Texas BBQ Trail

Okay, prepare to start drooling....that is, if you like good BBQ.

Went a couple of times to Smitty's in Lockhart. It's the best.

Outside entrance from the back parking lot

This is what you see upon entering. They lift up the lids to get to the meat.

Everyone eats at long tables.

The carver slicing up some brisket.

Outside the front entrance. Doesn't look like much does it?

Opening the lids to get to our order.

Sausage, sausage, sausage. Kim's favorite.

Went to buy a hat here and liked the sign...not the $450 price tag on the hats though.

Our RV spot in the Texas country with Katie photo-bombing it.

Partial view of the lake in front of us.

Lockhart county seat building....gorgeous.

Went birding one morning and took a panorama of the lake.

Looking waaaay back to our RV on the right from the levee.

Nice stop. Good food. Nice to stay still for a few days without a lot to do except do a few minor repairs on the coach and eat ribs, brisket and sausage.

...heading out west some more now....

Oh, here's our map of travel starting March 2018 until now.

Amazing journey isn't it?

See you next entry.

Steve/Kim/Katie

So much construction !

I cannot wait to get away from the cities and get out west. Cannot believe all the road/interstate construction going on. From Gulport, Mississippi to Houston and beyond, we ran into major road repairs where the lanes shrank down so thin that I was sure I'm going to lose my mirrors any minute.

Accident on I-10. We sat in one place for 1 hour and 45 minutes! Good thing we have an on-board bathroom. We thought about renting it out to the other people !

...as far as we could see....no one moving.

Another construction backup

Houston traffic first thing in the morning as we headed out of town.

Like they didn't have enough freeways already!

planning for more vehicles !

...future highways!

BBQ trail next up!

steve/katie/kim

No other place like Cajun Country

Got to Cajun country outside of Lafayette, Louisiana in time for the Mardi Gras golf cart parade at Cajun Palms RV park.

Oh...the colors...well....Purple Represents Justice. Green Represents Faith. Gold Represents Power.

Cras? Oh....as in Mardi Gras.

Check out the purple satin pants and colorful leggings !

We also bought the traditional King Cake while there. Delicious ! (We usually go to Lafayette to buy the best there is in the area but got lazy and bought at a local bakery.)

Used to be called "T-Sue's Bakery" when we were here before. They have a red light on their street sign that flashes when the fresh bread comes out of the oven. 

Those boxes on the bottom shelf are all King Cakes.

The History of the King Cake
King Cakes didn't always contain a baby Jesus; in the late 19th century, celebrators hid a bean, pecan or jeweled ring inside the baked item. Whomever found the treasure within would be crowned the king or queen of the season's first Mardi Gras ball.

The plastic baby was first baked into a cake in the 1950s, and now, these little plastic figures come in a multitude of colors, including pink, brown, green, purple and gold. Tradition dictates that whomever finds the baby in their slice of cake must provide the next cake for celebration.

When ordering a King Cake from a bakery, the plastic baby might come on the side to be inserted into the cake by you. This protects the bakery from any potential litigation as a result of chipped teeth, choking or other injuries.

Yummmy! The Baby represents Jesus. (see above paragraphs)

We went down to Butte Larose to see the homes along the bayou. Some are pretty neat...and others....well....

But they have satellite TV!

All sizes, shapes and conditions...no zoning here.

Lastly, we like to take Katie for a ride around the RV park when we can. While we drive at 5 mph, she stands up on my lap, hangs out and loves it.

Weeeeeee!

You taking my picture!!??

There's more in this part of the country but that's a long enough entry for now.

steve/kim/katie