I left off giving my impressions and observations of the effects of Katrina. That was all the way along the Gulf Coast from New Orleans to Pascagoula MS. Gulf Island National Seashore near Ocean Springs MS. was in that range. We took some pictures and they say “a picture is worth a thousand words”, but I think in this case it is not! Anyway we weren’t out of it yet. Although here in Mississippi construction was moving right along and there was quite a bit of pride in the rebuilding in evidence. There were lots of signs referencing the spirit that a hurricane wasn’t going to keep them down. Mostly ‘open for business’, ‘opening soon’, and that kind of thing, but there were a few that plainly referenced coming back from Katrina. The Waffle House seemed to be the business most quick to recover. I guess they figured people are going to want to eat. Although even the Waffle House had at least one sign up with no building to go with it. And there were still many vacant lots and lots with nothing but a slab foundation. In the park the effects were most notable by the looking at the trees and walking down to the fishing pier and boat docks which were in the process of being replaced. It took a while to figure out the trees. I’m going to say that these are in part ‘live’ or ‘pin’ oak although I’m not positive. Suffice to say they were something like that. Anyway, they looked funny (!), but I think I figured it out. Katrina was a huge storm and as a result the sustained winds lasted longer than most hurricanes (I did read that somewhere). So it was apparent that these winds stripped most of the smaller branches off the trees and left some pretty stark but stout trees. Now what you see is a rather large bare tree with leaves growing on the remaining heavy branches. They are not your customary globe shaped tree. Of course there are lots of trees that were snapped off as well but it was the oaks (?) that looked most strange.
OK! Enough! So how was Gulf Island Seashore you asked? Just OK! Nothing really to write home about. So I won’t. Oh, except that it did have alligators and foxes. I got a picture of an alligator but we missed the red fox. He sure was pretty. I say he, but of course I don’t know? I’ll go with ‘he’ because sometimes that’s the way it is in the animal world, males are just prettier! Anyway ‘he’ came out of the woods right in front of us as we were driving through the park and kind of sauntered along diagonally across the road and back into the woods. What a sight! A beautiful red color and tail up and strutting and everything. Cool! So that was it for here.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
How the Crawfish got its name
There is a story displayed on the wall of the River Walk mall in New Orleans titled, “How the Crawfish got its name”. Now this is the kind of stuff everybody needs to know. How you gonna’ beat Uncle Randy, or Grandma Sandy (a little familial bragging there) to maybe one “answer” a night playing “Jeopardy” on TV, if you don’t pick up on this stuff?
If you are familiar with ‘Cajun’ cooking at all you would know that crawfish is a very important and desirable part of their diet? Go to Louisiana and you are sure to find ‘crawfish’ somewhere on the menu. Remember we’re talking Cajun here, not Creole. That’s a different story and one I am not prepared to discuss. Anyway there is a strong connection between Cajuns and crawfish and that’s where the story begins and here it is:
Way back in the 1600 and 1700 hundreds French immigrants settled what became known as Acadia in what is now the Canadian Provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, also known as the Maritime Provinces. They were very successful in the ‘New World’ and prospered as both fisherman and farmers. It was this very success that became part of the problem.
Around 1750 and until the 1763 Treaty of Paris, the British and French were in dispute over the ‘New World’; mostly a border dispute regarding the boundary between French Canada and the British American colonies. That was the “Seven Years War” or as we know it “the French and Indian War”. We all know, or should know, the British won. In this conflict it became important for the British to populate the area with loyal British subjects. For the Acadians, therein ‘lay the rub’, they were self sufficient, got along well with the Indians, occupied the best land, and didn’t really need the British, ergo, they had to go! That began the “Great Upheaval”, and the Acadians were forcibly expelled from there homeland. They were returned to France, indentured as farmers in the Colonies, sent to the West Indies, some families were split up, and even some were sold into slavery. But as it happens and legends are made, some made it to Louisiana.
As the Legend goes the Acadians were the best of fisherman and as such had established a very successful relationship with the sea and its life including the Acadians favorite, the lobster. It came to pass that the lobster were very sad to see their friends, the Acadians, leave. They were so sad in fact that some lobster chose to go with them to Louisiana. It was a long and arduous journey for both, but particularly so for the lobster who had short legs and were not use to walking on land. The lobster did prevail but because of the length and difficulty of the journey they had shrunk to a fraction of their former great size. That and they had become known as the fish that ‘crawled’ all the way from Canada to Louisiana, the ‘crawlfish’ or as we know them today, the ‘crawfish’. And that is how the ‘Crawfish’ got its name.
