Monday, July 19, 2010

Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma

I left Mississippi and headed south down to Baton Rouge Louisiana. On the way down a big truck flung a rock into my windshield so now I have a pretty star right under my frame of vision, but I must have positive thoughts that it won't spread so I can get it fixed when I get home! I made it down to Mike's place pretty early (about 1) then we went over to his friend's where we hung out for a bit, got some daiquiris and found the cutest kitten ever! It was a dark calico with a bright orange stripe that looked like a mohawk so we named it Punky Rooster! Unfortunately the neighbor claimed the kitten so she had to stay there. Something really cool about Louisiana is they have stores where you buy daiquiris in big styrofoam cups to go! It's the strangest thing! haha.
Then we went to the state capital (Louisiana's is the largest in the country!)
Baton Rouge State Capitol Building LA
and went to the top where you can see forever!
Baton Rouge, LA

The grounds at the capital were very pretty too,
Swallowtail flowers,

palm trees,
Spanish Moss
spanish moss,
Big tree
big trees, and
Tree growths
weird cypress knees(?)

Exotic Flower LA
Outside of his apartment was this pretty flower!
Natalie (Mike's roomate's girlfriend) and I went to the Louisiana Art and Science museum, there was a real mummy on display which was awesome! It's amazing how well preserved he was! Then we saw the battleship in the Mississippi and ate at Frosttop (a really awesome rootbeer place). It was a lot of fun down there, but I had to move forward!

Next stop was down in New Orleans! Fun fact, there's 15 miles of bridge to get to New Orleans! When I got there it wasn't quite what I had pictured in my mind, still really neat, but in my mind I pictured Burbon Street to be more on a hill where you could see water, sort of like what I imagine France and Italy to look like haha. The architecture was absolutely amazing though! I got there on a weekday morning about 9am and it was already packed! So I didn't end up stopping there. I did, however, stop by one of the old cemeteries downtown. That was so awesome! All the graves/tombs were above ground (the ground is too wet that the caskets would rise right up if buried)
Cemetery New Orleans, LA
Cemetery New Orleans, LA
Cemetery New Orleans, LA

From there I headed up north towards Tyler, TX where I reserved a campsite. On the way there I realized I hadn't ate yet and I needed gas so I stopped at a truck stop that was dressed up to look all old timey with a casino and trading post restaurant. So I stop, get gas, and go inside to eat. I walk inside and the room gets dead quiet, yep a place where the regulars go and I'm a Yankee haha. I take a seat under a deer holding a musket rifle and order my food. A couple of truckers from a table over start talking to me, so we talk and laugh and whatnot for a bit till it was time to leave. Upon leaving they wanted to check out my paintings, so we go to the truck and I get out my paintings and to my amazement/surprise they buy most all of them! :) Angels on the road!

I finally made it to my campsite, set up, and walked around. There I found a great big terrifying snake skeleton
What is this? TX
and a beautiful view!
Pond TX
The site didn't feel right tho, I was all alone (only person in this section) and it was right next to swampy water with alligators around, not to mention there were 2 chupacabres found not far from there just a few days prior. Yes, I believe in chupacabres, big foot (I saw one on Brenn Rd), and aliens! haha. But yeah the site had a bad vibe, so I found another one up on the hill where there were people around so I felt a little better. I set up my tent (if nothing else, to serve as a decoy) and boiled some water for supper then sat down and started writing. Well, I ate, cleaned up and kept writing even tho it was getting dark out, I had my citronella candle and my lantern turned to nightlight, then I start hearing something in the bushes. I ignore it, I mean I'm in a forest, of course there will be critters in the woods! Then I hear something with nails on cement, the only cement around is under the picnic table that I'm sitting on, then I hear a strange noise and feel something trying to bite my leg! I jump up on the table faster than I've ever moved before, I hear it trying to climb up on the table till I turn the light on full brightness and it runs off into the woods. I never did see what it was, maybe a baby chupacabre, maybe an alligator, maybe a raccoon, but whatever it was left a strange little concave mark on my leg! After that I immediately went to bed in back of the truck and stayed there till it was bright as day out! When I woke up I took a shower (they have really nice camp showers there) and made some coffee, then I looked out in the woods and saw two woodpeckers on the same tree! Not the little woodpeckers, these were the Woody the Woodpecker types and had to be nearly 2 foot tall!
two woodpeckers TX
That was really neat to see so close to my site! I then headed out toward Oklahoma, another 6hr drive ahead!

7 comments:

  1. Awesome! Scary about that "thing" at the campground. Maybe it was an alien. The woodpeckers are pileated woodpeckers. We have them around here but you very seldom see them. How cool that you saw 2 like that! What an Excellent Excursion you are having!!

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  2. Pileated woodpeckers are my favorite. How cool that you saw two together like that!

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  3. 1.) You are amazing and I'm loving how you go into great detail about what goes on! They truly are great stories to hear...especially this post!
    2.) YAY! You had somebody buy your paintings! I'm so excited!!! Now get to painting lady so you can sell more! lol
    3.) You is movin' fast! : )



    Have you buried the rock yet? lol

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  4. Lauren: I know I really need to get some more paintings done like woah!
    I've still got the rock, I'm thinking the west coast so it's a big excursion to find it! :) You could go out to the Cali beaches while Tomi looks for a rock LOL Love ya doll!

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  5. Hurray for your big paintings sale, Emily!! Congratulations! Now you can make paintings of your adventures, and keep selling them on the road. Only, remember to take good pix of each one, before it flies out of your magic hands! I'll tell Rene your news!
    Happy Trails. Love, Susi

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  6. The cemetery reminds me of Pere LaChaise in Paris..where Jim Morrison is buried (very anti-climatic!). All of the tombstones are above ground, and close together..it literally is a City of the Dead.
    I am awed by your fantastic adventures! Keep blogging and posting, and soaking up every delightful, delicious, juicy experience! :)
    xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

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  7. Thank you Paula and Susi! Love ya both! :)

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