Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

  Skip and I go to Royal Oyster House for Christmas dinner. Dinner was great. Between the alligator, oysters, redfish with crab and etouffee, we did not leave hungry!!!!

                                                                                                          Afterwards, there were plenty of musicians to entertain everyone.

NEW ORLEANS FOR THE HOLIDAYS
     As we were leaving Breaux Bridge, local STOP sign enlightened us that sign could be used as target practice.

Arrived at Lake Ponchatrain Campground in the afternoon. Lots of traffic on I-10. The campground has definitely been enlarged. More sites and enclosed in the bar/restaurant area.  Went into town of Friday amid rain showers. Lots of tourists and traffic. Walked around French market and did some shopping and eating.

   Thought about going to Saints game in Sunday, but only 27 seats left in Superdome. We passed on going. Went into town for early dinner at Red Fish Grill on Bourbon Street. Great food!!

Afterwards, we walked to St. Louis Church in Jackson Square for caroling. It was there 68th year of doing this outdoor caroling. Everyone was given a candle and songbook. Skip figured there had to be close to 2,000 people singing. It was lots of fun!!! Would definitely come back to do this again.
  Christmas Eve we spent at campground. Had a few drinks at bar with everyone.

caroling at Jackson Square

More to come

Before leaving for New Orleans, we went to Pat's Restaurant for lunch with Mary and Ed. Lots of good food!!! Alligator, shrimp, crawfish!!!

   Afterwards went to Arnaudville (up and coming artist's colony). They have more artist's coming in the next year, and hope to grow year after year. They also have had a couple of art/food festivals.  Afterwards, we stopped at their local brewery named LA-31. Another fun day with great company.

Mary, Ed, Skip and our local guide

artist's barn in Arnaudville, LA
 



Skip in LA-31 brewery

Lots of back roads to wander and find things to do!!!!




Mary and Ed also had us over to their unit to play a board game called "Pegs and Jokers". Lots of fun.
 

LOUISIANA
We arrived in Breaux Bridge a week ago. We are staying at Poche's Fish and RV Camp.

We are in Cajun country about 2 hours west of New Orleans. Later this week we will be heading to New Orleans. We have stayed here before. On arrival, we were informed that the campground had been sold to a young couple. We hope they do not make many changes. There was a parade of golf carts in which beads and candy were thrown to us. It was like a mini Mardi Gras!!!

We headed to Point Breaux Restaurant for dinner. There is live music and good food. Skip had their catfish and I had the crawfish etouffee. Delicious!!!
  We took a ride down to Pierre Port, LA. It is about a 2 hour drive down to the bayou. This is where the reality show"Swamp People" reside. We did not see the Landry's but posters are around. Also someone made images of the Landry's out of cypress.

Cypess sculptures of Landry's (Swamp People)

 Another day, we went into Breaux Bridge to walk around and have lunch. After all, this is Louisiana and food rules!!!!  Went into Chez Jacqueline's for lunch. Had her alligator, shrimp, catfish and crawfish appetizer - lots of it - brought what I could not finish back to motorhome. While there, Jacqueline mentioned she was having an 8 course bouillabaisse meal on Saturday night. We signed up - I mentioned that our anniversary was Sunday.

Rule of dining at Chez Jacqueline

  Well, Saturday night there were about 10 couples for the dinner. Jacqueline seated Skip and I at our table. There were flowers and our own chocolate cake for us!!! What a nice surprise. There were at least 5 appetizer courses, salad, bread, the entrée containing lobster, claims, mussels and dessert. Also had live music. It was a great night; everyone was stuffed. Great way to spend an evening.
 As I said food rules in Louisiana!!!!

our table

Skip and Jacqueline

me and food!!!!

entertainment


 

GRACELAND, BARBEQUE, FED EX AND ST. JUDE'S HOSPITAL
Welcome to Memphis, TN. We arrived in the rain late Wednesday afternoon. It took us about 7 hours to reach Memphis. We pulled into the Graceland Campground, which is decorated for Christmas.

 

 

 

There were many campers from all over the US. Thursday we walked over to tour Elvis' home for the holidays. One of new features since our last visit, are headphones and IPAD'S with John Stamos giving descriptions of each room and also Lisa Marie Presley talking about her life at Graceland.

After tour visited a couple of the 11+ gift shops. Gifts shops were doing very well!!!!
     Later that day we went into Memphis to  go to Rendevous - one of our favorite barbeque restaurants. On the way, we passed St. Jude's Hospital. Restaurant opens at 4:30 p.m. We thought we would be the first ones there - no such luck!!!!
    Rendevous prepares the ribs with a dry rub that is terrific. There are also medium and hot sauces, but you really don't need them.  Restaurant is located in an alleyway and you walk in and head down to the basement for seating.

  After dinner we walked past the Peabody Hotel with carriages parked outside for tourists, on our way to Beale Street.

 During the week, it was fairly quiet - not that many people wandering about. Weekends are crowded and that is when you will hear lots of music playing from the various bars.

  About midnight, the Fed Ex planes are taking off leaving the hub. Their flight path was right over the campground. We lost count of the number of planes one night.
   In the morning, we are on the road working our way to Louisiana

We stopped in Sevierville, TN for a couple of days. Sevierville is just outside Pigeon Forge which is where Dollywood is located. In the 15 years since we have been here, the area has definitely grown. We stayed at Two Rivers Landing RV. This is a very nice campground. Only 55 sites. We face the French Broad River.

Site #1

We are just down the road from The Knife Store (3 floors of knives, accessories and kitchen utensils). Also across the way is Bud's. A new gun store. According to our host, you can bring you gun to shoot at Bud's shooting range. We didn't get there.

3 floors of knives, etc.

   We did take a drive part way up the Smoky Mountains. It was rainy on and off. Still a beautiful area. A couple of the turnoffs were closed due to weather. If you continue over the mountains you will arrive in Cherokee, NC.

 

 

 

Gatlinburg

 

 

 

  Later than night we went to the Hatfields and McCoy's Christmas Dinner Theatre show. We were on the side of the McCoy's. Dinner was fried chicken, pulled pork, corn on the cob, coleslaw, mashed potatoes, and chocolate pudding for dessert. Show was a lot of fun. Leaving in the morning and heading across Tennessee to Memphis.

Hatfields on left, McCoys on right

 

 

GREETINGS!!!!
    We are back on the road heading south. We left Sunday after Thanksgiving. Traffic was light until we got to Virginia (I-81).

It took us 2 hours to go 40 miles. The northeast is not the only area with heavy holiday traffic!!!! Oh well. We pulled into Harrisonburg, VA for the night at the KOA. Campground was about 3 miles from I-81 set in the Shenendoah Valley area. Weather was in the 50's.

 

 

There were a few other motorhomes in for the night also.  In the morning, I-81 was much better. We stopped for fuel (diesel was 3.14 a bargain). Heading through Tennessee. We pulled into Sevierville, TN for a couple of nights. Will keep you posted.