Laizzes les bon temps rouller!! (let the good times roll)
and roll they did!
Fontainbleau State Park on the north side of Lake Ponchartrain was a perfect place to hold a FreeRoader get together for Mardi Gras. We could daytrip in all directions without having to go into New Orleans unless we wanted too. We visited many different small towns to partake in the Mardi Gras parades and add to our bead collections.
Then we went to Cafe Dumond for beignets and cafe au lait! Do we look like we are having fun yet?
I stopped for a pose in front of St. Charles cathedral. This is the heart of the old downtown New Orleans where I love to sit and people watch.
This was our group that caught a bus into New Orleans for Fat Tuesday and fought the crowds all day. Fat Tuesday is the final day of Mardi Gras and the day of the best parades.
On the way into New Orleans Ann helped Hilda, Robbie, and Mary get ready for the day. We were glad she had brought along face paint .. not something everyone travels with. 
Ann, Mary, Ernie, Robbie and I had a picnic in the park on a day trip into New Orleans.
Then we went to Cafe Dumond for beignets and cafe au lait! Do we look like we are having fun yet?
I stopped for a pose in front of St. Charles cathedral. This is the heart of the old downtown New Orleans where I love to sit and people watch.
This was our group that caught a bus into New Orleans for Fat Tuesday and fought the crowds all day. Fat Tuesday is the final day of Mardi Gras and the day of the best parades.
On the way into New Orleans Ann helped Hilda, Robbie, and Mary get ready for the day. We were glad she had brought along face paint .. not something everyone travels with. LaWanda, Paul, Bob and I show off our catches. This was a new experience for several in the group.
Here we lined the street for a long time just to have a good spot for the parade.
Mary, Clark and Mary Lou fared quite well.
Hey Mister, throw me something, was the chant from our group. We visited many parades in the small towns.
My beads provided a divider curtain for my bedroom. It is hard to throw these pretty baubles away.
Jane, Bev, Mary and I bonded .. we were known as the Volks Wagon girls! We prayed a lot -- for downhill.
Bev spent much of her time in a tent while Old Blue spent time in the shop. But at least she got there from Oregon!
One day we toured the Chalmette Battlefield from the War of 1812. It is in New Orleans on the Mississippi River.
We had an impromptu birthday party for Marley and Clark. Jane and Mary Lou are trying to get them to tell what they got! 
What better than a king cake for the party. This is a Mardi Gras tradition. One piece has a plastic baby in it and whoever gets the baby is supposed to host the next party.
We are still waiting to go to Joyce's at Stone Mountain, Georgia.
Chrissie, Vickie's dog, was also well dressed for the event.
The morning after everyone else had left Clark invited, Ced, me, Marley and Ann over for pancakes. It was only the first of many last morning pancakes breakfasts that became a tradition with the FreeRoaders.
After our Mardi Gras gtg we were going to have a Waltz Across Texas but at the last minute we realized it was spring break in Texas and there were no open campgrounds. So the person who planned it went home and the rest of us went our separate ways.
Tory welcomed everyone to come camp at the dunes, as she called this deserted spot on Galveston Bay. FreeRoaders camped all around town: the "Slab" (the end of the seawall), "The Dunes," Galveston State Park, and Bayou Shores.
Marley, Lulu, Robbie, Sharon and Tory had just finished some chili at sunset when I drove up. Thank goodness there was some left. Tory just gathers old fence boards from the edge of the property and builds a fire right on the concrete slab. Before you know it soups on!
Mike, Vicky, JB, Alice and I drove over to see the storks at the Aransas Wildlife Refuge.
Ziggy and I were happy to share Alice's space with an oceanfront view.
I finally saw some Texas Blue Bonnets. They weren't blooming profusely as it was still a little early for them but they were as beautiful as I had always imagined.
I toured New Braunfels, another favorite spot in the hill country of Texas. This is the old bandstand in the middle of the park. I stopped in Camping World and ran across Robbie.
Marley called and told me she was at Potter's Creek on Canyon Lake and there were other campsites available. We had got caught in the middle of spring break without reservations which is not something you want to do in Texas. We joined her. Canyon Lake if a Corps of Engineers campground that does not take reservations and that did not appeal to college students. Here Robbie and Marley take a break on an old wagon as we wondered the hill country!
We toured the old town of Gruene which overflows with tourists. It is a small place that has been revitalized with the visitors in mind. This is the old dance hall where many country musicians have performed.
Here we lined the street for a long time just to have a good spot for the parade.
Mary, Clark and Mary Lou fared quite well.
