Benjamin Patterson is my hero

Fountainbleau State Park, Mandeville, LA

We expected today to be pretty mundane with only a bike ride scheduled.  Turns out it was pretty spectacular in a bunch of ways. First of all, overnight Tropical Storm Alberto decided to take a big turn east so now we really are out of its path.  It definitely makes sense to hang out in Louisiana for awhile.  Next great thing is that the Warriors tied up the series and the best thing of all was meeting up with Benjamin Patterson, but more of that later. 

It rained a bit last night so we were delighted to see sunny blue skies this morning.  We got up early and thought a bike ride on the Tammany Trace while the temperature was still cool would be fun.  We rode to Mandeville and started the day out with a local breakfast.  Believe it or not I got the simple/light breakfast which included poached eggs, bacon and the creamiest grits ever. Louisiana definitely knows how to do grits. Ned got an epic omelet. Okay, ready for our ride. 

There’s a reason Tammany Trace is rated one of the best bike trails.  It’s paved and takes you thru a couple of charming little towns. We enjoyed riding around the sweet little town of Abita Springs.  The spring water really does bubble up out of this fountain and, like our Bitney Springs, you can fill up your water bottles at a nearby watering hole. 

Next to the trail is also the Abita Brewing Company.  Our friend, Tom Dalldorf, mentioned we should stop by.  We took a tour, but didn't stop for a beer cause we were filled up from breakfast and it was still a titsch too early.  

We had been riding for about 15 miles or so when uh-oh....while filming our “one second of the day” video, going over a pretty long bridge, my iphone slipped out of Ned’s hands, bounced on the bridge, and landed in the murky swamp down below. A few choice words were uttered, but we did see the phone peaking up out of the swamp.  I was resigned to the fact that the phone was lost, but Ned was determined to retrieve it.  But how?? We were a good 50 yards on the bridge and it was at least 32 feet high. Ned said he was going to ride into the nearest town and buy a pair of rubber boots and try and retrieve it.  UGH and GROSS.  I hung out on the bridge woefully looking downward at my submerged iphone. Lots of people passed by, no one stopped, and then along came Mr. Benjamin Patterson!! 

He inquired as to why I was just standing on this bridge and wanted to make sure I was okay.  I explained to him my phone woes and he said he was mighty worried about Ned going down into the swamp.  He assured me there were no gators, but it was filled with snakes, poison ivy and God knows what other creatures in all the dank bushes.  He took a big sigh, said “I was a marine, I can do this!” Benjamin let out a rousing “oorah!” and went for it.  About the same time another guy stopped by and decided to help out too.  He was Benjamin’s wing man and would call out to Benjamin where best for him to maneuver. It was so dramatic, epic and my heart stopped a couple of times as Benjamin kept his balance over downed logs. Yep, Mr. Benjamin Patterson saved the day by successfully retrieving my iphone!  And know what else?  The iphone not only still worked, but continued to film the entire submerged adventure for 53 minutes!  I have a film of what goes on in the swamp if anyone is interested.  Thank you so much Benjamin for not only being kind to stop and make sure I was okay, but really going out of your way to help.  Ned arrived after an hour, riding all over town looking for a pair of boots.  Ned found some and offered them to Benjamin, but he declined.  (We did compensate him for a new pair of shoes). 

Well...after that little adventure the Abita Brewing Company suddenly seemed like a much better idea.  It was now mid-afternoon, hot, sunny and humid.  A beer or flight never tasted so good! (Also, shout out to Josh. He always takes my incoherent texts or phone calls with complete calm as I’m talking too fast and making no sense. Thanks for putting up with your kinda over enthusiastic mom). 

Our little bike ride turned into 32 miles. We made another stop on the way to get something cold to enjoy. (Ned rode a lot more than me trying to trace down those boots!).  Here’s Ned enjoying a snowcone and looking a bit tuckered. 

