Travelog - Day 27, Feb.27
We’re on our way to Lafayette, Louisiana. As we meander out to #288 I finally get to see the red ant hills that Kathy had noticed yesterday when she drove me home. They resemble mini pyramids in the middle of the pasture. Apparently the cows know enough to stay away from them as they inflict a very painful bite. My brother-in-law found that out at his RV campsite while he was waxing his trailer.
And speaking of wildlife, yesterday Al saw a small snake about 12” long, black with red & yellow bands – a coral snake as he later learned and extremely poisonous. The dogs apparently didn’t even notice.
We are exit #288 just when the commuter traffic comes to a halt. Contrary to MS S&T, we pick up the Beltway (whata name, eh?), a toll road named after Sam Houston. Two toll booths ($3.50 each) later and a very tall bridge comes into view. The Buffalo Bayou joins another body of water which eventually ends in Galveston Bay and the Gulf. This is quite the harbour for the petroleum industry as evidenced by tankers, white storage tanks, and smoke stacks belching out white clouds of ... At the end of the bridge, yet another toll booth, $4.50 this time. I now understand the concept of 4 axles; it means maximum charge in toll fees.
A few more kilometers and we turn east onto Interstate 10 for the next 370 km. A police car is up ahead with all its flashers blinking. Al moves over to the middle lane along with everyone else before we pass him, now stopped on the shoulder having flagged down a vehicle. I understand that Texas law requires you to move out of the righthand lane in these circumstances.
A section of I-10 is under construction, narrowing down to two lanes with the usual concrete barriers on both sides. With the truck traffic constantly passing us, Al is quite focused in maintaining our equidistance from the the trucks and the concrete. The next section has construction down what was once a grassed boulevard. It is now filled with concrete to the top of the portable concrete barriers. We’re back to three lanes on our side with two-lane side roads on both sides. I figure there must be loads of employment opportunities in the highway construction industry in Texas.
This highway is driving me nuts. Lumpity lump all the way. It has got to be the worst section of highway we have experienced so far. As we crest a bridge over the Shrine River, we enter the state of Louisiana. Our first car wreck on the side of the road, no front wheels and what is showing is very rusty. The cell phone rings – Colin is calling from Montreal, our conversation abruptly ended when we loose the signal. Finally we stop at the visitor centre to pick up some brochures: a pottery on a working rice farm which is close to our campsite (picture of an elephant soap dispenser makes me laugh)
We’ve all heard of and use Tobasco Pepper Sauce. Well apparently it’s made on Avery Island and a tour of the factory as well as jungle gardens is possible.
I didn’t think the highway could get any worse, but it has. Road crews are laying asphalt on an additional 4 lanes. Giant steamshovels move dirt. Thank goodness! A section has been repaired. I rejoice too soon. 140 km to the campsite.
Massive petrochemical factory on the left, riverboat casinos to the right and we begin a long, slow climb up a bridge over Lake Charles that doesn’t have an arch, but a very sharp point at which the roadway levels off for a brief moment before descending. The driver is not happy saying “I’m not enjoying this”. We’re back on level ground where the road is even worse – a big thump at the each join in the concrete. The sensation is close to driving our 16’ alminum boat at top speed over the waves.
You may wonder how I can type in these circumstances. With my wrists jambed into the keyboard typing one or two words then pressing the ESC key to get the cursor back. I hate to think of what is going on in the trailer. Surprisingly all this action doesn’t appear to bother the dogs – thank goodness.
Finally some respite as the road has been resurfaced. I declare that I will never drive this highway again. The alternative is not so good - #14 to the south would probably double the mileage, but then I wouldn’t come close to up-chucking. Thinking this I remember I used to have to travel in the front passenger seat of my parents’ car, otherwise I got car sick. My mother used to be so annoyed when she had to sit in the back and she hated that. Even today when I have both parents in my car, my mother insists on sitting in the front because “that’s where I belong” she declares.
We’ve just sighted our first rice field or should I say rice paddy. After sighting many of these, we turn north and arrive at the Bayou RV campground. A large, brick private residence is right in front of me, a tall tree with Spanish moss gracing its driveway entrance. The awning will have to come out as there is no shade for the campsites. A large grassy area follows the road. The grounds are nicely grassed with tall leafless trees, pampas grass clumps, palms and other bushes. Looks very nice and inviting.