As to the Acadians and how they became ‘Cajuns’? Well, that has to do with aphesis or dropping the leading letter and slurring the rest of the word or………………….. Well maybe it’s that, or maybe it should just be considered another story and one that may be best told by a Mikmiq Indian? Go figure?????
A couple of other minor points: When the Acadians got to French New Orleans and settled it was not long before the French ceded ownership rights of Louisiana to Spain. And just to add insult to injury the Spanish moved the Acadians to another part of the Mississippi, maybe a little deeper into the swamp, I don’t know? But they got over it! They were very badly treated and they got over it! At least they appear to be over it. I don’t hear any ‘hue and cry’! Maybe there’s something for other peoples and cultures to learn there. Ya’ think???
If you are familiar with ‘Cajun’ cooking at all you would know that crawfish is a very important and desirable part of their diet? Go to Louisiana and you are sure to find ‘crawfish’ somewhere on the menu. Remember we’re talking Cajun here, not Creole. That’s a different story and one I am not prepared to discuss. Anyway there is a strong connection between Cajuns and crawfish and that’s where the story begins and here it is:
Way back in the 1600 and 1700 hundreds French immigrants settled what became known as Acadia in what is now the Canadian Provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, also known as the Maritime Provinces. They were very successful in the ‘New World’ and prospered as both fisherman and farmers. It was this very success that became part of the problem.
Around 1750 and until the 1763 Treaty of Paris, the British and French were in dispute over the ‘New World’; mostly a border dispute regarding the boundary between French Canada and the British American colonies. That was the “Seven Years War” or as we know it “the French and Indian War”. We all know, or should know, the British won. In this conflict it became important for the British to populate the area with loyal British subjects. For the Acadians, therein ‘lay the rub’, they were self sufficient, got along well with the Indians, occupied the best land, and didn’t really need the British, ergo, they had to go! That began the “Great Upheaval”, and the Acadians were forcibly expelled from there homeland. They were returned to France, indentured as farmers in the Colonies, sent to the West Indies, some families were split up, and even some were sold into slavery. But as it happens and legends are made, some made it to Louisiana.
As the Legend goes the Acadians were the best of fisherman and as such had established a very successful relationship with the sea and its life including the Acadians favorite, the lobster. It came to pass that the lobster were very sad to see their friends, the Acadians, leave. They were so sad in fact that some lobster chose to go with them to Louisiana. It was a long and arduous journey for both, but particularly so for the lobster who had short legs and were not use to walking on land. The lobster did prevail but because of the length and difficulty of the journey they had shrunk to a fraction of their former great size. That and they had become known as the fish that ‘crawled’ all the way from Canada to Louisiana, the ‘crawlfish’ or as we know them today, the ‘crawfish’. And that is how the ‘Crawfish’ got its name.
As to the Acadians and how they became ‘Cajuns’? Well, that has to do with aphesis or dropping the leading letter and slurring the rest of the word or………………….. Well maybe it’s that, or maybe it should just be considered another story and one that may be best told by a Mikmiq Indian? Go figure?????
A couple of other minor points: When the Acadians got to French New Orleans and settled it was not long before the French ceded ownership rights of Louisiana to Spain. And just to add insult to injury the Spanish moved the Acadians to another part of the Mississippi, maybe a little deeper into the swamp, I don’t know? But they got over it! They were very badly treated and they got over it! At least they appear to be over it. I don’t hear any ‘hue and cry’! Maybe there’s something for other peoples and cultures to learn there. Ya’ think???
Monday, February 25, 2008
New Orleans
We really weren’t too sure about staying/going to New Orleans. It’s not easy driving a 50’ rig through metro areas and it gets a little more intimidating when places don’t have a sterling reputation. I think you can relate. If not, imagine driving your house and all your worldly possessions through an area your not real sure about and parking it for a few days. But is this case we really were almost forced to drive through New Orleans from Grand Isle to get anywhere east. So we did! We found a state park just south of New Orleans and on the other side of the Mississippi. The park was nice and we were close so I asked about going into New Orleans. It did seem a shame to be this close and not go see “The Big Easy”. We were told to drive over to the ferry and take it across and right into the city. That sounded like a good deal so once again, we did!
I should tell you that this park (Bayou Signette) was in metro New Orleans, so we only had to drive maybe 3 or 4 miles. We drove into a part of town called New Algiers (I think). This is all an older part of the city so even this was an experience. We’ve been to ferries before, especially in Washington State, around the sound (Puget Sound). They have nice big roads and really nice big road signs to point the way to the ferry at every turn. Not so here! No big roads or signs. But we found it after a fashion; after driving by a couple of pothole/sinkholes that almost swallowed our little car. And then we pulled into a gravel parking area behind a dike and were greeted by a nice black gentleman who politely, and with a smile on his face, says, “I’ve been waiting for you”! I had to laugh and inquire as to his name. I thought I heard “Whiskey” and repeated it to him and he said no, it’s “Risky” as in “Risky Business”. And even though his elocution and my hearing are not as good as they could be; I did learn that “Risky” has been working this parking lot for 28 years. I didn’t ask him about his retirement plan and health benefits? Then we got on the free ferry and road directly across the “mighty Mississippi’ to downtown New Orleans and the French Quarter. Not more than a 15 minute trip.
