Fri - Apr 20/12

I did not plan to be in a hurry to leave this morning. I wanted to time my trip to get to Lafayette, LA after the dinner hour. The reason for this is that our plan was to eat a Prejean's Restaurant for what many consider the best cajun food available anywhere. Over the past 20 year's they have received too many gold medals to count. I used Google Maps "Street View" to check out to see if it was possible to park the RV and Toad (Car in tow) and I determined that if I arrived after peak times the chances would be good.

The best laid plans do get changed by circumstances. Travel was good until we hit construction on the bridge on I-10 at Lake Charles, LA. The need to funnel down to a single lane backed traffic up for miles. We lost almost an hour and a half in the stop and go traffic.

This may have been a benefit as we did not arrive until after 3 pm. Even at this time I just managed to find a spot large enough to squeeze into as they were still busy at this off-time.

There is a reason AAA Southern Traveler rates Prejean's "Best of the South"! Great Food! We decided to share Prejean's Seafood Platter which includes frog legs, shrimp, oyster, catfish, alligator, shrimp and stuffed crab served with rice dressing, cajun (spiced) fries and corn macque choux (which is like a corn relish served in a tart-like pastry shell). It comes either fried or grilled. We chose the fried (normally we do grilled) as this would be the preferred version of the locals. Even the oven fresh buns were exceptional. It was a good thing we shared - we could hardly finish this meal between the two of us. I don't think supper will be on the menu tonight either. What a tasty treat! It was well worth the little detour off I-10.

Located in the heart of French Louisiana, Prejean’s Restaurant captures all “six” senses in a culture of delicious flavors. Contrary to popular belief Cajun cooking is not really "Hot" - rather it uses spices to make the food really tasty. Prejean ‘s showcases the rich culture of Cajun French heritage. Antique relics grace the walls and rafters. “Big Al,” the fourteen foot alligator once a native of the Louisiana’s Grand Chenier swamp, sits in the middle of the dining room guarding the multitude of culinary medals, earned by Prejean’s chefs in various culinary competitions held locally, nationally and internationally. As I said - too many to count!

As we arrived at our destination (Cajun Country RV Park) in Port Allen, LA on the outskirts of Baton Rouge we hit another line of stopped traffic. An accident had just happened seconds before on top of an overpass on I-10. Both lanes were completely blocked and judging by the concern of those close to the accident it appeared to involve injuries. Traffic will be stalled here for some time. Luckily for us I noticed this was our turn-off and I was close enough to drive down the shoulder and exit. (Whew! That saved another hour or more delay).

I fueled up the RV at Ninos Truck Plaza in preparation for our departure in a few days. This way I wouldn;t have to back-track to fuel up. Like Prejean's, I had checked out this location for ease of access on Google Maps Street View. I knew the pumps were in the correct direction. As I fueled two ambulances and several police vehicles zoomed by with sirens wailing as they headed to the accident scene. After filling I continued through Nino's Casino parking lot and exited onto the the next street which would give me traffic lights for turning back onto the road I needed. This was easier than trying to cross multiple lanes of traffic from the gas station. Thank You Google Map Street View!

Less than an hour after checking in the car was unhooked and the RV was all set up with the slides out (only 2 of the 3 when we travel) and connections (power, water, sewer and cable TV) made. The computer was up and running with a good Wi-Fi connection. Charlotte is watching cable programs of her choosing on the bedroom TV as I vview the Detroit Red Wings/Nashville Predators NHL Hockey Playoff Game while doing this blog and planning adventures for tomorrow in Cajun Country. We will be here at least until Monday morning before continuing our trip towards home.

P.S. Looking forward to a few thunderstorms and a little "rain on the roof" this evening.