Buccaneer State Park, Waveband, MS, 306 mile jump
We slept well; the town was quiet. I attended 7AM Mass while Penny wrote letters. I was glad she did not attend with me. There was no singing and the sermon was monotone.
Saying good bye to Texas, we entered Louisiana and stopped at a welcome center where we learned about the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area (ANHA), “home to the nation’s largest river swamp. One of only a handful of actively growing river deltas in the world, the area runs about 150 miles north to south, and its width varies along the course of the Atchafalaya River. The ANHA contains a complex ecosystem that houses more than 85 species of fish and 270 species of birds, from songbirds to waterfowl.”*
Atchafalaya: it starts like a sneeze, ends like jambalaya: “uh-CHA-fuh-LIE-uh”!
The Mississippi River flows parallel to the Atchafalaya about 30 miles to the east and flows through the ANHA for about 40 miles as the crow flies, but meanders for many miles to traverse that 40. It amazed us that the Interstate between Lafayette and Baton Rouge is suspended over this swampland, another marvel of human engineering and technological power. America is great! There is lots of room for improvement, but much effort has been expended to protect our “places where natural, cultural and historical resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally important landscape.”*
A few miles down the road, we came to Hammond, Louisiana, where we completed the figure 8 we have drawn on the map of the USA over the last two years! An amazing accomplishment, our hearts filled with gratitude for all the grace bestowed on the road of exploration. Leaving Grand Rapids, Michigan, in October 2015, traveling south along the Mississippi River and stopping in Hammond for lunch on our way to our current campground, Buccaneer State Park. From there we moved east along the Gulf Coast of Florida, falling in love with Live Oaks and seabirds. Then up the East coast, marveling at the Blue Ridge Mountains and Smithsonian Museums. Then back to Grand Rapids completing one half of the 8. If you’ve been keeping up with this blog, you’d know the story of the second half! Otherwise, use your imagination! Hint: it’s a lazy 8.
Anyway, here we are at Buccaneer SP for 8 days of rest and relaxation. Bike riding is great here; it’s flat! But, the wind does blow. Today, I got 9 miles in; the aches and pains of beginning again are gone. And, my lungs are getting stronger.
*ANHA Pamphlet