I’m not going to go into a lot about what we did in New Orleans. I’m really glad we went and I would go back. We had some coffee and beignets (pronounced ben-YAY, it’s a deep fried French doughnut covered, and I mean covered, with powdered sugar. No sneezing when eating beignets), rode the trolley down to the cemeteries, and walked the French Quarter including Canal and Bourbon Streets. And we went to the buffet at Harrah’s which is touted to be one of the best. It was, but it was also $65 for the two of us. I guess you only go around once. And then we went back a second day to do some more roaming and eating our way around New Orleans.
They are recovering from Katrina and really want our business. But at the same time there seemed to be a feeling of malaise from lots of the populace. The effects of Katrina are still visible. At least I would assume that is why there are many vacant and dilapidated houses, and people living in tents under underpasses maybe five or six blocks from Bourbon Street. I’m guessing that the city and state are suffering from a huge lack of leadership. But that is just my opinion. I will add that the devastation of Katrina even now is apparent. I think maybe it was worse than we (maybe just me) have imagined, regardless of who or what is to blame. Certainly there was and is a large number of people of have been dislocated from homes and even complete neighborhoods. We saw much of that on our way east leaving New Orleans. I can’t tell you how many homes, buildings and complexes on our route out of New Orleans and along the Mississippi coast are just gone. Lots and lots (!), and pictures can’t show what is missing. The trip gave us a new perspective. Still, in Mississippi it is cleaned up and the rebuilding is being accomplished. I have the opinion that New Orleans and Louisiana are still waiting for help. There is a long way to go. Even in Mississippi one house in five may have been rebuilt. But like I said, we have a new perspective. I can not imagine leaving your home in the face of something like Katrina and coming back to nothing. And I think that must have happened to many people. I must say that we didn’t have opportunity to stop and ask lots of questions. We just drove through and happened upon what we happened upon and saw what we saw. These are just my impressions and opinions, and I could be wrong. One thing is certain; I have more compassion and empathy for the folks who went through Katrina after seeing what I’ve seen!
One more thing and I’ll get off. I wasn’t going to talk a lot about New Orleans, remember? We did see some FEMA trailers and places we think use to be FEMA trailer parks. We do what we do and go where we go by choice. We do it in a 30’ tin box. But we have a huge back yard of our choosing and nice big windows to look out on the world. I wouldn’t want to live in a FEMA trailer in what use to be a shopping center parking lot for very long. It didn’t look like a very good thing to do. And there are still folks doing it.
But if you happened by New Orleans or the Gulf Coast, I’d go. There isn’t anything to fear that I could detect. And who knows? You may meet somebody unforgettable like “Risky”! And if you do, give him a big tip and tell him I said hello!
I should tell you that this park (Bayou Signette) was in metro New Orleans, so we only had to drive maybe 3 or 4 miles. We drove into a part of town called New Algiers (I think). This is all an older part of the city so even this was an experience. We’ve been to ferries before, especially in Washington State, around the sound (Puget Sound). They have nice big roads and really nice big road signs to point the way to the ferry at every turn. Not so here! No big roads or signs. But we found it after a fashion; after driving by a couple of pothole/sinkholes that almost swallowed our little car. And then we pulled into a gravel parking area behind a dike and were greeted by a nice black gentleman who politely, and with a smile on his face, says, “I’ve been waiting for you”! I had to laugh and inquire as to his name. I thought I heard “Whiskey” and repeated it to him and he said no, it’s “Risky” as in “Risky Business”. And even though his elocution and my hearing are not as good as they could be; I did learn that “Risky” has been working this parking lot for 28 years. I didn’t ask him about his retirement plan and health benefits? Then we got on the free ferry and road directly across the “mighty Mississippi’ to downtown New Orleans and the French Quarter. Not more than a 15 minute trip.
I’m not going to go into a lot about what we did in New Orleans. I’m really glad we went and I would go back. We had some coffee and beignets (pronounced ben-YAY, it’s a deep fried French doughnut covered, and I mean covered, with powdered sugar. No sneezing when eating beignets), rode the trolley down to the cemeteries, and walked the French Quarter including Canal and Bourbon Streets. And we went to the buffet at Harrah’s which is touted to be one of the best. It was, but it was also $65 for the two of us. I guess you only go around once. And then we went back a second day to do some more roaming and eating our way around New Orleans.
