Mike took this picture today, after the storm passed, a mere 4 days before leaving this bit of treasure we have found in Vidalia, LA. See the tugboat in the fog? Stupid question, of course you can! But what you don't see is the surprise hiding within. Much like the area we found in and around our current spot here at River View RV Park.
Below is what you may find hiding in the fog. And what follows are just some of the treasures we found during our stay here. Here's hoping you enjoy our visit, almost as much as we did.
Let's begin with our location; River View RV Park. We really have become very fond of this place. The location is great. The views are outstanding. The people that run the park is one of the most eclectic groups we have seen to date. There is a 1.5 mile bike/walking path that runs between the park and the Mississippi River. We've spent time walking it, occasionally Mike tried to fish, but that turned out to be less "fishing" and more "untangling". But hey, you know the old saying; 'A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work'.
Camping on the shores of the river has been really special. The sunsets and tugboat action have become quite an attraction for us. Should one ever get the chance to spend time on this, or I'm guessing, any other river, I encourage you to do so. I know we will definitely be keeping that on our minds for future travels. If you don't believe me, take a look at these.
I know, right?! Just beautiful. There has also been Stella and Cornhole time. Both have their entertainment value. Once again, Stella has garnered a fan base. Everywhere she goes, people are fascinated by a cat on a leash.
There has been some sightseeing in Natchez, just across the river. We explored The Bluff Park, The Saint Mary Bascilica and the park behind it. Downtown Natchez is a mix of old and new. There were buildings that needed much attention, and others that were historically perfect. We also did a walk around the neighborhood full of antebellum homes. We had planned on taking a few tours, but as we are flying by the seat of our pants, funds are limited and the tool in the Oval isn't helping, thus we spend our funds maybe not so sparingly, but in a fashion to the lifestyle we have become accustomed to. Not to mention, the tours (and everything else) are fairly spendy.
Another really cool day was our walk through The National Cemetary and part of The Natchez City Cemetary, which is so big that it would take a few hours to walk through. Sadly, in the The National Cemetary is mostly filled with "Unknown" soldiers. There is much more history in the Natchez/Vidalia area than we realized, and these 2 places were (are) places that everyone should stop, if no other reaseon than to pay respect to our history.
And now on to the food and beer portion of our program. Neither one of us had ever had a crawfish boil. I'm happy to report we have now, and I must say Damn! It was awesome. A little place called Claws, Craws and Tails in Vidalia. We skipped out on the corn portion, because corn is not a friend. Not if you have diverticulosis....trust me....corn bad!!
There were 2 other places in Vidalia that we enjoyed; One was called BB's, where we enjoyed ribs and crawfish. The other was called The Cafe, where Mike had a great fish sandwich, while I indulged in Hashbrowns, Sausage Gravy, eggs and bacon.....So Good.
The restaurant in Magnolia Bluffs Casino had the best fried chicken we have ever had, along with a side of collard greens and Mac & Cheese. We were full until the next day! We also brought Fredd along for a little time at the machines!
Our favorite spot was The Natchez Brewing Co. It's one of those places where you say to yourself, "if I lived here, this would be my go-to spot". They have a really great selection of beers that is ever changing, including a "smoked" beer...OMG! They also have a Brat and pizza menu that is just fantastic, that includes pizzas with a cauliflower crust. I know, you're thinking eww! But I'm telling you, it was the bomb, Mike even thought it was delicious. It didn't taste like cauliflower, and it also didn't sit like a stone and make us feel like shit. So...don't knock it til you try and your chicken if you don't. The other super cool part about this place is their mascot... A cat named Knuckles. We thought that our Stella was an attention whore....Knuckles brings it to a whole new level.
One of our last nights here we had dinner at The Camp and it was....just freekin' yum! Catfish Platter, and smoked wings. Mike had the now politically incorrect white supremicist burger...and he enjoyed every bite! And of course Fredd was on that field trip with us.
Our evening ended at the Under the Hill Saloon, with a gorgeous sunset. It's the oldest operating bar on the Mississippi River. Established in 1832. Rumor has that Mark Twain spent a night there. When you walk in, history just hits you in the face. Before the band showed up, we met a couple (Brandon and Ashley) and the visit with them was truly one of the high points of our stay in Vidalia. We laughed, had shots and laughed some more. And Kevin, our bartender was such a great guy, he even gave a couple of beers on him! It doesn't get any better than that.
Throughout our travels, I will look back on our visit to this area and think; how soon until we can get back there? It has become our "Sioux Falls of the south". But it's time for some new adventures. Wait til you see where we go next...Until then Be well, Be happy and Safe Travels!