« Eastward Distraction Part 2 – Day Two | Home | Eastward Distraction Part 2 – Day Four »

Eastward Distraction Part 2 – Day Three

By Thom | June 19, 2008

Natchitoches, LA to Gulfport, FL ~440 miles

Today’s morning started pretty early as I really couldn’t sleep too well because of the humidity and so I was out of the tent around 5:30. I took my time driving back into town and drove around the historic sections. There were some really beautiful old houses along the river downtown and there was also a nice fountain in the river. I finally made my way (with some serious directions from a nice gas station attendant) to the Cane River Creole NHS, which is an old plantation that they have up kept. I was the only person there and it looked like I was the only person that had been there for a while. I walked around a little bit and spent some time sitting in the air conditioned bathroom on a chair (yes, a chair in the bathroom, apparently I wasn’t the only one who liked to enjoy the free cool air).

I started to move down to Baton Rouge when it just started ~~raining~~ pouring and I happened to pull into a Casino/Gas station/Diner. I spent the better part of an hour there enjoying some sweet tea and some grits while the rain past. Two other gentlemen had also stopped as the heavens opened up. Both were traveling my way, but only to Baton Rouge, they left after the skies cleared for a little bit, and I had some more tea.

From my little oasis, I moved on down to the coast missing New Orleans and heading into Gulfport, FL where the National Seashore is located. I got my first sight of the Gulf of Mexico along the beaches of Gulfport, pure beauty!! Unfortunetely this town had been hit pretty hard by the hurricane in 2005, so most of the buildings along the coast were gone. Some places had started to rebuild, but were just open lots that were for sale. I could see the destruction that the winds and waves had caused against the old road and lake walk (ocean walk??). The best part is, that most of the Waffle Houses were still intact and really the only open restaurants for miles.

and that’s when I hit some rain… the bike cut out, I swore, and pulled into a Sonic drive in. Bummer!!!

The rest of the night I spent finding my way to the Seashore campground and consoling my hopes of fixing my bike.

Plantation house

Fresh plantation water

Beach shot

A horrid picture of the little crabs that were hanging out in the bathroom (don’t ask my how they got there, but they were tough to get a picture of as they liked to scurry away if I got close)