Hiking around Lake Bistineau and dinner in Bossier City, LA

Had a full breakfast this morning before setting out on a hike around Lake Bistineau. Very few people around since it was a Wednesday. I am sure there would be more visitors when the weather gets warmer and the lake has more water. The cypress trees with Spanish moss reflected this part of Louisiana. As did the ant (maybe fire ant?) hills, which I was careful to step around.

I drove to Bossier City, about 35 minutes away to meet up with friends for dinner. Contrasting change in scenery: freeways, lots of cars, high rise buildings, billboards and a lot of casinos. Even some gas stations advertized the availability of slot machines.

Since I was early, I googled top places to. visit in Bossier City (while parked in a Target parking lot). Trip Advisor recommended the Louisiana Boardwalk and Margaritaville Resort and I set my GPS accordingly. Turned out the Boardwalk was a shopping outlet located next to the Red River with Margaritaville was at one end of it. I parked Millie in the covered parking garage (it has gotten hot by now), and took the free trolley (face masks required) to the center of the Boardwalk, a very short distance away.

The walk alomg the river was very pleasant, they had Dixieland jazz playing throughout the Boardwalk. Not my kind of shopping (I prefer treasure hunting in thrift stores) but I did go into the Bass Pro Shop to check out the fishing tackle (overpriced). The exterior of Margaritaville was well designed, inside was the typical casino; none of the restaurants were open at that time, only the bar.

I passed by The Beef Jerky Outlet and could not resist taking a photo of the glass door that proclaimed it was the Bossier City headquarters of PETA.

Had a nice dinner with Donna and her husband Jim at a Louisiana restaurant. We have not seen each other for nearly 20 years and had a great time catching up.

Drove back to Lake Bistineau SP and had no problem setting camp in the dark. I saw what I thought was an armadillo in the headlights near my campsite.