Insayn's 2013 road trip prep.

btggraphix wrote:
Hey Craig - I figured it must be sabatical time...it's been about 6 years since you went to the NATCOA thing in Nebraska.

You already know Colorado, so I won't bother with suggestions there but if you are wandering CO let me know (we are very close to Boulder but I'm sure you'll have a lot lined up for that part of your trip.) It'd be fun to catch up over a brown ale or something....

A place in Arkansas we've liked, and especially wished we had a boat with us when we've stayed there is a Corps of Engineer's site called Spadra which is near Clarksville, Arkansas. We were visiting a friend who was going to school at College of the Ozarks and have stayed there a few times....anyway, it is on the Arkansas River where it is relatively backed up with dams and locks, but it would be a lot of fun to get on a boat around there with the flooded lowlands along the river. Right off the interstate so if you happen to be along there....not a "destination" but if you ended up nearby.....

In LA, you should get out to the bayou (Athcafalaya) east of Lafayette. There are boat ramps off of I-10 at the Butte La Rose exit to get into Henderson Lake and there is a small corps of engineers CG west of the town of Butte La Rose on the canal. And if you want to some good eatin', try the "from the swamp" platter at Pat's in Henderson. Sleepy had some write-up on Pat's in his long TR....but it's well worth going to. In that neck of the woods, you can also go to Avery Island where Tobasco is made and take the tour and drive around the gardens.......and buy shrimp from the boats in the right season at Delcambre. That was a fun day trip for us when we were there.

Janet reminds me that the proper name of the resturant is "Fishermans Wharf" on the bayou in the town of henderson (pop 200)... it is only a mile or so off I-10 and a driving distance of 3 miles.

Harvey, the manager, invited us to stay overnight and ran an electric cord for us. He was facinated by our truck camper. Ask for him and tell him hello. The food is very good.

The Dance Hall that's attached to the resturant will seat a 1000 people. Cajon spices are blended and packaged on site for many of the resturants in the area.

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The Tobasco manufacturing site is well worth the time and not far from Henderson.
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as you look west... Lake Charles is one of our favorite lay-overs, we always park in the civic center parking lot with our slide facing the Lake and the beautiful I-10 bridge... no one has ever said a thing.

Our favorite resturants in lake Charles...

Pat's of Henderson (owned by the daughter of the resturant owner thar Brian mentioned In Henderson.)

... and "Steam Boat Bills" on the frontage road near the I-10 bridge.

Note: Look closely at the guard rails on the I-10 bridge... there are cast iron, crossed dueling musket pistols molded into the hand railing all the way accross the bridge in both directions. Makes me want to take a hacksaw with me some day.

You might enjoy a look here,

Fishermans Wharf on the Bayou...