We set up camp. My rejoicing at our improved skill in doing so is short-lived. Let’s see, in no particular order. Before leaving our previous campsite I had dumped the dishpan of soapy water in the toilet. Of course I neglect to ‘flush’ it. After all those miles of bumpy roads, the toilet has sloshed quite a lot of water about & inevitably onto the bathroom floor. The Gods are with me on this occassion as for some reason I have left a hand towel on the floor near the toilet which soaks up the overflow. But hey! listen up you trailer users. I have just invented a new way to clean the very awkward underside of the toilet seat with all this jostling. Perhaps I can patent this method, sort of like the bubble whatever that cleans the shower.
What is next? Oh yes, in disconnecting the trailer, I spot where Al has not fasetened the clip on one end of stabilizer tension bar properly – clip missed the important hole. NO big deal as it turns out. I then disable the stabilizer bar without removing its clip which bends appropriately and is now unuseable! Add that to the list of replacements. Are you trailer folks totally bent over with laughter? OK I can handle it, but I don’t want to hear about it! Next year we will be SO much better. Then I think, we will eventually be in the same campground as my brother-in-law. Our ‘repairs’ will surely provide sufficient diversion for these fellows, meaning Jacky & I can go shopping or whatever. Sounds good to me.
Lest I forget, I need to mention one other occurrence. I decide the dogs need a walk before dinner. So off we go, me being very clever in putting Gypsy on a longer lead. After taking a big leap, I am left with a burn – ouch! I add the soft lead to the handle and off we go. Leila is attached to a shorter lead and gives me no problem as I let her loose. She heads for the ‘lake’ (read small marshy pond). I’m lucky that she responds to my ‘no’ and returns immediately. However she disappears into a tall tall pampas grass clump. When we get back to the trailer, guess what she has on her collar and neck. Well, I now appreciate the exta shower capability on the outside of the trailer. The ground is now sodden with water, but Leila has had a shampoo around her neckline. And all is forgiven. Well her collar is still soaking in the sink.
“Tis time to retire in preparation for another adventure tomorrow.
And speaking of wildlife, yesterday Al saw a small snake about 12” long, black with red & yellow bands – a coral snake as he later learned and extremely poisonous. The dogs apparently didn’t even notice.
We are exit #288 just when the commuter traffic comes to a halt. Contrary to MS S&T, we pick up the Beltway (whata name, eh?), a toll road named after Sam Houston. Two toll booths ($3.50 each) later and a very tall bridge comes into view. The Buffalo Bayou joins another body of water which eventually ends in Galveston Bay and the Gulf. This is quite the harbour for the petroleum industry as evidenced by tankers, white storage tanks, and smoke stacks belching out white clouds of ... At the end of the bridge, yet another toll booth, $4.50 this time. I now understand the concept of 4 axles; it means maximum charge in toll fees.
A few more kilometers and we turn east onto Interstate 10 for the next 370 km. A police car is up ahead with all its flashers blinking. Al moves over to the middle lane along with everyone else before we pass him, now stopped on the shoulder having flagged down a vehicle. I understand that Texas law requires you to move out of the righthand lane in these circumstances.
A section of I-10 is under construction, narrowing down to two lanes with the usual concrete barriers on both sides. With the truck traffic constantly passing us, Al is quite focused in maintaining our equidistance from the the trucks and the concrete. The next section has construction down what was once a grassed boulevard. It is now filled with concrete to the top of the portable concrete barriers. We’re back to three lanes on our side with two-lane side roads on both sides. I figure there must be loads of employment opportunities in the highway construction industry in Texas.
This highway is driving me nuts. Lumpity lump all the way. It has got to be the worst section of highway we have experienced so far. As we crest a bridge over the Shrine River, we enter the state of Louisiana. Our first car wreck on the side of the road, no front wheels and what is showing is very rusty. The cell phone rings – Colin is calling from Montreal, our conversation abruptly ended when we loose the signal. Finally we stop at the visitor centre to pick up some brochures: a pottery on a working rice farm which is close to our campsite (picture of an elephant soap dispenser makes me laugh)
We’ve all heard of and use Tobasco Pepper Sauce. Well apparently it’s made on Avery Island and a tour of the factory as well as jungle gardens is possible.
