Henderson, Louisiana (Miles to Date: 15400)
We left Mississippi promptly 3 days ago and headed along I-10 along the Gulf Coast. Our route took us the coastal towns of Biloxi and Gulfport which were devastated by Hurricane Katrina two years ago. For this part of the journey we might be accused of being voyeuristic but we were curious to see what progress had been made in the reconstruction efforts and also to show Jack and Emily the extent of the damage. As we passed along the coastline it was misty but is evident that there is still much work to do. All along the beach the wreckage has been cleared but what is left is cleared land with dozens and dozens of 'for sale' signs. All a bit depressing – not sure who would want to build here again and if they do new building techniques will be required if is not to happen all over again. Just looking seaward there is not much rise between the water and the land upon which these houses would sit.
Our progress takes us around Lake Pontchartrain and into New Orleans. This is Mardi Gras so the town is bustling. We had originally planned to stay in French Quarter for the festivities including the Fat Tuesday parades, but a few people had warned us about the adult nature of much of this so we chickened out. Instead we headed north to Henderson, deep in Cajun country. The plan is to abandon our motor home for a few days and live on a boat house. We arrive about 4:30pm and decant what we need for three days on to the house boat and we are towed out to
our mooring spot. Our house boat is a like a floating motor home with one bed room and a living area with a sofa bed and small kitchenette – all very cosy. We also have a small porch area with a couple of swing seats. The boat is very basic and has seen better days – but will do us for the short time we are to be here. We are moored out in Henderson Lake or perhaps more fittingly Henderson Swamp – there is no one else in sight we are totally on our own floating in the middle of nowhere. Our only method of getting back to shore is to take the small motorised bateau and ride the 10 minutes back to the boat yard. One begins to think about Stephen King horror movies and the film “Deliverance” – we kept our ears open for any sounds of duelling banjos. It is wonderful to be so alone in a beautiful place and we sit out on the deck watching the sun go down over the lake.
Yesterday was Mardi Gras (or Fat Tuesday) and although we decided not to go to New Orleans we wanted to join in a celebration somewhere in Louisiana. The best option for us seemed to be Lafayette, a large town some thirty miles away. So off we went. Not knowing the schedule we just turned up and fortunately our timing was perfect and we only had a 15 minute wait for the first floats to pass. The floats were impressive and as is the tradition for the Mardi Gras festival plenty of plastic chains of coloured beads were thrown by the people manning the floats into the expectant crowds. We had managed to get up to the fence and it was not too long before we had assembled an impressive collection of bead necklaces around our necks. The parade ended some 40 minutes later and we learned a couple more parades were to follow – but for us one parade was enough so we cut our losses and returned to Henderson, and back to our boat.
In the night a storm system passed through the Southern States and there were severe tornados in Tennessee and Alabama. Fortunately we did not get tornados but we certainly got strong winds and the boat was battered up against the mooring post – making some unearthly noises. At the other end of the house boat the small bateau was bumping against us. With all the noise and motion we did not get the best of nights sleep.
Today we woke to a much calmer day and we decided to take the small bateau out and explore the lake. Jack and Emily were desperate to fish with the new rods we had bought down in the Florida Keys – as we had not had much chance to use them yet. It was pretty chilly when we set-off and the wind chill as we motor down the channels of the lake makes us all the colder. As with all intrepid explorers we did not let the weather dampen our adventurous spirit – well not at least for an hour or so. On returning to our house boat we had some warm drinks to help to return the colour to our cheeks. We decided to get the house boat taken to shore and spend the night on the dock so we could go out and try some Cajun food and music. A restaurant called Mulate's in the neighbouring town of Breaux Bridge had been recommended – when we got there it was a little deserted and they had more or less run out of all types of beer – their Mardi Gras celebrations had been a bit wild by all accounts. Anyway we settled for some weak beer (Budweiser – yuk!!) and chose their house speciality -the catfish cooked Cajun style. To accompany our excellent food we were treated to some Cajun / Zydeco music – although the band appeared somewhat jaded and had probably been partying heavily the night before. We did enjoy this little bit of exposure to the Cajun culture.
