Shreveport (Dec. 4)
We stayed at the Shreveport KOA, which is conveniently located just west of town.
We thought we might do some sightseeing on Monday, but I had some work to do, and Chuck wanted to do some work on the RV. In particular, we noticed that the bathroom vent was quite dirty. We wanted to clean it out before we got to the really cold weather we expect as we head north. So Chuck got on the RV roof with our hand vacuum and a scrub brush and went to work. Since we had slept in, by the time he finished with this and checking the tire pressure it was well into the afternoon. We decided to take advantage to what could be our last day of warm weather and just laze around the RV.
Since we had only the next day to see Shreveport, we decided to forego any “attractions” and head straight downtown. The Red River runs through downtown Shreveport and separates it from the town of Bossier. Texas St. is the main street of Shreveport, and the Texas St. Bridge is an old iron bridge that links the two cities. It can be walked, but we actually walked under it and drove over it.
The first building we noticed entering Shreveport is this old synagogue. It is clearly no longer being used, and it is not clear what its fate will be. According to a historic marker, it has 10 beautiful stained glass windows, which still seem to be intact. However, most of the building is boarded up and the view through a lower window showed an interior full of garbage. There was also no hint of where the congregation currently resides.
Further along the same street, and at the head of Texas St. stands the Baptist Church, which is one of the largest churches I have seen, consisting of a very large main building attached to a very large complex of other buildings – each the size of pretty large church. According to trip adviser, this church is a a major tourist attraction, but we did not go in.
The main street is a typical main street with shops, restaurants and a few government buildings, including the large “parish” (i.e. county) courthouse. However, just off the main street things do not look so rosy. Most of the buildings are boarded up and falling down. The exception is the Strand Theatre, which has some interesting architecture and lots of billboards for upcoming events. The neighborhood looks rather scary, though, and I am not sure how I would feel about being there at night.
We walked down Texas St. to the start of the bridge, and then continued below the bridge into the tourist district. Here there are a lot of casinos and restaurants. As you reach the river, there is a path which takes you along the river bank and past the Aquarium, Space Museum and Science Museum, as well as some small gardens.
There were quite a few floral and leaf motifs, which might be related to the fact that Shreveport is home to a major rose breeder. The development quickly peters out, however, so we decided to drive across the bridge and visit Bossier.
The Bossier side of the bridge is essentially casinos and a large outlet mall, as well as a large Bass Store. We meandered around looking at shops, and Chuck got some jeans (yeah!).
When we moved to State College, it had just acquired a Hooters’ Restaurant. For much the same reasons, Chuck was intrigued and I was opposed. Seeing a Hooters in the Outlet Mall, I decided that in the spirit of the trip (“doing things we have never done before”) we could have a snack at Hooters. It was pretty much as expected – classic burger chain with waitresses in tight tee-shirts and bright orange short shorts. I don’t know how they have not been hit with a sex discrimination suit by some aspiring male waiters, although I guess that like casinos they can make the outfit part of the job requirement. Anyways, it was all a bit pathetic from my perspective, but hey, whatever sells. I did not have the nerve to ask our servers how their wages and tips compared to restaurants with similar menus and less suggestive attire.
It was getting close to sunset and I suggested that we hang around until the city lit up. The fountain in the mall also lit up, which was pretty. However, sticking around for dusk meant that we left the city at night at rush hour.
The entrance to the highway was right beside the mall. Between tons of fast-moving traffic, a very short ramp and a wall at the end of the ramp, it was a close call. We made it onto the highway with inches to spare (gasp) but then made it right off again (and in the wrong direction) when we were unable to change lanes. We finally made it back onto the highway at a spot where we could actually merge, and were happy to make it safely back to the campground.