NORTH TOLEDO BEND STATE PARK - DAY 3

The campers across the street from me left today and we kinda took over their spot.  Xi and I sat at their picnic table and enjoyed the view.  We walked down to the lake and Xi tried to go into the water but it was too muddy so I pulled her back.  No water play for her at this park.

"Too muddy little Xi."

We be chillin'.

Them trees are some tall.

The coach has been getting a lot of attention at these last 2 campgrounds.  People stop and read the writing and the little kids riding by on bikes go and get their parents and bring them back to look.  Haven't had this happen until now.  

Fishing boat.

My friendly neighbor to my right.  Xi wanted to go for a ride and kept following her around.  She loved riding on my 3 wheeler... until it got stolen.  This bike is an electric bike with a few modifications.  I want one. 

It's ideal for getting to those far away places in these campgrounds.  I mentioned to her how I disliked not having trash bins nearby and this morning she came by and took my bag of trash to the dumpster on her bike.  How sweet is that?

Placed the Peace Rock.

We're leaving in the morning.

NORTH TOLEDO BEND STATE PARK - ZWOLLE, LA

Rained really hard all night long.  My neighbor told me that Jimmie Davis State Park has had damage from severe thunderstorms in the recent past and that if it gets bad I should go to the bath house.  She also told me that the person who stayed in my site before me saw a snake in his yard.  "Gee thanks, lady.  I really needed to know that."  I took a pill and slept all night.

Left Jimmie Davis State Park around 10:00 this morning and rode around the park to the beach area.  There was one park employee cleaning the area so I couldn't take Xi out of the coach. 

"Momi, I see a beach.  Can I go?"

"Sorry Xi, read the sign."

"Awe, that sucks!"

I was pleasantly surprised at how nice the beach was.  The campground is on a peninsula extending into Caney Lake.  This beach had small waves rolling in and the sound was music to my ears.

Nice pier takes you out to the sandy beach.

Roped off for swimming.

Set  up for volley ball.

Picnic tables in the shade.

Given that my site was not to my liking, this beach almost makes up for that.

Left the park and drove about 30 miles to Winnfield where there was a WalMart and  bought groceries, 2 blouses, and a pair of white capris.  For one second there I felt at home with no worries, no anxiety about where I'm going and if I'll get there safely.  Just for one second... and then I realized where I was. 

I must admit though, I am getting used to this traveling around.  I'm ready to go home, but... I'm not as anxious to get there as I was in the first couple of weeks.  In fact, I almost cut the trip off and planned to go home right about week two. 

However, once I started to head back down the state I felt better.  And now, tonight, I'm feeling so much better because in a couple of days I'll be back in south Louisiana at South Toledo Bend State Park... and almost home.


NOW IT'S ON TO NORTH TOLEDO BEND STATE PARK

Arrived at North Toledo Bend around 3:00 this afternoon.  The road here was nice and well signed to find the park.  Friendly staff.  Drove to my site and backed in without any problems.  I'm not real level front to back but it will do for now.  I've never used my blocks and so far have had no problems being unlevel.

Took a quick walk around Loop A and B offering 63 campsites.  There are some really nice sites but away from the reservoir.  My site is on the opposite side of the street from the lake sites so I can see the water between the other campers parked along the lake.  This is the first campground I've ever been in that does not have trash cans around the park.  You have to walk to one of two locations where there is a large dumpster.  Strange.

A huge plus for this campground is the privacy provided by thick brush and trees.  I can not see either of my neighbors on either side of me.  I can only see the camper on the other side of the street.  It only took 18 campgrounds for me to find one with this much privacy and water views.

My picnic table is behind my coach.  Not good.

This is site #25 with water views.  My favorite.

I'm tucked away nice and cozy.

There is a gravel wallking path through the woods that goes completely through the park.  You're never more than a few feet from campers but can't see them.  I loved it.

Winding trail and cute little bench on the right - on the way to the scenic overlook. 

Nice overlook with deck and fishing pier/boat dock.

No you can't get into the water.

He wasn't catchin' nuttin.

Everything I saw here was nice, however, no beach.  There is a swimming pool near the main entrance.  I'm not impressed, especially after leaving a campground that had such a nice beach.

Tomorrow I'll check out the areas outside of the RV park, where there is a pavillion, fishing pier, and fish cleaning station.  It's not very far, according to the map, this is a walkable campground.

JIMMIE DAVIS STATE PARK - DAY 2

Slept till 9:30 this morning.  Took a shower and got ready for our long morning walk.  Fed Xi Shi but I only had coffee.  According to the campground map, the beach wasn't very far.  So off we went.

