New Orleans, LA - 12/28/17

December 28, 2017 - Thursday
St. Bernard State Park
Braithwaite, Louisiana

We had a wonderful time, for the first 10 days, at Potters Creek COE Campground in Canyon Lake, Texas. However, the last 4 days of our stay there was cold with rainy weather. We were planning to go to McAllen, Texas for a few days, but the cold front had reached McAllen dropping the temperatures into the 50s. We decided we would visit McAllen another time and headed to New Orleans, Louisiana where they were having warmer weather.

St. Bernard State Park in Braithwaite, LA is located within 20 miles of downtown New Orleans. This will be our homebase while we visit some of our favorite places in New Orleans.

We will spend four nights here before moving on to Florida.

12/29/17
We have lunch at Katie's, a restaurant housed in a two-story home within a residential neighborhood, located about three miles west of the French Quarter. This is one of our favorite restaurants in New Orleans.

This is a very popular, local restaurant that usually has a waiting line for lunch. Today was no exception. The wait time was 45 minutes. While we were waiting outside we struck up a conversation with a couple who had arrived after we did. We discovered they were both school teachers from Chicago. She had retired in 2016 and he was going to retire in 2018. Our name was subsequently called to announce our table was ready. We said our goodbyes to the couple from Chicago and went to our table. Our table seated four. Sharon and I agreed we should ask the couple to join us. I went back outside and invited the couple to join us. They accepted our invitation and we had the best time ever enjoying a wonderful conversation and delicious food.

During one of our conversations the couple discussed their desire to live on a sailboat and sail to the Florida Keys and islands in the carribbean. They currently have a small saliboat they sail in Lake Michigan. They plan to sell their home and purchase a 40 to 50 foot sailboat in 2018 or 2019. I told them about three or four couples I follow on YouTube that live full time on sailboats and sail the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It turned out he follows the same couples I do! What a small world!

12/30/17
Following a walking tour of the French Quarter, we have a late lunch (3:00 pm) Pierre Maspero's in the French Quarter. We go there because we have heard they have the best Shrimp and Grits (Sharon loves this dish). I order my favorite, Crawfish Etouffe. They do not dissapoint! The food was delicious. We will be back!

12/31/17
We have lunch at Parkway Bakery & Tavern. We had read reviews that they had the best Po Boy sandwiches. We were warned to get there early, they open at 11:00 am. We arrived at 11:30 am and there already was a long line slowly shuffelling along to place their order at the order window. After about 30 minutes, we arrive at the order window to place our order: Two regular Surf & Turf Po Boys, dressed (we will eat them on the premises) and one large Surf & Turf Po Boy, dressed (we will split this one between us tomorrow). Once again, we have found another establishment in New Orleans that has been added to our favorites list. Their Po Boy sandwiches are the best!

12/31/17
If you enjoy Beignets (fried dough with powdered sugar on top), Morning Call is the place to enjoy them. Morning Call is a coffee and beignet stand located in New Orleans City Park that is operated by Cafe du Monde.

We visited Morning Call late this afternoon and enjoyed an order of delicious beignets with a cup of coffee. A perfect ending to our visit to New Orleans.

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

Travel Details:
Departed: Canyon Lake, TX
Departure Time: 7:20 am
Arrived: Braithwaite, LA
Arrival Time: 7:00 pm
Miles traveled: 552

Campground: St. Bernard
Type: State Park
GPS Coordinates:
Latitude: 29.86425 N
Longitude: 89.90042 W

Camping Fee: $25.33 (No Senior Discounts)
Campsite: 32
Campsite Hookups: Electric and Water
Campground Amenities:
Flush Toilets, Hot Showers, Water Spigots, Trash Dumpster, Sewer Dump

Verizon Cellular Service: 4G-3 Bars
Verizon Internet Service: 4G-3 Bars (JetPack)
Dish TV Satellite Service: Excellent
 

Canyon Lake, TX - 12/14/17

December 14, 2017 - Thursday
Potters Creek COE Campground
Canyon Lake, Texas

This is a return visit to Potters Creek. The last time we were here was in December 2012. It is one of our favorite COE campgrounds in central Texas.
Unfortunately, due to the unusally heavy rain this area received in 2015 the entire campground was flooded on Memorial Day 2015, suffering major flood damage to the restrooms and campsites. The flood waters reached the roofline at the restrooms and damaged the electric utilities and plumbing at all of the campsites. As a result, only 32 of the 124 campsites had been restored and were open.

