Louisiana visitor center
We drove to a new state today, Louisiana. The landscape gradually changed again. First we noticed a lot more trees, with a few evergreen mixed in. They aren’t huge trees by our standards, but a lot taller than we’ve been seeing. The general landscape is green as well. But it is flat. Flat, flat, flat. So flat that parts along the highway are pure swamp. Think bayou. Swamp land, swamp water, swamp trees and vegetation. In fact, just across the state line we stopped at a visitor center for maps and information. It was located on a very pretty lake with signs posted all around: No swimming, beware of alligators. And: Beware of snakes. So, no more scorpions….just watch out for those gators!
Welcome to Louisiana!
We drove east on interstate 10 for most of the day. We crossed many small bridges all along the way. And then we came to a big stretch of bridge. If we had known it was coming, we would have kept track of the miles. It was at least 15 miles of bridge over swamp land. Think of the “trestle” between Lake Stevens and Everett….and you’ll get a small picture of what we saw. Every once in a while there would be a small dry patch of land with a house on it, but most of it was water of one sort or another. There was a lake, a river, an inlet, another lake, etc, etc, etc. It just went on and on.
Along the 15+ mile interstate 10 bridge/trestle between Lake Charles and Lafayette
Our only real stop was in Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana. We had read about a few touristy things to do, and wanted to go to the “old” capitol building, but it was closed. We did go to the “new” capitol building, built in 1932 completed in14 months! It was so impressive in detail, craftsmanship, and how quickly it was constructed. It is the tallest capitol building in the country. (450 feet high) The main floor has the house and senate chambers, then there is a tower for offices that goes up 34 stories high. You can go to the 27th floor, where the observation deck is.
Tallest state capitol building in the US
The architecture is amazing, and because it was built long ago, of course the workmanship is as well. There are stone carvings, wood carvings, murals, statues, craftsmanship everywhere. We arrived just before the observation deck was closing, so only got a brief view up there, and then had a little time to view the main floor before we had to go. Flags of the various nations which have ruled Louisiana hang from the balcony above: Castile and Leon, Bourbon France, Bourbon Spain, England, French tricolor, 15- star U.S. flag, flag of the Republic of West Florida, Louisiana State flag and the modern U.S. flag. Arriving on Sunday afternoon has its perks, though. Very little traffic through downtown!
One of several casinos visible from "The Tower" of state Capitol
East Texas was a lot more humid than the desert, and Louisiana is another level of humidity above that. Must be all the water. Harris says we are just getting slowly acclimatized. Judy’s not convinced it’s even possible, but we’ll see.
Tug VS 2 tugs with barges
We’ve stopped for the night in at Lakeside RV Park, a little ways outside Baton Rouge, in a town called Livingston. It was nice of the group that had all the lakeside sites to leave today and give us an unobstructed view of the lake.
Huey Long statue viewed from the Tower
The fancier senate hall of the capitol
Temp varied from 62 to 83 within 70 miles and within 1 hour this afternoon!
Our camp site for the night @ Lakeside RV
Total miles driven today= 230
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