Road trip along Gulf coast from FL to TX

[JPatrick]

Down these parts spring breakers don't show up until the 2nd week of March. I suspect it's the same at most beach areas.

Bout the same in Florida, at least last year.
The breakers started flowing into Key West on March 6, and by the time we got to Sarasota on the 8th the beaches were getting packed, only to get worse.

 

[grasshopper]

From turtle soup to birding, close to Dauphin Island is Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge.

 

[Dawg52]

If your kicking around in Mobile, you might want to try the below seafood restaurant. Pretty decent.

Wintzell's Oyster House > Contact Us > Historic Downtown

And just down the street you might try this one if your in the mood for bbq. A shameless plug for my nephew's restaurant.

Moe's Original BBQ - Mobile, AL

Bellingrath Gardens is a neat place to visit. Although during the winter I'm sure blooming flowers are somewhat limited.

http://www.bellingrath.org/about-us.html

 

[JakeBrake]

From Mobile, we have always really enjoyed Dauphin Island. And the ferry across to the fort and Gulf Shores is pretty neat too. There is a famous botanical garden on the way to Dauphin Island from Mobile that we have never had time to visit.

That would be Bellingrath Gardens. A beautiful garden any time of the year, but especially when the azaleas are blooming. Allow a couple of hours. We usually spend most of our time at Gulf Shores/Orange Beach.

http://www.bellingrath.org/

We always take the Mobile Bay ferry. You will save a lot of time IF you get there when the ferry is loading. Otherwise there is a long wait. The schedule has been the same for years except for the prices, which keep going up.

As for bird watching, at Fort Morgan, Alabama, we stumbled into a very interesting event on our last visit. They do is an annual census of migrating birds. Fort Morgan is the last stop before birds head across the Gulf of Mexico. The birds spend some time in the woods there to eat and rest. The bird census takers (volunteers) string up nets 10 to 15 feet high and hundreds of feet in length that are invisible to the birds. The birds are caught in the nets where they are catalogued, banded and sent on their way.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Bout the same in Florida, at least last year.
The breakers started flowing into Key West on March 6, and by the time we got to Sarasota on the 8th the beaches were getting packed, only to get worse.

Since the OP plans to leave in February (does not give a date) and be gone for 3+ weeks, I thought he might run into spring breakers and so might want to plan around them re accommodations, etc. But apparently some of you know that won't be an issue so that's good.

I found a partial list of when schools let out for 2013 here: http://inertiatours.com/spring_break_dates.php

 

[Nemo2]

But, but, but what do the little pieces of turtle meat look like in the soup, this enquiring mind likes to know?

Is it dark, or white like chicken and tastes like chicken too?

Reminds me of the old Australian recipe for Galah (a type of parrot) Soup: Put a rock and a Galah in a pot of boiling water......cook until the rock is tender.....throw out the Galah...eat the rock.

 

[mickeyd]

If you have a lot of travel time and are a fan of history you might enjoy taking the Old Spanish Trail (OST) which extends from St. Augistine to San Diego.

1929 Travel log index

Old Spanish Trail Centennial

 

[W2R]

Here you go. The best looking turtle soup I could find in Google images has a little spilled on the side of the cup, unfortunately, but imagine that the spilled soup wasn't there. Now, imagine pouring a teaspoon or tablespoon of sherry from a crystal decanter on top of the soup. Finally, imagine sipping hot turtle soup. Hits the spot, doesn't it? You are now in heaven.

 

[NW-Bound]

Fine. I will definitely have it, and even try to talk DW into having a taste. I have even looked up a recipe to see how they make it. See the following, which also has a photo: Creole Turtle Soup Recipe | Nola Cuisine

The above site says that a good soup should have cubed meat, not ground meat. The latter is "cheating". Interesting!

Now, suppose they leave out the turtle meat, and put in some nutria meat. How do you know that that doesn't make it even better?

See, it's all about prejudice, which I am constantly fighting so that I do not miss out on something that may be very worthwhile.

 

[audreyh1]

If you have a lot of travel time and are a fan of history you might enjoy taking the Old Spanish Trail (OST) which extends from St. Augistine to San Diego.

Ah - so that's where I-10 comes from!

 

[REWahoo]

Ah - so that's where I-10 comes from!

Yep. Look at all the exits...

