Louisiana and Mississippi

Alright I don’t know what happened but every time I update this and add more content and pictures it doesn’t save. So I give up. I will add some pictures and call it good. Not very detailed and we did a lot more in these two states then I wrote about.

Louisiana

We felt like we have entered into a new planet. We have never been in an environment like this. The ground is swampy then there are thick palms then there are huge trees and vines grounding and hanging from them. Also there are huge bare trees with Spanish moss growing on them. They look all spooky like from a dark movie, especially in the areas the mist is rolling in.

We experienced a lot of firsts here such as

  • First alligators
  • First time eating crawfish
  • First armadillos
  • First bayous
  • First beignets
  • We drove over the Mississippi River
  • We drove through Baton Rouge at 5 miles an hour,on the interstate
  • We learned to avoid I-10, it’s so rough

We also drove past the church Scott came down to help rebuild with a mission trip in 2005. The church had since been rebuilt on stilts. We were shocked at the amount of damage and the amount of vacant places there are now. A Sheriff told us that we would probably not see more then 10 folks on the road over our next 2 hour stretch. He was right. It’s a odd feeling driving a coastal highway that is empty and properties that are just stilts or foundations instead of homes.

Mississippi

We learned that in the south the states all have a welcome center right when you enter the state. That’s helpful. We enjoyed the welcome center and even got a lot of info about the up coming Mardi Gras. We didn’t know we were in Mardi Gras week. We went to 2 parades and learned that they are not what we northerners have heard or believe them to be. Well at least not all of them. They are full of joy, culture, traditions and history. We have never had that much fun at a parade before. We also came home with pounds and pounds of beads. We met a lot of folks that were so friendly and kind. It was nice. Also as a northerner, did anyone else not realize there is so much coast line in Mississippi? (and later we learn the same in Alabama). The Gulf Coast here has miles of beaches, bike trails and even an island of the coast that we hear has amazing blue water on the other side.