We Watched TV & Decided To Go There! HA

How do we pick where to travel? Funny story: we picked this next place after we watched The History Channel about huge bridges. We learned about a bridge that is the longest bridge over water in the whole world – 23.85 miles. It is over Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, from New Orleans to Mandeville. We wanted to see that bridge! Let’s go there and so we made plans. 😃

1st Time in Louisiana For Both Of Us, Rest Stop, Vinton, LA 1//23

We were so excited to get to Louisiana from Livingston, Texas, that we were both fully awake before our alarm went off. Headed south and then east. No traffic on the country roads and I-10 wasn’t bad at all. The traffic was mostly light on our side. Heavy west bound (this was Sunday after Thanksgiving). The day was perfect, 70° and sunny. Slight breeze. 

Eck!!! Rest Stop, Vinton, LA 11/23

Just inside Louisiana there is a rest stop that is so very nice. A small lake is there with the words, “Do Not Feed Alligators” Yikes!

At Lake Charles there is a bridge that goes up 158 ft above sea level and then back down to lower than 20. It looks like it goes almost straight up and down.  Lake Bigeux has a lot of trees in it. Plaquemine has a water canal in-between both sides of the freeway. 

Got to Fairview-Riverside State Park Campground, Madisonville, Louisiana, and what a nice place! The office is in a cute yellow clapboard building with white trim. Kevin got out and walked to the window where he chatted with two really nice workers. They offered us several different sites from the one we were assigned and told us to go look at them. We did and took the one that backs up closest to the boat launch. It is on “the swamp” and goes to a river. Only a few people camping here. Trees around the edges with Spanish moss.

Can You See The Bridge? Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, 23 Miles Long, Mandeville, LA 11/23

After we got set up, we decided to drive around and ended up at Sunset Point where, guess what, we could see Lake Pontchartrain Causeway! Yep, you can’t see land on the other side. Some of New Orleans is below sea level. You can see some of the buildings of New Orleans, though. Drove on down the shoreline and saw lots of houses on stilts. Quite a few bed and breakfast or restaurants, too. A perfect evening to sit on the porches, eat, and watch the sun set.

St Tammany Parish, where we are, “is the most affluent in the state. The Northshore was where people came from New Orleans to get away from the city and get fresh air. The parish population grew considerably in the months following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which devastated parts of the Northshore but left much of it with little damage.”

New Orleans Can Be Seen On The Left, Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, Madeville, LA 11/23

The next afternoon we headed out and drove Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. We stopped at the toll booth, said we were new, and asked if our new toll-tag-box-thingy worked. She said the only one that works here is one specifically for this bridge. $6.00. The drive was so cool. The lake averages only 12 feet deep and the surface elevation is 1 ft above sea level. Lake Pontchartrain is 40 miles west to east x 24 miles south to north. It took us 30 minutes to cross from one end of the bridge to the other. The road was like riding a bucking horse! The grooves/plates. I couldn’t even take a steady picture of the map and elevation! Gave us a laugh. 

New Canal Lighthouse is on Lake Pontchartrain, in New Orleans. Bob was our tour guide. He loves to tell stories and we love to hear them! Canals were built in the late 1700s and early 1800s so they could connect Lake Pontchartrain to New Orleans. It was easier for ships to go through the lake and down the canals than to try to go up the Mississippi River 100 miles. This lighthouse was rebuilt with some of the original wood. The Coast Guard used the lighthouse for the Search & Rescue base from the 1960s until Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Around the area, you can see the tall Levees that have been built to protect the cities. (Pictured above behind the parking lot.)

It was getting dark so we decided to head home (footnote 1). There is no toll going north on the causeway, which is nice. This side of the road wasn’t as bucking bronco as the other. I was able to take a picture of the shore where we stood the other day and took a picture of this causeway. That is fun. As we got close, Kevin said, “Land Ho!” HAHA, I thought that was cute.

My 1st Gumbo – Delicious! Nan’s New Orleans Cafe & PoBoy, Mandeville, LA 11/23

We decided to eat out and I searched maps for restaurants in the Madisonville area. Most everything was closed, only open until 2:30pm. I expanded the search to Mandeville and found Nan’s New Orleans Cafe & PoBoy.  Kevin had a shrimp platter. I decided to be brave and try something new to me; I got Chicken & Andouille Gumbo – “our smoky version of a Louisiana classic with locally made andouille, chicken and seasonings, served with rice.” It came with a side of garlic bread and a choice – I picked Mac & Cheese, you know, in case I didn’t like the gumbo. I really hadn’t had gumbo ever before (just a taste of Kevin’s at Silver Dollar City). It was so delicious!!! Rated: A Few Times Every Time We Come To Louisiana!! It was a huge serving so I brought back leftovers for tomorrow. The cafe was empty of customers when we got there at 5:00pm but by the time we left, most tables were full. It was a smaller place with about 12-15 tables, I think.

Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum, Madisonville, Louisiana. This museum gets a rating of F for Fail. They had no captions or scripts and had at least 6 films to watch. Those of us who are deaf have no way of learning what is said. The museum has good displays. I learned that the Merchant Marine is a fleet of ships that carry exports and imports during peacetime. During wartime, it becomes a naval auxiliary to deliver war materials and troops. Around 9,000 soldiers were lost during WW2 but they weren’t given Veteran status until 1988. What a shame! 

After the museum, we drove the short distance to where the Tchefuncte River flows into Lake Pontchartrain. The road was all mushy and we saw road workers adding more dirt. The whole area is swampland and a lot of ground is sinking. We got out and saw an old burned-out towboat right close to the shore. Just behind it is the Tchefuncte Lighthouse. 

A few days later, Kevin had a little sore throat so for dinner I made homemade potato soup in the crockpot. I made grilled cheese sandwiches with it. I saw there is a movie on Netflix that took place in Louisiana. Well, we are here in Louisiana! We watched it while we ate our dinner. (I used my small cookie sheets to put our bowls of soup and plates of grilled cheese sandwiches on and it worked great.) So fun – we recognized Lake Pontchartrain Causeway and they even mentioned the lady living in Madisonville! That is exactly where we are. This town has less than 820 people! (Although, lots of cities all together here along Northshore). So cool. I am pretty sure they showed the Piggly Wiggly (a grocery store) we had shopped. Oh, and there is a restaurant where the main character works. Kevin looked it up and yes, it is real and there are two locations here. We think we just might have to go. HAHA Isn’t that so fun?! Of all the places in the entire world and I just happen to see a show, happen to be filmed and based here, and we just happen to be here at this time. Love it!!!

The restaurant in the movie we watched is called Middendorf’s. Middendorf’s has two locations and we went to the one where Lake Maurpas empties into Lake Pontchartrain (to the west of us). On the drive there, we continue to see the whole area is a swamp. We saw houses with grass yards where you need a boat to get to it because of all the water around. Middendorf’s is famous for their catfish. We were hesitant to try it because catfish in other states where we have had it had a metal taste and we don’t like it. But, we decided to be brave and both got the shrimp and catfish platter. On the menu, it said “Josie’s recipe” for it was just the fish and flour and cornmeal. Well, it was delicious! We are huge fans of it. Rated: Every Time We Come To New Orleans Area!

So see how fun traveling full-time can be? Watch a documentary, decide you want to go there, and you go. Love this lifestyle!!!

1. “Home” is where we park it. Home is our 2022 Alliance Avenue, 36 ft, 5th wheel.