Tom Merrill Campground, Louisiana

On Friday after viewing the settler's home at the Bayou Budcau Dam, we crossed back over the dam and entered the Tom Merrill campground, located just below the dam, is a beautiful little place to camp for the weekend, or for an extended stay. It has electric and water hook-ups, dump station, shower houses, playground area, and only $6/night with my senior pass. There are only 20 spaces, requiring no reservations, and is a first come/first served campground hosted by the A C of E. The camp host site is located just inside the entrance.

The dam from below

and on down the waterway...

The Grand had fun playing with other kids

in the well-equipped playground.

Looking toward the camping area from the playground

Saturday morning.... sunlight beams through trees down onto the peaceful camp.

This is the neighbor couple's campsite, who live about 50 miles from my home in PA. Funny how you travel 1500 miles and find someone from your neck of the woods. They are both retired and spend about 6-7 months a year in their motorhome, a 24' Winnebago Class C. We had found alot in common and had lots to discuss.

Grand's parents did not allow him to bring his game phone with him camping. I wondered how this would affect the weekend, but he proved to be a real camper, helping with filling water jugs, gathering pine needles and pine cones for fire starter, then scavenging for down and dead wood. I added some lumber cut-offs I had carried with me.  

After more play, walks with the dogs, and picture-taking we built the fire and proceeded to fill our hungry tummies. Hotdogs first of course!

Then roasted apples.... yumm!

By the time we got to making s'mores it was almost too dark for good pictures. But we got them made eaten, and watched a movie called "8 Below" , a beautiful movie about a dogsled team in the frozen north. On friday night we had watched the one titled "Bears" another nature movie.

 Then we were tired and ready for bed!

I had taken this picture of the moon as the sun lowered and it became darker.

Sunday morning......

What better way to be woken up in the morning than with fur-pals!

 As for me, vanilla chai tea is my wake-up call


 

We needed to get things picked up, packed up and head back home as we had quite a drive ahead of us, and it is back to school for Grand the next day. He helped with all that, too. Shutting the electric connection off first, he then unplugged the cord and wound it up, unhooked the cables we put the dogs on when we sit outside at the campfire, put the folding chairs back on the rack and strapped them down while I secured the inside things. 

 

We both thoroughly enjoyed the weekend together. Glad we headed out when we did as the traffic was like Dallas traffic almost all the way from Shreveport back to Dallas!!!

 

Lesson #5

NEVER on a holiday weekend!! Be there before the holiday starts and plan to return on the next weekday after.