DAY 149: FONTAINBLEAU STATE PARK - SLIDELL , L.A. - MISSISSIPPI STATE

Just before Sundown last evening, I strolled down to the Shore of Lake Pontchartrain. White sandy beach and a setting Sun ... my walk was rewarded.

In the far distance (Click Click) is the 30-mile long causeway from NEW ORLEANS to the North Shore...it can be clearly seen when enlarged to "full screen".

A nice evening for a Sunset Sail...and a full moon rising in the South East.

Looking directly into the sun...beginning to get the hang of this Panasonic Camera.

Walkway to the beach from the Camp Grounds where SPIA waits.

A "musical" fountain for bathers. Another such fountain is on the beach next to the boardwalk.

This Louisiana State Park, Fontainbleau State Park is without a doubt, the finest I have encountered not only on my walk, but in my entire life. There are over 100 RV / Trailer / Camping spots, elegant cabins, lectures, nature trails, play fields everywhere, and a superb beach. Anyone going to NEW ORLEANS would do well to reserve a spot for a few days.

Click click. This land was once a Sugar Plantation...

Stately Bones standing in the Center of the Park...

Please say HELLO to John...a fellow breakfast diner at The Good Eats Cafe in SLIDELL, LOUISIANA. John is a native to this area, having been born and raised in NEW ORLEANS. John shared lots of local information, lore, and guidance for my coming walks across the River Delta and Mississippi Gulf Coast. Thank you, John.

A downtown street in a Ho Hum town...with countless shopping centers, unmarked intersections, and big-box stores. I walked from North to South and back again...and could not complete my 10 mile walk soon enough. The town is spread over a large area...on the other hand, one can find just about everything in SLIDELL.

One item I discovered is marketed by these two Gentlemen:

Please say HELLO to Glen Smith and his Son, Jr. They market "Solar" Mosquito Screens. Glen gave me a sample to play around with for a "hat sun barrier" and skylight Sun Barrier.

Popped in to the Slidell Seafood Shop to see what I could discover.

Just what I was looking for: CRAWFISH.

This 10 inch fellow is a true miniature Lobster. They can be found in the local waters, but commercial Crawfish are Pond-Reared. They live in the mud bottom for about 6 months, then rise to eat, getting trapped in wire baskets.

Be sure to CLICK CLICK the next photograph

Indigenous Instructions for Eating Crawfish...

On this log sunbathed 6 big turtles...they all dived before I could get a photograph...this little fellow posed for me a bit longer...then he too, was gone.

Yes, I walked from Louisiana to Mississippi about 2 pm this afternoon.

and found rebuilt homes high in stilts ... awaiting the next high water.

The Pearl River...so known Estuary waters of the Mississippi River Delta to the East of Lake Pontchartrain. To get to Mississippi State, US 90, which took over from US 190 about 5 miles East of SLIDELL, LOUISIANA, I had to walk across five (5) bridges, each bridge crossing over an arm of the estuary. Each waterway is called a Bayou, but in reality, they are all connected to the Mississippi River and empty into the Gulf of Mexico about 5 miles to the South of US 90.

Another Bayou arm of the Pearl River.

and, another...




The final bridge...looking from the Mississippi State side back up to the center of the bridge which is the dividing line between Mississippi and Louisiana.

A Mr. Mau owns this Convenience Store on the Mississippi side of the Bridge. SPIA is parked here for the night. Mau tells me that when Hurricane Katrina came ashore, she did so over the top of his store...thirty feet high over his store, in fact. He lost everything - except his building which is built like the proverbial Brick Sh_ _ House and came out unscathed.

DAILY REPORT: Walked three times today for a total of 20 miles

SEE YOUR IMPACT.ORG: Credit 20 miles @ $0.02 = $0.40 for the day.

In the morning, SPIA stays parked while I walk East on US 90, exploring the Gulf Coast of the State of Mississippi.