Where I end up I end up. Today it would be up La.182 from
Washington. La.182 turns into La.29 above Whiteville which was named for Mr.White, so no letters, Fred. The 182/29 stretch into Bunkie from Washington is a wonderful road. There are no towns (Whiteville is an area). The road is
freshly black- topped and is not boring. That's not boring. It's the way to go to Bunkie.
Don't take I-49.
It was about 1:30 and I was in Bunkie. At Bunkie I decided to move further north. I went on through town and headed up US 71. I had done a whole article about this part of 71 and I was saddened
to see some of the old houses, one that Jim Bowie had frequented, were deteriorating at an amazing rate. I was glad I had gone inside and taken those pictures earlier.
I saw the huge old sugarcane mill south of LeCompte.I always have to go in front of it since that rent-a-cop chased me. I have a telescopic lens now and getting that close is not required. I took this one from the railroad tracks.
Having gotten off US71 and passed in front of the mill I decided to continue on the little road. This beauty had to have been associated with the mill. It was less than an eigth mile from it. The out building to the right was in the adjoining field. The road dead ended after the bridge over a very familiar bayou. Bayou Boeuf.
The flame to find the source of the Boeuf re- ignited once again. I continued up the road into Lecompte. On the way in I saw an old cotton gin. Liking old, I took its picture and then saw a newer version in town and for comparison sake, I took its picture, also. After the photo documentation I swung west on La.112 monitoring the GPS carefully.There had to be a road that followed the bayou upstream. That is part of the scheme of things, roads follow bayous. Sure enough I found it. At least an unexplored stretch of the Boeuf would be mine. Little did I know, I was on a roll.
With bayou roads, history is always close by.
Add to that natural beauty. The road was recently blacktopped, and the scenery, well just look.
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