They are recovering from Katrina and really want our business. But at the same time there seemed to be a feeling of malaise from lots of the populace. The effects of Katrina are still visible. At least I would assume that is why there are many vacant and dilapidated houses, and people living in tents under underpasses maybe five or six blocks from Bourbon Street. I’m guessing that the city and state are suffering from a huge lack of leadership. But that is just my opinion. I will add that the devastation of Katrina even now is apparent. I think maybe it was worse than we (maybe just me) have imagined, regardless of who or what is to blame. Certainly there was and is a large number of people of have been dislocated from homes and even complete neighborhoods. We saw much of that on our way east leaving New Orleans. I can’t tell you how many homes, buildings and complexes on our route out of New Orleans and along the Mississippi coast are just gone. Lots and lots (!), and pictures can’t show what is missing. The trip gave us a new perspective. Still, in Mississippi it is cleaned up and the rebuilding is being accomplished. I have the opinion that New Orleans and Louisiana are still waiting for help. There is a long way to go. Even in Mississippi one house in five may have been rebuilt. But like I said, we have a new perspective. I can not imagine leaving your home in the face of something like Katrina and coming back to nothing. And I think that must have happened to many people. I must say that we didn’t have opportunity to stop and ask lots of questions. We just drove through and happened upon what we happened upon and saw what we saw. These are just my impressions and opinions, and I could be wrong. One thing is certain; I have more compassion and empathy for the folks who went through Katrina after seeing what I’ve seen!
One more thing and I’ll get off. I wasn’t going to talk a lot about New Orleans, remember? We did see some FEMA trailers and places we think use to be FEMA trailer parks. We do what we do and go where we go by choice. We do it in a 30’ tin box. But we have a huge back yard of our choosing and nice big windows to look out on the world. I wouldn’t want to live in a FEMA trailer in what use to be a shopping center parking lot for very long. It didn’t look like a very good thing to do. And there are still folks doing it.
But if you happened by New Orleans or the Gulf Coast, I’d go. There isn’t anything to fear that I could detect. And who knows? You may meet somebody unforgettable like “Risky”! And if you do, give him a big tip and tell him I said hello!
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Grand Isle
The J/Kat and I seem to keep finding places that are more remote than anything that I have previously done. If you look at a map of Louisiana you will see what I mean. A non-discriminating look will tell you that you can drive across the bottom of the state through New Orleans and Lake Charles and you will have seen southern Louisiana. A closer inspection will reveal some out of the way places down in what may be the marshes, swamps, or bayous. Grand Isle is out beyond that. As you can see on the map it’s one peninsula west of the Mississippi Delta, passed the last oil rig service area, turn left and “go straight on till morning”, or about 20 more miles. I can’t recall the miles but it must be 60 or 70 and about a 2 hour dead head each way. Most of it was along the LaFourche (I think) canal. Anyway it was some canal. We didn’t stop anywhere along the canal mostly because of the parking; we just wouldn’t fit in most places. So I don’t know much but I think this was mostly a canal that would serve the fishing and fishing related industry. There were lots of what appeared to be fishing, shrimping, or crabbing vessels. My best guess anyway. Then as we got further south and east we were driving on nothing much more than a sandbar. But finally we did get to Grand Isle.
Grand Isle is both a city and state park, and of course we stayed in the state park. Louisiana has pretty nice state parks and this was no exception. It may even have been better than most. So we had all the usual amenities and were only a few hundred feet from the Gulf. The weather was great and we had some good walks on the beach and got a little sun. Yeah and it felt goooood!!!!! We met an Oregonian in passing and a little bit later he (Len) came down to invite us to a barbecue they were having with a few friends. We agreed to come and bring a little dish. When we got there, there was a crowd of 30 or so folks and Len was fixing enough ribs and pork roast for all. We found out that he and his wife had come down after Katrina to help and stayed on a while. Friends and all were very nice folks. I talked to the Postmaster of Grand Isle and she filled me in a little on the community. It’s not as robust as it once was apparently. Not enough to do for the younger generations. It really is pretty much just a retirement community and apparently health care is difficult because of the long drive, so the older folks are moving out and not being replaced as in the past. I also learned the Post Office is just as screwed up here (New Orleans) as it is everywhere. We had some laughs and stories to share. Fun!, but that is too big a subject to cover here.
Grand Isle was good and I’d have to say I’d go back if circumstances were right.