One of the bottles of rum we bought yesterday was Gingeroo, a rum Moscow Mule drink.  Upon finally making it back to the campsite we decided to pop it open and enjoy our good fortune.  

It was still blazing hot and sunny in the late afternoon (and a tropical storm no where in sight) so a good float in Lake Pontchartrain sounded great.  We could care less that the water was about 90 degrees and never got over 3 ft.  Where’s Debi?  Oh yeah, she’s making the victory sign in the far distance.  

New Orleans Redux

Fountainbleau State Park, Mandeville, LA

We had so much fun in New Orleans yesterday we decided to drive across the bridge and be tourists again. Word is there’s a tropical storm headed this way so we figured we might as well get as many outside activities in before we batten down the hatches. It must truly be the calm before the storm because we enjoyed blue skies almost all day.  I think we walked about 10 miles just taking it all in.  We walked along the Mississippi River, thru various districts, wards and neighborhoods.  NOLA is one of the best places for people watching and appreciating the quirky. 

There’s a saying in New Orleans, “If you don’t eat a beignet then you’ll never come back.”  Well that must explain why we seem to always be coming back!  Delish I might add. 

One of our stops was visiting Old New Orleans Rum Distillery, the oldest rum distillery in the U.S. What a great tour.  If you’re ever in New Orleans, I would definitely add this to your list of fun things to do.  It takes a couple of hours, but well worth it.  When you enter the distillery you are greeted with a rum drink.  We had an ice tea spiked with Cajun Spiced Rum. Bob, our tour guide, started out by playing a trivia game about all things rum.  Every person who gets a correct answer gets to take a shot of rum.  Ned and I both got several correct answers and were on our way to having even more fun.  

We learned what’s in rum, how to make it, how it’s aged and stored.  After the tour you are brought back to the tasting room and get to sample 5 different rums.  We only ended up buying 3 bottles - hey we hear this storm is gonna be a doozy so we might as well be prepared. 

We also visited the jazz museum, housed in the old mint building.  I wasn’t that impressed.  My recommendation, forego the jazz museum and instead just wander the streets and take in the live brass bands.  Nothing beats the real thing.  The one thing in the museum I did enjoy was the Black masking as Indians exhibit,  also known as Mardi Gras Indians.  These suits made of feathers and beads were so intricate, colorful and stunning. 

We ended up the day in Treme, 7th Ward under an overpass rocking out to live bands and street food.  We both settled on some homemade fried chicken, collard greens and red beans & rice. Everyone was dancing and singing.  No one can party like New Orleans. 

P.S. Looks like we might have another day of good weather tomorrow before we have to make some decisions on where to go next.  The state parks in Alabama and Florida that we were booked to stay next week have called us.  They are under a mandatory evacuation so we won’t be staying there.  Mmmm, time to have some rum and think on it. 

New Orleans & Mardi Gras

Fountainbleau State Park, Mandeville, LA

We left Grand Isle and headed for New Orleans.  We’ve been here several times before and wanted to experience something a little different. We decided on a behind the scenes tour on the making of the Mardi Gras floats.  It was amazing!! After a really great movie our guide took us through a huge warehouse to see the process in action.

We learned how the floats were designed and saw real artists in the process of sculpting, applying the paper mache and painting. 

It was overwhelming and a bit surreal to walk among these giant creations.  

Did you know that Mardi Gras lasts for 2 weeks and there are 54 parades, each sponsored by a different krewe?  A krewe is a non-profit social club that is responsible for their floats, swag they throw out, and all finances for the parade. It’s a year long endeavor.  As soon as Mardi Gras season is over, they begin the planning for next year.  Some of the krewes date as far back as the 1700 & 1800’s wow! Talk about tradition.  

Mardi Gras World has several warehouses.  We only toured two.  One of the warehouses was a event place with an interesting history.  It was originally a staging area for the gambling boats circa 1980’s.  The owners screwed up and didn’t get a gambling license.  This warehouse sat vacant for 30 years! Someone just bought it and one can now rent it out for events. It looked exactly like Disneyland at night or Pirates of the Caribbean.  I asked, it cost $10,000 to rent out for the night. Mmmm, guess my next party is just going to have to be in our backyard. 

