Hello and welcome to Mike and Donna's retirement adventures.
After many years of working and taking care of family, we decided to look for adventures in other places.
Donna's retirement came at the request of her former manager (little Hitler) on 9/27/21 after 18 years with the IT vendor at the San Diego Convention Center. Mikes retirement began 46 years to the day, after high school on 3/18/22.
We have always liked cars and driving; we love to travel. We decided life on the road could be a new challenge/adventure for us.
In August (2021) we ordered a new home: An Airstream 30' Classic and a new Dodge RAM 2500 Diesel truck to tow it.
On Friday December 2, 2022, we finally took possession of it.
Have fun following us down the road.
May 1 - 5 Indian River, Michigan
Indian River RV Park
Before heading out from Traverse City, The Sandman needed some attention. He decided that his electrical system was going to whack out a bit. So off to Airstream of Northern Michigan which just happened to be not too far away….oh thank you!!!!!! After 3 hours of replacing a few fuses, testing this and that, resetting this and that, all systems were GO and we were on our way – Yayyyyy!!!!!
Have you ever felt like you’re all alone in a strange place? That maybe the road less traveled is for a reason? We get that!! Very nice RV park…large sites, great staff, and…..we were the only ones camping all week until the night before we left – LOL!! But that’s okay. It’s early in the season up here in Michigan so not everything has opened up yet.
We planned our stay here as we have some friends that moved from CA to the area 3 years ago…literally the street behind the campground. Meet Gretchan….remember when Donna wore her hair in a short spike for many years? Gretchan was the person that worked that magic and they’ve stayed in touch. Originally from this area, their family is back again, along with her Mom and sister.
Gretchan played tour guide with us for 3 days and took us all over the place, including a nice home cooked meal one evening……….Yes!!
Life here is about drinking in the atmosphere, seeing the night sky with stars so clear and bright, you can see them forever. The beauty of the trails, homes, miles of coastal shoreline, and breathtakingly clear water is magical.
And…..we’re off to Kitchiitikipi Big Spring – in the Upper Peninsula. Michigan’s largest natural freshwater spring and probably the most unusual thing we’ve seen in a long time. Located within Palms Book State Park and the water is crystal clear – CRYSTAL CLEAR – Are those trout?? Yep – they sure are! It’s a consistent 45 degrees (burrrrr), 40 feet deep and 10000 gallons of water per minute rise up through the cracks. It was fascinating to watch the water bubbling up under the fish. We hoped aboard the hand operated raft that propels the raft along a guided line – oh what fun that was!!! The raft has a roof so you can see the fish without the glare from the sun.
Did someone say lunch? In these parts which are RURAL and small little fishing towns, there’s not much to choose from. Off to the town of Manistique – oh so charming!! We found a cute little bar that served – well – not much – but we managed. Bonus – they had a pool table at .25 a game! What????? Then it was off to the Manistique East Breakwater Lighthouse. Perfect timing as there were several families of Geese with their new babies…awwww….adorable!!
Since we were somewhat in the area, off to the Ocqueoc Falls – gorgeous, beautiful, cascading waterfalls!! It is known as the biggest waterfall in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. During spawning season, you can see salmon swimming upriver. How cool would that be????
Okay – what the hell is THAT in front of us? Looks like smoke. Nope, not smoke. OMG – those are swarms of midges (tiny flies)! When they hatch, there are millions of them. They mate and then die. Okay…..that’s after they cover you when you get out of the car. Then you look at your car and it’s covered with millions of them – ewwwwww!!!!
We couldn’t end another day without seeing yet another lighthouse. Off to 40 Mile Point Lighthouse in the very small city of Rogers on the western shore of Lake Huron. Beautiful!!!! On the beach lies the remnants of the Joseph S. Fay – a wooden steamer built in 1871. It met its demise in 1905.
We saved the best for last……Mackinac Island. OMG!!! What a magical place!!! There really are no words to describe this island other than you’ve just stepped back in time. It’s a car-free zone (including electric bikes unless you live or work there). Horse drawn carriages and bikes are the modes of transportation. There are several Ferry companies to transport you back and forth, and several places to rent bikes on the island.
Let’s just get this out here – it’s not cheap getting to the island and once there, NOTHING is cheap – LOL!! It was on our bucket list so off we went. The island itself is only 4.35 square miles. It’s a whole 8 miles to ride your bike all the way around. When we stepped off the ferry, we both looked at each other and said “this reminds me of Catalina Island!” (off the coast of southern CA). The short main street is loaded with….what else…..shops, bars, restaurants, and several places to buy their famous fudge – LOL!!
