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.  

We're Off! Goliad State Park

All Shiny and Ready to Go!

Roger here... We are embarking on our first extended trip since our adventures in the Canadian Rockies!  (This does not include the weeks of celebration in California during our daughter and son-in-law's wedding.)  This time we will be headed east to Florida, then north to New England, then west to Indiana, then north to Wisconsin and Minnesota, then the long trek home to south Texas.  There will be many interesting stops along the way as we visit with family and friends.  Our adventures will last for four months in our new "teensy-weensie trailer" --- her official name.  (Dianne here:  Right before we left, we applied some "Bug-X" to the front of both trailer and car, after hearing it was love bug season in Florida.  That will make it easy to remove the varmints when and if we drive through them).

Our last sunset from Mission TX --- for a while.

Our first stop will be at Goliad State Park.  This historic park is in an iconic area of Texas.  It was both bloody and inspirational, as you will see.

During the four + hour drive, Poquita was entrenched on Dianne's lap.  She gave her lots of lovin' along the way.  Bandido had his own adult seat behind me where he could look out the window.

We will arrive at our campsite soon, but first Dianne has a new continuing feature.  We are calling it --- Dianne's Teensy-Weensie Trailer Tips.  She will continue to post snippets on our blog as long as there is interesting and viable information.  OK, Dianne, the blog is yours :-).

Dianne here:   I had lots of fun organizing our "teensie-weensy" trailer.   One of the first things I found on Amazon was this wall-mounted (stick-on) paper towel holder with upper shelf.   We use the shelf for k-cups for our tiny coffee maker (future "tip").   

Our Campsite....

Dianne snapped a picture of the paddle cactus growing on a dead tree trunk.  Since this park is surrounded  by the San Antonio River, I suspect that the cactus on the floor of the area reproduced in the trees, either via flooding or birds.  It brings to mind a quote from the movie, Jurassic Park --- "life will find a way."

The gigantic campsites in this Texas state park are amazing.  We had a 30/50 amp full-hook-up site.  The site was spacious and quiet.  Dianne was able to utilize her outdoor kitchen (instant pot and George Foreman grill on a roll-out aluminum table) to prepare delicious and healthy meals.  We found space on the outside table for a portable ice maker to keep our drinks cold.  Life is good.

Our first evening meal was Aztec chicken salad a la Dianne.  It did not take long to scarf it down.  So good!  (Dianne here:  I planned "travel day" meals so that we would not need to set up our outside kitchen on travel days.)

The weather was perfect for enjoying a glass (or two) of Bob and Lindas' homemade wine.  We have such good friends!







Mission #1  Espiritu Santo de Zuniga  ...

After a night of quiet relaxation, we had an entire day to explore this center of Texas history.  All of it was accessible by walking trails --- both inside and outside the state park.  Oh, and almost everything was dog friendly. Our first stop was the Mission Espiritu Santo de Zuniga on the park grounds.  This particular site was not dog friendly so Dianne and I took turns exploring the mission and the grounds.

This is a classic southwest Catholic mission.  The white stucco entrance was enhanced by ornate designs and sculpture.

The small room to the left of the entrance was filled with candles and a font with what I presume to be holy water.

The sanctuary was beautiful and classic.

After exploring the sanctuary I exited a side door to explore the walled grounds.  I wondered who lived in the small cubicles behind what were clearly fortifications.  The back entrance of the church looked somewhat menacing.  The skull and crossbones carving over the door was meant to send some kind of message.  What was it?  Maybe someone knows.  I often wonder about the evolution of religion.  The preachings that I accepted growing up were of love, mutual respect and kindness.  The darker images that are often found in old churches do not always mesh with those beliefs in my mind.

We were intrigued by the stone-stacked walls, reconstructed by the Army Corps of Engineers that surrounded the property.  Dianne found an archaeological  display that I missed when I walked through that explained the stonework and colors: 

Downtown Goliad....

From the mission we embarked on a nice hike on a paved trail near the San Antonio River.  The nearby town of Goliad was our destination.  We love walking in the woods, and so do our dogs.

The centerpiece of Goliad is the courthouse.  Texas is known for ornate and architecturally well-designed court houses.  Dianne liked the wind vane at the apex.  She also liked the live oak trees that accented the town square.

The town itself consisted of a square of businesses in authentic buildings.  Walking around we found shops --- Dianne bought an apron.  

We found lunch at the Blue Quail --- cream of jalapeño soup.  (Thanks, Lynn and Stuart for the tip.   It's great to live in an RV community where our friends and neighbors also travel and have recommendations -- D.)

We found ICE CREAM!  We both cheated on our diets and had milkshakes.  This is not really a touristy place even though there are tourists.  The people in the businesses are local, genuine and friendly.  We liked it.

Mission #2 ... The Presidio La Bahia and the Loreto Chapel....

It was time to walk off the ice cream.  We retraced our steps on the "Angel of Goliad" trail.  The trail continued through and past the state park.  We crossed the San Antonio River and arrived at an impressive historical compound.  The Presidio La Bahia and the Loreto Chapel were both surrounded by imposing fortifications.

It was probably a good idea to steer clear of this rifle hole.... as well as the cannon shown below.

I have visited several old fortifications that were constructed to repel invaders.  Many of those were never challenged.  That was not the case here.  This was the scene of brutal battles.  The worst, and most famous, involved the massacre of 342 Texans by General Santa Ana by the forces of Mexico.  

The flags of nine different countries flew over the Presidio, beginning with Spain, then France, and ending with the United States.

The inside of the museum displayed relics from the past.  A fifteen minute video documented all the events that took place at the Presidio La Bahia.   BTW,  our dogs were actually welcomed into the museum and the Presidio.  

After spending some time inside the museum we wandered around inside the fortress.  
The ramp in the photo led to the same battlement and cannon that we had viewed from the outside.

Painted Sculpture at the entrance of the Loreto Chapel

We found the same dichotomy of darkness and love  in the Presidio La Bahia that we observed in our morning visit to the Mission Espiritu Santo de Zuniga in the state park.  The difference was the intensity of the bloody battles and brutal massacres that occurred on this site seemed to make the beauty of the Loreto Chapel even more compelling.

The sanctuary of this active Catholic Church was so calming and spiritual.  The painting behind the alter was inspirational.

The view below from one of the battlements of the Presidio La Bahia gave a great view of our hiking for the day.  The courthouse at Goliad was prominent in the distance.  Much of the space in between included Mission Espiritu Santo De Zuniga and Goliad State Park.

Our day started at our RV spot at Goliad State Park.  We walked a short distance to Espiritu Santo De Zuniga.  We then hiked to Goliad.  We retraced our steps back to the state park and beyond to the Presidio La Bahia.  We returned to our RV site via a state park road.  In all we walked 6.8 miles.  It was a great day.


(Dianne again:   During our hike back to the camp site, we passed under an overpass and found dozens and dozens of barn swallow nests.  The birds were zipping all around us.   This answered our question of why there were no mosquitos here!  The video shows only about one-fourth of the nests that we saw.):

After two nights at Goliad we drove to Weimer, TX (west of Houston) for an overnight stay.  Tomorrow (Saturday), we will drive through Houston and on to Abbeville, Louisiana.  We will be spending three nights there, enjoying Cajun country.

Pet Picture of the Day...

My little Tweetie-Pie -- D.