Betty’s Birthday Bash and Time to Say Goodbye…

Yep, we are still having so much fun here at Betty’s in Abbeville. One of our favorite things to do while we are here is to eat some of the best Cajun food around and we started with what we think is the best poorboy in the entire country – Olde Tyme Grocery, a true Road Treat! They have the best Shrimp Poorboy imaginable! Chase it down with a cold beer brewed in Louisiana by Abita Brewing and one will have a truly excellent lunch!

Another eating event was attended by 21 of the people who were staying at Betty’s as we took over the small Abshire’s Corner Store. This local store offers up some delicious Cajun Food and we pretty much overwhelmed the proprietors Leshea and George. It was great food but it was kind of funny as we discovered they only had 20 chairs but there were 21 of us. Even funnier was Leshea had to ask the first people she served to bring their plates back ASAP because she only had 19 plates and needed two more to serve all of us. What a fun event this turned our to be.

The food is great in Acadiana but the culture and people of the region draw us back to the area annually. Abbeville can lay it’s claim to being one of the friendliest towns anywhere. Another thing we noticed is that Acadians have a way of escaping father time as people around here are off the charts when it comes to longevity. One of Betty’s aunts will turn 101 next week and she is such a lively person you would never guess her age. One of the local musicians, Joe, is in his 80’s and his mother is still alive in her 100’s. Yes, these folks sure know how to live…

We also took some time to take a few hikes at the beautiful Palmetto Island State Park. It has a nice campground as well which if we didn’t stay at Betty’s we would certainly enjoy camping at. The trails are very nice and include a small pond where we saw a huge alligator. One of the highlights on the trail is a small boardwalk taking visitors into a swamp where the rare Red Iris grows. We were very lucky to see them on our last walk in the park.

It’s not just food and people that beckon us back, it is the music too. Local jams at places like the Museum Café in Erath LA and the cool little bar called Touchet’s near Maurice LA are two of the best jams to attend. Local musicians from all around crank out some great Cajun Music and Swamp Pop. We really love the music in Acadiana…

As we are wrapping up our stay at Betty’s RV Park there was one final event scheduled which was Betty’s Birthday Party! Betty will be the first to say she really didn’t want anyone to do anything special for her birthday but Betty doesn’t always get her wish. We celebrated Betty’s birthday in typical Cajun fashion with a feast, music and a collection of friends and family. Happy Birthday Betty! We love you and can’t wait to come back!

NOTE: We left Betty’s RV Park in Abbeville LA on April 1st and stop moved over to College Station, Texas for the month of April…

Back to Betty’s Web in Abbeville Louisiana…

No trip through Louisiana would be complete without our annual stop at Betty’s RV Park in Abbeville. Leaving New Orleans we took highway 90 to State Route 14 to avoid Interstate 10 all together. I love driving the back roads so much more than the boring truck infested interstate highways. With only the minor inconveniences of a few traffic lights and some small towns we pulled into Betty’s shortly after lunch.

Because we arrived on a weekend we hit the ground running and drove up with several other RV’ers to the town of Breaux Bridge for an early morning at Buck and Johnny’s Zydeco breakfast. We have been to a Zydeco breakfast in Breaux Bridge before but it was at Café Des Amis which we discovered had closed down.  Apparently soon afterward Buck and Johnny’s began offering their own Zydeco breakfast. While the breakfast wasn't really anything special the Zydeco music and the energy in the place was definitely top notch!

I mentioned we come here annually but actually we didn’t come through last year because of unexpected RV repairs we had to have done in Red Bay Alabama after some framing fell out. Anyway we were very happy to be able to return and get caught up again in Betty’s Web. For those who don’t know Betty’s RV Park is a small RV park that Betty built around her home in Abbeville. It can be a little stressful maneuvering into a site but those cares are tossed away at 4:30 when everyone in the park gathers (with snacks) for Happy Hour on Betty's patio. We are so excited to reconnect with Betty and so many of our Betty’s RV friends!

