Fun Busy First Week at Betty's

Our first week at Betty's got off to a really quick start with a birthday celebration the first happy hour, a great Cajun meal the second, music at the Cajun Jam session, great food at local restaurants, dance lessons and, of course, seeing our many, many friends we have made at Betty's and in Abbeville.

We were greeted by "The Hostess with the Mostess" Betty.  Since we first stopped here in 2008 for a five day stay we have made return visits a priority and have been here nine times.  The only place we have spent more time is back in WashPA.  She sure has confirmed our original thought that this is the best RV park we have stayed at during our nine years on the road.

I always say we have made so many friends here and to prove the point of the 29 people in the park when we arrived we already knew 23 of them.  And we had heard so much about one couple we had not met that we felt like we already knew them.  Here are Chari and Louie, Jean Paul (the birthday boy) and Celine, Marvin and Shirley, Jeri and Randy, Jerry and Ginny and Cookie all getting ready to celebrate the birthday.

Here are Mackenzie and Sandy and Mackenzie and Grover.  We met Mackenzie and Grover at Charles and Sandy's (who are their daughter and son-in-law) in Tennessee in 2013. They  came to Cajun country for a visit and to see how these RVers live.  Bottom are Wilma and Linda and Lynn and Richard.

A big part of the birthday party was a beer tasting and as you can see there was a very good variety of different kinds of brews. 

Bernie and Dodo are the couple we had heard so much about, but never met.  They proved quickly that all the tales we had heard were true.  Bernie served up a new concoction, Alligator Farts, to the enjoyment of all and Dodo served as the beer sommelier, if there is such a thing.  The next day Dodo used her librarian skills and lined up all the empties while eliminating all duplicates.

The next day was another great day and great meal.  Calvin and Donna Touchet, who own Touchet's bar where the Cajun jam sessions are held, showed their appreciation for Betty's RVers support by cooking up a big pot of jambalaya.

Calvin stirring the pot while his friend T-Bar looks on.  They started by cooking the meat, then making the roux.   Next they added the broth and the Cajun trinity, onions, celery and green peppers along with copious amounts of Cajun seasonings.  Finally, they added the rice and let it cook until it was all cooked to perfection.  The whole thing took at least three hours not counting the delivery and setting up of all the equipment.

Betty with her jambalaya along with black eyed peas and macaroni salad that they also provided.  This is another example of the generosity of the Cajun people and why we love coming to Betty's. 

Finally the cooks got to eat.  Donna and Calvin were two of the first people we met here eight years ago and we always look forward to seeing them.  

A BIG THANK YOU FOR A WONDERFUL MEAL!!!!

More friends old and new.  Charles who goes with Sandy and Nanc.  Bottom are Greg and Joanne, who have been full timing for about a month and were happy they had found Betty's.  Susie, who has been a Facebook friend for some time, and her daughter Chris enjoying crawfish on their first visit to Acadiana.

Another Betty's tradition.  Because everyone becomes friends, when someones leaves most of the people in the park come out to say their good-byes even if it means getting out of bed a little early.  Here we were saying so long to Shirley, Marvin. Jeri and Randy.

More wonderful food.  Nanc had never eaten raw oysters before she tried them here on our first visit.  We have both been spoiled and are now very selective about where we have them.

If it is Saturday there is a Cajun jam session.  This week it was at Touchet's.  We have gotten to know most of the musicians and were sad to learn a couple had passed away since our last visit.

More people form Betty's, Sharon, John, Dan and local Joe.  The RVers are big supporters of the jam sessions.

RVers Merlene, Dodo, Bernie, Deb and Jim at Touchet's.  They are all gathered in what Joe calls the horny corner.

And more of Betty's RVers, Louie, Chari, Celine and Jean Paul.

Chari even sat in for a few songs.  California Cajun Dan was also up on stage, but I did not get a picture.

Of course, for those of us who don't have two left feet, the music is great to dance to.  There is always someone there willing to take the ladies for a spin around the dance floor.  

In addition to the regulars at the jam, like Dave on guitar, you never know who will show up to play.  On accordion is local recording artist Johnny Sonnier.  Another reason we love coming here is the music and jam sessions that are all about preserving the Cajun culture. 

There is always something we have never done here and on Sunday we went to Smily's Bayou Club to hear Donny Broussard.  As you can see, Smily's has been around for some time and the place was packed with locals dancing and enjoying the music. 

What a treat!  For happy hour on Sunday Charles brought a cooler full of mudbugs for all to enjoy.  They had just been harvested down the road that morning.  It does not get any fresher than that.

With all that dancing and so many wallflowers Lynn and Richard held dance lessons on the deck one afternoon.  Here is Lynn showing Keith the two step while Richard leads Nanc. 

 I did give it a go, but even though the instructors were great I continue to believe that when it comes to dancing I am genetically challenged.  Next Saturday we will see if the lesson did any good.