As we walked along Main Street, on a very foggy and cool (cold) day, every house was more grand and beautiful than the next – wow – wow – wow!! Then boom!!!! What the heck was that??? Oh yeah, Fort Mackinac sounding their cannons. Scared the crap out of us – LOL!! And then – there is was in all its glory – the famous Grand Hotel. My oh my…….it reminded us a bit of the Hotel Del Coronado. Not the architecture, but the “grandness” of it all. As we stepped inside, you could smell the $$$$ just floating around. And everything was GRAND – meaning expensive. But what the heck, you only live once. We all had drinks – Cheers to a $25 drink – LOL!! We savored every……single……sip…….and enjoyed taking in all the views – from the people, to what we saw on the grounds and out the windows. Simply awesome…..
April 27 – May 1 Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City State Park
After unplugging shore power where we came from, we discovered we’ve got “something going on” as in nothing going on….uggg….we’ll deal with it on Monday!!! Rut Row….
The wind up this way is no joke!! We fought the wind all the way which wasn’t fun. But….it was 75 degrees – Yayyy! But how quickly the weather in Michigan changes. It dropped 35 degrees overnight and now here comes the thunderstorms – again………shore power is our friend at the moment since our batteries don’t seem to be charging. Everything is fine…..until it’s not.
What is that? Oh – it’s a snow mobile!! Snow mobile crossing sign LOL!! We’ve not been this far north before. The campground is nice – plenty of space with trees and…..it’s right across the street from Grand Traverse Bay which empties into Lake Michigan. Traverse City is known as the “Cherry Capital of the World” as the surrounding areas are a hot spot for cherry production. Who knew???? We saw acres and acres of cherry trees, grapes for wine, apple trees, and so much more. Vineyards’ and wineries everywhere…
Speaking of cherries – Mike is a lover of all things cherry. Traverse City has its own local Whiskey made with the local yummies. Not to worry honey, we’ll find a place for it – LOL!! A DANGEROUS store we found called Cherry Country Gift Shop has ALL things cherry. We’ve never spent SO much time in a gift shop – ever!!! Still trying to find places to stash our stash!!! Traverse City is a great town with tons of shops, restaurants, breweries, and the best views – I mean – who doesn’t love looking at a gorgeous huge lake that is SO big, it looks like an ocean? We took off to explore the Mission Point Lighthouse – yep – another one – we just love the scavenger hunt for them – LOL!! The road taking is there was FILLED with one gorgeous home after the other. Gosh – we just can’t get over how these northern coastal areas have homes that will knock your socks off…..beautiful!!!! The Lighthouse sits on the 45 th Parallel or half way between the North Pole & the Equator – now THAT is awesome, and we were there!!! It was deactivated in 1933.
More rain....but it gives us a chance to do some “adulting” – phone calls, paperwork, etc. With cloudy skies still hanging around – and that chilly wind – and maybe a chance of rain (again), we took off for Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Absolutely breathtaking scenery!!! We did two hikes within the National Lakeshore. The first was Pyramid Point which took us to the most gorgeous view of South and North Manitou Islands within Lake Michigan. The water - OMG………it looks like the Caribbean!!! The flowers along the way were just beginning to bloom – so pretty!
The second hike was on our bucket list – Sleeping Bear Dunes. There are several areas you can hike and climb to the top with stunning views. Oh and the beach areas are beautiful too – lots of rocks, fossils, agates, granite, and so much more!! It’s a rock hounding paradise!!
Black squirrels? Everywhere……..we’ve only seen them one other time. They’re pretty cute!! The Chipmunks are pretty cute too….
April 23 – 27 Holland, Michigan
Holland State Park – Lake Macatawa
Many months ago, as we planned out our trip north, Michigan was a bucket list for us. With all the traveling we’ve both done, we’ve never been to Michigan. Being as it is still April, we were just a tad bit concerned (in the back of our minds), that there might still be snow.
Nope……so here we are!!!!
And…..it’s sneezin season – LOL!! And April showers bring April flowers…of course it’s raining!!!!
The town of Holland, founded in 1847, is simply……charming…..with its vast Dutch heritage and culture, what’s not to love? The coastal town does not lack the gorgeous homes either!
