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.

 

Bayou Bodcau Dam, Shreveport, LA

After spending Thanksgiving with my daughter and son-in-law at his cousin's home near Shreveport, LA, I took my Grand camping with me for the weekend. I like going to the Army Corps of Engineer's campgrounds whenever I can. My "Camping with the Corps of Engineers" book comes in very handy for finding these places, hence our weekend stay.

Before finding a camp site, we ventured across the dam....
(passenger's side heading north)

 (driver's side)

and then turned right onto gravel road called Duck Dam Road, built across a bayou/swampland area that reminded me of driving down an old railroad grade, only wider.  We drove down that road for miles (very slowly) looking for a "primitive camping spot". However I, just wasn't comfortable camping there. Thoughts of copperheads in unexpected places kept me driving.

I had thought we were supposed to see waterfowl......, never did... maybe I was in the wrong place. However we did take some photos from the comfort of the RV. Everytime we stopped for a photo, the grandson had to take one from his side too. He did pretty good.

( I am thinking a camera might be good for his next B-Day present?)

Some tall beautiful pines!

A good boondocking site..

Further down the road. the road widens and the wooded area opens up, portraying some of the last beautiful colors of fall.

We turned back to go back across the dam, and stopped at the log home built by the original owner.

The sign says, "Durden House, Educational Center"

We did not find anyone about so just looked around the outside. It had a beautiful flagstone path in the front and up to the steps of the wide veranda.

I wish I had been able to get more info, but we satisfied ourselves with viewing the outside.

Interestingly, the home was built with a wide open hallway between 2 sections.

Of course, the electric ceiling fans were installed later. Grand was fascinated with the structured (caulking between the logs)

The back was much the same as the front with a wide veranda across it as well, and a screendoor on the one side.

Out front again, hiking trails went off in both directions. We took the dogs for a walk down one but had to turn back soon, as it began to rain again.

Tomorrow, the Tom Merrill campground.

 

White Rock Lake, Dallas, Tx

 This lake is located 2 blocks from daughter's home. Her and I took a quick trip around so I could get some photos. The lake  is alot larger than I had anticipated, but they have no campgrounds which is very disappointing. It looks like they would have room for some, but it is only a daytime park. Fiching is allowed and there are boats houses and docks for sailboats, as well as several boat launches.

This man looked like he was set up to spend the day.

A picturesque boatdock.

Another fisherman trolling.

 A beautiful little bridge structure in a huge picnicing area.

Waterfowl....

and even more...

A really beautiful place I would like to spend more time at, but I am going to need to be making my way to Arizona soon.

Texas Discovery Gardens -Places to visit in Dallas

There is also an aboretum near here but as it was already afternoon we chose to just visit the Discovery Gardens this day.

Daughter and s-i-l, a handsome couple!

Grandson "changing" into a butterfly

A garden-centered gazzebo. Gradn said I just needed to get a picture of this!!

Beautiful blooms still happening!

Sunlight fitlering through the gardens

We visited the snake-house next, to the delight of the Grand, but because of the glare from the glass, I was not able to get good photos.

 

On to the Butterfly House, a very tall, domed, mostly glass enclosure, which was accessed by going up this flight of stairs, and entering a double enclosed hallway (to preserve heat and humidity) and through the next set of doors to the top of the enclosure.

There is a spiral walkway that goes gently downward around the outside wallof the conservatory.

So much beautiful plantings with much of it still blooming.

Looking down to the lower level...

 Bottom level , gorgeous palms!

 

and other beautiful trees and vines.

although it was late and the butterflies had already started to settle for the night we did get some neat pictures.

one of my favorites....

The volunteer was very helpful with information, especially about the butterfly larva (nutes?) shown in the case behind her. These are shipped in, the emerge in the conservatory. The butterflies live about 2 weeks here so there is a rapid turnover, and a need for steady shipments of these crysalis.

One last photo, this butterfly landed afor the night just behind the volunteer. She said others had been looking for this particular one all day. Sorry, I forget the name.

One last shot....Flowers in bloom...

 

It was an afternoon well spent and I would reccommend visiting this place.