Short Trip to the Boats

Donna and I spent a few days early last week in Bossier City, LA, at the Horseshoe Casino. Not much to write about, as we've posted entries about such trips so many times in the past.

On our way over, we detoured through a couple of Army Corp of Engineer parks on Lake Whitney. We always enjoy scouting out possible camping locations just in case we ever decide to get another RV. On the west side of Lake Whitney on Texas 22 -- just before crossing the dam -- we pulled into Soldiers Bluff Park. However, there really isn't anything there for RVs, so we crossed the dam and then pulled into Lofers Bend Park. This is a fairly nice little park, with campsites providing good views of the lake. I did not see full hookups, but there appear to be plenty of water and electric sites. We stopped so that I could take a few pics of the lake.

This is a panoramic view of the west shore of Lake Whitney just north of the dam.

Lake Whitney dam, which serves as the roadway for Highway 22.

I don't know what this castle-like structure is, but you can also see it at the left of the top picture above. Notice the limestone cliffs, which line much of the western shore in this area.

Another shot of the limestone cliffs. The house at far left gives some perspective as to the height of the cliffs.

We only made it as far as Tyler the first day, so we enjoyed some pretty good Mexican food at Papacitas on South Broadway and then retired to our room. We are learning to travel at a more leisurely pace, and that is difficult for me. In the past, I always woke up early and ready to jump in the car and take off. Now we take our time, have leisurely breakfasts, and usually don't get on the road until 9:00 or so. We also don't travel as far each day, but we seem to be enjoying the trips more.

We decided to stay off I-20 on the second day of our trip and headed east through Henderson and Carthage. It was a bit chilly, and it had rained some during the night. We got into several areas of light rain as we headed east. Just east of Carthage on US 79 I pulled in to the Jim Reeves Memorial. I had seen the place numerous times in the past, but had never taken the time to stop. It's a nice little memorial. If you are a fan, the link above is rather informative.

Approach to the memorial crosses a guitar-shaped section of sidewalk.

Close up of the guitar section of the sidewalk.

Close up of the memorial.

The second day at the Horseshoe, we made a brief visit across the river to Shreveport and stopped in at the Eldorado and Sam's Town. We always check these casinos, hoping they have added some good games. As usual, though, nothing much has changed. The good days of video poker are fading fast. When we recrossed the river, we stopped in at the Louisiana Boardwalk. We both wanted some shoes and Donna was looking for some perfume as well. The old girl managed to find a nice pair of shoes, but that is all we got. It was still a bit cool as we walked around the Boardwalk.

Besides the small bit of shopping and gambling, we had some nice meals. When we first arrived in Shreveport, we stopped in at Carrabba's Italian Grill. Our meal was nice enough, but for my tastes, I'd just as soon go to Olive Garden or our very own local Napoli's in San Angelo. I found their prices to be high as well in comparison to other Italian places we visit. But the food was very decent, and we left satisfied. Of course, we had to visit Ralph and Kacoo's, our normal stop in Bossier City for good Cajun style food. I like everything about this place, and their lunch menu is outstanding. Our final meal in the area was the buffet at the 'Shoe, where Donna ate her weight in boiled shrimp and mussels. My favorite dish there is the bread pudding. Wow!

Believe it or not, my favorite meal of the entire trip was at Chicken Express in Brownwood on our way home. I just enjoy good simple food at a good price. I'm much more satisfied when I know I'm paying a fair price and getting my money's worth.

As always, it was good to get back home.