We had planned on riding our bikes from Mardi Gras world to the French Quarter, but the rains came.  What a great excuse to head to Central Grocery and get my favorite all time meal - a muffuletta.  Seriously, best thing ever. Funny story.  We bought the muffuletta and then decided to walk around while eating it.  We were standing under a balcony watching the people go by when a very irate man comes flying out of a restaurant and yells at us. “Don’t you be eating that Central Grocery muffuletta\ in front of our place.  Ours are better and the original!!”  And he shoed us off. Okay, for the record the Central Grocery muffuletta is the original and the BEST.  However, you wouldn’t know it by the competing signs. 

We didnt’ let the rains stop us and decided to have a very romantic stroll through the French Quarter, drinking coffee, and avoiding the puddles. 

Our home for the next 3 days is Fountainbleau State Park in Mandeville.  It’s across Lake Pontchartrain. We took the world’s largest bridge (almost 24 miles) to another world.  Once we got settled into our campsite we decided to explore the park on bikes.  Fortunately, the sun was shining on this side of the lake.  Fountainbleau State Park is gorgeous! It borders Lake Pontchartrain and is dotted with huge oak trees dripping in Spanish Moss.  It houses an old sugar mill and has lots of incredible bike trails.  

One of the reasons we chose this park for Memorial Day weekend was that the Tammany Trace rail trail runs right through it.  This was named the 2017  #1 bike trail.  It is 27.5 miles long and goes through woods, wetlands and villages.  We rode over to the village of Mandeville.  I am in love with this town!  It’s reminds me of Charleston with the elegant mansions looking out at the seawall. There are lots of beautiful tree lined streets and cute little stores, pubs and breweries.  Why do our bike rides always end up at drinking places?  We found a cute beachside hide-away and passed the time with a mojito and pina colada.  

On our drive up from Grand Isle we drove by several local fruit and fish stands.  We stopped, sampled and decided on...alligator sausage.  Guess what is on the menu tonight? 

A Day of Celebrations

Grand Isle State Park, LA

Today is a joyous day of celebrations.  My dad celebrates his 85th birthday! He looks 65, acts 25 and has an incredible joie de vivre. Happy Birthday Popy.  My great-niece, Isabel, also celebrates her birthday today.  I just love this picture of my dad and Isabel celebrating together. Thanks Scott for passing this on.  And...it’s also Ned and my 14th anniversary!  So lucky to share so much love, joy and good times with this guy.  And so blessed to be part of such a great family. 

Louisiana is one of our favorite states and we travel through Cajun Country whenever we get the chance.  We’ve meant to tour the Konriko Rice Plant, (American’s oldest operating rice mill), but have always managed to time it when it was closed.  Not today!  Before the tour began we hung out in the Company Store.  We tasted hot sauces, different rices, perused thru cookbooks and chatted with the local ladies while waiting for the tour to start.  What a fun start to the day. 

Oh My Goodness, this tour.  I don’t quite know where to start.  The ladies who gave it were very sweet, but it was as if we stepped back in time to the early 1960’s, in the old south.  First we viewed the slide show, which was given in the back stockroom of the store.  We sat on church pews, surrounded by boxes of store product, while a very blurry and outdated slide show was played. (There were references to “Negroes and Orientals.”)  The slide show was actually very informative about the history of Acadia and Cajuns, just with references and language that I don’t hear in my day to day. After the slide show we learned about how rice is grown by pointing to faded pictures on the wall.  “Did you know the average American eats 35 pounds of rice a year, but a Cajun eats 50 pounds and an Oriental eats 100?”  

