Day 2 Grand Isle State Park Grand Isle, Louisiana

It was very windy when we got up this morning. We elected to explore the area with the Jeep in lieu of riding bikes in the stiff wind. Grand Isle is dotted with quaint beach houses. There is also a large Coast Guard Station and some oil company sites. As we drove to the adjacent island, Fourchon, the land was consumed by the energy industry. Products and services related to offshore oil drilling…steel, wire rope, tanks, pipelines, hoses, pumps, platforms, ships, cranes and other heavy lifting equipment, tractor trailers…all behind high barbed wire fencing with security gates. It was not a lovely ride but it was very interesting. When we fuel the RV I never give much thought to how the fuel is actually gathered and processed.

We stopped at truck stop and had some pretty good egg sandwiches.

With all the area industry, there are environmental concerns. I am hopeful that these companies are being good stewards to the environment. We saw lots of shore birds…heron, egrets, ibis, cormorants, anhinga, brown and white pelicans, roseate spoonbills, osprey and all manner of other LWB (little white birds). Since the bird population appears to be so healthy and thriving, maybe the fish and water are also healthy.

We stopped beneath a bridge and to our delight and surprise there were dolphin feeding in the strong current at the mouth of the inlet. They were pretty close and so fun to watch.

There were also marinas with fishing boats.

This afternoon the wind had tamed a little. We hopped on our bikes and fought the headwinds. What a reward then to be pushed by the tailwind. We saw a shrimp boat leaving.

Dinner was sangria with grilled turkey taco salad, corn, and black beans. We plan to drive further west tomorrow.