Our Trip West - Tickfaw, Louisiana

Tickfaw, our first stopover in Louisiana, is a ways off the beaten path, and the scenery outside the park had us a little worried.

This recycle center, which was in some poor soul's front yard, greeted us on our way in to Tickfaw.

Once we got inside the park, the campground, restrooms, and nature center are beautiful, the weather was perfect and the park quiet. We didn’t see much in the way of wildlife or even birds, but violets were popping up around our campsite – always a welcome addition. 

This 6-8 inch nest? was in the back of our campsite. Any idea what it is?

This little river flowed through the park

We arrived at Tickfaw Monday afternoon and after we got set up, drove to Ponchatoula to grab some groceries and ice, then went back to camp to get dinner. Tuesday, Alex and Deepa came out and spent the day with us – it was great to see them again and was as though it was last week rather than six years ago that we saw them last. 

Deepa, Dickens, and Alex

Deepa brought Chicken Biryani, some wonderfully spicy beans, and Shira, a dessert made from semolina, nuts, sugar, milk, clarified butter, and cardamom powder. They were all awesome!  

River in Pierre Part, LA

On Wednesday, we drove down to Pierre Part, home of Troy Landry, one of the alligator hunters on “Swamp People”. We had a great time! I got a pic of Rich in front of the Pierre Part post office; we went to the Pierre Part Store and wandered around there for a while. 

They have all sorts of stuff – more different fish cookers, propane grills, huge (up to 160 quarts) boiling pots, hardware, lots of comfy outdoor chairs and swings, a florist shop, home décor, and a grocery store where we picked up some crayfish boudin (boo dahn', with a really soft "n") from the deli, which is a traditional Cajun sausage made of pork and rice and whatever else might be in the fridge. It was so good we went back and got some uncooked that we’ve put in the freezer. We’ll cook some of it one morning like we do chorizo – take it out of the casing, fry it, scramble some eggs, mix them together and put it all on a tortilla. The chorizo is great that way and I’ll bet the boudin will be as well.

We stopped at Landry’s Seafood Restaurant and split several appetizers for lunch. We’re still trying to decide which was best: shrimp po’ boy, gumbo, frog legs, gator tail, fried okra, crayfish kickers (kind of like hushpuppies on steroids). We’ll have to return sometime and try again.

We spent Thursday in camp, doing laundry, wandering around the nature center, 

Inside the nature center

More nature center

Our site

Our "kitchen"

and getting things ship-shape for our move on Friday when we go to Ajax Country Livin’ RV Park in Ajax, LA.

Our Trip West - Alabama

Chickasabogue County RV Park, Mobile, AL

March 8-11, 2013

Pretty building in Mobile

Mobile skyline

Our trip to Mobile was blessedly uneventful, but as we neared the park, the scenery began to get very rough.  The park had 24 hour security, with security guards going through the campground every hour, and most of the campers looked pretty skeezy. There weren’t very many people there and there was only one other occupied site that had a clean RV that looked as though it could travel.  We were definitely skittish, but nothing happened, so guess we were just being paranoid. The facilities there were very tired: the restrooms near our site were kind of skanky – one stall with a toilet and three for showers. There were no shower curtains in the showers to keep from getting your clothes wet when the shower was turned on, rusty faucets, and just yuck in general. There was a second restroom a little way away, but I didn’t bother to check it out.  Rich said it was better.  The folks there didn’t bother to keep their dogs on leashes, much less clean up after them, and there were parts of hot dog buns, chicken bones, and all sorts of other stuff around. If you can get beyond the skeezy feel to the place, the actual landscape is pretty.  There is Maher State on the water in Mobile Bay that we’ll look into staying at the next time we’re there, but it is pretty busy, really pricy and it is hard to get reservations, unless you make them well in advance.

Entrance to Chickasabogue County Campground

Saturday morning we headed off to see the USS Alabama. The web site suggested we expect to take two hours going through it, the submarine, and the planes in the museum. We spent about 5 hours and Rich is ready to go back. As I often do, I'm torn between awe of the power of the ship and sadness because of use. The ship was enormous – 680 feet long. Think more than two football fields or half as long as the Empire State Building is tall. Armed with nine 16-inch guns in three turrets, 20 5-inch .38 caliber guns in 10 twin mounts, the Alabama can fire shells as heavy as a small car accurately for more than 20 miles. Her four propellers each weigh more than 18 tons and with 7,000 tons of fuel, could travel about 15,000 nautical miles without refueling.  

