When I last checked in, I had one foot on the plane heading to Reno, Nevada to help out my dad. He was having some back and hip pain that was causing him to have severe mobility problems.
I took American airlines out of Lafayette, LA with a connection in Dallas. On that particular day there was major weather issues in the midwest, the west and Northeast. Since Dallas is American Airlines hub it created a nightmare in the AA terminal. Flights going out and coming in were being cancelled all over the place. I was confident since Reno was clear that I would get out on time at 4:30 in the afternoon. But soon that thought was fading as my phone kept texting me updates on my departure time. One hour late, then two hours late.
The aircraft finally appeared at the gate but we weren’t getting any information about boarding time. Around 9 pm they announced that the crew for our flight was stuck in Montrose, Canada and they were attempting to find another crew.
At 10:30 PM I received the dreaded text and heard the announcement that my flight was CANCELLED. Since 100’s of people had received the same word earlier in the day and evening the availability of a hotel room within shuttle distance came at a premium price. But I was not sleeping in the airport.
The hot shower felt great, but it was the most expensive shower I have had in a long time. $350.00 for the room and I had to be at the airport by 6:00 AM, Not much time to enjoy the digs.
The above image depicts my two weeks in Nevada. Somewhat of a Blur.. It was very stressful but I think for now everything is under control.
I left Reno wearing Ugg Boots, coats and sweater since it was 27 degrees when I departed. I arrived to temperatures in the mid 70’s in Lafayette Louisiana.
Sue and Bill had also moved into Poches RV park while I was away and I had a fond welcoming from them; as well as decorations on the motorhome.
First on our agenda was the Saturday morning Zydeco Breakfast at Buck and Johnny’s.
This is a must see and do experience. We arrived promptly at 8:00 AM.
You might find these on the breakfast menu:
Eggs and Grilled Boudin (Boo-dawn)
Eggs with Swamp rice (topped with crawfish étouffée) – A-too-FAY Which means Smothered.
Omelet with grilled onions and Tasso (TAH-so) similar to chorizo
The Zydeco music starts around 8:30. Be prepared to Have a Blast for several hours of dancing and people watching.
For anyone who has been to Breaux Bridge, Louisiana in the past might remember going to Cafe Des Amis. Unfortunately it is no longer open and it looks like Buck and Johnny’s is the new place to enjoy Zydeco music, and good food. Below is a short video to show you why people get lined up at 7:30 AM on Saturdays.
The Bottomless Bloody Mary’s and Mimosas along with Beignets is a great way to start your Saturday.
Poche’s Fish n Camp is our go-to place to stay. There are 85 Acres and several ponds that are well stocked with Crappies, Catfish, Bass, Perch, Bluegill and Alligator Gar. It is a quiet park about 6 miles from I-10
Above is the RV map. We like any of the spots from 27 – 90!
Shopping for fresh meat and crawfish is without a doubt the best at the Farm to Market store also owned by Poche’s. They have a full selection of all cuts of meat; Brisket, Steaks, Rabbit, Chicken and of course Crawfish. Most of it is seasoned Cajun style that is so yummy.
Our favorite restaurant in Breaux Bridge to satisfy our ragin’ cajun appetite for Crawfish is, “Crazy Bout Crawfish.”
This is a very cute and casual spot to enjoy some fresh crawfish in season. We were here 6 years ago and stopped in several times and it is still as good as EVER!
The waitresses are always fun and efficient. We have a couple of favorites…Desirae and Nicole but we know her as Queen. We had so much fun here on our last night.
Miss “Queen” came to take our drink orders and Sue asked for a Vodka Grapefruit drink, perhaps premixed style. Unsure what might satisfy Sue’s desire for Vodka, our silly waitress got us laughing when she arrived with a tray of Every Vodka in the house.
More laughs and the party was just beginning.”
Sue ordered the Shrimp Etoufée, and the rest of us ordered Crawfish or “MudBugs” as they are lovingly called here. In the end, we all 4 devoured a total of 13 POUNDS of crawfish and probably could have eaten More!!. I’m going to miss that place!… at least until next time we are finding ourselves back at the Crawfish Capital of the World! Hopefully, that won’t be too long.
What looks, tastes, and smells like seafood, but doesn’t come from the sea? It’s crawfish, a freshwater shellfish that is surely a Louisiana delicacy. Call them Crawfish, Crawdads, Crayfish, or Mudbugs they are all the same!
Louisiana is the largest domestic producers of crawfish. Roughly 130-150 Million pounds a season are harvested by roughly 1600 Louisiana farmers.
Watch the 6 minute video if you are interested in how the farmers produce Rice and Crawfish in the same farm. Next time you are thinking about a Clam bake, or having a Crab feed… consider ordering a 30 pound bag of Crawfish for a delicious and different dinner. Pinch the Tails and Suck the Heads and enjoy!
Mark enjoyed being just a few feet from one of the ponds a Poche’s RV Park.
He practiced Catch and Release since our freezers are full of Tuna and other wild fish things.
Six years ago, I got a chance to visit a large rookery North of Lafayette. I spent all day photographing and watching the birds; some with chicks and others just building their nest. I did Not want to leave Louisiana this trip without a second or third visit here. My wishes came true! So below are a few of the shots I took.
Being able to share this experience with my amazing photographer friend, Sue, made it extra special. We both get so excited to see wildlife and even more excited when we get lucky and grab a good shot.,
The fastest Chick gets the Crawfish!
Oh heaven help me, I just can't stop loading bird pictures...... I just love these birds so much..
Next on our must do list was to take Champagne’s Swamp Tour. Mark and I had taken it twice before but I was anxious to go again. So the four of us boarded the boat and we almost had the whole boat to our selves and since Sue and I had “dem’ larger lenses”, we were seated in the front! ~Thank you Ron
This concludes our swamp tour on Lake Martin in Louisiana
As we were leaving Lake Martin, we took a drive along the lake and spotted a Barred Owl who was intensely looking for a late lunch. He was so intense he didn’t seem to mind Sue and I aiming a camera lens right at him.
Mark is famous for hunting down hole in the wall restaurants, dives and bakeries. While I was in Nevada he was on a roll. Bakeries like “Cajun Donut Co” for Beignets, Myron’s side of the road joint for “Eggo Mamas”, The pie Trailer in Poches grocery store parking lot for Pies, and A-BEAR’s for chili dogs. At A-BEAR’s he ordered a chili Dog and the attendant said in his biggest Louisiana drawl “Duh ya want a “Weanie” with that” ? A strange question when you just order a chili DOG. 🙂 But Mark went with it and politely said Sure. 🙂
After the four of us were grounded one last day in Breaux Bridge due to major thunderstorms and flooding, we said our goodbyes, and we headed toward Fredericksburg, TX; Bill and Sue to Arkansas. We look forward to seeing them along the trail sometime in our future travels. We had so much fun and made so many memories. That’s the best part of RVing, all the friends we have made and so many laughs.
Update: We arrived in Fredericksburg, one of our favorite stops. We need to be in Nevada before Easter, so there won’t be time for too much exploring on this leg of the journey.
Hi Mark, wanted to say thanks for the Yellow Fin tuna steaks you shared with us at Poche Fisn n Camp. We are back home in Colorado now recovering from Mardi Gras ? Safe travels until we meet again… Tell Lilly HI
Wow Great pictures! We visited those same beautiful places and the rookery.
While at Poches we met Bill, Sue and Mark while you were away. We are also at Fredericksburg at Lady Bird Municipal Park and will be here till Monday.
Thanks, MonaLiza, we hope our paths will cross again. I have linked to your blog as well.