Heading East - Day 1

07/24/10 Saturday

We left the house around 6:00 AM under hot and humid conditions. I can tell you right now, the conditions never improved through out the day. Our first destination will be Dothan, AL, but of course I do not plan to get there in one day. Since I have retired, this has turned into a two day evernt.

I did not want to trudge down Interstate 10, so I decided to jump off the Interstate at Beaumont and take Highway 12 up to US 190. The basic plane was to follow 190 to the Baton Rouge area and then head up to New Roads and cross the Mississippi by the ferry.

We started looking for a breakfast after we got off the Interstate, but had one heck of a time finding anything. I have noticed over the last several years that the mom and pop restaurants are quickly becoming a thing of the past. We didn't see thing until DeQuincy, LA and then we had to settle for a Subway. We did have a choice of a McDonald's, but to me that is not a choice.

Subway breakfast, what can I say? I think they make a pretty good sandwich, and I think they need to stick to that. That is all I am going to say about the subject.

After breakfast we kept heading east on 190 and made a stop in Eunice at a grocery store to pick up a few snack items. It felt like a normal grocery day once we were done. After getting all the stuff loaded we continued east on 190.

Just before Baton Rouge, we turned north on 78 I think and headed for New Roads, LA. New Roads is a neat place, and there is a ferry that crosses the Mississippi to Saint Francisville. We arrived at the river and had a short wait for the ferry. 

Mississippi River at New Roads

Once cross the river, the plan was to find somewhere to eat lunch. We quickly figured out that we should have stopped in Saint Francisville, because the choices afterwords were few and far, no that is not a true statement, the choices afterward were none. We didn't find a place until Liberty, MS, and then it was a hole in the wall place.

I don't remember the name of the restaurant, but it was a renovation in progress. I thought Liz would scream at the sight of the place because she is not vary adventurous when it comes to eating at the mom and pop restaurants. 

 Sorry, took a bite before I remembered to take a picture.

It turned out pretty good. Liz had the Monster Hamburger, and I of course had the Hamburger Steak. While we were at the restaurant, the waitress asked us if we were from Texas. Not sure how she knew, but I answered that we were. She then asked if we were just passing though, and I answered that we were, and she replied that is good, there is not much to see in Liberty. I had to agree with her.

After lunch we continued east on highway 24 where we eventually connected up with Highway 98. By this time it was getting close to 4:00 PM, and it was time to find a place to stop for the night. That place turned out to be the Comfort Inn in Columbia, MS. We checked in and since we had a late lunch we decided on the chicken tenders from the local Popeye's for dinner.

Tomorrow we will arrive in Dothan. Since my mother-in-law does not have Internet, it may be Monday night before there is another post.