eastern and on Sunday we had to spring forward an hour for Daylight Savings Time and were back to the same time as we were before we left home. We didn’t have to change our clocks at all!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Scale

Posted in Alaska, Lighthouse, PhotographyTagged , , , 12 Comments

The WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge this week is: Scale

During our 2013 RV journey to Alaska we took a day cruise on the M/V Fjordland through the Lynn Canal from Haines, Alaska to Juneau, Alaska.

As we approached the Eldred Rock Lighthouse I took this photo which shows the lighthouse dwarfed by to the mountain.

Eldred Rock Lighthouse in the Lynn Canal in Alaska
Eldred Rock Lighthouse in the Lynn Canal in Alaska

As we got closer we saw a tiny white dot on the top of the tree which turned out to be a Bald Eagle. Now the Bald Eagle is dwarfed by the lighthouse.

Do you see the tiny white dot at the top of the tree?
Do you see the tiny white dot at the top of the tree?

Can you see the Bald Eagle?

Now you can see it's a Bald Eagle
Can you tell it’s a Bald Eagle?

To find out more about our trip through the Lynn Canal click A Day Cruise to Juneau

 

Best Campgrounds of the year – 2014

Posted in Arkansas, COE Park, Parks, RVing, State Parks, VirginiaTagged , , 15 Comments

Although we didn’t wander too much in our RV this year our travels took us to some very memorable places. We visited family, camped by lakes and rivers, got together with old friends, visited a distillery, watched barges go by on the Mississippi River, went to 2 Georgia away games, and ate award winning barbeque and tamales.

During our 2014 travels we camped in  8 states and stayed in a total of 17 different parks: 7 state parks, 5 private RV parks, and 5  federal parks.

So here it is, the first ever “Wandering Dawgs best campgrounds of the year” list.

Number 3: Claytor Lake State Park, Dublin, Virginia.

Site D21 – our favorite site at Claytor Lake State Park
Swim platform at Claytor Lake State Park

Claytor Lake State Park is our favorite place to stay when visiting family in Virginia. We’ve returned several times and enjoyed each stay.

There are plenty of things to do in the area to keep you busy. The state park has a nice beach and swimming area, hiking trails, a marina, and gift shop with free Wi-Fi. The Blue Ridge Parkway is close enough for a day trip and Virginia Tech in Blacksburg is just a short drive away.

We always stay in one of the big pull through sites in section D. Each site has water and electric, a picnic table, and fire pit. The sites are wide enough that you don’t feel like you are on top of your neighbor. There are no waterfront sites in the park but the lake is just a short walk from the campground.

We visited Claytor Lake State Park in April, 2014 and also in May, 2013.

Number 2: Maumelle COE on the Arkansas River in Little Rock, Arkansas

Ducks on the Arkansas river
We enjoyed relaxing at our campsite beside the Arkansas River

Maumelle is a popular Corps of Engineers park in Little Rock, Arkansas. This is a very popular park so reservations are recommended especially on the weekends. Our site, just a few steps from the lake, was a large back in with water and electric hookups, a big patio area with a fire pit and picnic table, and a beautiful view of the Arkansas River.

The campground is conveniently located in Little Rock and close to shopping. The park has a boat ramp, playground, basketball court and a picnic area. It is a good home base for exploring the area. We enjoyed a day trip to Petit Jean State Park.

We visited Maumelle Campground in October, 2014.

Number 1: Mississippi River State Park, Marianna, Arkansas

Relaxing at the campsite on Bear Creek Lake
This Great Blue Heron came back to the same spot on the lake each day

Not only the best campground of 2014, but I would rate this one of the best state park campgrounds ever!

The park is located in the Mississippi Delta on the Crowley’s Ridge Parkway and the Great River Road within the St. Francis National Forest. We stayed in the Beech Point Campground on a peninsula in Bear Creek Lake. There are only 17 sites in the campground with 14 full hookup waterfront sites and 3 tent sites.  Ours was a large pull through with a big patio area for the picnic table and fire ring. Everything was clean and new, the staff at the visitor’s center and the rangers were friendly and helpful, and the view from our site couldn’t be beat.

This is a great place to sit and watch the resident Great Blue Heron and turtles on the lake. The visitor’s center has a very well done and interesting interpretive center about the Mississippi Delta. The lake is a popular fishing destination and if you enjoy scenic drives the Great River Road and Crowley’s Ridge Parkway are both close by. Oh, and award winning barbeque is just a short drive from the campground.

We’re already trying to figure out when we can camp here again!

We visited Mississippi River State Park in October, 2014.

Honorable Mention:

  • Winfield COE on J Strom Thurmond Lake in Appling, Georgia.
  • Lake Chicot State Park, Lake Village, Arkansas.
  • Trail of Tears State Park, Jackson, Missouri.

Where do you think we will wander next year? Stay tuned…

Happy New Year!!