We left Mississippi promptly 3 days ago and headed along I-10 along the Gulf Coast. Our route took us the coastal towns of Biloxi and Gulfport which were devastated by Hurricane Katrina two years ago. For this part of the journey we might be accused of being voyeuristic but we were curious to see what progress had been made in the reconstruction efforts and also to show Jack and Emily the extent of the damage. As we passed along the coastline it was misty but is evident that there is still much work to do. All along the beach the wreckage has been cleared but what is left is cleared land with dozens and dozens of 'for sale' signs. All a bit depressing – not sure who would want to build here again and if they do new building techniques will be required if is not to happen all over again. Just looking seaward there is not much rise between the water and the land upon which these houses would sit.
Our progress takes us around Lake Pontchartrain and into New Orleans. This is Mardi Gras so the town is bustling. We had originally planned to stay in French Quarter for the festivities including the Fat Tuesday parades, but a few people had warned us about the adult nature of much of this so we chickened out. Instead we headed north to Henderson, deep in Cajun country. The plan is to abandon our motor home for a few days and live on a boat house. We arrive about 4:30pm and decant what we need for three days on to the house boat and we are towed out to
our mooring spot. Our house boat is a like a floating motor home with one bed room and a living area with a sofa bed and small kitchenette – all very cosy. We also have a small porch area with a couple of swing seats. The boat is very basic and has seen better days – but will do us for the short time we are to be here. We are moored out in Henderson Lake or perhaps more fittingly Henderson Swamp – there is no one else in sight we are totally on our own floating in the middle of nowhere. Our only method of getting back to shore is to take the small motorised bateau and ride the 10 minutes back to the boat yard. One begins to think about Stephen King horror movies and the film “Deliverance” – we kept our ears open for any sounds of duelling banjos. It is wonderful to be so alone in a beautiful place and we sit out on the deck watching the sun go down over the lake.
Yesterday was Mardi Gras (or Fat Tuesday) and although we decided not to go to New Orleans we wanted to join in a celebration somewhere in Louisiana. The best option for us seemed to be Lafayette, a large town some thirty miles away. So off we went. Not knowing the schedule we just turned up and fortunately our timing was perfect and we only had a 15 minute wait for the first floats to pass. The floats were impressive and as is the tradition for the Mardi Gras festival plenty of plastic chains of coloured beads were thrown by the people manning the floats into the expectant crowds. We had managed to get up to the fence and it was not too long before we had assembled an impressive collection of bead necklaces around our necks. The parade ended some 40 minutes later and we learned a couple more parades were to follow – but for us one parade was enough so we cut our losses and returned to Henderson, and back to our boat.In the night a storm system passed through the Southern States and there were severe tornados in Tennessee and Alabama. Fortunately we did not get tornados but we certainly got strong winds and the boat was battered up against the mooring post – making some unearthly noises. At the other end of the house boat the small bateau was bumping against us. With all the noise and motion we did not get the best of nights sleep.
Today we woke to a much calmer day and we decided to take the small bateau out and explore the lake. Jack and Emily were desperate to fish with the new rods we had bought down in the Florida Keys – as we had not had much chance to use them yet. It was pretty chilly when we set-off and the wind chill as we motor down the channels of the lake makes us all the colder. As with all intrepid explorers we did not let the weather dampen our adventurous spirit – well not at least for an hour or so. On returning to our house boat we had some warm drinks to help to return the colour to our cheeks. We decided to get the house boat taken to shore and spend the night on the dock so we could go out and try some Cajun food and music. A restaurant called Mulate's in the neighbouring town of Breaux Bridge had been recommended – when we got there it was a little deserted and they had more or less run out of all types of beer – their Mardi Gras celebrations had been a bit wild by all accounts. Anyway we settled for some weak beer (Budweiser – yuk!!) and chose their house speciality -the catfish cooked Cajun style. To accompany our excellent food we were treated to some Cajun / Zydeco music – although the band appeared somewhat jaded and had probably been partying heavily the night before. We did enjoy this little bit of exposure to the Cajun culture.
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