Next up was a tour of the actual 1912 rice plant.  Nothing, and I mean nothing has been updated since then.  I got a thrill out of seeing the original machinery used to bag up the rice and the industrial sewing machine next to it that sews it shut.  We were given a demonstration on how rice is processed with a scale model diorama. Rice is still being processed here today.  I don’t think Ned was listening as intently as me because he was horrified by all the OSHA and food safety violations.  Oh, the problems with taking a Food Science Major and prior Quality Manager of Ghirardelli to a 106 year old food processing plant.  I mentioned, “there sure are a lot of cats in here,” and Ned responded with, “Don’t you know that’s their rodent control program?”  Oh dear...

One of our favorite restaurants in the U.S. is Bon Creole in New Iberia.  The first trip thru here we couldn’t even find it. This is our 3rd time eating here and they’ve finally added a restaurant sign and painted a mural on their gray cinderblock wall.  We always get the same thing.  We split a large shrimp po’boy and a bowl of chicken and sausage gumbo.  Freshest shrimp ever and the gumbo to die for.  We told them it was our anniversary meal and someone was sweet enough to snap this pic. Honey, don’t we have good times!  Best of all I didn’t have to get all dolled up for this lunch.  (If you look closely you can see the lady who took our picture in the mirror.). 

The drive down to Grand Isle, one of the most southern regions of Louisiana, was so fascinating.  We drove along the Bayou Lafourche for about 45 miles.  It was dotted with about a hundred shrimp, fishing and who knows what other kind of boats.  The other side of the road was small towns and Cajun homes. So picturesque. Getting here we drove thru one of the most intense rain storms. It looked like we were entering a thick fog bank, the wipers could not go fast enough and the road was flooding.  We got thru it, made a right turn south and now sunny skies.  The weather in this part of the world is just so unpredictable and weird. 

Dang, should have held out for some of these fixins’ instead of the shrimp po’boy and gumbo! 

The bayou turned into the delta. Some really interesting engineering feats making a roadway over all this marshland.  I thought we were just going to drive direclty into the Gulf.  Instead we came upon the tiny village of Grand Isle. 

Feels like we are a million miles away from the rest of the  U.S. 

Home sweet home for the night.  I was already to go swimming, but for 3 tiny little things holding me back: Red flag warning for swimming, thunder heard in the distance and sting-rays being in the water.  Plan B - Having a glass of wine and taking these under advisement.  Ned and I are discussing the “may prevent” you part of this statement.  We opted for a bike ride into town.  Ended up at a dive bar. Pretty fun anniversary day! 

Cajun Country

Palmetto Island State Park, Perry, LA

We had a super early start this morning. There were two ways off this island; one by bridge the other by ferry.  We took the ferry. Great choice too.  While crossing the opening to Galveston Bay we were treated with dolphin swimming around the shrimp boats.  I was fortunate to catch this picture of a dolphin.  Love the pelican hanging out on top of the boat too. 

This part of Texas feels so much like Louisiana with the bayous and occasional fruit stand.  This gives you an idea of what Bolivar Peninsula and Goat Island are like.  

We were headed to Beaumont Texas.  Not the “off the beaten path” route we were hoping for, but they did have a car part we needed.  Yesterday we realized that our auxiliary battery wasn’t charging. This isn’t vital to running our car, but keeps the lights, water pump and fridge cold when driving down the road. Everything works when we plug it in directly to the electricity or run just the propane so we could have got by without it, but it does make it more convenient. We had a brand new battery so we knew that was good therefore we needed to diagnose the problem. Yeah for google and you tube. We found the part we needed and headed for Beaumont.  The best part of this story is Ned calling the local RV parts guy.  Ned: “Do you have a solenoid, part #97226-Wr?”  Part Guy: “Is that the one with two big posts on the top and one small post in the middle?” Ned: “Yep.”  Part Guy: “I got 3 in stock, come and get ‘er.”  2 hours and $31 dollars later it was ours.  Here’s Ned in the parking lot getting ‘er done.  And we’re off. 

