DAYS #8
After two days of rainy, misty weather, the sky’s cleared and this vagabond was once again on the road. Today’s destination; Chicot State Park, outside Ville Platte, LA.
The weather up to this point has been (overall) solid. Yea it was a little cool in Iowa and Northwestern Arkansas (NWA), but warmed up nicely (low 70s) on the drive into Louisiana. The drive itself was pretty uneventful, the land becoming very flat but with lots and lots of trees. I again mixed my road selection with some state highways, along with some interstate. The interstate was actually OK, this part of Louisiana is so heavily forested and so quiet (traffic wise) that the freeway had almost the same intimacy that I get taking the other roads. I did observe (I like that word) that unlike truck stops/gas stations along other interstates around the country where you’ll see the station with all its lights and signs right at the top of the exits, in Louisiana, you don’t see that. You go up on the ramp and then turn left or right and they’ll be just down the road 1000.’ It kind of makes it feel like there are no stations along the interstate and with the truck getting blah mileage, I did have a few moments of anxiety, but I was able to adapt and survived.
I arrive at what I thought was the park around 3:30 in the afternoon. I had dutifully listened to my copilot (google) as she ended up bringing me to the edge of the park but miles away from the entrance. It seems google hasn’t gotten to this place yet. OK now what, I started on back to the main road (a two-mile narrow two lane road) while deciding on how to get to the park entrance. I really don’t like it when you get on a bumpy, bouncy road with the trailer. It feels like its going to come loose from the hitch. Thankfully, I had remembered seeing a sign for the park not far from where goggle had instructed me to turn, so I went back, found it and followed it and subsequent other signs directing me to the park. After about another 20 minutes, I made it to the main entrance and checked in. YEA, Happy Ending.
The campsite was four miles from the entrance and wow, talk about being in the sticks, but it was nice. Found my site, backed in, unhooked, set up and kicked back. I was ready to hang out in Chioct State Park and the surrounding area for the next four days.
Did you know that Chicot State Park is the largest State Park in Louisiana.
The Journey. 