Road Trip Baton Rouge

Dave and I are moving forward in our healing. He is doing really well while I'm in the big black boot getting used to having two feet beneath me again. We are on a spring adventure after a hellacious winter! We spent three days visiting family and friends in Mobile, Alabama. We're headed for Baton Rouge for a reunion with our friends Scott and Yolanda Moody.

We met Scott and Yolanda at Knife River Marina back in 2013. We had just arrived from delivering our sailboat from Escanaba, Michigan. The Moody's had just trailered their sailboat from Oklahoma to Lake Superior for the summer. We hit if off immediately, finding we had much in common. They have become dear friends that mean the world to us. They still live in Oklahoma but Scott is working in Baton Rouge. We convinced Yolanda to fly in for the weekend. It didn't take much to get her to agree to join us.

Scott & Yolanda Moody aboard Mystic
Duluth harbor 2013

On our way west we drove through Bayou le Batre because everyone who can do so, should! After all, you might get lucky enough to run into Forrest Gump! Turns out Bayou le Batre is a tiny little fishing village; it's old and quaint. We saw no sign of Forrest or Bubba Gump shrimp boats but we can say we've been there now!

We arrived in Baton Rouge Friday evening and found our way to Scott's cousin's house where Scott is staying. Ms. Debbie and Mr. Duane graciously opened their home to us for an evening of food and conversation. Scott picked up 30 pounds of crawfish boil from the local seafood place. We ate for hours, devouring almost all of the delicious mud bugs! It was one of the best meals we've ever eaten and rivals the lobster boils out on the east coast. We had blackened grilled red fish the next evening. The food was incredible which seems to be true throughout the south.

Mud bugs

Beth, Scott, Yolanda & Dave

Beth & Yolanda at the Crawfish Boil

We hadn't seen Scott and Yolanda since 2015 at the Wineglass Marathon in Corning, New York. Yolanda ran with us and Scott supported us by carrying drinks, snacks and ibuprofen on a bike along the course. We ran the Tulsa Marathon with Yolanda in 2013. It was one of our most challenging races, in temps hovering around 20 F. We all agreed that had it been our first marathon, it would have been our last. Scott and Yolanda have been following our Great Loop progress closely. We hope to get them aboard Mystic. We love them like family!

Dave, Yolanda & Beth at starting line Tulsa Marathon 2013

Beth, Dave & Yolanda 2015 Wineglass Marathon

On Saturday we played tourist and visited Southern Louisiana University which sits along the Mississippi River. We also went to LSU to meet Mike the Tiger (version number seven). He's a handsome boy, living a pretty pampered life in a three million dollar habitat built in 2005.

Mississippi River View, Baton Rouge

Mississippi River View at
Southern Louisiana University

Mike the Tiger ~ LSU

Mike the 7th

Mike relaxing at the compound

We stopped in at the Tin Roof Brewing Company where we enjoyed the Parade Ground Coffee Porter and the Voodoo Pale Ale. They offer Yoga on tap and Trivia nights. If we lived in Baton Rouge, we'd become regulars here.

Tin Roof Taps

Tin Roof Microbrew Geaux (GO) Local

The weekend flew by. It was so good to reconnect with Scott and Yolanda. We look forward to seeing them again soon! Next, we'll head east to St. Augustine, Florida. It's time to check on our Alberg 35, S/V Mystic.