 

[ERD50]

Fine. I will definitely have it, and even try to talk DW into having a taste. I have even looked up a recipe to see how they make it. See the following, which also has a photo: Creole Turtle Soup Recipe | Nola Cuisine

The above site says that a good soup should have cubed meat, not ground meat. The latter is "cheating". Interesting!

I got a kick out of the comments, people butchering their own turtles. I think my Dad used to say something like 'catch a turtle at sunrise, cut off it's head, and it doesn't die until sundown' - and those people talk about the thing walking around long after being 'killed'.

-ERD50

 

[HighRoller]

Lot's to see and do in while driving thru southern Texas, depending on what you like. If you are into history, you might want to drive up to San Antonio (about 2 hours north from Corpus Christi) and see the Alamo. While you are there you can check out the river walk too.

 

[EllisWyatt]

Heading from west to east:

ON Padre Island, at the base of the Causeway, is a restaraunt/local dive called "Snoopy's". Good seafood, a lot of local fishermen/shrimpers stop ther on their way home. Has a HUGE fireplace in the cener of it which makes it nice and cozy on a chilly day.
Not much for epicurian delights as you move up the coast (although it is a birder's paradise with the largest whooping crane colony, roseate spoonbills, etc.)
Just south of Lafayette, La is Avery Island (where Tabasco Sauce is made). Beautiful gardens (the camellias are peaking just about now) and the alleged source of all nutrias in the U.S. due to a failed fur farm.
Lots of Plantations to view along the River Road between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Pretty drive, and would recommend taking a tour of one or two.
When you get to New Orleans, you have a world of options - the aforementioned turtle soup (it is truely great), barbequed shrimp (you can get good versions of both at Mandina's, but be forewarned that they leave the heads on the shrimp, which freaks out my DW), chargrilled oysters on the half shell (Drago's in Metaire). For more traditional fare, Deanie's serves a great platter of fried shrimp - maybe about 2 dozen per plate, each done to perfection.

Just some of my favorite places.

 

[NW-Bound]

Nice and timely thread, as my next RV trip will be along this part of the Gulf Coast. It's just part of the itinerary that will go through [-]Armadillo[/-] Amarillo, TX, and will eventually end up in Anchorage.

And I just happened to also think of Tabasco and its garden and just mark them down as a stop.

We have been to NO once several years ago, but recently read somewhere that Lafayette and Baton Rouge are perhaps better places for Creole cuisine. Please recommend more places to eat.

 

[EllisWyatt]

Other restaraunts in Lafayette area i've enjoyed:

Lafayette is really the heart of Acadiana, so there are lots of good cajun and creole restaraunts in the area.
Cafe Vermilionville: in old Inn, very nice. More upscale, but good food.
Landry's and Don's: both restaraunts ok, have some local favorites, but not awesome.
Prejeans: moderate cost, good music, good cajun food.
Further east along I-10 is a small place called "Boudin King" in Jennins, La. (Boudin is a rice based sausage). Not as spicy as some other places, but Goooood.

 

[HawkeyeNFO]

If you have time to do it, I recommend a deep-sea fishing trip for one of your days. I did it a couple of times from Venice, Louisiana, about 70 miles south of NOLA (route 23 to the end of the world). I never was too big of a seafood fan until I lived in New Orleans. A grilled tuna steak from a fish that you catch that day and haven't frozen can challenge a good filet mignon; it's that good.

Some of the restaurants we liked were a bit off the beaten path, but NOLA has so many, that in 3 years we didn't have time to hit them all (then again I'm still working). Send me a note if you need some recommendations. And if it's hot, make sure you stop for a snowball.

Naval Aviation Museum in P'cola is excellent also.

 

[haha]

As savage as it may sound southern folks would keep a snapping turtle in a barrel, and fatten the turtle up with table scraps.

No more savage than keeping a hog ouside the kitchen and throwing scraps, clabber, etc to it. In fact, unless one is a vegan, I can't see any objection.

Ha

 

[sanfanciscotreat]

Ah - so that's where I-10 comes from!

I 10 sometimes; I 20 sometimes, especially through Alabama and Mississippi.

 

[grasshopper]

No more savage than keeping a hog ouside the kitchen and throwing scraps, clabber, etc to it. In fact, unless one is a vegan, I can't see any objection.

