Motels on I-10 or I-12in Louisiana??

A year or two ago, I forget when Katrina hit NO, we really had problems with motels in Louisiana. We paid a fortune for a nearly dysfunctional motel in Duson, far from NO. They were swamped with construction workers and also refugees (IMO a correct term at the time even if some politicians whined about that term). Our room was nearly useless technically, to the point of being substandard, but they said they couldn't get parts or labor for repairs. The only thing that worked perfectly was the credit card machine.

We will be going from McAllen, Texas to Bowling Green, Ohio thence to Virginia, then back to McAllen, in April/May. In both cases, a good place to stop is on I-10 or I-12 in Louisiana. 700 miles from start run in that general area, and that is about our daily maximum, unless we can make it to our own home in which case we can go a bit further. if we make it three days, that places us in the Houston area one night each way (see comment by a person in another thread about that wonderful city...)

Any idea if those motels across Louisiana are still all crowded and messed up?

We have been avoiding that area, which in one case meant we went west towards Dallas then down US-59 which is really slow.

Looking at a map, one would think go into Dallas then down I-35, but that I-35 is really the pits, not to mention Dallas. When we go north, we actually cut across country to Waco to avoid I-35 as much as possible.

Oops, forgot to subscribe. sorry.

haven't actually stayed in any motels since Katrina, but my impulse is to say that many/most are probably fine. motels that were swamped with evacuees generally had to ask them to leave when other guests with reservations for those rooms arrived -- so i can't imagine that, a year and a half later, they're all still packed to the gills. in terms of repairs, i really can't say. my dad has had problems getting plumbers and the like over to his house (well outside New Orleans), because there's such a rush on them for reconstruction. but since a hotel has a business to run, i would be surprised if, more than a year after the Hurricane, you'll really have a problem finding a place that is in working order.

your best bet would be to check tripadvisor.com and the like for recommendations, and call ahead to make sure. Stopping well outside New Orleans, which is the nexus of the damage in Louisiana, is probably a good idea. accomodations in that part of your trip will probably not be as simple and relaxed as you'd like.

i also have to say i'm confused why you would drive into Dallas if you're heading along the Gulf Coast through south Louisiana from McAllen -- that seems like a really indirect route. the most logical way, looking at Google Maps, would seem to be to take I-10 all the way through from San Antonio or Houston.

We are going initially to Bowling Green, Ohio, which is not that far from the Canadian border. I believe that I-35/Dallas is probably more direct than the way we go. I have learned to really hate the flow of traffic on I-35. So, we are willing to go by I-10 then turn north at I-55 or I-59 to avoid I-35/Dallas.

And, coming back from Christiansburg, VA, later, involves the same issues.

If you look at a US Interstate map, I-35 to Dallas; then I-30 to Little Rock; then I-40 to Nashville; where one must fork to BG or VA; looks more direct. Every area has its own driving culture, and I-35 is the pits as far as I am concerned. As bad as Dallas was clear back in 1992, I can't even imagine what it's like today and don't want to find out.

So, I-10/I-12 is merely a stopping point on a two or three day cross-country trip, not a destination.

By the way, we do cut across country at Falfurrias just north of immigration, and take US-59 from Victoria through Houston and pick up I-10 east. As bad as I-35 and I-10 are in central Texas, one can actually make really good time in Texas on major non-interstate highways. Even 2-lane highways are often good at 70 mph, they usually have drivable shoulders, in Texas it is common to pull over on the shoulder at 70 mph and let the speed demons roll on past. 59 is generally four-lane divided from Victoria so it is very fast. They even have a rest stop way out in the country. We tried taking 59 north of Houston one time, but it is really slow north of Houston, which automatically makes for a three day trip.

I will try that tripadvisor.com tip and see what I get. I am still in Mexico, so I will wait till we get back to the States to call motels for further information. The problem is, we can't always plan on stopping at a certain place, because we don't know ahead of time just how long it will take to get through Houston -- construction, etc. That's why my question was more area oriented than specific town oriented.

