Camp Bayou Signette State Park

Bayou Segnette State Park  Louisiana

Such a lovely name. So romantic and French.  I have been to New Orleans one time at a convention. This is a first for Ed.  We blew through Alabama, Mississippi and into Louisiana  Put some states on The Lark for sure. 

We have been in the Mississippi Sound and the coastal bayou for two months.  We have heard cajun music, boiled shrimp and decided catching blue crabs was more fun than all the work to cook and eat them.  Only a few times could I not understand what a native was saying to me.

And we have acclimated to island time.

Considering the number of mosquito  bites, I surely have zika virus. Ed has crossed paths with a water moccasin and I’ve grown weary of alligators.  Alligators are like old forts. Seen one, seen them all.  We have had the joy of seeing spring burst forth and the birds have not disappointed. 

Cle is calling and we did have a plan to start heading north, well at least Northwest to Natchez, Miss.  That changed when we met a delightful couple known as RavenandChickadee.com.  How could you not love an Eric and Laurel who have such an alias. They are from Oregon and have been full-timers for three years. Yes, that means they rented their house, packed their belongings and have been living in a RV trailer, a very nice one, for much of the past 36 months.

We shared the same camp on Dauphin Island, as they had visited her folks in Apalachacola, Fl and were heading back west. 

They are also birders, which also makes them very good people. 

 Their plan was revisiting New Orleans for 5 days and a Jazz Festival.  It was over wine and dinner we decided to follow them to New Orleans and attend the festival and other good things.

I am really hoping we did not invite ourselves…too much wine, perhaps.  Anyway we set out to meet in Bayou Segnette State Park. They had some errands to do and we just rewrote our trip back north.  

Raven and Chickdee's Rig   A beautiful Arctic Fox  

We put in an hour on Rt10 West  with the semi-trucks and traffic and cut off onto the beach road near Biloxi, Miss.  So glad we did.  A beautiful coast with a haunting past. We noted so much RE for sale on empty lots facing the Gulf.  Then began to realize this was Katrina territory just over 10 years ago.  So much land with all signs of history and habitation gone.  Some beat up old Live Oak trees and RE for sale signs.  All facing a beautiful white sand coast line, beach going on forever.

When I saw the sign for “Pass Christian” I remembered the stories of Katrina on the news.

So sad, but rebuilding hotels and some marinas has happened.  As we got closer to New Orleans we drove through a Wildlife Refuge and a very strange cement bulwark. What in the world? Ed nailed it as a new gate in a dike, made to close and seal up the road if necessary.  Very scary thought.

We approached the camp ground to go through what appeared to be a prison entrance, which gave way to thoughts of local wild people.  The camp road ran along a dike with each expansion numbered.  Thinking you always hear about such and such number dike being watched. Ed wanted to know if we were on the good side or bad side.  If water is coming over…neither side would be a good side.

So, presume we are below sea level….the adventure continues.

Time to join our friends with a glass of wine.