Reunion in Baton Rouge

Cole and Tucker (in the Drew Brees shirt)

Roger here...  Dianne and I made a special stop in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on our way to Florida. We were able to spend quality time with Amanda's (our younger daughter) dear friend, Jennifer, and her family.  About a year ago Jennifer had told me that she wanted us to see her boys.  This seemed like an ideal time.  

We arrived in Baton Rouge the day before the reunion during the early afternoon.  

 We passed Death Valley (Louisiana State University's football stadium) on the way to our RV park.  As we passed the stadium I continued Dianne's education of collegiate athletics by quizzing her on LSU's school colors...

... and mascot.  She is so appreciative of my efforts to improve her knowledge :-).  
(Dianne:  ((eye roll))

We were truly in Tiger country.  Baton Rouge has a spirited atmosphere.  Purple and gold and tigers were everywhere.  

We spent the afternoon catching up on travel chores... laundry, cleaning, rearranging the storage in the SUV, pre-cooking breakfasts, etc.

Dianne's Teensy Weensy Trailer Tip:

I found one of the most useful tips just a week before departure by reading an RV article.  I had just enough time to order these collapsible crates from Amazon to get them before we left.  When we are parked, we have various things sitting out or hanging that would either fall or scratch the walls during travel, like the coffee maker etc.  These collapsible crates (I use two of them) are perfect for when we are breaking camp.   All I need do is quickly set up the crate, put the items in the crate on the floor, and voila' I'm done.   When we arrive at camp it's just as quick and easy to set the items back in place, fold up the crates, and stash them in the car to use on grocery day.  The photo shows one crate collapsed after emptying, plus its mate still full:

Back to the Reunion....

The next morning  Dianne took advantage of the huge swimming pool at our RV park to continue her regular morning exercise routine.  She swam and walked laps in the pool for an hour.  Poquita and Bandido had a view of the action from the Airstream.  

Roger says they never left the window while I was gone -- D.

During the late afternoon we drove to Jennifer and Mike's (her husband) beautiful home.  Her parents (Sherry and Kim) were there, as were their sons (Tucker and Cole).  What a great family!

Dianne, Sherry, Kim, Jennifer, Mike

Jennifer and our daughter, Amanda, became friends in elementary school and remained friends through high school.  Even though they live hundreds of miles apart, they still connect to "catch up" in each others' lives.   Jennifer spent so much time in our home.  She was indeed like our third daughter.  She was a clever, intelligent, funny little girl and has grown into a clever, intelligent, wonderful (still funny) young wife and mother. -----D.

Her mom, Sherry, was very active in the schools where I was a principal.  Dianne and I considered her and Kim to be our friends.  Those were special years for all of us.

Lots of stories.  Lots of laughter.  Lots of warm feelings.  It was as if we had just seen them the day before.  It was so much fun to reminisce with them.  

The last time we had seen them was at Jennifer and Mike's wedding in New Orleans, and what a wedding it was.  They were married in the iconic New Orleans Cathedral.  We danced to the reception on Bourbon Street behind a small jazz band.  Here is a link to the blog we wrote at that time:  

Jennifer's New Orleans Wedding


Back to the present...  After spending time at their home

we all went to a local Cajun place for dinner. I got to sit next to one of the coolest young kids I have ever met.  

Tucker (in the black and gold Drew Brees jersey) showed me his watch while I talked with Mike.  He showed me all the games that we could play and insisted that I push the correct buttons.  When our food came, he said, "Oh, you got the crawfish etouffee!"  When I asked how he knew what it was, he said, "I am a Louisiana boy!"  What a hoot!  (Like mother, like son -- D.)  Before we left, Cole popped up next to me from under the table to make silly faces.  I smiled throughout the entire meal.  What a great job Jennifer and Mike are doing with these happy boys.  

We hope to get together with them again in the future since we do pass through Baton Rouge from time to time.

On the Road Again...

After two nights in Baton Rouge, we packed up and moved down the road toward Florida.  The drive along I-10 was uneventful, as I like it.

We both got a chuckle when two trucks with flashing lights and oversized vehicle signs pulled in front of us and stayed with us.  It was as if they were escorting our teensy-weensy trailer.

Since we got an early start, we stopped at a nice rest area near Biloxi, Mississippi for a picnic.  We normally munch on finger food in the SUV.  This was a nice change.  We are spending the night near Pensacola.  Tomorrow we will travel to a cool little campground near Apalachicola, Florida situated on the beach.  

Pet Pictures of the Day...

Bandido here....  Mom and Dad got us to this campground right after they stopped for their middle day meal that we don't get!  All we ever get is a couple of treats :-(

Anyway, we had time to chill with mom and dad in the shade on our outside bed that dad gripes about moving around.  It was a nice calm time.

Hey!  Somebody's grillin' somethin' over there!

Betty's --- Cajun Country!

