Jen’s Journal – January 10, 2020

Day 195: Sam Houston Jones State Park, LA

Warm, gloomy.

It’s pretty strange how you can drive a few miles down the road, and you are in an extremely different environment. We are in Cajun country now. We learned that Cajun is short for Acadian, the French people who were kicked out of Canada by the British in the 1700s and traveled all the way down the Mississippi River and settled here. Really, I didn’t know that. Okay, maybe I did and forgot it?

I think we will be eating our way through Louisiana. There are so many wonderful foods unique to this area.

First stop: Steamboat Bill’s in Lake Charles, referred by two parties from two different places. I had the shrimp and crab gumbo and Tom had shrimp étouffée. Both came with a Louisiana roll. This roll is tender and lightly crispy and melts down to nothing in your mouth. Wow!

We also had some Boudin balls. This Louisiana specialty is pork, rice, and Louisiana herbs and spices fried to perfection. Yes it is!

We did some shopping and settled at Crying Eagle Brewing Company, a Harvest Hosts member, who let us park overnight in their lot. They have great food as well as craft beers.