January 2019 road trip - New Orleans to Sikeston, Missouri (2 days)
This post is almost a month late.
We finished our time in New Orleans up and headed off the day Jim flew home (MLK day). The first leg of our journey was through the swamps and oil fields along US-61 to Baton Rouge. Baton Rouge was almost a ghost town but it had a nice peaceful feeling to it which was the perfect antidote to NOLA. We have but one lame picture from Baton Rouge. We did the 1.5 mile long loop along the river and back which was enjoyable.
After the river walk we hit the riverboat casino which was just down the riverfront from where we parked. The casino was enjoyable and we were there a surprisingly long time without spending very much money. I think we left as winners. Like the rest of downtown BR, that casino was darn near empty while we were there.
Leaving New Orleans we took endless US and state roads north including many miles on US-65 in Louisiana and Arkansas.
Arkansas seemed endless going from South to North. It was pleasant and easy driving but not very stimulating. We arrived in North Little rock around 9 or 10 PM I think.
The next day (the 22nd) was a lot more active. We started off by heading over to Helena/West Helena AR. I'd heard it was a very poor place from an old FedEx co-worker but it was still startling to see it in person.
So, remembering that drive very fondly, I thought it would be fun to try to cover a lot or all of the official Crowley's Ridge scenic byway. This is part of what brought us to Helena. That is near the Southern end of the byway. So off we went on various back roads including at least a dozen miles of gravel (!). It was hilly and curvy but the parts of the byway we covered (slowly and with some difficulty following its numerous turns and junctions) was more back woods byway than fun driving byway. There was a short and very seldom used interpretive trail on the gravel section that we enjoyed for its remoteness.
Later in the day we did our biggest hike of the trip at Village Creek State Park. This park had good quality hiking. It was a little cold that day but it was dry and we eagerly soaked up the nature and solitude.
Shortly after this park we abandoned the official byway and just tried to make practical progress North. Our destination for the night ended up being Sikeston Missouri but we didn't decide that until we were almost there which gave the day a nice free flowing feel. At Sikeston I took Brian to the Lambert's, a South Missouri institution which is basically a Cracker Barrel type menu but with a roving band of people offering up unlimited helpings of various southern side dishes and big yeasty rolls. The rolls in particular are thrown at you, sometimes from a great distance. It was slightly amusing and novel but nothing we need to do again. So concluded the 2nd day of travels on our way home.
We finished our time in New Orleans up and headed off the day Jim flew home (MLK day). The first leg of our journey was through the swamps and oil fields along US-61 to Baton Rouge. Baton Rouge was almost a ghost town but it had a nice peaceful feeling to it which was the perfect antidote to NOLA. We have but one lame picture from Baton Rouge. We did the 1.5 mile long loop along the river and back which was enjoyable.
After the river walk we hit the riverboat casino which was just down the riverfront from where we parked. The casino was enjoyable and we were there a surprisingly long time without spending very much money. I think we left as winners. Like the rest of downtown BR, that casino was darn near empty while we were there.
Leaving New Orleans we took endless US and state roads north including many miles on US-65 in Louisiana and Arkansas.
Arkansas seemed endless going from South to North. It was pleasant and easy driving but not very stimulating. We arrived in North Little rock around 9 or 10 PM I think.
The next day (the 22nd) was a lot more active. We started off by heading over to Helena/West Helena AR. I'd heard it was a very poor place from an old FedEx co-worker but it was still startling to see it in person.
On some long ago weekend from back when I lived in Memphis I had a very entertaining curvy and beautiful fall drive along Crowley's Ridge somewhere. I know I stopped at Crowley's Ridge State Park and did a brief hike and two of the photos I took on that hike have been favorites of mine for years, currently framed and at least one of them is hung up even now. Here is that blast from November 12th, 2005!
Later in the day we did our biggest hike of the trip at Village Creek State Park. This park had good quality hiking. It was a little cold that day but it was dry and we eagerly soaked up the nature and solitude.
Shortly after this park we abandoned the official byway and just tried to make practical progress North. Our destination for the night ended up being Sikeston Missouri but we didn't decide that until we were almost there which gave the day a nice free flowing feel. At Sikeston I took Brian to the Lambert's, a South Missouri institution which is basically a Cracker Barrel type menu but with a roving band of people offering up unlimited helpings of various southern side dishes and big yeasty rolls. The rolls in particular are thrown at you, sometimes from a great distance. It was slightly amusing and novel but nothing we need to do again. So concluded the 2nd day of travels on our way home.
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