Memphis, Tn to Grand Isle, LA - Friday, June 14, 2013

            Tonight we are in Grand Isle, Louisiana.  We are surrounded by water!  This is a holiday/winter resort area for fishing, shrimping, crabbing and whatever else they catch.  Most accommodations are rented by the week or month.  We were simply lucky tonight to get a room, actually an apartment, for one night.  Someone made a reservation, but had not called back with a credit card number to guarantee the room.  The Manager tried to reach the party, leaving a message.  We returned after 6:00pm and she had received no word from them, so she rented it to us for the night.   We are so lucky to be at the Cajun Holiday Motel.  EVERY other place was full or wanted fees for at least fees 3 nights.  The nearest available motel was 1 hour drive back north. 

AMTRAC Along the Causeway

The Louisiana Bayou

Crossing The Mississippi River

Besides the seafood harvesters, there are still crews ‘cleaning up’ the Gulf from the oil platform mishap. The construction crews are using Grand Isle as their base.  Most all of the buildings are raised off the ground at least 10 feet, if not 12 feet, and some are even higher off the ground.  The areas below the homes/restaurants/businesses are used to park cars and boats, as well as patios. Also below most homes there is a fishing cleaning facility!! - Essential with all the fishing in the area.

            We had a great meal tonight at The Lighthouse restaurant – delicious gumbo and a seafood sampler platter – way too much food – so glad we shared the platter, and we still could not finish it.   At the restaurant we noticed a lot of the tables were groups of guys – they were here for a week of fishing and “guy” time.    

Grand Isle Houses on Stilts

Grand Isle Beach

Sunset on the Beach

 

            After dinner we walked on the beach as the sun was setting.  We were delight to see a colorful sunset as we hope the saying, “red skies at night, sailors delight” will bring us good weather tomorrow.   Late this afternoon we drove through heavy thunderstorms.  We are sure hoping tomorrow will be clear.

Today as we were driving south it was getting hotter and hotter!  The late afternoon thunderstorms have cooled things off to a beautiful summer temperature.  While we were walking on the beach tonight the temperature was perfect, as well as the water temperature was comfort.  It was very interesting to see the oil rigs on the horizon, with all their lights.   

            Today was a lo-o-o-ng drive through the State of Mississippi.  We were just outside of Memphis last night and had not crossed into Mississippi yet.  The highways are tree lined, so that after a while it is rather boring.   

            Southern Louisiana has definitely conquered the marshes/swamps/bayous with bridges.  At one point we drove on almost 50 miles of continuous bridges.  From our position on the bridge we would see the Amtrak train on a trestle bridge. We did not go into New Orleans today, we came directly south to Grand Isle. On our way north we hope to stop and visit several antebellum homes.  We may even stay in one or two.    

            As we were driving south, we were checking out the road conditions for bikers.  We think tomorrow Cal will begin riding at Port Fourchon.  There is one bridge (toll) that he will not ride, but from there on we were delighted to see that the road has a wide shoulder on one side.  I will stay fairly close to Cal tomorrow and probably the first few days.  I never will be too far away.    

First thing in the morning, we want to drive out to the Grand Isle State Park – It was too cloudy and dark tonight due to the heavy storm clouds still overhead.