Saturday, March 13 - Day 3
Amelia Island, FL to Buccaneer State Park - Waveland, MS
Well, I knew that today would be a day of Interstate driving, the longest stretch of uninterrupted cruising on concrete on my drive West. About 500 miles out of 548. It was OK, especially for some "almost scenic" miles along the Osceola National Forest in Florida. Also, there are very few billboards along I-10 and that helps. Was on the road for 9 1/2 hours.
Bought gasoline in Florida for $.979 per gallon. Alabama prices are already back up to over $1. Mississippi seems to be just below $1. Averaged 19.2 miles to the gallon.
The scenic stretch was supposed to be the Mississippi gold coast, The Hospitality Highway, US 90. Well, unless you find gambling casinos and tacky motels "scenic", don't bother making the detour off I-10. The only pretty stretch is through the village of Pas Christian, and a stretch of beach road to my stop for the night, Buccaneer State Park in Waveland, MS.
Buccaneer is a fairly nice park, the sites are a bit too close together for my liking, but they are paved and level and include water, electricity, and sewer. Cost for my camper, after discount for grey hair = $10. They do not have modem hook-up capability in the office. The state park includes a water park, should be fun for kids. The Gulf beach is nearby, close enough for bicycling, but too far for children to walk to. The bathhouse has very nice showers, is clean, and heated. The only real drawback is that a railroad track is quite close to the back of the park -- unless you enjoy the sound of the train whistle, it could be bothersome.
The weather started out well enough with clear blue skies at my 7:45 AM departure. Temp had climbed from 59F to 72F by the time I passed the Pensacola exits. Next came rapid deterioration: rain, thunderstorms, tornado warnings. But the temperature stayed in the sixties. I set up in the rain (which means I didn't bother with hook-ups, just parked, turned on the propane, and popped the roof) and eventually the rain stopped.
Sunday, March 14 - Day 4
Waveland, MS to Sam Houston Jones State Park - Lake Charles, LA
Woke up shortly before 6 AM -- I guess it was the whistle of the first train of the day. Sky solidly overcast, outside temperature (and also the low for the night) was 48F. After a good breakfast was on the road by 7:45 AM. Continued on US 90 for a while, then picked up I-10 across Lake Pontchartrain (cold and windy). Jumped on I-310 out of New Orleans, which is fairly new and a comfortable alternative to the Huey P. Long bridge that had been white knuckle driving for me on business trips to Houma many years ago. I-310 turned into US 90 and it would have been a pretty drive to Houma, if the skies had been blue, and if previous motorists hadn't been under the impression that the best way to grow wildflowers along the highways is to fertilize with beer cans and fast food wrappers.
Out of Houma US 90 follows Bayou Black for a while and then crosses Bayou Boeuf shortly before Morgan City. Followed the signs for LA 182, a side road to US 90. US 90 wasn't much of an improvement over I-10, but LA 182 took me through some pretty little towns. Unfortunately, the moss-covered cypress trees, the occasional antebellum mansion, and the small, but very attractive historic district of Franklin were vastly overshadowed by dilapidated shacks, rusty trailers, junked cars and equipment, roadside litter, and billboards large and small. I'm at a loss to explain how this accumulation of man-made ugliness would have come to be designated a "Louisiana Scenic Byway," or earned green dots in Rand McNally's Road Atlas, or be included in the National Geographic's Guide to Scenic Highways and Byways. Perhaps it is because the only alternatives are I-10 or US 90? I hope some legal beagle will file a class action suit to punish those who misuse the word "scenic."
Anyway, hopped back on to I-10 at Lafayette for the 70 or so miles to Lake Charles. Found my way to Sam Houston Jones State Park and into a reasonably nice spot.
The campground was quite full - I hadn't expected that on a Sunday. But it makes sense. My fellow campers aren't the pop-up trailer or tent crowd that one finds in state parks in the summer. I am surrounded by huge trailers, fifth wheels, and class A homes! Snowbirds. I'd guess that the average rig value (excluding mine) is well in excess of $100,000. With 60+ sites, that means some $6 million+ had come together! Even 'though I had no need to hook up, I nevertheless made both water and electrical connections so that my neighbors wouldn't think of me as lowering the standards of the neighborhood. The park is not modem-friendly.
When I registered the ranger asked to see my Golden Age pass, even 'though this is a state and not a federal facility. Got the site at half price, $6.00. For a $6.00 discount I gladly admitted to the sort-of-pretty ranger that I've had my 62 birthday.
Bought gasoline in Louisiana for 97.9 cents. Got 18 miles to the gallon on the last tank. Drove 317 miles today and was on the road for about 7 hours. The sun came out about 3 PM, but the temperature hasn't climbed above 50F. So instead of grilling outdoors I'll heat up some soup tonight and stay indoors.
Monday, March 15 - Day 5
Lake Charles, LA to Beacon RV Park-Rockport, TX
Woke up at 6 AM. Outside temp was 39F with clear skies. Was on the road by 8 AM and spent the day exploring roads less traveled. Found some really pretty ones.
Followed LA 385, LA 384, and LA 27 to the little bayou town of Creole, LA, listening to Cajun blues on the radio all the way. Drove past the Cameron National Wildlife Refuge and lots of coastal oaks and cedars. The roads were somewhat narrow but wide enough for an RV, very little traffic, and hardly any roadside litter. From Creole took LA 82 to Cameron and Holly Beach. A pretty drive along the shore. LA 82 turned into TX 87 at Port Arthur. It was closed from Port Arthur to halfway to Galveston. Following the detour signs I ultimately ended up in Galveston. This city has managed to avoid the beachfront tackiness of the Florida panhandle and the Mississippi Gold Coast. Liked the coastal road well enough to stay on it all the way to its end at Surfside Beach. Then found my way to TX Farm Road 521. 521 truly is a road less traveled, definitely worthwhile. It crosses the Brazos river near a town and in a county both named "Brazoria" - has a certain ring to it, doesn't it? It also crosses the Colorado river and ultimately connects with TX 35 - which isn't an ugly highway, either.
Had my first encounter with "The Law". The sheriff pulled me over, said he was a bit concerned about my driving since I kept drifting to the right side of the road. He thought that with NJ plates and all, I might be too tired to drive. Assured him that a 6' 8" high vehicle was not impervious to the strong winds coming off the Gulf. He wished me godspeed after inquiring whether all New Jersey people had an accent like mine. I assured him that very few New Jersians talked as if they were German immigrants.
Made it to the Goose Island State Park near Rockport, TX by about 5 PM. For only the third time in 40+ nights on the road, couldn't get into the campground of my choice. This must be Spring vacation time in Texas. Found a commercial campground not far away, with the hated parking lot stacking of RVs. But the CG did have a heated shower, which I enjoyed thoroughly. $17.00 for the night, including full hook-ups. The Beacon CG is not modem friendly.
Drove 396 miles, was on the road for 10 hours. Bought gasoline for 85.9 cents/gallon and averaged 17 mpg on the last tank. The temperature climbed from 39F to 69F and it was beautifully sunny all day. All in all, despite the CG disappointment, a fun day.
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