CP Campground Review – Farr Park Equestrian Center & RV Campground, Baton Rouge, LA

A no-frills, but relaxing and green City Campground within spitting distance of Baton Rouge.

Horses in the pasture at Farr Park

Link to campground here: Farr Equestrian Center and RV Campground
Link to map location here: Farr Equestrian Center and RV Campground

1. Site Quality = 2.5/5
   The sites here are very basic. The park has 5 long rows of grassy parking areas with slots of 30Amp/water for each RV. There’s no separation, as such, between campsites, but in general (unless there’s an event at LSU or the horse park) the place is pretty empty. It’s open seating and you choose your spot on arrival. Small trees so only very minor spots of shade. Ground has areas of bumps and dips so take your time positioning and levelling.
2.  Facilities = 3/5
   Facilities were generally decent. Large bathrooms with good showers which were being completely repainted while we were there. However the place gets a ding for irregular cleaning and lack of toilet paper(!). Lots of green pasture around with picnic areas and horse-trails. On-site dump, but no laundry.
3. Location = 5/5
   This is a perfect spot to visit Baton Rouge. You’re literally right outside town and within a few miles of LSU. Park is located in green horse country and right next to the Mississippi with opportunity to hike for miles along the levee.
4. Pet Friendliness = 5/5
   Very pet friendly spot. There are acres of green pasture on-site to run with doggie and you can walk pooch on the levee by the river.

Overall Rating = 3.9
BONUS ALERT = View of green pasture and horses from your RV!

Summary: This was the perfect spot to visit Baton Rouge. The park is set only a few miles from LSU, but is in a very nice neighborhood surrounded by green pasture and horses. The campground itself is run by the City and is a no-frills operation. Basically just green slices of somewhat uneven grassy parking with 30Amp/water and you chose your spot on arrival. At full capacity it would be very tight, but most of the time (unless there’s an event going on) the place is fairly empty, and you’ll get plenty of space to yourself. We enjoyed relaxing outside the RV, watching the horses, running in the pastures and walking the levee by the river, and would definitely stay here again if we came back into town.

 Extra Info:  Both Verizon aircard and phone worked fine. Sites are $20/night  for 30Amp/water. On-site dump.

View down back parking slice (row #5)

View of another of the parking "slices" (row #3)

 

View down side of park. Our RV in row #4 to the left.

Typical site view

View from our "balcony" outside the RV of horses and pasture

Walk and play in the pastures next to camp

The Louisiana Purchase – Going Back in Time in Baton Rouge, LA

“No act of Jefferson’s administration presents such a variety of disgraceful features as this shameful purchase of a colony of Frenchmen.” Federalist Party, Circa 1803

The State Capitol in Baton Rouge, LA

It was a time of war, strife and heated debate! Napoleon was leading the crusade of a French empire in the nations of the old world while modern-day America was being jostled between French, Spanish, English and Union interests. By 1803 the United States consisted of 17 states and 4 territories in the East with the formidable Appalachian Mountains running down the middle. The key communication port of New Orleans on the Mississippi River belonged at that moment to France, but Napoleon was under pressure. Having lost strongholds in the Caribbean and under financial strain to fund his war in Europe, he and made a bargain that would change the future forever.  On April 30, 1803 he authorized the sale of the entire  828,000 square mile French Territory of Louisiana for 60 million Francs (~$15 million).

Dates etched on the Capitol Steps reflect the order of each state's admission to the Union

The purchase almost doubled the size of the United States overnight, but it had surprisingly  heavy opposition. The bargain had been struck in a rush and without formal approval of the president. Opponents in the Federalist Party, worried about their balance of power, argued the purchase was  ”worthless desert” and unconstitutional, stricking back hot with comments like the quote above. But with historical foresight, Jefferson upheld the deal and the treaty was ratified.

Pasture and green by our park in Baton Rouge

The massive impact of this piece of history strikes me as I stand on the steps of the State Capitol in Baton Rouge. It’s a spring day, cherry blossoms are blooming, the sky is a brilliant blue and the dates carved in stone by my feet take me back in time. We’re here for a quick stop to visit family and I’m amazed at how green and peaceful the town is despite the busy working traffic of the Mississippi River and the bustle of LSU (Louisiana State University). We’re parked in a horse park just outside town bounded by large, green pasture and the river. Here we’ll hang out and regenerate for a few days, watch the horses, walk the levee and enjoy some good meals before we run off to boondock in Texas. After this point we’ll be West of the Mississippi and into another phase of history. In the meantime I’ll walk and marvel on the land that was purchased so long ago for only 5 cents an acre.