Ha

I agree, as a veggie, I do equate this practice with keeping laying hens packed so tight that they are unable to move. I equate the practice to penning veal calves up as so they can't turn around. I equate the practice to birthing pens used to immobile sows when giving birth.

"The measure of a society can be how well its people treat its animals."

~Mohandas Gandhi

 

[MDJO]

Check out Seaside, where the Truman Show was filmed, and the museum at Eglin AFB

 

[mickeyd]

Here you go. The best looking turtle soup I could find in Google images has a little spilled on the side of the cup, unfortunately, but imagine that the spilled soup wasn't there. Now, imagine pouring a teaspoon or tablespoon of sherry from a crystal decanter on top of the soup. Finally, imagine sipping hot turtle soup. Hits the spot, doesn't it? You are now in heaven.

That looks great. In Philadelphia (Bookbinders?) they serve what they call "snapper soup." I initially thought that it was made with red snapper (fish) but soon learned that they use snapping turtle. Wonderful stuff.

 

[audreyh1]

Nice and timely thread, as my next RV trip will be along this part of the Gulf Coast. It's just part of the itinerary that will go through [-]Armadillo[/-] Amarillo, TX, and will eventually end up in Anchorage.

And I just happened to also think of Tabasco and its garden and just mark them down as a stop.

Avery Island - Definitely worth it, we really enjoyed the factory tour. Unfortunately it was raining too hard when we got done, so we missed the gardens. Avery Island is famous for having helped preserve the Egrets in the early 1900s, when they were the target of feather hunters.

We have been to NO once several years ago, but recently read somewhere that Lafayette and Baton Rouge are perhaps better places for Creole cuisine. Please recommend more places to eat.

The Breaux Bridge area has several good ones. The lunch at Poches' Market is a real treat. Coincidently they run an RV park as well which seems to be getting increasingly popular. Downtown Breaux Bridge has several good restaurants

 

[Htown Harry]

If you have a lot of travel time and are a fan of history you might enjoy taking the Old Spanish Trail (OST) which extends from St. Augistine to San Diego.

I agree, because I like taking back roads on long road trips. However, I would not blindly follow the map but without checking the big urban areas very closely.

For example, in the stretch of the Old Spanish Trail extending 20+ miles either direction from Houston, the roads labeled Hwy 90, 90-A (for alternate) or O.S.T. are not appealing to the tourist. There is no natural scenery to speak of, as 100+ years of development (and steady decline that followed in some areas) has created a thoroughly urban landscape. The once-quaint "travel court" from the early days of automobile travel is often a modern-day flop house.

Houston itself has some interesting big-city attractions: very good museums, Rockets games, the Williams Tower water wall, etc. The NBA all-star game will be here February 17th, with open-to-the public street parties an a convention center "experience".

By coincidence, while in Austin this weekend I saw a TV travelogue for day trips outside Houston. It listed some options along the bay between Houston and Galveston. Space Center Houston and several restaurants are included.
Video: Kemah, TX | Watch The Daytripper Online | KLRU Video

I see they have other shows on South Padre Island and the Beaumont area, but I couldn't get them to load. The one from Beaumont area had headlines suggesting it was heavy on nature exploration at Caddo Lake or in the Big Thicket Nature Preserve. I think early March would be the perfect time weather-wise to see a swamp / bayou environment from a boat, if that interests you. Sadly, it's a bit too early for storm chasing: Extreme Tornado Tours)

This travel guide was written by a well-respected Houston journalist who hosted a long-running TV travelogue called The Eyes of Texas. It's dated for restaurants and attractions, but would be very good for natural or historic places. Cheap, too. Amazon.com: Buying Choices: Ray Miller's Eyes of Texas Travel Guide: Houston/Gulf Coast

 

[mickeyd]

For example, in the stretch of the Old Spanish Trail extending 20+ miles either direction from Houston, the roads labeled Hwy 90, 90-A (for alternate) or O.S.T. are not appealing to the tourist.

I disagree. I just drove from Eagle Lake to Sequin on 90A and it was a pleasant change from I-10 and all the truck traffic. (Come to think of it, that's outside of your 20 mile limit no?) Of course, we did encounter a bit of Eagle Ford shale oil patch traffic around Gonzales. We were also able to purchase a big load of pecans in Wharton pecan warehouse.