runs along a ridge that reaches from the New Iberia area
eastward to Morgan City. Then there is swamp with a few
high places and more swamp until you get to Schriever.
This was going to be my 64th Birthday Ride. No, I have
not taken 64 rides on birthdays. I couldn't go to Chama,
Durango or West Virginia, so Schriever would do fine. Of
course, catching the Sunset Limited would be the icing
on my cake.
Now the maps and pictures. All can be clicked to enlarge a little.
Then hit your back button to return to the read.
These are places in the ride report.
Baldwin to Morgan City.
Morgan City to Schriever.
I was in Parks at 11:00. I ran down 347 until I got to New
Iberia. At New Iberia I took back road, La.87, which runs
unobstructed by small towns on the north side of Bayou
Teche. It is gorgeous. At Baldwin I joined Old US 90, the
Old Spanish Trail, now known as La.182. How demeaning.
Baldwin is a fun railroading town. Louisiana and Delta RR
has a presence there serving the carbon black plants and
the port of New Iberia. Plus BNSF, Union Pacific and Amtrak
run trains through there, plus, it has a neat old bridge. It
drew me in again. Most people cringe at this sight. I
considered it the start to my birthday party.
Look who popped her head in. Mz Allegheny had dropped by.
My girls are so sweet.
She could just stay a moment since she had work to do.
Then she dropped her cars and switched rails. I could
watch no longer. Time was flying.
I had to hustle. I nailed the speed limit. Crossing the Wax
Lake Outlet I caught a tad of the rail bridge. I would be
back after doing Schriever.
I know the back door entrance into the Schriever Depot property.
This is an industrial area. There is no attempt at beatification.
There's the old Southern Pacific depot. BNSF trucks were
everywhere. Rail tending machines were also.
I was here at 1:07. Amtrak was due here at a quarter after.
I shot until ....
The Louisiana and Delta RR tug slept over there.
Then the sound I'd come to hear was heard. I swear her
horns were playing "Happy Birthday".
She was gone.
Then it was time to look at the switch off the main line that
went to Houma, now gone. This is looking from the tracks
to Houma back east to the main line. The one on the left
went to the station. the other two went here .....
...... to a small yard.
At the next cross road south, the rails were gone.
I decided I'd rather do swamp pictures than old ROW shots.
I bet you are happy about that.
A fine old house was down from the depot.
A Model A was for sale.
I returned to La.20 and retraced my ride back to Morgan City.
I said goodbye to the Schriever yard.
Time to do some swamp.
My daughter had given me a fancy big glass with a straw.
The water was still ice cold and easily accessible even at speed.
I live for trestles across bayous in the deep swamp.
And ice water.
And railroad tracks. This is the crossing at Dead Wood Loop.
Sure enough, the trees were dead.
These little restrooms are never open.
I railed over this shot.
The crazies on US 90 rode above the rails that all crossed this bayou.
At Amelia the offshore oil industry makes a statement.
A small cemetery sat nestled in the woods along the highway.
At the outskirts of Morgan City I left Old 90 and followed
Railroad Ave. through town. Not everyone comes this way.
It is the best way to get to know MC.
One church was on one side of the tracks.
Another was on the other.
More industry.
When Railroad jumped the tracks, I shot these. This is looking
west to the Atchafalaya River Bridge.
This is looking back east. That's US 90 crossing the tracks.
I was looking for 6th St. It didn't exist at the tracks. 4th did.
It was where the second Southern Pacific depot was. The first
was at the Atchafalaya River bridge. Yes, I have pictures. Go to the
Morgan City website and you will see it along with the
loop turn around the engines used to go back to New Orleans
before the Civil War. I is so visible even today.
This is still railroad property.
This was the clincher, rails. Trucks would have no use for them.
Across the tracks were these old houses.
More BNSF stuff was across the street.
The Greek couple's store was across the street. I don't know
if it's still opened. I sure hope the new couple that took it
over is doing OK.
Now I was at the port. Morgan City is a photographer's paradise.
Warning signs were on the wharf. All of this had been 15 feet
under water during the recent Mississippi floods. On a
normal day the Atchafalaya carries 1/3 of the Old Man's
water. With Morganza being opened, no telling how that
percentage rose. The river sure did. It was scary down here.
I have pictures that are unbelievable. Standing next
to the river wall was an unnerving experience.
The old lighthouse at Burwick survived. Being jacked up helped.
A dredge was cleaning up the channel.
A shrimp boat was tied up.
The old rail drawbridge was down. Had it stayed down after
Amtrak's passage or was something else coming? I waited
as long as I could.
I'd had a successful day and it was nearing, if not after, 3:00.
I came to this building by the old bridge. The plaque said
it was built in 1947. So was I. That was a funny coincidence.
That is a sea wall in front of you. To the left was under water.
To the right was not.
These 2 bridges offer one great shot after the other.
This is from the "fisherman's wharf", a nice place to sit.
I kept watching.
You don't go to Morgan City without this shot. I remember
it from when I was 7 years old traveling these parts with
my father. He was a petroleum engineer in the new oil fields
of south Louisiana and the Gulf.
Up the old bridge I went. I wanted to take a few shots up on the
bridge but it is narrow and with oncoming traffic I chose
to make it over in one piece. My balance has become finer tuned.
That's "judgement balance" I'm talking about.
Back at the Wax Lake Bridge I decided to take a break
at my special viewing and resting spot.
The last time I was here a lot of what you see was under water.
I hopped up on the rails for a bridge shot.
That way to Lafayette.
I strained to make a train appear. I think I pulled my back.
This is the levee that kept the residents dry.
I passed up Baldwin and got back on La.87 to bypass Jeanerette.
I always stop on the drawbridges and shoot the bayou. I can
see Civil War battles out there. No, I don't remember them,
I imagine them.
Ok, that was a nice little ride. Time for some bloopers
or misfires. At St. John there are gorgeous oaks over the road.
I attempted to get a few "from behind the windshield" shots.
They failed miserably.
Careful, they will make you dizzy.
I do waste a lot of film. But, you never know. One day
I may come up with something that works.
This should be it. Cane is being cut to replant. The harvest
is not far behind. Neither is football or seeing those great old
mills light up and put on their steamy shows for months.
We must live in heaven?
