Duson, Louisiana (GA416)

Mary is no longer available for RV traveling, but we remain good friends.

Because we have 4,000+ postings, I’ve invited her to continue posting entries on this blog.

I’m currently in my 23rd year of full-time RVing and my lifestyle is changing, For more info click Here

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The motorhome is parked at Thousand Trails RV Resort in La Conner, Washington. I’ll depart here August 13th.

 

 

 

Since my RVing life is changing (see above), I’m starting to re-visit previously visited places. So rather than constantly re-blogging past entries, I’ve decided to do something different.

  In 2011-2013, Mary and I did a 682 day, 12,679 miles in the motorhome and 8,000 miles in the Bronco, circumnavigation of the United States, which I called The Great Adventure. I called it so because other than my oldest granddaughter’s high school graduation in June in Connecticut, I didn’t know where we would be going or when we would be there!

So, unless I do something really different and unusual warranting a new blog entry, I’ll be posting entries from that trip.

This entry was posted March 4, 2013…

If you remember yesterday’s Blog entry http://wp.me/pDCku-7ea

 

 

we were parked in Eunice, Louisiana. We were here in 2010 and had such a good time at the Liberty Theater…we just had to come back since we were in the area.

 

 

Normally it’s two-hours of great Cajun Music and dancing. When we put it on our schedule…we had no idea this weekend’s program was a tribute to Hank Williams, Sr. which you can read all about by clicking this link…
http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20130301/LIFESTYLE/303010308/Tribute-keeps-legacy-Hank-Williams-alive

 

 

Much to our pleasant surprise three of our new friends from Lake Charles were also there. Ranola, Sue and Cliff…

 

 

Here are some photos that I took…

 

 

 

 

 

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just love the delightful Cajun accent. You can hear Ranola’s by clicking this link…
http://youtu.be/N6hyWDW6zSU

 

 

The program featured the Jambalaya Cajun Band with four performers doing Hank Williams songs.

 

 

The program opened with Hugh Harris…the youngest of the four…and closest to Hank’s death age…29…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To see a brief video of Hugh Harris’s imitation…clicking this link…
http://youtu.be/mAOZU9sj6i8

 

 

Other performers included…Pope Huval…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steel guitar player Terry Huval…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And 81 year-old D.L. Menard…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To see a short video of all four performers closing the show…click this link…
http://youtu.be/p2plXgBBQwc

 

 

It ended up being a great program which we all  enjoyed!

 

 

Yesterday we drove the motorhome the about 40 miles southeast to Duson only a few miles from Lafayette, Louisiana.

 

 

Along the way we passed through the City of Rayne…Frog Capital of the World! To read why Rayne claims this title, click this link…
http://www.exploratorium.edu/frogs/rayne/index.html

 

 

Here’s a photo of Mary standing next to a 12 foot-high frog seen as you enter the city…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They have frogs all around the city. Here are a few…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Duson we ended up parking at VFW Post #9822 where we expect to stay while we explore the nearby area for the next 2-3 days. Sunday Bingo draws a big crowd…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As usual, here’s the dinette window shot…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a long, full day on Saturday we enjoyed a peaceful and relaxing Sunday afternoon. Back to work today…seeing the sights!

 

 

Enjoying musical concerts is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

 

 

The red dot on the below map shows our approximate location in the State of Louisiana. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

 

 

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…
http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

 

 

 

 

 

TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE! MARY WROTE A MANY GREAT BLOGS…SO WHENEVER SHE PUBLISHED A BLOG POSTING THE SAME DAY THAT I DID…YOU WILL BE ABLE TO READ HER BLOG BY CLICKING THE BELOW LINK! DO IT NOW!

https://otrwjam.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/liberty-theater-and-rayne-louisiana/

 

 

 

 

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE PHOTOS.

Forecast for today is mostly sunny and 73 degrees.

Enjoying nice weather is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

The red dot on the below map shows my approximate location in the State of Washington. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures with low humidity most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

 

 

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My current travel rig is a 2006 Fleetwood 26′ Class A Motorhome and a towed 1986 Ford Bronco II, Eddie Bauer Model. This photo was taken in the desert at Slab City near Niland, California…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On October 27, 2012, I created a two-minute video titled America The Beautiful. The music America The Beautiful is by Christopher W. French. The photos, which I randomly selected, are from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia (not shown in that order)…are mine. Yup, That’s me standing in front of the Post Office in Luckenbach, Texas…Y’all!

Click this link to start the video. Make sure you have your speakers turned on and go to full screen asap.
http://youtu.be/FfZUzEB4rM8

 

 

If you would like to see my YouTube videos, click this link… http://www.youtube.com/user/JimJ1579/videos

 

 

There are more than 700 photo albums in my Picasa Web Albums File. To gain access, you simply have to click this link… https://get.google.com/albumarchive/110455945462646142273?source=pwa

 

 

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

 

 

For more information about my books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

 

 

All original works copyrighted – Jim Jaillet -2018

Baker, Louisiana – Day 1

Yesterday we drove the motorhome the about 75 miles from Duson to Baker, about 5 miles north of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The journey, mostly on Interstate Highway 10,  was a difficult one with strong gusty winds from the south hitting the motorhome broadside on the passenger side. Along the way we crossed the Atchafalaya Swamp…the largest river swamp in the United States. The bridge across the swamp is 18.2 miles long. You can read about the Atchafalaya Swamp by clicking this Wikipedia link…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atchafalaya_Basin

The X in the below Google Earth image marks the tourist information center in the middle of the swamp where we stopped to empty our waste tanks and fill our fresh water tank. The V locates where we are currently parked at VFW Post #4224. The reason we are parked here is because Mary flies from Baton Rouge Airport to return to her home in California tomorrow morning.

