So, Chelsea, Krista, and I decieded to plan an epic 'last hoorah' to embark upon before, Chelsea, left for Africa to join the Peace Corps, and who better else to plan an adventure than Chelsea and I? The trip was inspired by The Princess and the Frog, "if ya wanna do some livin before ya dieee, do it down in New Orleans". None of us had ever been to the south before, and what better place to start than New Orleans; famous for its distinct vibrant culture, and local pride! We did our research and mapped out everything that we wanted to see/do into an 18-page itinerary determined to accomplish everything on our list. This is an account of a dirty south road-trip...
***May 26, 2010***
We packed up the car very tightly and strategically, arranging important items (i.e. food) in easily accessible places; packed to the brim, we hit the road for a road-trip of a lifetime. Upon arriving in Arkansas we hoped on over to Arkansas 7 Highway for our first scenic drive. We stopped in Harrison, AR at Mystic Caverns where we toured a vertical mountain cave, called "Crystal Cove". What an awesome kick off to our adventure; our tour guide was very informative and kept the humor rolling. Back in the car, we continued south down windy Arkansas 7, anyone who writes off visiting Arkansas is a moron, its absolutly beautiful. we passed the Buffalo National River, famous for canoeing and float trips, then pulled over in Jasper for a picnic dinner. We sat overlooking the vibrant blue, and green Ozark mountains. On the menu we had homeade pasta that Chelsea made us the night before, salad with my homeade honey mustard dressing, strawberries, and Chelseas famous "special" german chocloate cupacakes. Back in the car, we continued on our way - next stop Alum Cove Natural Bridge, a fascinating 130-foot-long rock span. little did we know that this natural bridge was hidden deep in the woods, but we trekked our way down the rocky path until we came across the bridge, not what I was expecting but cool none the less. A wasp decided to show Chels who was boss by stinging her in the foot, she was not happy, yelling at it saying "what the fuck wasp!" Thankfully, Krista saved the day with her first aide kit, and we were back on our way. we passed an old hillbilly trading post called Booger Hollow, where a sign announced "Population 7, count'en one coon dog". Twisting and turning our way through the beautiful Ozark, and Ouachita Mountains/forests we finally came to our destination for the night, Gulpha Gorge Campground in Hotsprings. Krista had our tent set up in no time, and we dozed off to the sound of the flowing river behind us.
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At Mystic Caverns in Harrison, AR
We stopped for gas and found some real Arkansans; heres one |
Picnic dinner overlooking the Ozark Mountains in Jasper, AR
at Alum Cove Natural Bridge
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| Ouachita Mountains |
***May 27, 2010***
We woke up with a very southern Mississippian family in the campsite next to us. The mother and former "booger hollerian" Jamilla, took it upon herself to inform us of ALL the things we needed to see in Louisiana, since she currently lives there. Little did she know, we had an itinerary the size of a novel. If you know Chelsea, you would know that she was not too fond of Jamilla and her family; and of course she did not mind letting her opinion be shown. I didn't mind them at all especially since the youngest daughter voluntarily rolled up my sleeping bag for me (my least favorite part about camping).
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| Our campsite in Hot Springs, AR |
After leaving the campground, we headed over to downtown Hot Springs to check out the hot springs and get a feel for the quaint little mountain town. It was a perfect sunny day to enjoy the town; beautiful murals painted on the walls and magnolia trees greeted us. We walked around the Grand Promenade, a walkway behind the hot springs overlooking the main strip. The hot springs were amazing, coming straight out of the mountain the water was hot and steamy, and when mixed with the sun created an awesome effect of rays. We also toured Bath House Row, another preserved National cultural landmark native to the town. Elaborate Victorian bathhouses flourished the avenue as health facilities during the Golden Age of bathing (1911-1939). The bathhouses were essentially modern day spas that were open for tours or the traditional bathing experience. We didn’t have time for the whole shebang so we just toured the Fordyce bathhouse. Not surprisingly, we found that the men and women’s bathing experience was very different. The men had an immaculate bath room with a statue in the middle and a stained glass mural for the ceiling, while the women had a dungy little bath room. The bathhouses had everything – from a foot doctor to a pool hall. After our tour we headed over to the mountain tower where we got to see a bird’s eye view of the town nested in the Ouachita Mountains – so beautiful and green. Before leaving town we stopped by the national park service to fill up our water jugs with the free natural hot spring water. What a great morning, next stop LeeesssiAna!!
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| Me in front of the steamy hotspings |
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| The main strip/Bath House Row from the Grand Promenade |
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| Magnolia Trees! |
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| Fordyce Bathhouse - the bathhouse we toured |
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| In one of the bathtubs in the ladies bath hall |
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| View of downtown Hot Springs from the Mountain Tower |
Hot Springs, AR to Natchitoches, LA = 260 miles. Somewhere in rural Louisiana, we made a pit stop at the Piggly Wiggly, I didn't know those really even existed; I guess you could say we had offically entered the south. By late afternnon we arrived in Natchitoches, LA. We made a pit stop at the Filling Station, a drive thru purple barn that sells frozen drinks to go; I got a fuzzy navel. then we headed to Kistachie National Forest for our scenic drive, before heading to the campsite for the night. We thought the forest would be a great place to sleep for the night, so we pulled over and set up camp. For dinner we had my homeade gazpacho and we made plantain tacos with black beans and fresh veggies, yumm what a great end to the long day! I'm really starting to like this whole camping thing, I love falling asleep to the sounds of nature.
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| Our frozen drinks! |
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| Kisatchie National Forest |
***May 28, 2010***
Waking up in the woods is actually quite easy – so many noises, especially screeching horseflies everywhere! We packed up the car then partook in our daily “morning breakfast plan”. We hit the road for our morning, National Geographic recommended, Creole Country Drive. Here in north-central Louisiana, is deep Creole country; live Oaks and Magnolias line the streets and the shores of the Cane River Lake just south of Natchitoches. The various landmarks along the route constitute the Cane River National Heritage Area, also known as the Creole River Road. The road is a 70-mile loop of tiny highways linked by truss bridges and riverfront communities that connect 10 historic plantations – and cradle a unique culture. We stopped and toured two restored Plantation homes. The first one we toured was the Magnolia Plantation; the crooked southern trees were awesome! We got to see an antiqued cotton gin and country store, and actual remaining brick slave/tenant cabins. The second restored home we toured was the Oakland Plantation. We sat and relaxed in rocking chairs on the porch of the Overseer’s cabin and then gave ourselves our own tour of the main house, including the off-limits roof!
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| The Magnolia Plantation! |
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| Slave/tenant cabins |
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| Relaxing on the overseer's porch at the Oakland Plantation! |
After our historic drive, we headed to downtown Natchitoches, I had no idea it was a college town! We sat and ate a picnic lunch (leftovers and snacks from the road) down by the river along Front Street – soo pretty! We walked around and looked at the cute little shops on Front Street, then headed over to the Rusca House, our bed and breakfast for the night. We arrived and the owner of the B&B had left us the key in the door, it was so nice to actually have air conditioning and somewhere to shower! Our room was amazing; it even had a private walk out side patio to the Rusca House gardens and fountains! Of course, I decided to enjoy the afternoon sun bathing on our patio next to the gardens, enjoying jazz playing lightly in the background. I love Louisiana. After a much needed refreshing shower, we walked around Natchitoches, seeing the Steel Magnolia's House (where the movie was filmed), which has now been convereted into a Bed and Breakfast, and The American Cemetary, the oldest in the Louisiana Purchase. For dinner, we went downtown to Mama’s Oyster House. Our menu included: Mamma's Oyster House for some local cuisine...blackened alligator bites, blackened catfish w/crawfish etouffee, the soft crab platter, and an Abita Purple Haze beer to wash it down – perfect southern meal. Back at our B&B, we had to watch the complimentary movie "Steel Magnolias" (since it was filmed right down the street) before going to bed.
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| Picnic lunch on the riverbank in Natchitoches |
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| Shops on Front Street in downtown Natchitoches |
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| The door to our private patio |
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| Rusca House gardens! |
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At the Prudhomme-Rouquier House - one of the largest known Bousillage buildings in the nation; built in 1790.
Dinner at Mama's Oyster House!
My new friend - Stella the Salamander! |
***May 29, 2010***
What a great and beautiful sunny morning, by far the best so far. We got up early and took a stroll around the quaint historic neighborhood marveling over all the beautiful architecture of the Bed and Breakfasts' that surrounded us. Natchitoches is Louisiana’s oldest town, established in 1714, and is known as the Bed & Breakfast Capital of Louisiana. When we arrived back at the Rusca House from our walk, a wonderful country breakfast was waiting for us on the huge mahogany table. For some reason, the entire house is decorated for Christmas (it was actually a little tacky at times, considering it was almost Memorial Day). On the menu: eggs benedict, cheesy grits, kiwi, and a fruit filled pastry for desert. Over breakfast we chatted with a couple who also stayed at the B&B and found out that they were originally from Manhattan, Kansas - what a small world. Before leaving town, we stopped at the Cane River Green Market (the farmer’s market) on Front Street where I bought some pickled okra. Next stop….N'awlins'!!
Cane River Green Market
Goodbye Frontstreet!
My pickled okra!