Grand Isle is both a city and state park, and of course we stayed in the state park. Louisiana has pretty nice state parks and this was no exception. It may even have been better than most. So we had all the usual amenities and were only a few hundred feet from the Gulf. The weather was great and we had some good walks on the beach and got a little sun. Yeah and it felt goooood!!!!! We met an Oregonian in passing and a little bit later he (Len) came down to invite us to a barbecue they were having with a few friends. We agreed to come and bring a little dish. When we got there, there was a crowd of 30 or so folks and Len was fixing enough ribs and pork roast for all. We found out that he and his wife had come down after Katrina to help and stayed on a while. Friends and all were very nice folks. I talked to the Postmaster of Grand Isle and she filled me in a little on the community. It’s not as robust as it once was apparently. Not enough to do for the younger generations. It really is pretty much just a retirement community and apparently health care is difficult because of the long drive, so the older folks are moving out and not being replaced as in the past. I also learned the Post Office is just as screwed up here (New Orleans) as it is everywhere. We had some laughs and stories to share. Fun!, but that is too big a subject to cover here.
Grand Isle was good and I’d have to say I’d go back if circumstances were right.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Betty's RV Park
At Sam Houston Jones State Park in Louisiana we met a couple who had been to Grand Isle and I quizzed them about it. They learned that we were going to try Betty’s RV Park on the way and mentioned they wanted to go there but couldn’t fit it in to their schedule. They asked if we would call and tell them about it. I said I’d rather do email. This is what I wrote to Guy and Peggy.
We got there OK after a couple of wrong turns due to faulty navigation{not my fault). I know you've been through Louisiana before so you know that the roads are awful in places. From Sam Houston Jones to Betty's they were pretty bad most if not all of the way. The park is small and crowded. My former stick built house was on a 3/4 acre lot and I don't think Betty's is that large. And she put 15 RV's on it. We were parked in the driveway so the step came out into traffic. It wasn't necessarily unsafe for us, with reasonable care we weren't going to get run over, but we couldn't tie out the cat. And we had virtually no space, no picnic table, no nothing. I might have had 2 or 3 feet in front and behind the coach to set out a chair. Some units were side by side with a little room but I wouldn't want to park where I was for very long. We did have cable TV but no sewer, and no shower/bathhouse. (Most sites did have sewer and we knew we would not) That's pretty much the bad news. I'm sure I could have taken a chair some place not right under someone's window and done a little, whittling, reading, or just sit in the sun, but it would have been nice next to my rig.
Here's the good news. Betty and all her guests were just great. Betty was right out when we got there and helping us set up and get squared away. She told us there was a social hour every day at 4:00 PM and there was. Everyone including Betty was there. Some of the ladies (not to be discriminating, but in this case it was just the ladies) brought finger food and we all sat around and talked for an hour or so. Very nice and I think it was pretty much the case that this was one big happy family. I know that RV'ers in general are a friendly group and these folks epitomize that. Most have been there a while and are back regularly. We were made to feel most welcome. On our second night someone suggested dinner out, so Betty took a head count and made reservations. My impression was that this is kind of routine and that Betty has considerable clout in making reservations. That I suppose is just good business, but it was effective! This night we went to Dupuy's and had some excellent seafood. There were several good eateries and some other things in the area to do. We walked Abbeville Square and visited the catholic church and cemetery which was interesting. There are swamp tours and Tabasco factories to tour, lots of fishing, and much more according to Betty and her people. The day we left the group was going to a nearby town ( ? ) for breakfast. I think that something I read about Betty's had it right. This is an RV park about Betty and her people, not an RV park about RV sites.
We enjoyed our stay and may or may not go back. But I think that speaks more to us than to Betty's. Maybe we're just not as social as some. We would have liked a little more elbow room. And if I do send this to Betty like I promised, I would add that maybe once a week she could have a "Welcome" social hour. A time to introduce the newcomers to the regulars with introductions and all, and go over some of the things to do and places to do them.
Randy and Kat from Sam Houston Jones
PS.
If you need a haircut make certain you go to Mouton Cove down hwy 82 and visit Sam's barber shop. Sam is Sabrina MacDonald who named her shop using initials because she thought men might not come in to a lady barber. She is a kick and a great barber!
We got there OK after a couple of wrong turns due to faulty navigation{not my fault). I know you've been through Louisiana before so you know that the roads are awful in places. From Sam Houston Jones to Betty's they were pretty bad most if not all of the way. The park is small and crowded. My former stick built house was on a 3/4 acre lot and I don't think Betty's is that large. And she put 15 RV's on it. We were parked in the driveway so the step came out into traffic. It wasn't necessarily unsafe for us, with reasonable care we weren't going to get run over, but we couldn't tie out the cat. And we had virtually no space, no picnic table, no nothing. I might have had 2 or 3 feet in front and behind the coach to set out a chair. Some units were side by side with a little room but I wouldn't want to park where I was for very long. We did have cable TV but no sewer, and no shower/bathhouse. (Most sites did have sewer and we knew we would not) That's pretty much the bad news. I'm sure I could have taken a chair some place not right under someone's window and done a little, whittling, reading, or just sit in the sun, but it would have been nice next to my rig.
