Day 39 - layover day at Chicot State Park, LA

Today is our first full layover day since Fort Davis, TX 17 days ago. (Austin was a half day layover.) Everyone appreciated the opportunity to have a leisurely start, sit and sip coffee or juice, and enjoy Bisquick pancakes and bacon made just-in-time.
Last night there were no trains, planes or automobiles. Instead a family of raccoons provided the racket. They clearly had good taste, as they opened the beer cooler. We had already put the food bins in the trailer, so no worries.
People cleaned and lubed their bikes today, and just chilled. Mitch and Rhodri canoed on the park's lake, and saw alligators, snakes and turtles. Julianne drove six of us back to Ville Platte. There, Ken and I did laundry; Carol picked up a Thermo-rest mattress her husband shipped (her present one leaks air); and Jerry and Flynn ran errands in town. We enjoyed a stop at the Perkale coffee shop before we returned to camp.
Ville Platte has a low tolerance for low-rider pants or loud music - see photo of signs.
At various times today, Andre, Terry, Linda, Carol, Bob Plant, Julianne, Mitch and I visited the Louisiana State Arboretum within the park. The cypress swamp was interesting, with the knees protruding. Christmas fungus (red and white) was on some trees. Colors were provided by wild irises. And to keep us on our toes, a two-foot long snake (Eastern hog-nose?) met us on a boardwalk. Besides cypress, local trees included swamp chestnut oak, leafy and needle magnolias, and Louisiana red oak.
After our map meeting, Julianne drive us to the Crawfish Barn, a down-home Cajun restaurant west of Ville Platte. "Laissez les bon temps rouler!" (Cajun for "Let the good times roll!") Mitch ordered two huge platters of seasoned crawfish for the table. In the next photos, Rhodri digs in with pleasure; Jerry tries his shrimp po'boy; Bruce has hush puppies, gumbo and shrimp étouffée; Flynn hones his crawfish eating technique; and Rhodri has a dialogue with a crawfish. Seated at the table (left to right) are Mitch (hidden), Bruce, Jerry, Carol, Flynn, Bob G, Andre, Terry, Ken, Julianne, Bob Pedersen, Linda, Bob Plant and Rhodri.
Homemade bread pudding finished the meal; then we returned home to a drippy rain. Hope it blows through by morning, as we have about 75 miles to ride to Morganza.
Bruce