Dear alfredo
I do have another location in mind and was close to it at one point in my wanderings - but the hour was late and I had to get home. I am going back at the end of the week. Hopefully I'll be able to get my entry.
I stopped at a rest area in Avoyelles Parish that was covered in anoles and spiders, to include tarantulas. One of the tarantulas had killed a young Mourning Dove. I didn't notice the tarantulas - at first. Then one scurried forward while I was mourning the dove. I'm pretty sure it thought I wanted its dinner. I did get a blurry shot of the critter. Partly due to my surprise and partly due to the shockingly fast exit of the spider. I later noticed a couple more tarantulas traversing the wooden beams overhead. I was a tad bit concerned for one dropping on my head, so I left the porch. I like spiders, I do. Not on my head though.
Hairy arachnids aside, it was a nice place with walking paths that included informative signs about the local flora and fauna, as well as the work of a local artist. Never once mentioned the tarantulas though. Go figure.
I did see an assortment of curiosities but none of them the right sort of subject. I also spent a little time at an Arboretum in Ville Platte. Wasn't there long, but I do plan to return. I got shots of more spiders and the cypress/tupelo swamp. They had a hummingbird feeding area that garnered most of my attention. The nectar was drawing dozens of the tiny birds, and I am fond of hummingbirds.
I walked along one of the shorter trails, as time was a factor. That and exhaustion. I was punch drunk from lack of sleep and a before dawn start. As I was the one driving my depleted mental state made for some interesting swerves and turns. Everyone survived - just not in silence.
While one would think Louisiana would be covered in kitschy roadside attractions, I am finding that to not be the case. Yes, the closer you are to New Orleans the more you will find. Loads, in fact. Been there, seen them. Should have taken some damn photos.
Not so much in these parts, however. Which I find odd, but there you have it.
Oh, I suppose I could have driven up to where Bonnie and Clyde were gunned down in Gibsland, or to "see the hearse of Martin Luther King, Jr.!" at the Silver Dollar Pawn and Jewelry Center in Alexandria, but there's a nagging little voice in my head saying death isn't a roadside attraction. At least it shouldn't be.
I braved alligators to find a shot for your theme. Yeah, yeah, it wasn't the first time I've been in close quarters with the toothy beasts. I had tarantulas crawling above my head. It was brutally hot. I got a blister on my foot. I drove for miles and miles in my quest for kitschy roadside attractions - and I failed. (this time)
I'll try again. It's a great theme and I know people will enjoy the varied roadside attractions from around the country. I also hope they appreciate the lengths we all go through to get those shots. Even if our loved ones don't, and they yell at you for barely missing the ditch. I missed the damn thing, didn't I? Counts.
Just outside Alexandria
In Alexandria at the (Red) River Walk. The city holds the "Dragon Boat Races" each year. You build a raft/boat - anything that floats - that resembles a dragon and you compete in a race.
Southeastern Five-Lined Skink
Magnolia Seed Pod - the cone shape pod is the fruit of the Magnolia tree. Birds and squirrels eat the red berries.
Anole - they were everywhere. Bold little critters considering their low spot on the food chain at the rest stop.
Swamp with Cypress trees and Tupelo Dogwoods. (and gators) The swamp tupelo primarily refers to a variety of trees, other than the Cypress, that grow in the swamp. The Cypress' are the trees with the trunks with the tube-like formation. The Dogwoods are the bark trunks, no coils or tubes, and with white spots.
Panorama that I played with - a lot.
"Spicy Cajun Fiddle" by Christine Ledoux
In case it's not obvious, it's a chili pepper!
Spiders - well, spider. The Golden Silk Weaver again. She's just so beautiful that I've fallen in love with her. Plus - she's not scurrying over my head, pondering the possibilities of relocating to my hair. I don't think.
a bit closer
Hummers - Dozens of Ruby-throated hummingbirds were feeding (and one Anole).
Anole and Hummingbird
Arboretum entrance
Spanish Moss (everywhere)
Oh, yeah...
Flower - because what Arboretum is an arboretum without a flower, right?
It's False Garlic...for false vampires.
Thank you for reaching this point.
= new reply since forum marked as read
and Thank YOU!
I'm with you...I wouldn't have stayed on that porch with tarantulas overhead either!
Kind of reminds me of the house we were offered by some neighbors to live in for a couple of weeks after
our fire and they were out of town.
I couldn't deal with immediately moving in to a rental since I was 3 weeks post hip replacement and just didn't
have the energy, so we agreed to take advantage of their hospitality
(no furniture to get, or kitchen to put together while we could focus on getting clothes for everyone
and dealing with the insurance company) but discovered when we moved in the house was infested
with cockroaches. I mean infested. You could hear them scurrying around behind the kitchen cupboards,
they were in the bathroom, the bedrooms...it was gross. I called the exterminator to come bomb the house.
It helped, but didn't get them all.
In one of the rooms there was a canopy bed. I went in there one day to nap and looked up and there was a cockroach
crawling around in the canopy! AAAGGGH!!!! I never went back to nap in that bed.
Thanks for sharing the photos of your trip!
it just had to be a few days later.
I was expecting this to have a lot more recommendations, the story is good and the photos better. My favorite is the first one. It's awesomely eerie and memorable. Save it. One day it will win a contest
The third swamp shot is my favorite of those, because of the dimensionality of it - the eye gets led into the deep.
And the spider photographs are a real treat for me personally, because I honestly did not know anything about a spider this beautiful.
Travel on, Solly, we benefit from your tales and your visuals.