Here's the good news. Betty and all her guests were just great. Betty was right out when we got there and helping us set up and get squared away. She told us there was a social hour every day at 4:00 PM and there was. Everyone including Betty was there. Some of the ladies (not to be discriminating, but in this case it was just the ladies) brought finger food and we all sat around and talked for an hour or so. Very nice and I think it was pretty much the case that this was one big happy family. I know that RV'ers in general are a friendly group and these folks epitomize that. Most have been there a while and are back regularly. We were made to feel most welcome. On our second night someone suggested dinner out, so Betty took a head count and made reservations. My impression was that this is kind of routine and that Betty has considerable clout in making reservations. That I suppose is just good business, but it was effective! This night we went to Dupuy's and had some excellent seafood. There were several good eateries and some other things in the area to do. We walked Abbeville Square and visited the catholic church and cemetery which was interesting. There are swamp tours and Tabasco factories to tour, lots of fishing, and much more according to Betty and her people. The day we left the group was going to a nearby town ( ? ) for breakfast. I think that something I read about Betty's had it right. This is an RV park about Betty and her people, not an RV park about RV sites.
We enjoyed our stay and may or may not go back. But I think that speaks more to us than to Betty's. Maybe we're just not as social as some. We would have liked a little more elbow room. And if I do send this to Betty like I promised, I would add that maybe once a week she could have a "Welcome" social hour. A time to introduce the newcomers to the regulars with introductions and all, and go over some of the things to do and places to do them.
Randy and Kat from Sam Houston Jones
PS.
If you need a haircut make certain you go to Mouton Cove down hwy 82 and visit Sam's barber shop. Sam is Sabrina MacDonald who named her shop using initials because she thought men might not come in to a lady barber. She is a kick and a great barber!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Lake Livingston
This was really two stops. The first was at the Lake Livingston State Park where we rode our bikes and I did a little fishing to no avail. You can see the result of my efforts above. But it was a pleasant few days on the waters edge and it was a pretty good size lake. You good see across most of it, but it had to be a very clear day.
The second stop was at the Escapee’s RV Campground just a couple of miles away. Escapee’s is one of the larger RV clubs in the nation and we wanted to give it a try. They have campgrounds, a magazine, arguably the best mail forwarding service in existence, trip planning service, emergency road service, RV insurance, all the regular stuff. What sets them apart are their campgrounds. They have the CARE Park here in Livingston, Rainbow parks, co-op parks, and just your everyday discount park. It’s the Care Park here that is unique. It’s called Rainbows End. They offer a place to park your RV and receive a level of adult day care when needed. It’s not a nursing home but it is a place to recover from an illness or surgery, or just because. They offer meals and one or two nurses in the facility. Most of the care is given by volunteers who receive a free RV spot for their efforts. There is a fee attached but its not prohibitive like a commercial facility would be. We took the tour and it is very nice. Something for us to consider 40 or 50 years down the road. Co-op parks are owned and operated by individuals who then either stay in their deeded lot or rent it out as they see fit, and Rainbow parks are available for daily, weekly, or monthly use. In addition to that there are parks all over that offer a 15% discount to SKiPs.
Most of the Escapees tradition is centered on social interaction of members. There are rallies, chapters by state and area, Birds of a Feather groups (BOFs), and just a plain old ‘get togethers’. In Livingston there was social hour every day at 4:00 PM. They had us up everyday telling them something about us. It was an introduction or an explanation of your tee-shirt or something, i.e., I explained my Oregon Fish and Wildlife shirt. Maybe even more than usual, SKiPs are a real friendly group of RV’ers. So we liked what we saw and had so much fun we decided to join.
The second stop was at the Escapee’s RV Campground just a couple of miles away. Escapee’s is one of the larger RV clubs in the nation and we wanted to give it a try. They have campgrounds, a magazine, arguably the best mail forwarding service in existence, trip planning service, emergency road service, RV insurance, all the regular stuff. What sets them apart are their campgrounds. They have the CARE Park here in Livingston, Rainbow parks, co-op parks, and just your everyday discount park. It’s the Care Park here that is unique. It’s called Rainbows End. They offer a place to park your RV and receive a level of adult day care when needed. It’s not a nursing home but it is a place to recover from an illness or surgery, or just because. They offer meals and one or two nurses in the facility. Most of the care is given by volunteers who receive a free RV spot for their efforts. There is a fee attached but its not prohibitive like a commercial facility would be. We took the tour and it is very nice. Something for us to consider 40 or 50 years down the road. Co-op parks are owned and operated by individuals who then either stay in their deeded lot or rent it out as they see fit, and Rainbow parks are available for daily, weekly, or monthly use. In addition to that there are parks all over that offer a 15% discount to SKiPs.
