Today we were up early, walked the dogs, ate breakfast, hooked up the car and headed out of camp by 8:15 AM. We drove to I-10 and headed west towards the town of Sulpher, LA at mile post 20. Leaving the freeway we started on the southward leg of the Creole Nature Trail. By 10:00 AM we had a beautiful day with the sun out and about 65 degrees.One of the great things about the Gulf Coast of Louisiana is all the back roads through the bayou country. The Creole Nature Trail http://www.creolenaturetrail.org/ is a nationally recognized treasure that stretches from Sulpher, LA on I-10 down to the Gulf, through Cameron, back up to Creole and returning to Lake Charles, LA. Along the way we planned to stop at many of the nature preserves.
Our first stop was at the Sabine NWR where we were able to make a 1 1/2 mile walk along a paved trail and boardwalk through the preserve. Halfway through was an elevated viewing stand where we could look out over an expanse of wetlands and bayous. Lots of birds including herons, egrets, dippers, various sandpipers and ducks beyond measure. Everywhere we looked were waterways and wetlands. Nowhere were we more than four or five feet above the water. There are no hills other than bridges that cross a bayou. 
As we moved along the route we had to pass up several opportunities to stop because the facilities and trails were still being repaired after hurricanes Gustav and Ivan in 2008. As we got closer to the coast it was amazing how much damage was still not cleaned up. Buildings partially destroyed, homes demolished and in some cases gone completely. Huge commercial buildings with their sides and roofs ripped off or left hanging in tatters. During the drive south towards the gulf we were amazed at the number of huge gas, chemical factories and petroleum refineries. It is obvious that natural gas is a big industry as there are wells, piping, valve stations and storage tanks everywhere. Quite a contrast to the wetlands but seemingly well run and environmentally upgraded to protect their surroundings.
As we reached the Gulf and headed east the water was no more the 50 feet from the road with no beach at all having been scrubbed clean during the storms. We reached Cameron and realized that this was a huge port facility for shrimpers and work boats supporting the oil rigs. As we waited to board the ferry we watched 10 or 15 large work boats heading out to the Gulf. Finally it was our turn to board and we barely fit with just enough room for a pickup behind us. Tina was able to get out and take pictures while I stayed in the rig and talked to one of the crew. Then, just off the starboard bow, before we even left port, a small family of dolphins were cavorting in the channel about 75 feet away. Way cool!
We finally arrived at the other side of the channel and drove off continuing eastward along the shore until the road turned north again and we left the Gulf. Our next stop was in Creole for lunch at "Sha Sha's" Restaurant. The only place open for food along the drive. Tina had a great tasting pulled pork barbecue sandwich while I had a bowl of chicken gumbo - ummm, umm, delicious!!Continuing north we stopped at the Cameron Prairie NWR to take some more photos. The it was on towards out final stop of the day at Myers Landing just this side of Lake Arthur, LA on the Mermentau River.
To see all our photos for today check out both albums - "Creole Nature Trail" and "Kinder To Lake Charles" at:
This leg, 180 miles. Total for the trip, 4,157 miles.
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