We had NO idea the town was getting ready for its famous Tulip Festival, where tens of thousands of people transcend upon the area!! As we maneuvered Journey and The Sandman through the narrow streets of Holland to the state park, we were greeted with thousands of tulips, tulip trees, and daffodils everywhere. OMG!! Every color of the rainbow – in front of every building, corner square, and most homes. Simply breathtaking!!!
Just down the street from the campground – which faces Lake Macatawa, is “Big Red” – the Holland Harbor Lighthouse. It sits at the entrance channel from Lake Michigan, sitting tall for almost 100 years. Across Lake Michigan, we could see a massive thunderstorm building, so our visit was cut just a bit short – just in time – the heavens opened – the lightning strikes, and the thunder rolled under our feet. The surfers and wind surfers made double time heading to their vehicles!!!
Windmill Island Gardens - home to rows and rows and rows of gorgeous tulips. It is also home to the only authentic working Dutch Windmill in the US. The De Zwaan (Graceful Bird or The Swan) – what a beauty! Never in our lives did we think we would ever tour a REAL working Windmill. Damn was that cool…..it was brought to the US in 1964. The Gardens are also home to an antique Dutch carousel, and organ. Saugatuck – a nearby small charming coastal town, offers up some cute shops and restaurants – and some GORGEOUS homes!
In this part of the world, there are some of the most stunning homes we’ve ever seen. We used to think California had some McMansions, but these homes here??? One right after the other is unbelievably jaw dropping……
We can see what the draw is for people to live here but……………….burrrrr – it’s been a bit chilly – and that wind!! That wind has a real BITE to it – LOL!! Right off Lake Michigan.
We’ll take the wind over snow though……
April 22 – 23 North Liberty, Indiana
April 22 – 23 North Liberty, Indiana
Potato Creek State Park
Enjoying the scenery along the roads – when we were kids, we couldn’t wait to get OUT of the car – are we there yet??? Funny how things change when you get a bit older and have the opportunity to do what we’re doing.
This was another one night stay to break up mileage as we continue north. Very nice – large park – simple sites – easy in and out. The park houses one of two large Osprey nests in the state. As we left, we were lucky enough to catch site of one, hovering over the nest. Better stop!!!!
See ya Indiana --------
April 19 – April 22 Nashville, Indiana
Brown County State Park
Another long - uneventful drive as we make our way north. Arriving at the park, we were amazed – really amazed – at how HUGE this place is!! 16,000 acres…………it’s Indiana’s largest state park. We had a perfect site nestled in the woods and the place was full to the brim with excited campers…..
The park is nicknamed the “Little Smokies”, boasting stunning views of rolling hills. Looking out over the tree tops, we both said it looked like the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Dogwood trees are just starting to bloom and man are they beautiful!!!!
The nearby town of Nashville is the cutest!! It has neat little shops and restaurants to visit, up and down the main street. Good thing we have NO ROOM to buy anything – LOL!!!
This was our 2nd visit to this area. We had friends to visit that we knew in Northern Virginia many years ago – Mark/Lenny Turney, and a retired Navy friend – Roger Seeley, that we met through our days with the MINI Cooper club and he happened to be stationed in San Diego when we lived there. They live within 40 minutes of our campground so we enjoyed good food, some adult beverages, storytelling, and lots of laughs…..
April 18 – 19 Goreville, Illinois
Ferne Clyffe State Park
This was a quick overnight stay on our way to the next destination so not much to write about. It was another beautiful park with lots to do if we ever get back this way. Lots of trails and waterfalls…………….just what we love!!!
A long drive day with some nasty thunderstorms all around us. But alas they didn’t last too long until……………we tried to get some sleep. Wowzer – here we go again!! We kept the TV on the weather and the warnings never stopped. The storms were building…..tornadoes spotted very near…….damnit!!! They were just south of us….but it poured and rumbled thunder most of the night. Have you ever felt thunder under your feet???? Uggggg……..
The morning came too damn early but the front blew thru, the sun came out, and it was substantially colder – burrrr!!!! On the road again.
April 15 – 18 Powhatan, Arkansas
Lake Charles State Park
Ya know – it gets better and better. These state parks are just beautiful. We picked another great site with a bit of a lake view. After a smooth sailing drive day, we enjoyed a cold one outside on our patio…we had a wonderful, relaxing stay.
We had no idea Arkansas had so many hundreds of miles of farm land. We saw a crop duster which we haven’t seen in forever……interesting how the terrain changes too. Mountains, lakes, rivers, and lots of wildlife. The cardinals are in abundance, and they LOVE to look at themselves in our TRUCK MIRRORS and peck at the windows Urrgggg….
