Baton Rouge, Louisiana

We left Florida on Mon. March 5 with a change in our itinerary. We had originally planned to travel down the Gulf coast and visit New Orleans. After talking with the campground host, who lives in New Orleans, he advised us not to visit the area. The campgrounds are still heavily occupied with FEMA workers and the facilities are limited (not to mention the crime in New Orleans). Upon leaving Pensacola and driving west along I 10 we saw a fair amount of destruction. There are miles and miles of forest destroyed, mainly from the salt water surge, and not all the facilities are rebuilt yet. We crossed southern Alabama and Mississippi and skirted north of New Orleans on I 12 to end up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It’s not as scenic on the interstates but you can sure make time. We spent a night in a private RV park (not our favorite, but convenient to the interstate). That evening we went out for Cajun food. Their food consists of low country boil (red potatoes, corn, crawfish or shrimp), red beans and rice, oysters and a tasty sauce called etouffee. Cajun food is typically spicy. We tend to do our own cooking, but when we visit a metropolitan area, or if the area is known for something unique, we usually eat out. Of course, seafood is always a must for eating out.

Cajuns were originally French people from Nova Scotia called Acadians. They were expelled from Nova Scotia by the British authorities, following a British victory over the French (which war I forget). Most settled in the Louisiana area. Mixing with the Spanish and local Indians created the Cajuns we know today.