Hey Mister, throw me something, was the chant from our group. We visited many parades in the small towns.
My beads provided a divider curtain for my bedroom. It is hard to throw these pretty baubles away.
Jane, Bev, Mary and I bonded .. we were known as the Volks Wagon girls! We prayed a lot -- for downhill.
Bev spent much of her time in a tent while Old Blue spent time in the shop. But at least she got there from Oregon!One day we toured the Chalmette Battlefield from the War of 1812. It is in New Orleans on the Mississippi River.
We also drove for miles down back roads so Alice could see where the Mississippi River emptied into the Gulf of Mexico since she had already been to the origin in Minnesota. We couldn't believe we all accompanied her! I think we were in Venice.
We had an impromptu birthday party for Marley and Clark. Jane and Mary Lou are trying to get them to tell what they got! 
What better than a king cake for the party. This is a Mardi Gras tradition. One piece has a plastic baby in it and whoever gets the baby is supposed to host the next party. 
We are still waiting to go to Joyce's at Stone Mountain, Georgia.
We had our own Mardi Gras Ball at the campground. Everyone agreed that Vickie and Don were the king and queen of our Mardi Gras.
Chrissie, Vickie's dog, was also well dressed for the event.
The morning after everyone else had left Clark invited, Ced, me, Marley and Ann over for pancakes. It was only the first of many last morning pancakes breakfasts that became a tradition with the FreeRoaders. After our Mardi Gras gtg we were going to have a Waltz Across Texas but at the last minute we realized it was spring break in Texas and there were no open campgrounds. So the person who planned it went home and the rest of us went our separate ways. Marley, Robbie and I went over to Cajun Campground at Eunice, Louisiana. From there we couldn't resist stopping in at Fred's Lounge on Saturday morning. 
Tante Sue, the owner of Fred's, made sure that everyone passed a good time at her honky tonk. Fred's is in Mamou, several miles north of Eunice. On Saturday morning they broadcast a live radio show complete with a Cajun band. It is amazing to see those Cajuns dancing and downing beer so early in the day. It is indeed a treat!
The Eunice area is one of my favorite places in Louisiana. The town is small and friendly, located in the prairie Cajun country west of Lafayette. There is a small cajun music museum, an old converted theater that offers Cajun music on the weekend, the Jean LaFitte center that is run by the national park and is a class act sharing the culture of the people who inhabited the area so long ago. Also on Saturday tourists from all over the world convene at Mark Savoy's music shop to listen or join a Cajun jam complete with coffee and boudin on the counter.
Tory welcomed everyone to come camp at the dunes, as she called this deserted spot on Galveston Bay. FreeRoaders camped all around town: the "Slab" (the end of the seawall), "The Dunes," Galveston State Park, and Bayou Shores.
Marley, Lulu, Robbie, Sharon and Tory had just finished some chili at sunset when I drove up. Thank goodness there was some left. Tory just gathers old fence boards from the edge of the property and builds a fire right on the concrete slab. Before you know it soups on! After I left Galveston I visited with Mike, Ron, Vicky and Bounder Bob while we camped alongside the bay at Goose Island State Park near Aransas Pass.
Mike, Vicky, JB, Alice and I drove over to see the storks at the Aransas Wildlife Refuge. Ziggy and I were happy to share Alice's space with an oceanfront view.I finally saw some Texas Blue Bonnets. They weren't blooming profusely as it was still a little early for them but they were as beautiful as I had always imagined. I toured New Braunfels, another favorite spot in the hill country of Texas. This is the old bandstand in the middle of the park. I stopped in Camping World and ran across Robbie.
Marley called and told me she was at Potter's Creek on Canyon Lake and there were other campsites available. We had got caught in the middle of spring break without reservations which is not something you want to do in Texas. We joined her. Canyon Lake if a Corps of Engineers campground that does not take reservations and that did not appeal to college students. Here Robbie and Marley take a break on an old wagon as we wondered the hill country!We toured the old town of Gruene which overflows with tourists. It is a small place that has been revitalized with the visitors in mind. This is the old dance hall where many country musicians have performed.
Luckenbach was made famous by the song and we were surprised to find what a small place it was. Tourists keep the place going as do local events. In the front of this building is the post office and souvenir shop while the bar is in the back.
I toured Fredericksburg, another quaint old German town. This is a row of Sunday houses. The settlers would come into town on the weekend to go to church on Sunday and stay in these houses.
After Canyon Lake I headed north and returned home. I enjoyed seeing old friends, meeting new, and soaking up plenty of warm sunshine for a February.
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