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

Here are some photos that I took at the tourist information center…

You can see some beautiful photos the Atchafalaya Swamp by clicking this link…
http://www.kuriositas.com/2010/09/atchafalaya-biggest-swamp-in-states.html

You can read about the swamp people by clicking this link…
http://www.history.com/shows/swamp-people/articles/the-atchafalaya-swamp

Here’s where we are parked at VFW Post #4224. They have graciously provided an electrical hookup. As I write this morning it is raining heavily. It’s supposed to clear later today with a very pleasant weather forecast for the next week…

And the usual dinette photo…

I hope to get Mary back by mid-April…right after tax time is done. My current plans are to stay here for a few days and then start SLOWLY drifting north along the Mississippi River to Memphis, Tennessee where I’ll then turn northeast heading for New England. Can’t go north too fast because it’s still cold up there!

Enjoying the Atchafalaya Swamp is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

The red dot on the below map shows our approximate location in the State of Louisiana. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…
http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2013
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

Vermillion Ville, Lafayette, Louisiana

The motorhome is currently parked at VFW Post #9822 in Duson, Louisiana. We’ll depart later this morning.

Yesterday we drove the Bronco the about eight miles and spent four hours visiting Vermillion Ville in Lafayette, Louisiana. You can read all about this Cajun/Creole heritage and Folklife Park by clicking on their official website link…
http://www.bayouvermiliondistrict.org/

Here are some photos that I took…

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

After touring the grounds we enjoyed a delightful chicken and sausage gumbo for lunch. Then we attended a great Cajun Music jam session which I’ll tell you about soon.

Enjoying Acadian villages is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

The red dot on the below map shows our approximate location in the State of Louisiana. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…
http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2013
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

Nolan Barras – St. Martinsville, Louisiana

The motorhome is currently parked at VFW Post #9822 in Duson, Louisiana. It’s been such a pleasant and quiet place to stay along with conveniently located to things we’ve wanted to see. We now are planning to depart here tomorrow.

Lisa Coldwell from Vivian Alexander Gallery and Museum told us of Nolan Barras. Yesterday we drove the Bronco about 25 miles to St. Martinsville to visit this 86-year-old craftsman. He lives alone in a house in which he keeps all of the curtains closed which made the inside of the house quite dark…and his work clutter is everywhere. Since I do not like flash photography…both conditions made the photography difficult for me. He told me he once was a machinist. He has been doing this wood crafting for the last 36 years. In addition he is an accomplished painter.

Here are some photos that I took…

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

The day started with an unusual sky caused by airplane contrails…

Here’s Mary getting down a painting that she bought…

He lost his wife six years ago. He said she would be appalled that he has moved to working in the kitchen area where it is warmer than his workshop…

He also told us he has no children interested in continuing his work. Kind of sad his skills will not be carried on into the future.

Enjoying meeting master craftsmen is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

Since Mary will fly back to her home in California this coming Tuesday…in the afternoon we went to the local UPS store so she could have some of the things she has bought along the way sent to her home rather than trying to carry them on the airplane.

The red dot on the below map shows our approximate location in the State of Louisiana. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…
http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2013
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

Maurice, Louisiana – Day 2

The motorhome is currently parked at VFW Post #9822 in Duson, Louisiana. It’s been such a pleasant and quiet place to stay along with conveniently located to things we;ve wanted to see. We now are planning to depart here on Sunday.

Mary was so enthralled by the Vivian Alexander Gallery and Museum…she needed a second visit. If you missed yesterday’s Blog entry…here’s the link…
http://wp.me/pDCku-7hq

So, yesterday we drove the Bronco the about 10 miles south to visit the Vivian Alexander Gallery and Museum once again.. Here is their official website link…
http://www.vivianalexander.com/

Here are some photos that I took…

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

More examples of their work…

I spent some time with Alex Coldwell who told me of some of the procedures involved in the process. He buys the eggs already cleaned and sterilized…ready to be worked on. Here’s a photo of a large Rhea Egg…

Here’s an oven he designed for part of the process…

Here…his daughter Liza is working on an egg…

Linda..an artist/apprentice works on her design…

Enjoying unusual local galleries is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

Since Mary will fly back to her home in California this coming Tuesday…in the afternoon we went to the local UPS store so she could have some of the things she has bought along the way sent to her home rather than trying to carry them on the airplane.

The red dot on the below map shows our approximate location in the State of Louisiana. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…
http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2013
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

Maurice, Louisiana

The motorhome is currently parked at VFW Post #9822 in Duson, Louisiana.

Yesterday we drove the Bronco the about 10 miles south to visit the Town of Maurice, Louisiana…home of the Vivian Alexander Gallery and Museum.

Ever since Mary ran across the brochure more than a month ago…she has been reminding me regularly that we needed to visit this place. I must be honest and say that if Mary were not with me at this time…I most likely would not have stopped here on my own. I will confess that I found it to be an unusual and interesting museum. Here is their official website link…
http://www.vivianalexander.com/

Here are some photos that I took…

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

The workshop, gallery and museum are within this building…

81 year-old Alex Caldwell told us of his unique only-one-in-the-world operation…

Creating pieces following a Faberge’ design…

Among his clients are Joan Rivers…

And Farrah Fawcett…

Here are examples of some of his work…

Mary bought these last four pieces…

Enjoying unusual local museums is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

The red dot on the below map shows our approximate location in the State of Louisiana. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…
http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2013
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust