Project 365 Day 59 - Last LA sunset

It rained buckets this morning so we decided to wait another day before packing up. This is a nice little park (Holbrook Park, Lake Charles, LA) and the price is right at $6.00 per night. Tomorrow we're heading into Texas and will probably turn South and go down the coast for a while. There's a couple of parks at Port Lavaca that are supposed to be nice....right on the gulf beach or across the road. From there we'll head up to San Antonio for a couple of days then on to Del Rio. It's a 3-day trip from here to Del Rio but we have over a week to get there so we'll take time to sight-see on the way.

Here's a shot of the sunset our last night in Louisiana.

Project 365 Day 58 - Cameron Prairie NWR

Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge

On a lighter note..........we stopped at another wildlife refuge which didn't have as much damage as Sabine. Cameron Prarie NWR is small at 9,621 acres but is located at the convergence of two major flyways for migrating birds. The refuge is comprised of marsh, coastal prairie, and old rice fields. Normally there is an auto-tour route but the interior roads are still closed due to Hurricane Ike last September. Road side pull offs are still open for tourists, as well as the visitor center.

This turtle is called a red eared slider.

On the lake at the Visitor Center

Project 365 Day 57 - Holly Beach, LA

We went on a road trip today to a couple of National Wildlife Refuges in southwestern Louisiana. Here's what we found instead:

Holly Beach, Cameron, Louisiana in September 2005....

Holly Beach 9-23-2005, after Hurricane Rita...

The few families who could, began rebuilding after Rita. Then 3 years later, here is what Holly Beach looked like in September, 2008, after Hurricane Ike.

Here is what we saw of Holly Beach today...

A few homes are repaired. A few live in travel trailers or motor homes. It was very sad. Mud still covered most of the side roads and lots. There is no sand, no grass, no flowers, no bushes. Just empty poles sticking up out of the mud and puddles of water.

Holly Beach is just one example (probably the worst) of this area of Louisiana. We thought the Gulfport area was bad but it was nothing compared to this area.

Sabine National Wildlife Refuge

The National Wildlife Refuges???........The largest, Sabine National Wildlife Refuge is currently closed to all public uses because of damages sustained during Hurricane Rita (in 2005). "All of the office buildings, visitor center and maintenance shops were damaged beyond repair and have been removed. There are three remaining structures at the headquarters area that will be repaired." Worst of all....."West of Hwy. 27, Sabine refuge canals and marshes were severely impacted by storm wind and water. Approximately 32,000 acres of refuge marshes, levees, and canals have been negatively impacted. Canals and marshes are clogged with seven million cubic meters of debris from off shore rigs and coastal communities. There are both physical and chemical hazards present throughout the refuge, many of which have settled below the marsh and water surfaces. Tanks and barrels containing hazardous liquids and gases have the potential to explode or break down and release toxins into the environment. Over 1,400 hazardous material containers have been identified and are estimated to contain between 115,000 and 350,000 gallons of hazardous liquids and gases. Public safety is the primary reason that Sabine NWR is still closed."

Project 365 Day 56 - Cardinal

Saturday, January 3, 2009


There are lots of birds in the campground.

Project 365 Day 55 - Holbrook Park, LA

We are currently at Lake Charles, Louisiana, staying at Holbrook Park in Calcasieu Parish. This is a small Parish owned/run park on a lake. There are only 12 sites, all with water and electric, mostly used by locals for weekend camping. The good part is the fee is $12 per night but only $6 with Golden Age Passport. The campground host, Chad, and his wife are very nice. All the State Parks in Louisiana also give a 50% discount for Golden Age Passport which is a very good deal. More states should do it! I will definitely get some pictures posted here tomorrow.

Here we are, backed up to the lake.


Our view from the back window

Great Egret

Lake view from rear of camper

We spent most of today in a RV service center. The electric tongue jack on the trailer wouldn't go up or down so we manually hooked up the trailer to the truck and drove about 8 miles to the nearest service center. They could not repair, only replace, the unit for $395. We have the extended warranty which will cover this item but we would have to pay the dealer and get reimbursed from the insurance company. We opted to wait to get this done once we are settled in Texas. In the meantime, the dealer 'gave' us, and installed, a manual jack to use on the tongue and only charged for 1/2 hour of labor. They were very nice. If you are ever in the area of Lake Charles, LA and need RV service, look up Kite RV Sales and Service.