Natchitoches, LA to New Orleans, LA = 254 miles. Continuing south through the lower Mississippi River valley the land dramatically flattens out and many more rivers are added to the Mississippi. As soon as we arrived in New Orleans I progressively got sicker. It must have been the thickness of the air that I was not used to. It constantly felt like a blanket of hot, damp, air was wrapped around my body. I don’t do humid well. We had officially entered the dirty south. We were starving after the long drive, so we headed straight to Magazine Street for Guy’s famous po-boys. I had a grilled shrimp one, it came on a hoagie with lettuce tomatoes, and of course, lots of Louisiana hot sauce – yummy! After lunch, we stumbled into a “hole in the wall” bar called Henry’s for the restroom. Come to find out, it was a New Orleans historic bar that had been in the family for decades. We even got to meet one of the original owner’s, nicknamed “Log” because of his age and slowness getting around. We had a few Purple Hazes’ and chatted with some locals and some of Henry’s most frequent customers. They gave us tips about New Orleans and warned us about the city’s shadiness (what streets to stay away from, etc...) and they got a kick out of our detailed itinerary. Down Canal Street - we found our hostel to relax for a bit and freshen up before hitting the town. Our hostel, India House, was a large pastel yellow house with French architecture. The inside was awesome, every wall had some sort of visually interesting piece of artwork hand painted onto it – it was so entertaining. This hostel was set up more like a house and was really cozy, the kitchen was available for everyone to use at their own will and the living room was very inviting with lots of couches, books, TV, internet, and really cool people. Overall - a good experience.
Us with "Log" at Henry's
Our hostel!
We had so much fun with the hostel wall art!
***Later That Night ***
The street cars are awesome – I love public transportation, so fun. We got off on Bourbon Street and were mesmerized by all the flashy lights – New Orleans is the Las Vegas of the south (they even have slot machines in all the bars). Even though it was May, you would think it were Mardi Gras; people were screaming and leaning over balconies throwing beads – beads were everywhere for a matter of fact (hanging from electric lines, tree branches, etc...). We made our way to the French Quarter and found the “Gumbo Shop”, our plan for dinner. I had a bowl of crawfish etouffee, and kicked it up a notch with the Louisiana hot sauce. Sadly, I couldn’t taste much of my meal due to the “Dirty” making me sick. After dinner we bought “Hurricanes” that we’re insanely strong. We continued to check out the French Quarter and a cool voodoo store. Because of beliefs, customers were not allowed to touch or take pictures of anything, whoops :/. We sampled most of the popular bars in the French Quarter, and then headed over to Frenchmen Street (where the locals hang out). We went to a Rastafarian bar with great reggae music, and watched some live jazz at the House of Blues. We ended the evening with a late night beignet run at the famous Café Du Monde – what powdery fun!
Street Car on Canal Street
Crawfish etouffee at the Gumbo Shop!
Illegal picture taken at Reverend Zombie's House of Voodoo
Bourbon Street!
***May 30, 2010***
Woke up to the same HOT, sticky, dense air that I went to sleep to; it never changes in the “dirty”. On top of all that, it’s raining today. I can barely breathe and feel horrible but there was so much to see. After a trip to Walgreens to get some allergy meds, we drove downtown to experience the city. New Orleans is so much fun. Since it was raining, Chelsea and I decided to dawn some N’awlins’ style bright yellow ponchos, and since we already looked like absolutely tacky tourists we decided we might as well do it big with a “hand grenade” – so we did, and we rocked it well I must say. I’m pretty sure Krista got a good kick out of watching us walk around looking like fools. We walked all around Jackson Brewery, the French Market, and perused lots of local boutiques. For lunch we ate at a cute little Café, where I had a bowl of Crawfish bisque.
Then we made our way over to the French Quarter, where we walked around looking for Tennessee Williams' and Truman Capote’s old homes; we soon found this to be impossible because everything has since been transformed into Mardi Gras themed shops. Next, we walked over to Jackson Square (where there was a BP protest being held), saw the St.Louis Cathedral, then we ran to the end of Canal Street to catch the free Algiers Ferry across the Mississippi River for some awesome views of the city's skyline. The sun finally came out and it stopped raining - my hair had become quite the frizz ball. The views from the ferry were great; you could definitely see why New Orleans is nicknamed the “Crescent City”; sitting along the river bend and lined with riverboats. Next we drove uptown to Tiptina’s for their free Sunday afternoon “Fais Do Do” (Cajun house-party), where a nice southern, Creole gentlemen named Smitty taught us how to dance Cajun-style. It was so much fun - probably the most fun I’ve ever had dancing, and I love to dance. All four of us (Smitty, Chelsea, Krista and I), joined hands in a circle and shuffled to the beat of the music while taking cues from Smitty on when to change directions or dance moves. It was so much fun; after every song it was tradition for everyone in the group to hug every member individually – so cool!
French Quarter - love the colors and architecture!