On the banks of the Mississippi

Hiking the levee

SP Campground Review – Bayou Segnette State Park, New Orleans, LA

View of walkway across middle of campground loop

A relaxing and green State Park campground that provided a great base to explore New Orleans.

Link to campground here: Bayou Segnette State Park, LA
Link to map location here: Bayou Segnette State Park, LA

1. Site Quality = 4/5
   Very nice sites here. All are level concrete back-ins with plenty of green, grassy space between campers (up to 50 ft separation) with 50Amp/water, grill, fire-pit and picnic table. Each site has a nice “sitting area”, either a concrete pad or wooden patio (or both). Open views with little shade (most trees are small).
2.  Facilities = 4/5
   Good set of facilities here. Bathrooms are slightly older, but large and well-kept. Good water pressure. Surrounding area has hiking, picnic spots, playground and boat/canoe launch. Wave-pool was closed when we were there. Free WiFi which works decently and free laundry (!)
3. Location = 4/5
   This is a good spot to visit New Orleans. It’s got a peaceful, green feel yet is only a short 20-30 min drive from town across the Mississippi. There are RV parks closer to downtown that avoid the bridge, but not with the natural feel and space of this place.
4. Pet Friendliness = 5/5
   Very pet friendly spot. There’s hiking trails to walk pooch, lots of green space to hang around camp and poop bags provided.

Overall Rating = 4.25
BONUS ALERT = Relaxing, green environment just outside New Orleans!

Summary: This was a great spot to visit New Orleans. The campground is only ~20-30 mins out of town (right across the Mississippi from downtown) and yet has a remote and relaxing, green feel to it. Campsites are level concrete pads with water/electric, nice “sitting areas” and lots of separation between campers. The campground also had the bonus of free WiFi and free laundry. Seems a lot of the area was destroyed by the flood so there’s not a lot of shade (trees are small) and there’s still some construction (with noise) going on at the canal, but neither of those things bothered us much while we were there. We felt relaxed and peaceful here and would definitely stay again if we were coming back into town.

 Extra Info:  Both Verizon aircard and phone worked fine. Sites are $18/night  (Oct-Mar) for 50Amp/water. On-site dump and *free* laundry room.

Typical site view. Long, concrete pad with "sitting area". Some sites have wooden "patios". Site #3 shown.

View of out site (#34). Lots of green space/separation.

View along campground loop (site #7-8 on right, front to back)

View down campground loop (Site #2 left)

View behind RV's to show "sitting areas" and green space. Site #37 on left)

View of facilities

Picnic area and playground in nature area of park

Music, Beads and Color -> A Taste of Mardi Gras in New Orleans

Bring on the beads, it's Mardi Gras baby!

It’s the end of February and there’s a party in the works. Music fills the air, balconies are overflowing with beads and carnival masks, floats are parading and the streets are bursting with colors of gold, lilac and green. In this city of cities where the deep south converges in a mix of jazz, Creole and Cajun culture the vibe is magnetic. You’re drawn into the streets, swayed by the rhythm of the drums, and swept away to join the crowds in their festivities. It’s Mardi Gras, baby and New Orleans is just getting into the groove!

The French Quarter parade bursts with people, color and music

The party has been going for a long time. Mardi Gras is an old tradition tracing its roots back to the Roman ritual Lupercalia. The pagan tradition was incorporated into  Christianity which re-marked the celebrations as beginning on the Epiphany and ending on the day before Ash Wednesday. The practice of eating richer foods before the start of Lenten fast gave the festival the name of  Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday”. The tradition sailed to the Americas in 1699 with the French explorers Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, who landed ~60 miles downriver from modern-day New Orleans. From there it grew and was both fêted and banned over the next few hundred years through to the first documented parade in 1837.

Food and romance in the French Quarter

These days Mardi Gras is a firm tradition in New Orleans and a big, massive, crazy party of ~4 million people. We just wanted a taste of the thing, so we decided to hit NOLA the week before the biggest celebrations. We sauntered into town Sunday morning and stepped right into the heart of the thing. Parades of horses, floats and marching bands were walking down Canal Street while musicians and costumed pets were parading in the French Quarter. We spent the whole afternoon saturating our senses with color, beads and music. As it turns out fellow RVers and bloggers Christy and Kali from Techosyncratic were also in NOLA, so next evening we ventured back out to make new friends and sample Creole food and  the classic New Orleans Sazerac cocktail.

All in all, it was quite the visit. We head out of town with our hearts light, our bellies full and the beads to prove we were here for the party.

Jackson Square artists

Music on the streets

Lilac, green and gold

A dog shows off her feminine side

Beads...give us beads!

Sunday Parades down Canal Street

The classic Sazerac Cocktail

Our new friends, Christy and Kali