I didn’t think the highway could get any worse, but it has. Road crews are laying asphalt on an additional 4 lanes. Giant steamshovels move dirt. Thank goodness! A section has been repaired. I rejoice too soon. 140 km to the campsite.
Massive petrochemical factory on the left, riverboat casinos to the right and we begin a long, slow climb up a bridge over Lake Charles that doesn’t have an arch, but a very sharp point at which the roadway levels off for a brief moment before descending. The driver is not happy saying “I’m not enjoying this”. We’re back on level ground where the road is even worse – a big thump at the each join in the concrete. The sensation is close to driving our 16’ alminum boat at top speed over the waves.
You may wonder how I can type in these circumstances. With my wrists jambed into the keyboard typing one or two words then pressing the ESC key to get the cursor back. I hate to think of what is going on in the trailer. Surprisingly all this action doesn’t appear to bother the dogs – thank goodness.
Finally some respite as the road has been resurfaced. I declare that I will never drive this highway again. The alternative is not so good - #14 to the south would probably double the mileage, but then I wouldn’t come close to up-chucking. Thinking this I remember I used to have to travel in the front passenger seat of my parents’ car, otherwise I got car sick. My mother used to be so annoyed when she had to sit in the back and she hated that. Even today when I have both parents in my car, my mother insists on sitting in the front because “that’s where I belong” she declares.
We’ve just sighted our first rice field or should I say rice paddy. After sighting many of these, we turn north and arrive at the Bayou RV campground. A large, brick private residence is right in front of me, a tall tree with Spanish moss gracing its driveway entrance. The awning will have to come out as there is no shade for the campsites. A large grassy area follows the road. The grounds are nicely grassed with tall leafless trees, pampas grass clumps, palms and other bushes. Looks very nice and inviting.
We set up camp. My rejoicing at our improved skill in doing so is short-lived. Let’s see, in no particular order. Before leaving our previous campsite I had dumped the dishpan of soapy water in the toilet. Of course I neglect to ‘flush’ it. After all those miles of bumpy roads, the toilet has sloshed quite a lot of water about & inevitably onto the bathroom floor. The Gods are with me on this occassion as for some reason I have left a hand towel on the floor near the toilet which soaks up the overflow. But hey! listen up you trailer users. I have just invented a new way to clean the very awkward underside of the toilet seat with all this jostling. Perhaps I can patent this method, sort of like the bubble whatever that cleans the shower.
What is next? Oh yes, in disconnecting the trailer, I spot where Al has not fasetened the clip on one end of stabilizer tension bar properly – clip missed the important hole. NO big deal as it turns out. I then disable the stabilizer bar without removing its clip which bends appropriately and is now unuseable! Add that to the list of replacements. Are you trailer folks totally bent over with laughter? OK I can handle it, but I don’t want to hear about it! Next year we will be SO much better. Then I think, we will eventually be in the same campground as my brother-in-law. Our ‘repairs’ will surely provide sufficient diversion for these fellows, meaning Jacky & I can go shopping or whatever. Sounds good to me.
Lest I forget, I need to mention one other occurrence. I decide the dogs need a walk before dinner. So off we go, me being very clever in putting Gypsy on a longer lead. After taking a big leap, I am left with a burn – ouch! I add the soft lead to the handle and off we go. Leila is attached to a shorter lead and gives me no problem as I let her loose. She heads for the ‘lake’ (read small marshy pond). I’m lucky that she responds to my ‘no’ and returns immediately. However she disappears into a tall tall pampas grass clump. When we get back to the trailer, guess what she has on her collar and neck. Well, I now appreciate the exta shower capability on the outside of the trailer. The ground is now sodden with water, but Leila has had a shampoo around her neckline. And all is forgiven. Well her collar is still soaking in the sink.
“Tis time to retire in preparation for another adventure tomorrow.
posted by Pat @ 9:39 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home