Another storm rolled through while we were here so what do you do on a rainy day? Laundry……which in these VERY rural areas isn’t easy to find. You gotta do what you gotta do….drive 20 miles to the nearest laundry mat – LOL!!
When the weather cleared up, we took a nice pleasant 4 mile walk around the campground. Enjoyed seeing all the turtles sunning themselves on the logs floating in the lake.
But………..while doing laundry in the small town of Walnut Ridge, we stumbled upon Abbey Lane! Yep – that’s right – THAT Abbey Lane. Seems as though on 9/18/64, The Beatles finished a concert in Dallas. They made a brief stop in Walnut Ridge. The airport provided an ideal spot for the group to change planes before heading to Missouri – avoiding the crush of screaming fans because of the small town. Just after midnight, 3 local boys noticed the odd timing of a plane landing and raced to the airport to identify the unexpected visitors. To their surprise, the Beatles departed the plane and quickly boarded a small aircraft heading for Missouri. There were many false alarms that morning. Teenagers mobbed a local crop-duster mistaken for the Beatles’ plane. Little did they know that McCartney and Harrison had arrived at the airport an hour early and watched the spectacle from an old truck parked across the runway!
Suddenly, a small commuter plane with Lennon and Starr landed and taxied up the runway. The two left the plane, walking through a gauntlet of excited spectators. At the same time Lennon and Starr ascended the steps to the larger plane, the old truck that held Harrison
and McCartney pulled up next to it. All four Beatles quickly boarded and left for their last US concert of the year.
On 9/18/2011, Walnut Ridge unveiled a monument dedicating this event. Now each September the town hosts a “Beatles at the Ridge Festival”. Who knew??????
April 11 – 15 Little Rock, Arkansas
Maumelle COE (Army Corp of Engineers) Park
Sometimes on driving days, we like to stop for brunch, especially if it’s a long driving day through small towns and not many places to pull off once we get off main roads. Waffle House is our go to and we found one that had a pull through driveway – Yayyy!! It’s the little things ya know????
Thank you Arkansas for all the beautiful flowers – rain must have been good to you and provided us with an abundance of gorgeous colors along our way!!
This park was beautiful – we picked the perfect site right on the Arkansas River with unobstructed views of the river. We enjoyed watching the barges go by and the people from the local yacht club tootle by in their beautiful boats!
Waking up to beautiful sunrises was also a plus….along with the MANY geese squawking away at each other – LOL!!
Last year we were in a different area of Arkansas camping and took a drive to the waterfront part of Little Rock. It was COLD so we didn’t stay very long – LOL!! This time however, the weather was scrumptious and we headed out for Little Rock again, to explore a little more.
We had lunch at a local Mexican place near the water. It’s still a little town that is trying to rebuild itself and keep going.
Pinnacle Mountain State Park was just minutes from us. After visiting the new Visitors Center to get information on hiking the mountain (West or East side), we ventured back the next day, armed with what we needed to make it to the top and back. Wowzer!!! It was a BEAST, but we made it – Yayyy!!! Sitting on top of the mountain with views forever – what could be better than that???? Then we had our PB & and J swammiches – LOL!!! We needed fuel to get back down this bad boy…
The area is filled with gorgeous homes – one after the other. We commented to each other that some of them looked as if they should be in Colorado (the style). A great place…….
March 29 – April 11 Texarkana, Texas
Rocky Point ACOE (Army Corp. of Engineers) Campground on Wright Patman Lake
Don’t mess with Texas Y’all…
As we say goodbye to the Lone Star State! Journey has been waiting almost a month to get his front end fixed. You may remember from our earlier blog post at Martin Dies Jr. State Park – someone hit us in a parking lot. Off to the Dodge dealer in Texarkana he went. A week later we got him back – good as new! Yayyy!!! ….in the meantime, we had a rental car….which raised a lot of eyebrows and questions from other campers driving/walking by. Hum!!! Do you REALLY tow with THAT???
The weather here is very unpredictable. A beautiful sunny day can turn into massive thunderstorms on a dime. We had a couple nice sunny days which we took full advantage of. The park and the adjacent park (Piney Point) were perfect for getting some good exercise on our bikes – about 7 miles every ride.