We found a paved walking trail not far from our camp.  It doesn't go very far but was really whimsical in the way it was laid out.  It connects to the fishing pier and leads to the campground road down from our site.

On our way to the picnic area we saw a dead snake in the road that had been run over by a vehicle.  I asked a fellow riding by if he knew what kind it was but he didn't. 

We walked to the day use area and there were only a few teens parked in the parking lot sitting on the tail gate of their trucks and surrounded by the arouma of Cannabis.  I was pleased to see that the area was not crowded and excited about seeing the beach.  As we approached the bath house I noticed the sign.

We couldn't even get close enough for me to take a photo.  So I'll have to return in the coach tomorrow when we leave.

Met a nice couple and their daughter riding their bikes.  We talked about different state parks in Louisiana and I told them my favorites.  We shared info and then went on our way.

Xi Shi made two new friends when we met up with these young girls walking thier dogs.

Passed by the Laundromat and playground.

Once back in the campground, I noticed a site that would be ideal.  It is site #38.  It has a deck and lots of privacy and looks out over the fishing pier.  It's my favorite, so far.  It happens to be right across the street from me.

Got back to my site and had lunch.  Now it's nap time.  It's supposed to rain again today so I'm glad we did our walk this morning.

Tomorrow I need to stop at the WalMart in Winnfield as well as get fuel.  Our next campground is almost 3 hours away so it'll be a long day for me.

Peace Rock placed. 

We're leaving in the morning.

JIMMIE DAVIS STATE PARK - CHATHAM, LA

We left Lake Bisinteau around 10:00 this morning.  Drove around to find the beach.  Well, there really wasn't one.  Just a grassy slope into the lake.

We left and headed for Gibsland to visit the Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum, the ambush site near Mt. Lebanon, and Driskill Mountain before going to our next campground.

L.J. "Boots" Hinton, runs the museum.  He is the son of Ted Hinton who was one of the 6 police officers who ambushed Bonnie and Clyde in 1934.

Standing:  Prentis Oakley (who fired the first shots), Ted Hinton, Bob Alcorn, and Manny Gault,

Kneeling:  Frank Hamer, and Henderson Jordan.

The museum contained many photos, newspaper clippings, one of Bonnie's hats found in the death car, blown up posters of the Barrow gang, photos and history of the police officers who killed Bonnie and Clyde, and a 30 minute DVD video to watch.  I purchased the book written by Ted Hinton and Boots signed it for me.  Then we rode a few miles down the road to the Historical Marker.

It's hard to tell how big it is in these photos but it is about 4 feet tall. 

It's got bullet holes and graffitti on it but it stands.  It's actually across the highway from where the couple was killed.

The exact location would be right before my coach on the right.

The police hid and waited in the bushes on the right.

I placed a tiny daisy flower pot at the site.

Ambush site taken in 1934.

Ambush site taken in 2012.

The death car in a museum in Nevada.

The death car - taken right after shooting.  Bonnie had 53 bullets that hit her and Clyde had 51.  Very sad.

We left and drove about 30 miles to our next stop.  Driskill Mountain is the highest natural summit in Louisiana with an elevation of 535 feet above sea level.  Although the word mountain is in its name, Driskill Mountain is actually a tall hill.  Its elevation is well below the level considered to be a mountain.

Driskill Mountain is a landform created by the erosion of unlithified Paleogene sediment.  Its summit consists of nonmarine quartz sands. These sands overlie shallow marine and coastal clays, silts, and sands of the Cook Mountain Formation, which form the bulk of Driskill Mountain.

I thought there would be an overlook or something but there was a church at the top of the hill and that was all - so I didn't stop. 

Driskill Mountain is located behind the Mount Zion Independent Presbyterian Church.  A short hike takes you to the modest summit area, marked by a stone cairn and a marker containing a metal box with a sign-in register.

NOW ON TO JIMMIE DAVIS STATE PARK

We arrived at Jimmie Davis State Park around 2:00 this afternoon.  Just as I was checking in the clouds rolled in, it got real dark real fast, the wind picked up and I knew what was coming.  I got into my site and it started to pour.  I hooked up electric but ran inside before I could get water hooked up.  It rained hard for some time then the sun came out for just a little while before dark.

The view from my front door.  The lake is behind those campers.

Nice fishing  pier.

Xi wanted to follow that little Dachshund but they were in a hurry.

Yes, Momi... I read the sign.

Back to our campsite.

Tomorrow we'll walk around the campground and look for the beach area.

Cooked a sausage Jambalaya tonight.  I was starved.  Didn't have any lunch.  Going to bed early... tired.