Travels With Dick and Judy

7/21/11

Another 3 weeks have passed – 2 of which were spent at Sam Houston Jones State Park (between Moss Bluff and Westlake and near Lake Charles, LA). All I can say is that it was hot, and the park is not nearly as well kept as we remember (partially due to hurricanes and partially due to cutbacks). In fact, when we asked if the park was looking for a camp host, we were told they were booked for at least a year. Then, when Judy called to ask where the camp host lived, she was told that they did not currently have a camp host and did not know when they would have one. We would have gladly stayed in that position through the winter if given the opportunity – close to family and friends. The park has many vacancies and even on the weekends, was never full. We would have also stayed longer than 2 weeks, but 2 weeks is the limit! We did have more shade and were able to keep the awning out and set up our personal stuff – chimes, "It's 5 o'clock somewhere" and "Got wine" signs, mat, chairs, tables, cook stove and gas grill. It felt good to feel at home for a couple weeks, although we did not have sewer hookups, even though requested. Rule #3: Always have sewer hookups, if at all possible, as it is a pain to undo everything to go to the dump station every 3-4 days! Dick took some great pictures of mushrooms, flowers, deer and raccoon.

  We also saw some 2^nd and 3^rd cousins who live in the area (and had dinner with them and invited them to dinner). Judy also visited with some of her 1^st cousins when she visited her 90-year-old Aunt Ruby.

On Thursday of the 1^st week, we met friends from Judy's high school class – Lake Charles High School (LCHS) class of 1965 – and confirmed that 1 of the girls is married to 1 of Dick's classmates from LaGrange High School. It was fun catching up with Kathy, Bob, Faye and Nathan and getting better acquainted, plus eating at Pat's of Henderson is always great, too! While we were there, Jackie, another of Judy's classmates showed up.

Faye, Judy, Bob, Kathy & Jackie

Saturday, July 10^th, was Judy's LCHS all-class reunion, and she went to LCHS with her cousin Linda for the pep rally and reception and then to the ladies lunch for the class of 1965 at Fat Cats. 

Linda, Kathy, Judy, Faye

Get-together at Fat Cats

That evening, we went to the home of Charlie and Karen Woodard for a get-together of Judy's class and had a great visit with lots of her classmates and their spouses.

On Sunday, we went to our niece and nephew-in-law's home for our nephew James' surprise graduation party (following his graduation from Culinary Institute of America in upper New York a few days earlier). Great food and visit with family and friends!

Due to the heat, most of our days at the state park were spent surfing the internet and watching TV, which we hate to admit. We are ready for a cooler climate so we can get out, explore and walk for exercise!

One accomplishment was completing our on-line resume through www.workamper.com, listing our goals, experience, skills, etc, including pictures of us with our RV and of our RV alone. Overnight, we received emails that numerous employers had viewed our resume. We accepted a volunteer position at the Waco North KOA in the town of West, TX (15 miles north of Waco and not far from Austin, Dallas and the Texas Hill Country) working a total of 15 hours per week (per couple) in the camp store – making reservations (and learning the KOA reservation system), stocking and selling supplies, greeting campers and showing them to their sites – in exchange for our site, full hookups and 20% discount on store supplies and propane. We will arrive on August 28^th and stay until approximately April 1, 2012. Our kids have also promised to come visit (not too far from Houston, either), and we will be off to travel to Houston for the Christmas holidays (and possibly a few other visits). Not a bad place to "winter" and closer to West Texas and the mountains farther west and north. Hopefully, we will get another "workamper" position in a cooler climate for next spring and summer!

After leaving the state park, we traveled to Poche's Fish and RV Camp near Breaux Bridge, LA for 4 days. Dick was able to get his line in the water, although he did not catch any fish worth keeping. We spent 1 day traveling to St. Martinville, which we had not visited for about 45 years, to view the Evangeline statue and tour the church and then go to the Evangeline State Historic Site. Unfortunately, the site was a disappointment, as it has been updated and not nearly as original as we remember.







We took a side trip to Lake Fausse Point State Park, which is exactly the type park where we would like to camp!
Another day was spent in downtown Breaux Bridge at a coffee shop (Fly's and the sign says "Wi‑Fly"), so Judy could get on the internet to "take care of business". We are really missing not having a wi‑fi connection in the private campgrounds where we are currently staying. However, the price with our Passport America membership is too good to pass up. Although the day was interspersed with showers, Dick couldn't pass up sampling some of the sweetest grapes he had ever tasted...straight from the vine. That's when he started missing his wine making equipment!