Wind…….geez………it was crazy for a few days. Being right on the lake has its negatives – LOL!! Locals call it breezy. We call it a stiff wind~~~~~~
Texarkana gets its name from --- you guessed it - being in Texas and in Arkansas. We took a little drive to the historic district. Sadly, most of the town is shuttered with the exception of the post office, a few restaurants, and small businesses. It saddens us as we maneuver through some of these urban areas, to see things just falling apart and abandoned. To add some cheer to the town, there were many beautiful murals painted by locals.
Then……….it was THE day we planned our leg of the trip for…. April 8 th – the FULL SOLAR ECLIPSE!!! Okay clouds – you can go away any time now…..all we could do was keep our fingers crossed that the sky gods would come through for us…………….and they did………it was THE most remarkable, magical event we’ve ever seen in our lifetime.....
All morning as we walked the campground looking once again for the best viewing spot (there were several), the excitement was building. People were setting up chairs, testing their special eclipse glasses, and talking about where they came from to view this once in a lifetime event. Mike had bought a special lens filter and of course we had bought special eclipse shirts! We just couldn’t imagine missing out if the weather wasn’t going to cooperate. All week on the news, the weather report was iffy…predicting cloud cover. Fortunately for us, the clouds parted during the main event. We heard whooping, hollering and cheering all over the campgrounds.
Several hours after the eclipse ended, the storms arrived. All night the thunder boomed, and lighting struck all around the lake. We had a long sleepless night with our trailer rumbling with every crack of thunder.
Can’t beat those gorgeous sunsets and sitting around a campfire!!
March 17 – 29 Karnack, Texas
Caddo Lake State Park
Nestled in the woods next to the 8500-acre Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge, a small but beautiful place to enjoy nature. It rests on the banks of the Big Cypress Bayou. Little did we know that Karnack was the childhood home of Lady Bird Johnson!! Her father, T.J. Taylor, was one of several wealthy donors who gave private land for the park.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1933 to provide jobs and job skills for young men to work on conservation projects. During the hot, humid summer of 1934, CCC Company 889 builds the first structures, trails and firebreaks in the new park. Company 857 continued working from October 1934 to March 1937, building the park’s permanent structures. They converted 16 U.S. Army barracks and an Army mess hall in the nine rustic log cabins and group recreation hall used today. On one of our hikes through the park, we came across one of the pavilions built in the 1930’s!! SO cool to see….
The flowers are starting to pop here…..so darn pretty!!!
The HUGE bald Cypress Trees draped with Spanish Moss create a ghostly scene – calming and beautiful….with kayakers intertwined moseying along the calm river banks. The “knees” of the trees are above ground extensions of their root systems.
Another Airstream pulled in just a couple of sites down from us. We met up and went kayaking on the Caddo Lake water trail. Oh my gosh!! It was THE most peaceful and sur- real thing!!! We hadn’t been kayaking in ……. years – LOL!!! What a fun day!!!!
A short drive took us to the historical town of Jefferson. A bit eclectic in its own way – we walked up and down the several blocks of streets – popping in and out of the stores, taking in all the town had to offer. Cute little shops, lots of antique stores, and several pretty neat looking restaurants. Being the simple peeps that we are, we had lunch at the local family owned Port Jefferson Outpost, followed up by Texas Blue Bell Ice Cream cones……OH SO GOOD!!!!! We always try to support the local economy in some way when we’re out and about…..
Texas is an interesting state. When you get out of the big cities, it is rural – I MEAN RURAL and Bayou country!!! Some areas have big, beautiful homes like you see on TV, and then other areas, well; we weren’t sure if the home was abandoned or if someone was actually living there….
On a whim, we decided to drive to Shreveport Louisiana since it was only about 30 minutes from the state park. We were a bit shocked and speechless as we drove around. The city has tried very hard to rebuild the small area down by their Riverwalk with a Convention Center, Visitors Center, an Aquarium, and some hotels. Other than that, the city was shuttered and abandoned – metal bars on the doors of the closed businesses and graffiti smeared everywhere….it was a short trip!!!!
Donna being the sucker she is for homeless animals discovered 3 dogs that lived in the woods near the campground. One was obviously a new Mama…..and had 2 friends with her most of the time. Our next trip to the store included some dog food. We know we probably shouldn’t have fed them, but………………………………..we did. At least they had some good nourishment while we were there!!
Rural Texas…………is a very interesting part of the country.
March 5 - 17 Jasper, Texas
Martin Dies, Jr. State Park
Welcome to Texas – land of pop-up thunderstorms, twist up tornados and springtime pollen!!!!