After breakfast a group of us walked over to the Jam Session held weekly at the Joie de Vivre Café. Locals and travelers alike can be found rotating in and out of a Jam Session featuring lots of Cajun Music and Swamp Pop. We stayed for a while enjoying some warm Beignets (a classic Louisiana pastry) and some music before moving on down the road.

Our next stop was at the La Poussiere to listen to several bands who were performing that day. As is typical of anyplace visited in the Acadian Region of Louisiana we met some friendly Cajuns and spent a great afternoon listening to some wonderful Cajun Music. Afterward we all hurried back to Betty’s for our daily ritual…. Happy Hour! It's so great to be back!!!!!

NOTE: We are still at Betty’s RV Park in Abbeville LA and will move on into Texas in April…

Los Algodones Mexico and then on to Quartzsite…

Of course our trip to Yuma wouldn't be complete without a trip into Mexico… Why do people travel into Mexico to visit Los Algodones? Well for one thing prescription drugs in Los Algodones can be bought for pennies on the dollar and most don’t even require a prescription!

However most travel into this small border town for the inexpensive dentistry. There is literally a dentist on every street corner. There are more dentists in this small town (less than 6,000 residents) than in most much larger US cities. USA and Canadian retirees wintering in southern California and Arizona flock into Los Algodones, Mexico

Our goal was to pick up a few prescription drugs and to see if I could have the lenses replaced in my favorite pair of sunglasses. We read that the fees for both dental and optical services are slashed to one-third to over one-half off the price normally paid in the US.

We wondered about the quality of work done in this tiny little town but after perusing the internet and reading accounts on forums, reviews and especially other blogs it became evident rather quickly that many feel as though the quality of work performed here is equitable with any done in the good old USA! 

As we neared the border crossing we pulled into the big Quechan Parking Lot and paid our $6.00 to park. Much like the border crossing we experienced from Texas into Progresso, this entrance was a short walk across the border through a turnstile and “wallah” we were in another county.

Getting around Los Algodones was pretty simple as most of all the major shops can be found in the four main square blocks.Sadly there were a few older ladies begging and there was an onslaught of local men hawking dentistry, pharmacies and eye care services. “Hey mister, you need a dentist?” “Hey mister, you need new glasses?” “Hey mister, you need a pharmacy?” While the along all the walkways, craftsmen hit up the ladies with “Hey pretty lady, you need a pretty necklace?” Amusingly in the words of the locals, their wares were advertised as “Almost free!”

Our first stop was at the Purple Pharmacy (the pharmacy most recommended to us by bloggers and online forums). Sharon went up to the very busy counter and placed her orders. We saved on average about 40% when compared to just our normal co-pays. We also bought a couple of Z-pacs ($3.50 each ) for emergency needs in case one of us gets a bacterial infection while traveling and  are not near any medical services.

The purple store pharmacy also has a liquor store and grocery inside.They have a quite the selection of liquors and the diversity of Tequila was fun to peruse. With tequila prices varying from $3.85 a bottle to over $160.00 per bottle. I felt the prices were a bit cheaper than in the US but no so much that we bought any. We did however partake in a few tastings that were readily available.

We also stopped at the first optical shop (also a part of the Purple Pharmacy) and after speaking with the clerk at the front desk I agreed to have my lenses replaced in my sunglasses for a total cost of $35.00. Even though I had read that Best Optical had a good reputation I went ahead and made a deal with this first one I visited. I could actually get a full set of prescription glasses for as low as $19 but I only wanted my current sunglasses upgraded. We left my glasses after leaving a small deposit with the promise of them being ready in about 2 hours.

So while waiting for my sunglasses we strolled around the town looking at all the signs for for the different dentists, optical stores and pharmacies. Prices seemed to vary a little but not so much that one would save much by searching out the best prices. The streets and sidewalks are covered with small booths and stands selling your typical touristy goods such as jewelry, hats, blankets, leather purses and T-shirts. We weren’t in need of any of their goods but I was on a mission to locate a highly recommended shrimp taco cart.

