Mon, Jun 13, 2011

Monday, June 13, 2011

As we return home from a road trip there are always unusual things we saw I wish I had taken a photo of.  Odd signs or places is one of them.  Is it just me or would it bother you to hike in Cannibal Canyon? – Donna Downey

We woke up this morning ready to leave Tyler, make the short drive to Interstate 20 and then the long drive home.  We had a quick breakfast in the motel, grabbed a cup of coffee and headed out the door to the Jeep.  We pulled out of the driveway and I entered the route to the interstate in the navigation unit.  Then we made the mistake of putting the windows down and we started talking about various towns nearby and then somehow we ended up with a totally different route… one that would take us to Port Arthur via the tallest bridge in Texas;  a ferry ride and then along the Creole Nature Trail drive on the coast of Louisiana before ending the day in Lafayette, LA.

The drive along the Louisiana coast we took today is the area that was devastated by Hurricane Rita in 2006.  There were still numerous signs of the damage and long sections of remote beach that was still littered with debris, many empty concrete slabs, some still surrounded by huge live oak trees but also many homes that had been rebuilt. And the scenery along the miles and miles of wildlife refuge and marshes was beautiful again. 

It is just impossible for us to take a direct route anywhere especially if it involves traveling on an Interstate.   The early morning was comfortable and we got away with riding windows down again until lunch.  A real treat was when we made the turn along the coast of Texas and into Louisiana the temperature had dropped from 100 to 90 and there was a nice ocean breeze as well.  So it was windows down for the rest of the afternoon until we turned north toward Lafayette and the temperatures began to climb immediately. 

We have a very nice room in a Holiday Inn Conference Center just a jump away from Interstate 10 but very secluded with lots of trees all around the property.  A little oasis tucked away from the traffic and noise.    

After some delicious sausage and chicken gumbo for supper my entire crew has crashed and left me to detail the day.  I think I will join them now… their snoring is distracting!

It was another good day on the road and we are well tonight.  We hope that y’all are too.

Peace, Hope & Love,

Donna, Charles, Paris & Dodger