Our drive from place to place started off with semi-clear skies. Welp – that didn’t last long. Keeping an eye on the weather and thought the storms would have gone past where we were traveling through, but not the case!!! Many times, driving on interstates, it’s easy to get off an exit and sit a storm out. Small two lane back roads are not your friend when the weather turns nasty…… We could see dark clouds forming in front of us and lightning like crazy. Luckily a few miles up the road, we found a small general store with a large, pothole filled parking lot to pull into. There we sat for a while listing to the booming thunder, hoping for no hail….there was a small, covered area where people could pull into to fuel up. We were keeping our eyes on THAT for cover if need be!!! But the weather gods were with us – no hail – but lots of rain and lightning. 30 minutes later we were on our way again – Whew!!!
Jasper, Texas is a very small town with not much around. A few places to get amenities and two antique stores, that’s about it….
The state park itself is large and sits on the banks of the B. A. Steinhagen Lake with two rivers meeting on the outskirts – the Neches and the Angelina. Lots of outdoor opportunities here! We saw a few boats tooling around the river at night next to our site, looking for alligators. Yep they are here but……
As we pulled into our site or should we say “attempted” to, there lies a cute little gray kitty. Awwww…..she wasn’t going anywhere LOL!! She followed us everywhere which made for a difficult time getting into our site and set up. We ascertained from the Camp Hosts that she had been dumped here a while back. Sad…..but anyone who knows us – we have been “cat” people forever. Donna wasn’t going to rest knowing this friendly little being didn’t have a home. Not having any cat food handy, she got some canned chicken – which she quickly gobbled up. Skinny little thing……
On the hunt for a home for the kitty, Mike made MANY phone calls to all kinds of local places. No after No after No – we are full – we don’t take cats, etc. We FINALLLY got lucky and got in touch with a woman who’s been doing cat rescue for over 22 years. Oh, thank goodness!
Off to the local Wal-Mart to get food and a transport cage. We successfully delivered “Silver Belle” to Kathy knowing she’ll be safe and sound with medicine and her shots. We’ve followed up with Kathy several times and Silver Belle seems to be doing okay and…..could be pregnant!! Those sweet babies won’t have to grow up in the woods….mission accomplished and our good deed done….
We had a really great site next to the river. Along with that came LOTS of pollen and bugs…those little black flies almost got the best of us !!!!! We did a lot of hanging out in our outside screened room so we could enjoy the kayaks going by. Mike decided he liked his “screen” hat especially for making those darn good burgers on the grill LOL!!!!
Journey got a boo boo sadly. We came out from the grocery store, and someone had clipped the front end. All in all, not too bad and we’ve scheduled to get it taken care of in a couple of weeks when we’re in a much bigger city. We’re thankful the driver had insurance and so far, knock on wood, the insurance company has been very communicative.
The weather was all over the place, but we were able to get some great bike rides in on the nice days. Trails are always great for viewing whatever might be out there and exercise – LOL!! Watching for…….you know….those crawly things that just might happen upon your path…..luckily we saw none…But we did see lots of flowers in bloom. Nothing like Texas Bluebonnets – they are gorgeous!!
Of course, the day we left, thunderstorms had rolled in overnight, so we delayed our departure slightly as to not be soaking wet all day while driving to our next destination.
Man, those boomers were unreal…. This is a phone screen shot of lightning strikes around us. The blue dot in the center is our campsite. Each red dot is a lightning strike within five minutes, yellow dots are more than 5 minutes old.
A great place and we super enjoyed it…..
March 1 – 5 Lake Charles (Moss Bluff), Louisiana
Sam Houston Jones State Park
This area was completed devastated by Hurricane Laura in August of 2020. It was hit head on, and the park was gone. After two years of very hard work, dedication, and replanting 20,000 trees, it reopened Memorial weekend of 2022. The original park had several camping loops and many RV sites. Now there is one loop with 30 sites.
The park’s lagoon with surviving cypress trees is refilled with water from the nearby river.
The hiking and nature trails are clear, and we enjoyed the River Trail. Bike riding is great in the park as there is very little traffic. We never did see any alligators (again) but there are warning signs posted everywhere. We did see lots of turtles, some huge!!!!
Spring is in the air!! Flowers and………….mosquitos…Avon Skin So Soft to the rescue!!!
Being in Bayou country (still), to get from “here to there”, the old draw bridges get you where you want to go – LOL!!!!
