Park # 253, Cane River Creole NHP- Louisiana

I made the drive up here today Sunday, June 9th to save 120 miles on the motor home, driving up from Alexandria, La. 

I had planned to hit three locations that were open for this park, and did. 

I got to the Natchitoches Visitor Information Center, in downtown Natchitoches, and also the Magnolia and Oakland Plantation sites. 

The Downtown visitor center didn't have any stamps for this park, so I headed first on down to the Oakland Plantation. 

There were supposed to be two locations for stamps here, a pavilion, only open on the weekends, and a store. 

Nobody home here at the Pavilion, and no stamps, either. 

This was the store building, and it was eerie, not a soul was there. 

Totally empty!!!!!!

The plantation house on the property is privately owned, and not part of the park.

Well, this was a first, the first time I have visited a totally unmanned National park!!  Fortunately, the three passport stamps that were listed for here were there, but none were at the Pavilion.  

From there, I headed about 11 miles down the road to the next unit, the Magnolia Plantation. 

The same situation here-  totally unmanned!!!!  Here too, the stamps were out on a ledge, so I got the three stamps that were supposed to be here. 

Because there was no one around, I was not able to get to the store at Oakland, so I was not able to get any pins, hiking medallions, or postcards, if they exist at all. 

This is probably the greatest disappointment for a National Park I have seen-  very little signage, invitations to self tour if you wanted to, so what- to see part of an old southern plantation. 

On to Natchez tomorrow!!

Revisit to Jean Lafitte NHP and Preserve, but new for me Atchafaylaya NHA stamp.

Took a 112 mile round trip Westwego La to Thibodaux La to revisit the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center in Thibodaux so I could get the first for me series of Atchafalaya NHA stamps. 

 The Wetlands Center is actually a part of the Jean Lafitte NHP and Preserve, and they added the NHA designation in the last year, so I decided to make the run.  Nice easy drive, took about 3 hours all told. 

The museum is very well done, small, but efficient.  I got some postcards to mail, and I already had a pin here, and there was not a hiking medallion that I could find. 

Got the Atchafalaya Stamp in good order-  There are 6 locations in the series currently, and I will try for them all this trip. 

Visit that doesn't count Non NPS sites, Mississippi Sand Hill Crane NSW

I learned about this location from the lady at Grand Bay, and she said they had a stamp and pins, so off I went on the way back to the campground. 

Success! 

 They also had a sticker: 

I got two nice pins here, both only 3.00!  One each for Sand Hill and Grand Bay.  The park is located at Exit 61 on I-10. 

Visit that doesn't count Non NPS revisit to Great Bay NWR

The Grand Bay NWR office is located near Moss Point Mississippi.  They were supposed to have a new stamp, a Pitcher Plant-  got to the site, and sure enough, it was there. 

Revisit to Mississippi Gulf Coast NHA to get 3 Missing Sites

Last February, I visited the Mississippi Gulf Coast Heritage area and spent two days and about 400 miles tracking down the 23 different locations.  At three of the locations, all City Halls, the stamps were missing, and I was not a happy stamper. 

I revisited all three today, after the Master Data Base indicated that in fact, the three were there, and recently found. 

Score three. 
First stop:  Gautier, Miss City Hall-  right were they said it would be, but I stopped first at the Police Station, where the GPS was taking me, rather than the City Hall, which was across the street: 

Next, a few miles down the road to the Pascagoula City Hall, here, the lady at the desk was brand new, just started her job yesterday, so I was able to help her find, then explain to her the stamp program.  Two for two. 

Then, on over to the brand spanking new Moss Point Miss Town Hall to get their stamp.  I remembered the nice lady there, and to ask after her daughter, who is serving in the Air Force- she is fine, and the stamp was there.  Three for three!

I now have 22 of the 23 locations for this Heritage area, the last one I need will be gotten someday. 

Revisit to William Comer Visitor Center location for Gulf Islands National Seashore

I started my visits to the Mississippi Gulf Shore by revisiting the William Comer Visitor Center to see if by chance they had the Ship Island Stamp, which they did not, since the Ship Island tours were open.  So I opted to just get a hiking staff medallion for the Davis Bayou unit of the park instead.  Date of visit, June 4th 2013.

Park Revisit: Naval Live Oaks VC: Gulf Islands National Seashore Pensacola Fl

Day 3 for this park, which is the way to do it:  Went over the island to the Naval Live Oaks Visitor Center unit.  

Another situation where I got "sequestered".  This VC of all things is closed now on the weekends, to "save money."

Anyway, this is actually more of an administration/headquarters building than a VC, but it did have three stamps:  the Naval Live Oaks site stamp, the Santa Rosa site stamp, since that Ranger Station is now closed, and a stamp for the Florida Scenic Trail.

So as of now, my visits for the Florida Unit of Gulf Islands is now complete.