I couldn’t seem to find it until I saw a long line coming out a side street and there it was, Lupitas Taco Cart. We stood in line and ordered up some shrimp tacos and one carne asada taco. There was a nice selection of condiments to add to the taco (shredded cabbage, salsa, pico de gallo, crema and pickled onions). These shrimp tacos were breaded with a tempura type batter and fried up in a big vat right behind the counter .  Two gentlemen took care of the line in no time, one frying the shrimp and fish, the other handling cooking tortillas and assembling tacos. It was fun to watch the process and at only a $1.75 each they were truly a bargain.

I will share a funny story with you though. As Sharon stood in line some customers ahead of her were reflecting that this was their favorite lunch place.  They felt however that the tacos looked smaller than they remembered.  They asked the busy gentlemen cooking if they were "new".  They said no but they insisted that things looked different to them.  Well one of the poor chefs left his post to fetch the owner who assured the folks that indeed it was the origional operation.  While still muttering, they picked up their orders while Sharon was politely placing her order. If you know Sharon, she smiles a lot so since she was so enamored with the efficient operation she was very complimentary and smiling broadly.  Well her tacos were stuffed full of shrimp, so much so that those customers ahead of her asked how in the world she got such big tacos.  She just kept smiling and replied she couldn't imagine why......

After finishing our  delicious tacos we went over where the artists were using spray paint to create beautiful designs on glasses (hard not to leave with one or two of these but we didn’t). Then it was time to go back for my glasses. We had to wait a bit longer than the two hours but I was reunited with my favorite sunglasses and now the lenses weren’t scratched anymore. Score!

Yep we had fun in Los Algodones and agreed it was another great day On the Road of Retirement… Now we are off to Quartzite tomorrow for the next six nights…

Portland Or. and Vancouver Wa.Walkabouts…

Wanting ways to further explore Portland we stumbled upon a website outlining 10 walks in and around Portland. In looking at the maps we realized that by happenstance we had actually already done one of the suggested walks when we walked from the Pearl District to Pittock Mansion. After reading the article we decided to try the Almeda Ridge walk. It was listed as being difficult mainly because the trail would travel up 400 stairs throughout the neighborhood. I loaded the map on my smartphone and off we went. As promised the walk took us straight up a hill into a really nice neighborhood with unique, interesting homes and equally impressive landscaping. Many of the homes also had ripe tomatoes and squash on the vine peeking out amongst their landscaping. We marveled at how green it is here in late summer when back home in Texas everything is brown this time of year.

On several street corners we saw display boxes. Posted inside each box behind the glass was a poem about the delights of summer. Apparently poems are switched out every season. We enjoyed reading them and later in the walk noticed a much larger display box in front of one home. As we approached we could see a sign indicating this was a “free library”. What a great idea for recycling neighborhood books!

As promised every so often we could see a small greenway with stairs to climb. By the 400^th stair our legs were complaining a bit but we really enjoyed the tree lined extra wide streets and sidewalks on this walk. As we returned to our car we passed the Laurelwood Brewery but I had another brewery in mind this day as a special surprise for Sharon. Three different people had urged us to go to Base Camp Brewery. The surprise was a really tasty S’more Stout for Sharon complete with a roasted marshmallow on the glass. We watched as the bartender made a slit in the marshmallow, attached it to the pint glass and used a torch to brown the marshmallow perfectly before pouring the Stout. This beer brought forth big smiles from Sharon and yes, she nibbled on the marshmallow while sipping her Stout for the full s’more effect!

    

The next day we decided to take another suggestion from the enticing walk article and drove north across the bridge to Vancouver Washington to take the Vancouver's Fort, Downtown and Waterfront Walk.

This was a much easier flatland walk as our legs needed to have a little break. The walk began at Officer’s Row at the Vancouver Historic Reserve (an Army Post from the 1850’s). Officer’s row had beautiful restored officer housing which are now home to businesses and townhomes. One house however was a museum with free hourly tours, General George Marshall’s home. It was a beautiful home and an enjoyable tour.

Next our walk took us downtown into Vancouver where we enjoyed strolling through a more quieter downtown area. From here the trail took us along the waterfront where the last pickings of blackberries beckoned. Sharon had a plastic ziplock for just such an opportunity stashed in her day pack so we braved the brambles for enough bounty for one more blackberry cobbler!

