Hello, Louisiana!

After a short stay in Mississippi, it was time to head west.

It was nice to see the sunshine, even if it wasn’t as warm as I would have liked.

I made it to my destination, Fontainebleau State Park, in Mandeville, on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain. I checked in and the ranger gave me my paperwork and map and told me to turn right at the big dead tree.

She wasn’t kidding. It was an enormous dead tree!

The weather was variable during my visit. Some days, the skies were crystal clear. Other days the skies reminded me of good ol’ Buffalo.

While it was overcast for much of the time I was in the area, it only rained torrentially once. The park never quite drained, however.

In spite of the soggy landscape, the park was quite nice. In addition to a pull-through site, with water and electricity at the site, I had my own trash can AND there was free wifi!

There was abundant wildlife – especially deer. I drove past several small herds of them when I was coming and going.

Fontainebleau State Park is on the site of the plantation of Bernard de Marigny. He was born in New Orleans in 1785 and he was the third generation of his family to be born in colonial Louisiana. He was quite a playboy and gambler, and ended up selling off lots from the family plantation just outside the French Quarter – or “Vieux Carré ” as it is sometimes called. The lots were very popular, and he found that the smaller he made the lots, the more there were to sell.

There isn’t much left of Bernard’s plantation, but I did take a stroll around the remnants of the sugar mill.

The sign does convey a message.

The two fences and the puddles are even more effective.

It is amazing that there are any structures left standing. It was built in 1829 and was in operation until 1852. I do enjoy touring ruins.

Another thing that de Marigny is known for is bringing craps to this side of the Atlantic. He picked up the dice game called Hazard while he was in England and, in a simpler form, became known in the local dialect as “Crapaud.”

What a well-rounded fellow!

I walked around the park and encountered this warning sign. I didn’t see any alligators, but I saw some interesting pond scum.

As the water blew across the surface of the water, the scum swirled and slid across the pond in interesting designs.

This is a pleasant park, and I’d be happy to stay there again.