Our first view of the USS Alabama as we pulled into the parking lot of the Memorial

The big mixer in the bakery aboard the USS Alabama

The crew's mess. On the other side of this counter are the workings for one of the 16 inch gun turrets. The wall is two feet thick. I'm not sure that would have saved you if a gun exploded, though...

Rich by the "beds". Boy, do I LOVE our sleep number bed!

Rich in the brig - his past finally caught up with him :)

Barber Shop aboard the USS Alabama

5 inch gun powder canisters

16 inch gun firing room equipment

Beneath the 16 inch gun turret - about 4 decks below the main deck. Notice Rich toward the top of the photo. I was standing across the turret from him when I took the picture. This place is huge. And a bit creepy!

Radio Room

Chapel aboard the USS Alabama

From the bow of the USS Alabama looking at the 16 inch guns

The massive anchor chain on the USS Alabama

Rich in front of the 16 inch gun turret

Twin 5 inch gun turret (You can see them in a distance in the photo of Rich standing in front of the 16 inch turrets)

Breech inside the turret of the 16 inch gun (bottom center)

From seven decks above the main deck. Notice the black Chrysler mini-van on the main deck.

The planes in the museum were interesting, although the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola is the place to go if you want to see a lot of wonderful old planes.

At the airplane museum, USS Alabama Memorial: An A-12 plane, which is the precursor to the blackbird. Awesome.

The A-12 from the front.. This plane is 102 feet long!

The USS Drum was mind-boggling and I can’t believe it carried a crew of 72 men – it’s crowded with a half-dozen folks! There was so much stuffed in such a small space and so many instruments to keep track of – all tucked into such small, awkward places.

USS Drum

Dials, gauges, and all sorts of important looking things

The depth gauge

Itty Bitty hatch. Rich is bending over in order to look back at me. The bottom of the hatch is knee-high on Rich. You have to be a contortionist to serve on board one of these things!

Tight quarters. The deck I measured with my foot in the following photo is in this photo.

I'm standing with my foot across the walkway. As you can see, it's only about half an inch wider than my foot is long.

More Gauges

About half of the panel of engine controls for the sub

Sleeping on top of the torpedoes

Torpedo Room on the USS Drum

All-in-all, the USS Alabama Memorial Park was a wonderful experience and well worth the time.

The Beginning of Our Trip West – Falling Waters State Park, Chipley, FL

March 4, 2013; 10:11 AM; Mileage 33,410

We had been working relentlessly for the last several weeks, getting the house ready for our house sitter – cleaning, waxing, moving some of our things out to the workshop so she has room for her things. Thank heaven that’s done!

Rich needed one last Flying Biscuit fix. After we ate, we went back to the house, hooked up, and hit the road. Can’t believe it is finally happening – we’ve been planning for this more than ten years!

Our first is Falling Waters State Park in Chipley, FL where we will see Rick. On the way, Rich reminded me it was March 4 – 27 years ago today we met on a blind date! Champagne time J Strangely enough, we were to have met on March 3, but were both sick so postponed it a day. We were supposed to leave on this trip on March 1 but had to change our plans unexpectedly to leave on Monday which was March 4. Between the date thing coupled with the call from our accountant telling us we were getting money back (we had worried that we’d have to pay) we took as an open that the trip was meant to be.

Rich on the boardwalk to the waterfall

Falling Waters was much better this time than in July – nice and cool (cold several nights), not so crowded, and we had a better site. There is a little lake a fifteen minute hike away from camp which has swimming and fishing (and a parking lot) then another twenty minute hike to the 73 foot waterfall.  We were lucky the weather had cooperated this season and there was a good flow of water. Rick and Sam had ben here during the summer and it was dry.

One of the campers was a single woman in a class C who has been full-timing for two years with her two dogs. Another site had two women, four dogs (2 Newfoundland’s, a harlequin Dane, and another one that looks like a partially shaved Labradoodle. Can’t imagine what kind of vehicle they have! Two sites across from us and the one to our left were home to a group of college students and their geology teacher up from Orlando. 

Rick drove up from Panama City Beach and spent a great day with us. We fished, hiked to the waterfall, and had lunch of our homemade smoked kielbasa. I was sad to see the day end. -

 

Rick across the lake releasing the bass he caught

The native azaleas were just beginning to bloom

Rich and Judy at the falls

Rick and Judy at the falls

The last day we were there, we came back from doing some errands to a controlled burn around the campground. Luckily, they put out any smoldering areas near our site so I wasn’t too bothered with smoke.

Controlled burn at the campground

The next morning (Friday) we’re off to Mobile and Chickasabogue County Campground for three nights. We’ll go to see the USS Alabama while we’re there.