Most of the Escapees tradition is centered on social interaction of members. There are rallies, chapters by state and area, Birds of a Feather groups (BOFs), and just a plain old ‘get togethers’. In Livingston there was social hour every day at 4:00 PM. They had us up everyday telling them something about us. It was an introduction or an explanation of your tee-shirt or something, i.e., I explained my Oregon Fish and Wildlife shirt. Maybe even more than usual, SKiPs are a real friendly group of RV’ers. So we liked what we saw and had so much fun we decided to join.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Pedernales Falls
Another ‘Hill Country’ park in the mold of South Llano. But no turkeys and I didn’t try fishing. We did some walking and biking but we still prefer South Llano.
Nothing much to report here. We fed the birds, had a three point buck as a regular visitor to our campsite, J/Kat saw a bobcat, and J/Kat and Jade might have seen a badger. That’s their story, they’re sticking to it, and I believe it. I, (that’s a big capital I) left the camera sitting on the bench at the Pedernales Falls overlook but it was still sitting there when we walked back to get it. I would like to tell you that that means there are no thieves in Texas, but it really just means it wasn’t a very busy day at the park.
And they had bird blinds too.
Nothing much to report here. We fed the birds, had a three point buck as a regular visitor to our campsite, J/Kat saw a bobcat, and J/Kat and Jade might have seen a badger. That’s their story, they’re sticking to it, and I believe it. I, (that’s a big capital I) left the camera sitting on the bench at the Pedernales Falls overlook but it was still sitting there when we walked back to get it. I would like to tell you that that means there are no thieves in Texas, but it really just means it wasn’t a very busy day at the park.
And they had bird blinds too.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Lady Bird at Fredericksburg
When I came through here in 2004 I thought Fredericksburg would be a nice place to stay for a while. It’s a German community with a real Texican influence or maybe a Texan community with a real German influence. Lot’s of German shops and restaurants. Anyway, I put it on our itinerary as a good place to stop. We stayed at Lady Bird Municipal Park which has an RV park (which we of course used) and golf course (which I didn’t use). It was also time to do the laundry, one of those chores which isn’t so automatic and easy with this lifestyle. But we found a nice ‘washateria’ near a hospital so J/Kat did the laundry while I walked up to the hospital to get my quarterly blood draw and lab testing. They faxed the results to PDX so I’m good for another three months on the labs. We won’t make it that long on laundry.
Fredericksburg was OK. We walked the main street and did all the antique shops and German stores. What we didn’t do was go to a German restaurant. Nothing just jumped out at us and said ‘eat here’. Oh well! I did pick up lots of pecans in the park.
And of course Lady Bird was Lady Bird Johnson, President Lyndon Baines Johnson’s wife and First Lady in the 60’s. Johnson City and the Johnson ranch are not too far east of here. Nothing’s perfect everywhere! Even Texas had its undesirables.
Fredericksburg was OK. We walked the main street and did all the antique shops and German stores. What we didn’t do was go to a German restaurant. Nothing just jumped out at us and said ‘eat here’. Oh well! I did pick up lots of pecans in the park.
And of course Lady Bird was Lady Bird Johnson, President Lyndon Baines Johnson’s wife and First Lady in the 60’s. Johnson City and the Johnson ranch are not too far east of here. Nothing’s perfect everywhere! Even Texas had its undesirables.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
South Llano
Our next stop on the Texas tour was South Llano River State Park. South Llano is in what is called ‘Hill Country’ in Texas. I suppose it’s an apt description as far as it goes. It’s largely rolling savannah dotted with Pin and Live oak, juniper, and pecan, and it is semi-arid. The little I have read indicates it’s not the hill country it was 150 years ago. It’s been overgrazed to the point the ‘long’ grasses are nearly gone and have been replaced by the ‘short’ grasses and juniper (ash cedar). But if you’re asking me what that means in the great scope of things, “I don’t have a clue”? I did read that Llano County is known has a ‘deer factory’. In fact it has the densest population of white tail deer in the U.S. That’s one deer for every two to three acres. That’s too many deer and also not healthy for the eco-system. But it seems fine to me and I’m not going to chain myself to a stump until changes are made. I rather like it the way it is! Land for the park was donated by a Walter Buck who was apparently quite the animal guy. He had some exotics imported and a few still roam the park area. I saw an African Black Buck antelope and two doe on one occasion. They were impressive! The park also happens to be a major nesting ground for Rio Grande wild turkey. We were regularly treated to herds of deer and gangs of turkeys. (OK it escapes me. Gaggle, covey, herd, swarm, clutch, flock, pod; crap I give up? Bunches of turkeys! And Jade loved watching the turkeys!
‘Hill Country’ is also home to a variety of birds. The park has several blinds built for observation. They have made glass fronted enclosures in rather secluded areas for bird watching. They have benches and even some old theater seats in a couple of instances. And all the blinds had bird books and pictures posted to help identify bird varieties. Being the bird watchers we are we really enjoyed it
So South Llano has now become one of our favorites. I didn’t mention that there was trout fishing in the Llano River and I had some luck there. Texas offers free fishing in their state parks. So the fishing and catching has influenced my rating. We liked it to the point of getting a Texas park volunteer application form. I haven’t filled it out completely yet. But I will.
‘Hill Country’ is also home to a variety of birds. The park has several blinds built for observation. They have made glass fronted enclosures in rather secluded areas for bird watching. They have benches and even some old theater seats in a couple of instances. And all the blinds had bird books and pictures posted to help identify bird varieties. Being the bird watchers we are we really enjoyed it
So South Llano has now become one of our favorites. I didn’t mention that there was trout fishing in the Llano River and I had some luck there. Texas offers free fishing in their state parks. So the fishing and catching has influenced my rating. We liked it to the point of getting a Texas park volunteer application form. I haven’t filled it out completely yet. But I will.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Balmorhea
We did spend one night in New Mexico at an RV park in Deming but our intent was to get to Texas. Mostly because we really like it (that might be more me talking then J/Kat) but also because when last in Texas we found that the state sold annual park passes to cover entrance fees and they included some discount coupons for overnight camping. We knew we might not get our monies worth the last trip but we decided to take a chance. This trip we have made up the cost of our pass and then some.
But before we did we almost got blown off the road in Van Horn TX. The wind was strong enough to make it tiring to drive so we pulled into a Wal-Mart. It was also a long way to anything else because, “well, it’s just is a long way to anything else in west Texas”. The security guy met us and told us where to park and to go ahead and put down your jacks and put out the slides. It’s a nice feeling to be greeted like that. One of the reasons we spend a lot of our money at Wal-Mart. I think we guessed we spend more than half of any money we spend at grocery, hardware, or so called ‘dry goods’ stores at Wal-Mart. They also have lots of parking and of course most everything we need including an RV section and good prices. It’s enough to say as RV’ers we like it and we occasionally spend a night! So J/Kat shopped and I didn’t.
The next day in sunny calm weather we made it to Balmorhea. Its claim to fame is a huge swimming pool built by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) in the 1930’s. It goes from 3’ to about 30’ deep and is fed by a warm spring which keeps the water a constant 70 something degrees. Very nice and it may have been sunny and calm but I didn’t say warm, so we didn’t do any swimming. Besides that it had lots of fish that nibbled at fingers and I didn’t want to be the only person in the water available for nibbling. There were some scuba divers testing equipment or something. According to the Ranger they do use the pool for scuba classes and diver certification quite a bit.
So we’re back where we belong in the winter making a good case that we are not your typical “snow birds” but rather “winter Texans”.
But before we did we almost got blown off the road in Van Horn TX. The wind was strong enough to make it tiring to drive so we pulled into a Wal-Mart. It was also a long way to anything else because, “well, it’s just is a long way to anything else in west Texas”. The security guy met us and told us where to park and to go ahead and put down your jacks and put out the slides. It’s a nice feeling to be greeted like that. One of the reasons we spend a lot of our money at Wal-Mart. I think we guessed we spend more than half of any money we spend at grocery, hardware, or so called ‘dry goods’ stores at Wal-Mart. They also have lots of parking and of course most everything we need including an RV section and good prices. It’s enough to say as RV’ers we like it and we occasionally spend a night! So J/Kat shopped and I didn’t.
The next day in sunny calm weather we made it to Balmorhea. Its claim to fame is a huge swimming pool built by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) in the 1930’s. It goes from 3’ to about 30’ deep and is fed by a warm spring which keeps the water a constant 70 something degrees. Very nice and it may have been sunny and calm but I didn’t say warm, so we didn’t do any swimming. Besides that it had lots of fish that nibbled at fingers and I didn’t want to be the only person in the water available for nibbling. There were some scuba divers testing equipment or something. According to the Ranger they do use the pool for scuba classes and diver certification quite a bit.
So we’re back where we belong in the winter making a good case that we are not your typical “snow birds” but rather “winter Texans”.
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