We took the opportunity to drive about 45 miles south to what used to be a thriving beach community known as Holly Beach. Now – after Hurricane Laura – there are no businesses – just the little community with an RV park right at the beach edge and lots of people living in RVs on their property, while they rebuild what was lost during the storm. But…….there was miles and miles of deserted beach which was perfect for picking up seashells…Yep – we gathered more – LOL!!! We fixed PB& and J swamiches in the truck to give us strength to gather more. It was a perfect beach day…….
What in the world is that strange glow in the sky at 9:30pm????? After a bit of googling, we ascertained it was a “plant flare” near Baton Rouge. A routine effort to burn excess hydrocarbon gases in an environmentally-sound manner. Usually not visible during the day, at night, the orange glow in the sky is clearly visible.
“Stranger Things” episode was not playing out near us, nor was the alien turkey invasion come to end Thanksgiving. We are marked “Safe” from any weird happenings!!!
Saying so long to Louisiana!!!
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February 26 – March 1 Abbeville, Louisiana
Palmetto Island State Park
Our first stop was purchasing propane at the local Ace Hardware store. We squeezed into the very small parking lot. The head cashier was so excited to see an Airstream and we were relieved that we didn't hit any of their tractors.
We don’t know about you but being on vacation somewhere you’ve never been – well the anticipation is always there!! That’s kinda how we feel being on the road. We never really know what a place is going to be like until we get there. Satellite images and you-tube videos can only show so much…..
Pulling into this state park we felt we were on a tropical island but in reality, we were in swamp country. The park was stunning with tons of foliage in between neighbors so privacy wasn’t an issue. The sites were HUGE and LONG which makes it SO much easier to back in – LOL!!!
We had a couple days of nice weather before thunderstorms arrived one night and early the morning we were leaving. We rode our bikes thru the vast park, still hunting for those darn alligators!!! Not a one to be found. We did see an Armadillo, Buzzards, a snake (ewwww), and beautiful bright green lizards.
Since it was leap year, we decided to celebrate the 29th by going out to dinner. Based on some recommendations, we headed to a place in the historic district of Abbeville. Duruy’s didn’t disappoint. In fact, Mike tried Alligator appetizers. First time for everything. Based on Mike’s description of how they tasted, Donna politely declined because she is a very picky eater – LOL!!!!
Being as the south is known for its crawfish, we were curious where they all come from. Turns out all of the water filled fields with little bobbers are crawfish farms. Who knew??? Louisiana commercial crawfish farmers provide 85% of domestically produced crawfish to Louisiana markets and across the nation. When they aren’t farming crawfish, they use the fields to grow rice. And because the state is mostly swamps and bayous, there are bridges on just about every road - from huge bridges to the local drawbridge.
When we checked into the park, we were warned not to leave any food where the bears could get into. Not to worry we are prepared with bear spray.
We found a great place to unwind for several days……
February 20 – 26 Mandeville, Louisiana (outside of New Orleans)
Fontainebleau State Park
A short drive and a beautiful day….the park is situated on Lake Pontchartrain which is
HUGE!!! We’ll get back to this in a bit…..
New Orleans, a city with a rich history that beckons visitors with its vibrant culture,
mouthwatering cuisine, and live music.
Life in the French Quarter of New Orleans is a song - full of color, bustling streets, jazz
musicians trying to make a buck, cobblestone streets, baroque ironwork balconies,
courtyards filled with bubbling fountains, unique shops, and one bar/restaurant after the
other. Bourbon Street – the infamous party hub, was a onetime thing for us. It’s the “big”
draw for the French Quarter but its crowded and smelly LOL!!! Lots of homeless people
hang out in this entire area so it’s wise to be very aware of your surroundings……
A stop to the Café de Monde is a must to have THE BEST beignets ever……SO sinfully delicious!!
While the draw to the French Quarter is understandable, outside of the popular streets (Bourbon and Royal), there is much to explore and see. The French Market (shopping area), Jackson Square (National Historical Landmark), and the St. Louis Cathedral which is the oldest Catholic cathedral in the continuous United States – originally built in the early 1700s.
If you get tired of walking the MANY blocks of things to see, the Streetcar is a great/cheap way to see New Orleans. We called it a Trolley and were quickly told “it’s a streetcar”. We hopped on it one morning to the outskirts of town to see the Garden District. This historic residential neighborhood is laden with trees, ivy, and beautiful homes with gorgeous gardens.
