| Lacassine Bayou., La.14 east of Hayes. |
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| The southwestern corner of Southwest Louisiana is a mystery to most of the nation. This area lies between Abbeville and Texas. The swamps, marshes, and rivers are expected beauty spots. What I found surprising was the beauty found in the agricultural lands sitting on the borders of Nature. The multitudes of birds fishing in the late evening among the rice fields was amazing. Their presence was fodder for a Hitchcock movie (ie "The Birds") They swarmed. They patrolled. They swooped. They screamed. They blocked my way. I was on a lost road. Alone and outnumbered. The next pages will be about my roaming up and down Louisiana Highway 14. The first highway running east-west above the Gulf is La. 82. From the point where it parallels the coast it is in the marsh. Few highways travel down to meet it. Check out the article "Down Along the Coast". Moving northward the next major east-west road is La.14. It travels through a mixture of farmlands, swamps, rivers and bayous. I'm not going to be bound by the road in these pages, but will stay close. This is the first page. The area is a distance from my home base and quite a commute. But, it is one of my favorites. It is lonely in spots and except for its towns, the road can, in spots, remind you of the Texas Panhandle. The trip is as complete as one trip can be. Of course there were a thousand things missed. I don't stop enough. I cover a lot of territory and see a lot of stuff, then come back and research the stuff. Then I like to go back, dig deeper, and, then deeper. Sometimes I don't make it back at all or for a long time. Mama said, "Don't take such large bites!". She was right, but big bites are a lot of fun. The "full" article follows, a big bite. |
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| This chapter of the ride began at the intersection of 27 and 14. I rode through some lowlands and then some farmland until I arrived at Hayes. Hayes has 2 gas pumps, one's broken and the other is "pricey". It is the one that doesn't have the duct tape on it. It was a welcomed sight. Going east out of Hayes the road dips south and the first beauty spot is the Lacassine Bayou. Above is the La.14 bridge and shots from my wanderings around it. There is a private landing there. Cost ya 5 bucks. |
| Laccasine Bayou |
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| Birds Rice Fields |
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| The big rice mill at Thornwell was on La.380 as were the birds (geese, I think from the racket they were making). They rose like a cloud as I approached. Look at those colors. The smell of turned earth in the crisp air was an uncommon treat. |
| Here's the Hitchcock moment. I thought the black stuff was spilled road patch material. Until it moved. I stopped and just waited watching my rearview mirror. Then these two cars came by and broke them up. I wasn't going to do it. How did I know what their mental state was. As you can see they were in the field to the left and on the power wires on the right. Was it an ambush? |
| Just to the west of the town of Mermentau, I took this picture under the US. 90 bridge. I know it is not 14 but the terrain is the same and the river we will visit later at Lake Arthur. I have some great pictures somewhere. Click "next" to go home for now. No we ain't cause I just finished another page and "Next" will take you there. I am ping ponging this article. That is, the next page will be coming form the east. Somewhere the article will merge and we'll handle that when it happens. I never had one merge before, so hang on. |
| La380 |
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| *Pictures |
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| Below: Old Lorraine Wooden Br. Bayou Lacassine, southeast of the town of Lacassine. |