Week 5: Alligators to Austin

Saying goodbye to family is always hard. After several great weeks in Gulf Shores, including the Thanksgiving holiday, it was time to head west. We are aiming to be in California for Christmas.

There are a lot of miles to cover, going from the far southeast to the far southwest, so we are planning to putting as many miles behind us each day as we can. It can get a little exhausting though, especially when keeping our speed about 55mph. The trailer is heavy and we just don’t go that fast (we’re on the tortoise plan, not the rabbit plan).

Despite the swift march west, we decided to make a 2-night stop to catch our breath in Lafayette. One the excellent recommendation of a friend (thanks, Burke!), we headed out to Prejeans for dinner (the gumbo and zydeco stuffed shrimp were amazing), and live music by Terry Huval and Friends. It was delicious and I don’t think I’ll need to eat for another week.

*Got to meet the band. Terry Huval and Friends were such welcoming guys!*

And on a whim, we decided to indulge in a swamp tour on Lake Martin. I hoped we’d see an alligator. We ended up seeing dozens. Little babies, medium sized ones, and some massive, massive gators that looked almost unreal. They’re majestic. And slightly terrifying. Throughout the lake, mostly on the edges, the cypress trees seemed to reach to impossible heights. They are beautiful and slightly melancholy to me. I felt like they could tell stories from the beginning of time.