The walk then looped back to another Fort entrance and back to Officer’s Row where we parked the car. Since it was Happy Hour we headed over to Loowit Brewery in Vancouver where I had an nice IPA and Sharon enjoyed a gold medal winning Red Ale. So glad are we that we paused to stay a month in Portland as we have really been able to immerse and enjoy this area.

Visiting Neighborhoods and Nature…

During our stay here in Portland, Oregon we have been mixing nature hikes with neighborhood walks. In the Alberta neighborhood we found easy, free parking and knew we would enjoy this stroll since right afterward we saw two breweries Hopworks Urban Brewery and Lumpoc in the same block. Those would be our reward stops at the end of our walk. As we walked we could see that the neighborhood is experiencing a lot of growth as several condo construction projects were in full swing and we had to keep switching back and forth across streets due to the closed sidewalks surrounding the construction. We enjoyed seeing two very brightly colored painted murals and as with all the neighborhoods we have visited, there was a happy mixture of bicyclists and pedestrians.

The last time we were here we noticed many young people with brightly colored green, pink and purple dyed hair. We have seen much less of that this year but what struck us this time is that more of the young ladies are embracing the 50 and 60’s pinup girl look with the bandanas tied as hairbands and their hair tucked in all around it, bright red lipstick and bold eyeliner. High waisted skirts and shorts complete the look. Funny how fashion trends repeat…

Our beers were very good at both breweries but we especially enjoyed the atmosphere at Hopworks Urban Brewery where bicycle frames adorn the bar and 99 bottles of beer are proudly displayed on an opposing wall. Their happy hour extended to beer and food so we couldn’t resist ordering some wonderful handmade pretzels to go along with our beer. These pretzels alone are worth a visit to this place for what is truly a road treat! A fun day indeed…

We have also been hiking a lot in the Columbia River Gorge to make up for our last trip when Sharon was in a cast. We have been seeing lots of amazing and stunning waterfalls in the Columbia Gorge . Two notable hikes we have taken are the Multnomah-Wahkeena Loop hike and the Horsetail Falls Loop Hike with the added extension hike to Triple Falls. Both of these hikes were 5 or more miles each and I will blog about these later in more detail.

Since my recently repaired crown come off my molar again I made an appointment at the Dental School to have it re-glued. On the way I dropped Sharon off in the Pearl District as she wanted a haircut at the Paul Mitchell School on Broadway. After her haircut she had a little walkabout enjoying the hustle and bustle downtown. She couldn’t resist the food carts lining 5th and Stark Streets. (Carts lined up as such are called Pods). At the pod she ordered a very delicious spicy chicken Korean taco. She then enjoyed strolling the green space on Park Avenue pausing to sit on a park bench doing a little people watching before walking along the Riverside Trail then over to the Dental School to meet back up with me. Her timing was perfect as I was just getting finished. Since it was time for Happy Hour we headed off to some new (to us) breweries at Harvester and Burnside Brewery.

Harvester Brewery was the first entirely gluten free brewery in the United States. Since many other folks out there have issues with gluten we thought we should try their beers and see what we thought about them. Now these beers are brewed with chestnuts, lentils, oats and hops which are 100% gluten free. I didn’t care for their hoppy IPA’s but I did actually like their Dark Ale. So if you are gluten free we found a brewery in Portland just for you…

Afterwards we visited Burnside Brewery where the energy is the place was very upbeat. Mostly young professionals filled the establishment and it was very crowded and as we found it was because of their normal Wednesday $3.00 pint night. Lucky us as we were able to squeeze in at the bar and got to drink $3.00 pints of some very tasty beer. As we seated ourselves we met two young attorneys who were there also enjoying $3.00 pint night after work. What a delightful visit we had with the two of them…

Portland has been a blast and we cannot believe how the time is flying by. This Labor Day weekend we leave our park to stay at Portland Fairview RV for four nights then we will return to Columbia River RV for our final week in Portland. So much to see and so little time!