At this point we decided to head over to Lafayette (heart of Cajun Country) and make our main meal today local fare. So many great Cajun’ restaurants, so hard to choose!  We settled on T-Coons Zydeco Restaurant.  As we stepped out of the car, I took a picture of the restaurant.  A few seconds later a VERY gregarious fellow (the owner David Billeaud, pronounced B.O. - I know cuz he made me practice it) comes bounding out, puts his arms around me and says with a lilting Cajun accent, “You take a picture of my restaurant, you got to take a picture of me with you!”  When he asked us where we were from he said make sure you get “The Stuff” before you leave...(whatever that was.).  Ned got the crawfish etoufee and I got the catfish court bouillon. It did not disappoint. Before we left David stopped by our table and gave us a free can of “The Stuff”.  The secret seasoning he uses on everything.  We’ll be definitely using this on upcoming cookouts. 

Close by was the Acadia Culture Center National Park.  The museum was okay, the park rangers were a blast, and the movie was  - so depressing!  It told the story about the 10,000 Acadian people being forced out of Nova Scotia area by the English and Americans. The story was very dramatic and just made me want to cry.  I was ready for a little levity so we decided to visit the Acadian living history village.  If you’ve been following our blog for awhile you know we love visiting these living re-enactment villages.

We had so much fun spending the afternoon strolling around the village.  It was a replica of a town from 1765 thru 1890.  There were people in period costumes in every building and doing activities such as blacksmith, woodcarving, farming, etc. 

Note the manpower Mr. Ned is using to work the moving dock across the bayou. 

There were several French speaking visitors at the park. We noticed all the staff spoke both French and English. 

My favorite part was listening to this gentlemen play the accordion and tell stories with his sweet Cajun accent.  

Click here to listen: 

Cajun Accordion Player

Tonight we are camped at Palmetto Island State Park and   🎼“son of a gun we’re having fun on the bayou.”🎼

Galveston - Beach, Bike & Beers

Galveston Island State Park, TX

Today was the quintessential beach vacation day.  The minute we crossed over the bridge and landed on Galveston Island you could just feel the summer vibes wash over you. 

So exciting to finally reach the Gulf!  We couldn’t wait to put our feet in the water - and dang what warm water it is too.  Yep, Ned measured it, a balmy 82.4 degrees.  Hopefully these pictures give you a feel for the town. 

Basically our day consisted of: beach time

Bike time 

And beer time (okay margaritas for me), washed down with fish tacos and shrimp po’boys. 

More of the town vibe...p.s.  I want what she’s having in that mural! 

We are camped right on the beach with some funny shade structures.  What a fun summer day! 

San Antonio, Texas

Texana Park, Edna, TX

Today’s big outing was re-visiting San Antonio Texas. This is our 3rd visit so we were mostly in the mood for just strolling and enjoying the Riverwalk. 

We spent a couple of hours walking the loop and some other walkways.  We finally settled on a Mexican restaurant for lunch.  We figured this would be our last chance before being bombarded by fish dishes and Cajun cuisine.  Darn good margaritas too I might add! 

We strolled through La Villata, the historic art village.. I enjoyed visiting the sweet little church too. Here’s a trivia question for you; San Antonio is the patron saint of what? (Nod to my Catholic upbringing.  I was actually one of those nerds that collected Saint trading cards. Oh how far the mighty have fallen.)

Of course no trip to San Antonio is complete without a visit to the Alamo.  Besides walking the grounds and seeing a “living camp”, I especially enjoyed the film in the museum.  Nothing like packing 300 years of Spanish-Mexican-American history into 17 minutes! 

Tonight we are camped at Texana Park. Even though we are still in Texas, we have definitely left the world of desert landscape, cowboys and jack rabbits running around our camp site. Instead we have entered the land of spanish moss hanging from trees, guys riding lawn mowers and armadillos scurrying past. Oh yes, and the alligator warning signs are everywhere. You can swim, but there’s also alligators enjoying the same space.  I declined.