Louisiana Flu-Farms-Forests

Dates: Mar. 9-10, 2024

Locations: Sabine NWR, Kisatchie NF, Cane River Creole NHP, Sabine NF, Angelina NF, Davey Crockett NF, Sam Houston NF

Sometimes things just fall into place nicely. I spend a lot of time perusing my map of USFS/NPS sites, and had realized that I hadn't touched too much around Houston, including all four of Texas's national forests within a few hours' drive. Then when my good friends Vijay and Elizabeth invited me to their wedding reception in Louisiana, I saw the opportunity for a road trip weekend to string some things together. Throw in the fact that it was my birthday weekend and I was excited to celebrate my friends, my birthday, and see some really good trees in one fell swoop!

Continuing on, I had strayed from the I-10 superhighway and was enjoying the state highways until I realized I was low on gas- then the next 3 gas stations I passed were all long abandoned and I realized this coastal Louisiana area was more backwoods than I thought. I finally limped in to a station with my low fuel light very well lit to avert the crisis. In Lafayette, I slipped into the venue just as things got rolling, finding other friends from NASA to hang around with until Vijay and Elizabeth came from the ceremony and the party got rolling! I ate my fair share of Louisiana soul food from fried catfish to gumbo and even did a tiny bit of dancing. Then as people drifted off to their hotels, I hopped back in my car and drove into the middle of the Louisiana backwoods.

Kisatchie National Forest

The longleaf vista hike was underwhelming, just a slightly higher viewpoint of pine trees than anywhere else. The drive on the other hand, was lovely. Shadows and sunlight painted a soft scene through the unique longleaf pines. 

Cane River Creole

Despite feeling awful, I wasn't about to waste the opportunity I'd given myself by driving all the way out here and sleeping in my car in a haunted forest (and I still had to get back home). I forged on with the plan and drove the half hour to Cane River Creole National Historical Park. A free self-guided walking tour took me through the grounds of the Oakland Plantation where generations of farmers (enslaved and then tenant) worked the French Creole cotton plantations here.

The sprawling Southern Live Oaks all over the plantation were truly majestic, covered with moss and draping their windy branches over the yards of the various historic cabins.

The main home was an anachronistic wonder - rooms with manually operated ceiling fans (worked by slaves), but the kitchen was decked out in 1950s formica and chrome, evidence of the family that continued actually living there into the 1990s before the NPS acquired it.

About the time I decided this walking in the sun wasn't making me feel any better, I started staggering back to my car, where I ended up throwing up in the parking lot, which did not add a lot of confidence for the remaining 5 hours of solo driving to be done.

Sabine, Angelina, and Sam Houston National Forests

Starting my drive home from Cane River, I felt pretty horrible but the sun was shining, the air was fresh, and the breeze was blowing. If I pretended to not be sick, I would've really enjoyed the road trip I'd set up for myself. I rolled down the windows and took it bit by bit, with stops along the way as I drove through Sabine National Forest on the LA-TX border, including the huge Toledo Bend Reservoir where I pulled off for a nap. Then on through Angelina National Forest before the more familiar Sam Houston ushered me back into town.

Rolling back home, there was no cake to save this birthday so I just went straight to bed. A tough weekend, but I was glad to have made the most of it. I definitely owe those national forests a revisit- at least to do some hiking. Texas has much more in store for me still!