Zapps & Beer. Life is Good.

Hanging out at Poche's.

The crawfish etouffee? Oh my, Oh my.

Heading down to Abbeville for oysters.

Will the Driver beat his 7-dozen-in-one-sitting record?

Let the games begin.

Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR

Crossbill

Refuge Trail

Duke napping.

 

Bayou Castille

True View. Drizzle, far away, no contrast, no tripod. Phft.

Looking forward to going back for a proper visit.

Until then, I leave with you a fond memory.

Shepard State Park, Gautier Mississippi

We needed a campground located near the Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR.

Shepard State Park offers water and 50 amp service, but no sewer hook up. It fit the bill nicely for a quick stop-over and is quite a bargain.

Our site was less than flat, with a steep drop off on the passenger side. It took a bit of finagling to attain level.

Site #24  gave us the most privacy we had anywhere on our trip. Campground layout is very generously spaced and heavily wooded.

The surrounding area is lovely, with plenty of walking trails and biking opportunities.

The upkeep here is not the greatest, and there are a number of sites occupied by people who are obviously down on their luck and living here full time, in some cases with entire families.

It is a sad thing to see. If you are disturbed by poverty, this might not be a good choice of campgrounds.

We will stay here again when we come back to do a proper visit of the refuge. All this Park needs is a little TLC.

I-10 Tunnel Mobile, Alabama

The George Wallace Tunnel that passes beneath the Mobile River gave us a moment of pause when we heard (from someone?) that a Foretravel Coach was seen stuck nose-first, too tall to fit!

A bit of research was all it took to discover the passage is safe and easy. The smushed rig story may have been fiction or perhaps another smaller tunnel.

 

 

Stay on I-10 and you are good to go in both directions, but use caution and slow way down on the westward side. The lanes are at a mean, steep curve upon exiting the tunnel.

Topsail Treasures

The trail system at Topsail will keep you delightfully busy for two weeks.

 

The Campbell Lake Bike Trail is a paved, very easy and enjoyable 3 miles that takes you to unpaved walking trails of varied length.

The Deer Track Trail, although only 1.5 miles, is a butt-kicker.

 

Please stay off the dunes or this guy will get mad.

 

Deep, soft sand makes the going tough. The payoff is beach access, some coastal birds and total solitude.

Park rangers patrol the paths, probably checking on geezers who underestimate the intensity of the hike.

 

The brackish freshwater ponds are rare and lovely.

 

There are loads of jewel-like Sundews along the lake edges. Tiny explosions of carnivorous delight. Trod carefully!

 

Beware of snakes, alligators and bear. There were virtually no bugs at this time of the year, but it’s probably pretty bad when things warm up.

 

The Deer Track Trail is wonderful. Tomorrow we’ll hike the Morris and Old Growth Trails.

 

 

Beauregard just experienced his first severe downpour. No leaks to report! Yay.

Still haven’t unpacked the big camera.

If it’s sunny (as predicted) tomorrow we’ll head back to the Sundews with a camera that works better than my busted P&S.

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park

An idyllic spot where sparkling crystal water meets dazzling snow white sands, Topsail Hill Preserve State Park at Santa Rosa Beach Florida is the prettiest state park we’ve ever seen. Bike paths abound. This place is a bicycle paradise.

 

The Gregory E. Moore RV Resort is delightful, even though we are “stuck” in what is most likely the worst of the pull-thru sites. If you choose carefully, there are lovely sites to be had.

The beach is gorgeous, surrounded by a fascinating long-leaf pine and palmetto ecosystem. I saw my first Eastern Towhee this morning, a lovely little bird.

If and when it rains, more description and pictures will follow, as time allows. Note to the E’s: VERY nice cabins for visiting relatives.

 

Beauregard is all tucked in, so the boys head out on a walk. Duke has been the perfect little gentleman, which is more than I can say for many other snarly little dogs around here.

Dogs are not allowed on the beach at any of the Florida state parks, which is not a bad idea. The ecosystem needs all the protection it can get.

 

Nice back-in sites.

Bring padded bike shorts. Your butt will thank you. Reckon we biked over 15 miles the last two days. It feels great to get the required muscles back into shape.

 

Overcast, but still quite lovely.

Off for another bike ride. Stay tuned!

Lakeside RV Park, Livingston Louisiana

Looking for a very easy overnight stop east of Baton Rouge and close to New Orleans?

Lakeside RV Park is full hook-up and just minutes off I-12 at Livingston, Exit 22.

The sites are arranged around a pretty little 18 acre lake.

The park is dog friendly and the staff is terrific. They have a number of larger sites arranged nicely so you don’t need to unhook your Toad.

There is a Camping World and a Dixie RV Superstore nearby.

The Park is dark, quiet and pleasant and we would stay there again.