Roger here...  At the end of the last post I told you that we would be driving to Betty's RV Park in Abbeville, Louisiana early the next morning.  That almost did not happen.

An Unexpected Adventure --- of the negative kind :-( ...

For the past two weeks I had been concerned that every time I added distilled water to the RV battery it seemed to be low.  After we departed our home the problem continued, and the battery indicator in the Airstream indicated a lower voltage.  The problem exacerbated the day before we left for Abbeville.  

At 3:00 a.m. I woke up, realizing that I had not put the cover back on the battery case after adding water.  I decided to go outside and do so at that time, knowing that I would worry if I did not.  I went into panic mode when I discovered that the battery was bubbling and steaming.  The battery cover was hot to the touch.  I woke up Dianne and she flipped a switch to disconnect the battery from the electrical system of the trailer.  The bubbling and steaming stopped.  The battery could have exploded, but because of the disconnect, it did not.

We got little sleep for the rest of the night as we read the Airstream owner's manual and searched the internet for a nearby place to have a RV battery installed.  Stressful.

We found a large RV center (an Airstream dealership) fifty miles down the road in Katy, Texas (a suburb of Houston).  It was on our route.  We knew it would be open.  Since we did not have a service appointment, we did not know if a battery could be installed in a timely manner.  We accepted the fact that we might need to cancel our reservations in Abbeville.

The service manager (his name was Nacho) at Holiday World solved our problem within two hours.  We were able to wait in the lounge with our dogs.  Holiday World was even grilling free hamburgers for its visitors.  Nacho told us that our electrical system was not damaged and that the new battery was working perfectly.  He could not have been more helpful.  I have a very high opinion of Holiday World RV.  I wish it was closer to our home in Mission, Texas.

Our stress abated as we called Betty to tell her we would be two hours late, but would be arriving.  Whew!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Hour at Betty's....

Betty greeted us after our long day and helped me back into our site.  I did a little better than my past attempts at backing our small trailer, but I have a long way to go.

Betty, more about this dear lady later, hosts a happy hour for everyone at 4:30 p.m. every night in an eclectic, colorful, mardi-gras themed outdoor pavilion.  When we wandered to the pavilion, after hooking up and settling in two hours late, Betty and two new friends joined us.  The camaraderie and conversation that flows among travelers was instantaneous.  

Jim and Diane, originally from Seattle, are such nice people.  They are on their way to Florida for a grandchild's graduation and then a Caribbean cruise.  


I mentioned the colorful atmosphere that surrounds the happy hour pavilion.  I took a couple of pictures that represent the festive setting.

Betty.....

This is our second visit to Betty's RV Park, the first visit being in March of 2009.  The main attraction of Betty's is Betty.  When her husband passed many years ago, Betty surrounded her house with limestone gravel and installed full-hookup RV sites.  There are currently 17 sites.  There are no amenities other than the nightly happy hours in the pavilion and the lady who leads her guests to so many wonderful adventures.

What an amazingly likable and caring lady!  She makes sure that all of her guests experience the true joy of the people who live in this area and the Cajun culture.   She is a gem.

Grocery stop....

The smaller refrigerator in our teensy-weensie trailer dictates more frequent grocery stops.  What better place to replenish our food than in Cajun country.  

The cream of crawfish soup that we bought in the deli was delicious.  Speaking of crawfish and delicious....







T-BOBS'S Seafood....

As Jim, Diane, Dianne and I were discussing cajun food at happy hour, Betty suggested that we go to T-Bob's for fresh crawfish.  She said that she could eat with us, might bring others, and would lead us to the restaurant.  

T-Bob's is housed in a former gas station.  We were told to bring our own drinks and gloves.  Utensils were not needed.  There were only two items on the menu ---fresh boiled crawfish or boiled shrimp.  The food was ordered by the pound and served on large platters.  We were each asked what level of spice we wanted.  I ordered boiled shrimp, knowing that Dianne would insist that I have some of the three pounds of her crawfish.  We made our own dipping sauces from mayonnaise, tabasco sauce, garlic sauce, and ketchup.

Dianne had never eaten fresh crawfish before, and was hesitant.  Jim showed her how to crack the shells and dig out the meat.  This was a memorable meal --- so authentic and so delicious!  I truly believe that this is the only part of the country to experience such tasty food.  

Two friendly local young men talked with us from across the room while we ate.  One of them worked in the crawfish industry.  He explained that the crawfish season ends before the hot days of summer when the little arthropods dig back into the mud.  He told us that our crawfish were large because it was the end of the season.  Nice guys.

Before paying on the way out we bussed our own tables.  

It is now time for Dianne's feature.

Dianne's Teensy Weensy Trailer Tips...

I bought a second stick-on wall-mounted paper towel holder (see last blog) to house my spices and utensils.   I have only one very small drawer, so I purchased attractive S-hooks to hang all my utensils which had a hole and could be hung.   Most of the spices on the top small shelf had been repackaged into smaller containers and re-labeled.   I only brought those spices I'd need for our four-month trip.  
Avery Island --- The Jungle Garden....