We saw production crews setting up for a filming of the Season 2 of Mayfair Witches.
Pat O’Brien’s was suggested as a great place for lunch. We stood in a long line at noon as
they opened so obviously we had picked the right place. We filled our faces once again
with Louisiana cuisine and sipped on their “signature” Hurricane drink. Diet…..we keep saying this….diet!!! LOL….
Never in our lives did we imagine that cemeteries would be fascinating…..until we saw a few in New Orleans. These are hidden gems we tell ya…..Most of the cemetery's date back to the 1800s. They are home to an array of elaborate monuments, sculptures, and mausoleums that showcase the artistry and craftsmanship of the period. These are literally open-air museums!! Most of the graves are above-ground vaults because of the water table. Because of vandalism, there are only a few cemeteries that you can visit without signing up for a tour.
The Sazerac cocktail gained fame in New Orleans in the 1850s and is served around the world to this day. Now it has it grandest home: The Sazerac House. It’s a historic building that showcases the history and traditions of New Orleans cocktails. A free tour – 3 floors –3 free tastings – and a gift shop.
After walking several miles, it was nice to just sit by the riverfront and watch the ships go by on the Mississippi River….and eat a double scoop waffle cone ice cream from Killian’s.
After exploring everything we wanted to see in New Orleans (and we were done with all the crowds, etc.), we poked around a couple of towns near our campground. Mandeville – which also has a Café de Monde (yum), the quaint (small) towns of Covington, and Abita Springs. A roadside attraction in Abita caught our eye – the quirky Abita Mystery House. Welp…it was definitely quirky. Entering thru the funky gift shop, the owner has collected stuff (shit) for years and well, tried to make things out of other things – LOL!! But what caught our eye in the back was an old Airstream. Poor thing was a sore sight and had obviously been there for years……
The Abita Brew Pub just down the street was bustling with people and cars. We happened upon a small car show of some sort and a farmers' market. Highly suggested by the folks at the Abita Mystery House, we sat outside and enjoyed our lunch on a most gorgeous Saturday afternoon….
Lake Pontchartrain is not a lake, but an estuary that covers 630 square miles and is about 40 miles from west to east and 24 miles from south to north. To cross the lake into New Orleans, the 24-mile Lake Pontchartrain Causeway awaits you. It is the longest continuous bridge over water in the world!!! One foggy morning we crossed, and you could NOT visually see any land – anywhere – kinda creepy!!! The lake does provide for some stunning sunsets and the park has provided plenty of places to sit and enjoy it. Along with a fishing pier and a small man-made beach, there is a pond which houses lots of turtles and alligators (which we didn’t see).
February 16 – 20 Waveland, Mississippi
Buccaneer State Park
Who sang that song? Oh yeah – it was Ted Nugent – from the rock band “Mountain”. Mississippi Queen……
Rain, rain, go away!!! We’re sure glad we didn’t have a long drive here as it poured the entire time. Luckily it stopped shortly after we arrived. It is NO fun towing in the rain. We planned our trip along the gulf coast hoping it would be warm and sunny. Not so much…yet. A few peaks of sun here and there but the wind is killer some days!!
We’d heard a lot about this particular park – all good – and every review was right on point.
It’s a really great place. Part of the park is a water park, along with a beautiful, huge pool.
Summertime must be hopping here!!! It’s directly across from the Mississippi Bay which opens up into the Gulf of Mexico – hence, very small beach areas and calm water.
The historic town of Waveland/Bay Saint Louis has worked hard to rebuild the entire area after Hurricane Katrina pretty much destroyed the area with 25-foot storm surges. We walked the town and drove across the Bay to another small town called Pass Christian.
Cute little walking towns with beach style restaurants and shops. Surprisingly, a lot of antique stores!!
The “Ground Zero” museum in Waveland is a clear reminder of what happened here along with an earlier Hurricane in 1969, Camille. There are many areas that still have not rebuilt and as we strolled along the small Riverwalk area, it was obvious the pain and devastation this area felt. Both hurricanes hit dead on here and many people lost their lives…..
And……the Silver Slipper Casino – sort of in the middle of nowhere….a few minutes down the road from the campground. We decided to check it out as the weather was cold and windy outside….nothing special….lost $5.00……and ate an all you can eat linner……..
The weather was something we considered when we took our route along the Gulf of Mexico. We figured winter time (all though chilly) was the safest time to come. No bugs either – LOL!!!