Potters Creek is a wonderful, scenic area to just relax, take walks and enjoy fishing and watersports on the lake.

Canyon Lake is a small town located within 5 miles of the campground. It has a very nice Brookshire Brothers grocery store, a hardware store and a gas station. A Walmart is located 25 miles from Canyon Lake in New Braunfels, Texas.

We will spend 14 nights here before moving on to Louisiana.

Tomorrow another adventure begins.
Travel Details:
Departed: Fredericksburg, TX
Departure Time: 10:20 am
Arrived: Canyon Lake, TX
Arrival Time: 12:00 pm
Miles traveled: 55

Campground: Potters Creek
Type: Army Corps of Engineers
GPS Coordinates:
Latitude: 29.90800 N
Longitude: 98.26300 W

Camping Fee: $13.00 ($26.00 without Senior Pass)
Campsite: 103
Campsite Hookups: Electric and Water
Campground Amenities:
Flush Toilets, Water Spigots, Trash Dumpster, Sewer Dump

Verizon Cellular Service: 4G-4 Bars
Verizon Internet Service: 4G-4 Bars (JetPack)
Dish TV Satellite Service: Excellent

Fredericksburg, TX - 12/11/17

December 11, 2017 - Monday
Lady Brid Johnson County Park
Fredericksburg, Texas

This is another return visit to Fredericksburg, one of our favorite towns in Texas. Especially, this time of the year when the streets and the small park are adorned with Christmas lights and displays. Our evening walks downtown on Main street bring a sense of calm and contentment as we view the festive glow of the Christmas lights lining the street. The cool temperatures add a refreshing crispness to the atmosphere, adding to the enjoyment of our walks. Passing strangers greet one another with a friendly nod and hello. This is what small-town America is all about.

Fredericksburg is well known for its German restaurants, serving up delicious German food. One of our favorites is The Old German Bakery. Delicious pastries complement the wonderful German dishes they serve up here. We usually order the winer schnitzeld and the sausage plate with apple strudel for dessert.

While strolling downtown we always stop at the Java Ranch and get our Mocha Coffee fix. This is a rustic-style coffee shop with tons of atmosphere.

We will spend three nights at the Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park before moving further south into Texas.

Fredericksburg is a city in Texas with a population of 10,530 (2010). It is know for its fine wineries and its German heritage. Fredericksburg was founded in 1864 and named after Prince Frederick of Prussia. Fredericksburg is the birthplace of Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz.

On October 14, 1970, the Fredericksburg Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in Texas.

Places to Visit:
National Museum of the Pacific War
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park

Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park
National Historic District
Luckenbach, Texas
Pioneer Museum Complex

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

Travel Details:
Departed: Waco, TX
Departure Time: 9:40 am
Arrived: Federicksburg, TX
Arrival Time: 2:00 pm
Miles traveled: 198

Campground: Lady Bird Johnson
Type: County Park
GPS Coordinates:
Latitude: 30.24431 N
Longitude: 98.91231 W

Camping Fee: $40.00 (no senior discounts)
Campsite: 84
Campsite Hookups: Electric, Water & Sewer
Campground Amenities:
Flush Toilets, Water Spigots, Trash Dumpster, Sewer Dump

Verizon Cellular Service: 4G-4 Bars
Verizon Internet Service: 4G-4 Bars (JetPack)
Dish TV Satellite Service: Excellent
 

Waco, TX - 12/08/17

December 8, 2017 - Friday
Airport Park COE Campground
Waco, Texas

We just happened to discover Airport Park campground by accident. We were not planning to stop in Waco, but it was getting into late afternoon so we decided to look for a COE campground in the Waco area. Our trusty Allstays Camp and RV app provided us with four COE campgrounds. We decided to check out the Airport Park campground since it was nearby. What a find! This is a very nice campground and will remain on our list of campgrounds to stay at whenever we are passing through Waco.