On our second day at Betty's we decided to do a three-mile hike at the Jungle Gardens at Avery Island.  Avery Island is the iconic location of McIlhenny's Tabasco Sauce factory.  Ten years ago we took an interesting tour of the factory.  On this day we opted to do the Jungle Garden trek that we missed during our last visit.

When we bought our tickets I asked specific questions about the safety of our dogs with alligators.  The entire trek was on an elevated and graveled drive.  The ranger told me that as long as we stayed on the graveled drive (that cars drove on) we would be perfectly safe, and we were.  However, I must say that we were on high alert and diligent.

Most of the people taking the tour were in their cars.  They stopped at points of interest.  Some of them marveled that we were walking the entire three miles.  We smiled and said, "no big deal".  It was warm and humid, but it was flat and the roadway was well maintained.  

Within the first 100 yards we knew that this was going to be a special place.  These majestic live oak trees (covered with moss) immediately made us smile.

The green, green plant life next to the endless stretch of ponds caused me to relax and become calm.  So much natural beauty.  So tranquil.

The ponds added to the serenity.  

The wildlife along the way was abundant.  

This large turtle was lounging on the far side of one of the ponds.

I love his reflection.

You will need to excuse my wildlife photography.  I am strictly an amateur.  We spotted the anhinga drying her wings in the photo below.  These birds swim under water with only their necks and heads showing.  People often mistake them for snakes.

The egret in the photo below is ready to stab a meal in the pond.

Alligators -- of course there were alligators.  All of them were silent.  Most of them were small.  Only one of them (a larger one that we watched closely) was out of the water.  We did not linger to take photos, but this medium-sized reptile is a good representative of those we observed. 

 (Dianne here:  We learned an interesting fact from a placard on the walk.  The alligators lay their eggs, and cover them with mud and vegetation.  The eggs stay buried for 14 days.   During that time, if the temperature reaches 93 degrees or higher, all the eggs will hatch as males.   If 86 degrees or lower, they will all hatch as females.  If the temperature sits between 86 and 93, both males and females will result.  Who knew??)

A highlight of the hike was a side trip to Bird Island.  We heard the birds before we saw them.  Mr. McIlhenny created a habitat for snowy egrets near his home.  He introduced several during the first year.  He was thrilled when six of them returned the next year.  Now there are hundreds.

Dianne took a panoramic video of all the action.

Another side trip required a short walk under an Asian gate to an awesome pagoda.

The entrance to the pagoda was impressive.

The Buddha that Mr. McIlhenny procured for his gardens was truly a work of art.

The setting and the pagoda itself gave the impression of finding a secret and mystical place in exotic Asia.  I love this photograph.

I am not sure how long we walked, but the time seemed to pass quickly.  After filling the water dish for the dogs (something we did throughout the hike), we hopped in the SUV and drove a short distance to the Tabasco Store.  We had been here before and knew that we would find some spicy treats that we would not be able to find elsewhere. We were also able to sample Tabasco ice cream!

Suire's!!!!

The day was mostly over, but not quite.  We dropped the dogs back at the trailer and drove out to a small country grocery store, Suire's, that we had visited ten years ago.  

Suire's Grocery is probably better known for its Cajun cooking than as a grocery.  We arrived for a late lunch/early supper.  We reacquainted ourselves with the very friendly owner as we waited for our food.  I love the genuine friendly nature of these people.   I loved that the people spoke with an accent that we understood when we talked to them, then converted to a thick Cajun accent when the locals came in.  

I have dreamed about the fresh shrimp po-boy that I had here ten years ago.  My dream was fulfilled.

We brought home some frozen crawfish fetuccini Alfredo for dinner the next evening.  When we left, the owner, who was wiping down the tables, told us to come back, and that she would be here for another 20 years.  

It is with regret that we left this unique part of the country the next morning.  We will come back.

Today we had a short drive to Baton Rouge.  The short drive afforded us time to reorganize the SUV, clean the Airstream and do laundry. 

(Dianne here:  I decided not to bring my Dyson hand-held vacuum that we had used in the motor home.   Even it was too big for our current space.  Instead, it was just as fast for me to crawl around our tiny floor space with this little whisk broom:

One thing about the Teensy-Weensie trailer:  We have to stay nimble -- we have no choice!)

 Dianne is cooking travel food outside for our next sojourn.  Tomorrow, we will be spending an evening with our third daughter, her husband, and her parents.  More on that later.

Pet Picture of the Day....

During the morning of our first full day at Betty's, the skies opened up as lightning and thunder made their presence known.  Bandido hates these times.  We made a hidey hole for him under the bed by temporarily moving two of our clothing containers onto the back corner of the long bed.

By the way, our poor boy is not smiling for the camera in this photo.