St. Louis Cathedral
View from Algiers Ferry
New Orleans Skyline
Smitty "making me fly"
***Later That Night***
Tired from all the dancing we headed back to the hostel to make dinner and freshen up for the evening. We made Mexican veggie wraps in the hostel’s kitchen and enjoyed them on the picnic table on the back patio under the trees. Then we freshened up and took the street car downtown, saw more jazz and hit up Café Du Mode one more time. This time, we met an interesting character though. A true New Orleans local (man in his late 20’s) asked to join us at our table for beignets…why not? He sat down, lit up a roach, took a hit, and threw it on the ground – that’s when I knew this was going to be a hoot. He told us some great life stories and even rapped for us (while Chelsea provided a beat by banging on the table while making accompanying noises). Overall - very entertaining night to say the least. We said goodbye and caught the street car back to the hostel. Whew, what an exhausting day; time to relax, then bed.
More hostel wall art fun!
Krista found a palm tree leaf!
***May 31st, 2010***
Woke up feeling like shit - still couldn’t breathe - guess I’m just not use to this wet climate. At this point Chelsea was starting to come down with a case of the ‘dirties” too, so we decided to finish on our journey a little early. Today we stopped and looked at ‘Greenwood Cemetery’, filled with famous New Orleans style above-ground graves. Next we headed approximately 60 miles westward towards Houma, LA. Once in Houma, we stopped and ate lunch at the only open café we could find (oops, it’s Memorial Day). I had a Mediterranean veggie wrap with a bag of Cajun-dill gator tators, and a sweet southern iced tea - yum.
Greenwood Cemetary
Wearing our cowboy boots to fend off gators, duh...
***After Lunch***
We began our National Geographic recommended scenic drive called the ‘Old Spanish Trail’. The drive began in Houma and meandered westward through southern Louisiana’s Creole country to Breaux Bridge. While the rich Creole society has disappeared, Cajun culture remains strong. This low, flat, wet land is home to bayous, moss-draped Oak trees, and lots of bridges! After passing the Bayou, or the Atchafalaya Basin (the continent’s largest river-basin swamp), we cut through sugar cane fields and lots of inshore oil industry platforms. Next we crossed a bridge along Bayou Boeuf into Morgan City (a major port city on the Intracoastal Waterway). Leaving Morgan City, we then crossed Berwick Bay and the Atchafalaya River on the Long-Allen Bridge. Passing through the towns of Jeanerette (known as “sugar city” for its plentiful sugar cane fields), New Iberia (once a former active trade and industrial center) and St. Martinsville (the former Creole capital), the drive ended in Breaux Bridge.
So many bridges!
From here we traveled approximately 90 miles westward toward Sulphur, LA to begin our ‘Creole Nature Trail’ scenic drive, also recommended by NatGeo. The drive passes through “Louisiana’s Outback”- the marshes and prairies of Cameroon Parish (Louisiana’s least populous parish). Hurricane Rita left Louisiana’s southern coastline severely damaged/destroyed in 2005. Crossing a bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway, the landscape changed dramatically to brackish marsh with few trees. We drove through the 124, 000-acre Sabine National Wildlife Refuge – besides Krista’s spotting of a dead gator on the side of the road, no live gators were to be seen; but I definitely got the feeling they were lurking close by (ahhh). We stopped off at a scenic overlook along a trail through the marshes but soon had to turn back because of the eerie feeling of alligators watching us. Actually, Chelsea took it upon her self out to point out a hypothetical alligator next to the water to scare me, and boy did it work; I took off running as fast as I could. Next Stop: Holly Beach, a once residential hot spot that had been knocked off of the map by Hurricane Rita. The Beach houses were awesome - bright beachy fun colors on stilts! We drove right onto the beach and parked the car. Sign’s along the beach read “dangerous to swim: caution bacteria in water”, along with 'Cheniers', sandy beach ridges that are topped with oaks, to protect against natural/man-made disasters. although the beach was not your typical tropical, turquoise blue, palm tree infested beach it was still nice to feel the sand between my toes again.
Sabine National Wildlife Refuge!
Krista searching for seashells!
Bye Holly Beach!
After leaving the beach we headed east to Calcasieu Ship Channel, where we drove my car onto a ferry that transported us (along with about 4 other cars) across the Intracoastal Waterway to Cameroon – so cool! After crossing the waterway, yet again, we saw the sun set over more marshes while driving through the Cameroon Prairie National Wildlife Refuge. After another long day of driving – it was time to start our journey back home.
Sun setting over the marshes at Cameroon Prairie National Wildlife Refuge!
***June 1st, 2010***
Brutally exhausted after driving over 24 hours straight, we finally made it back to Kansas! What an AMAZING trip that I will remember forever - thanks to Chelsea and Krista for an awesome time, love you guys!
Sun rising over Arkansas on our drive home
Good morning Missouri!
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