We will spend three nights here before moving further south into Texas.

Waco is a city in central Texas with a population of 124,805 (2010). It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin.

Waco is infamous for the Branch Davidian religious group, whose 51-day standoff with federal agents ended in horriffic tragedy. On April 19, 1993, nearly 80 members of the religious group, men, women and children, perished in a fire at their compound near Waco.

Places of Interest:
Texas Sports Hall of Fame
Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum
Dr. Pepper Museum
Baylor's Mayborn Museum Complex and Historic Village

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

Travel Details:
Departed: Texarkana, TX
Departure Time: 9:20 am
Arrived: Waco, TX
Arrival Time: 3:15 pm
Miles traveled: 248

Campground: Airport Park
Type: Army Corps of Engineering
GPS Coordinates:
Latitude: 31.61000 N
Longitude: 97.23700 W

Camping Fee: $14.00 ($28.00 without Senior Pass)
Campsite: 23
Campsite Hookups: Electric, Water & Sewer
Campground Amenities:
Flush Toilets, Hot showers, Water Spigots, Trash Dumpster, Sewer Dump

Verizon Cellular Service: 4G-3 Bars
Verizon Internet Service: 4G-3 Bars (JetPack)
Dish TV Satellite Service: Excellent
 

Texarkana, TX - 12/06/17

December 6, 2017 - Wednesday
Rocky Point COE Campground
Texarkana, Texas

It is so nice to be getting further south into some warmer weather. Temperatures in the low 60s is still better than the mid 30s back in Illinois. This is a repeat visit to Rocky Point campground. Army Corps of Engineering campgrounds are at the top of our list of places to camp. Whenever we travel to Texas this is the first campground we stay at when we arrive in Texas from the northeast.

The majority of Rocky Point campground is shaded by lots of trees, so getting a good satellite signal can be difficult. However, the Loop C section of the campground has some less tree-shaded campsites that allow for a good satellite signal to be received.

We will rest up here for two nights before continuing on further into Texas.

Texarkana, Texas is a city in eastern Texas, with a twin city across the state line in Arkansas. The population of the Texas city was 37,679 (2016 estimate).

Places of Interest:
1894 City Market
Built in 1894 this unique Architectural structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is reported that more pictures are taken here than anywhere else in the area.

Perot Theatre
This building has been a landmark since 1924. It has been fully restored by the City of Texarkana.

State Line Post Office
The Texarkana Post Office sits on the state line of Texarkana and Arkansas. This is the second most photographed Post Office in the United States.

Draughon-Moore Ace of Clubs House
Built in 1885, this Victorian home is uniquely designed in the shape of a club. Legend has it the money to build the house was from the winnings of a poker game with a lucky draw of the ace of clubs. The house is filled with furnishings from the 1720s to the 1940s from the last occupants of the house. It is regarded as one of the best attractions in the country.

Four States Auto Museum
This museum is home to approximately 15 classic vehicles. Admission is free.

Tomorrow another adventure begins..

Travel Details:
Departed: Pocahontas, AR
Departure Time: 9:00 am
Arrived: Texarkana, TX
Arrival Time: 3:00 pm
Miles traveled: 305

Campground: Rocky Point
Type: Army Corps of Engineering
GPS Coordinates:
Latitude: 33.28800 N
Longitude: 94.17100 W

Camping Fee: $13.00 ($26.00 without Senior Pass)
Campsite: C12
Campsite Hookups: Electric & Water
Campground Amenities:
Flush Toilets, Hot showers, Water Spigots, Trash Dumpster, Sewer Dump

Verizon Cellular Service: 4G-2 Bars
Verizon Internet Service: 4G-2 Bars (JetPack)
Dish TV Satellite Service: Excellent