As far as repairs, I certainly don't know. There is a rest stop on I-59 southbound, a very short distance before picking up I-12 west. The only serious visible structural damage done by the hurricane was to the corner of the roof of the building that houses the restrooms at back. In this last August, 2006, that roof damage was still unrepaired and a blue tarp was still covering it. Even the state can't get it fixed.

You didnt mention any specifics as to what you want so Im assuming you are looking for a cheap and yet clean place to stay. Stick to Days Inn type places and you will be fine. There are plenty of them in Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Hammond (where I-55 intersects with I-12) and Slidell (where 1-59 connects with I-12). Hotels havent been in the condition you remember for over a year now. Cheap shitty run down hotels are still cheap shitty run down hotels though. Go with a chain at least Motel 6 or above if you want something cleaninsh but still cheap.

As to repairs on state owned property you should remember that this state is a little strapped for cash with a big ass to do list. I agree that its crap that its not fixed yet but there are far worse things that need fixing first. The blue tarp will hold just fine.

Many thanks, Bria. I see your bio shows Louisiana, so this is definitely the best information available, that is, from someone local with first hand knowledge. My cup runneth over.

It is really good to know travelers can find motels in that area again. I have traveled a lot, and stayed in a variety of motels in the US and Mexico since I retired. I wasn't especially bothered so much by the bad shape of that motel in Duson as the price I had to pay for it. I understood the problems, including their charge, were out of their control -- I mean, like an entire city had to evacuate and people died, and it looks like many who left will never return. On future lists of disasters of this century, Katrina will certainly be on the list. So, my response was to simply avoid that area on future trips until I could count on reasonable access to highway motels again. This posting was an attempt to see if that had occured, and your observation is that it has.

It is unfortunate that when the area needs revenue more than ever, past or future, we travelers are nervous about going through there. Thanks for helping reassure me, thus adding me back to the list of paying customers, to our mutual benefit. I will probably investigate Hammond and I-55 if we can get that far.

I also don't mind that the roof in the rest stop isn't fixed. The restrooms were open and clean, and that is all I needed -- well, unlike my wife, I didn't even especially need clean, heh, heh. It was only of interest because it shows how slowly things are, and will be, moving even outside the city itself.

I spend most of my time in the Third World part of Mexico. Our house is comfortable. But, we have neighbors who live in houses made of sticks, and one poor woman came over a few months ago, and asked if she could have a pail of water to give her father a bath.

So, I can stay in a cheap, ** run down motel, if the bed is clean and doesn't hurt my back, we can get a bath, the crime in that area isn't too high, there aren't too many bugs, and there is some sort of lock on the door -- as long as the price is correct. The happiest I was in Mexico was a year of so ago, we found a 'flea-trap' south of Tampico. It didn't even have keys; you just entered, and snapped the bathroom type lock behind you. It was ROUGH, but the showers were hot, and the bed was adequate, there were no bugs, and it only cost $18. I piled our luggage inside the door, laid my shillelagh beside the bed, and we had a good night's sleep.

I wouldn't even mind a motel like that in the States, if it only cost $18. Our first time going south on I-59 in Miss. we ended up stopping at exit 99, the Magnolia Motel, IMO it was only a bit better than the Tampico motel, but they got $45. The same luggage was piled inside the door; the same shillelagh was laid on the floor beside the bed, and we also had a good night's sleep. Need I say we looked carefully the next morning as we drove south for a better place, and next trip we went on to Laurel! If the Magnolia only charged $30, I'd stay there on purpose, but not for $45.

We usually try to pick up the coupon books, and check out something that is not too high priced, in the area where we decide it's time to stop. But, when there's a disaster, the coupon books are useless.

Thanks again!

tired, i actuallly built a house there at exit 99 on I-59. I know exactly the hotel your talking about. Kudos on getting the wife to accept that. I personally dont care where I sleep except for the following criteria: No bugs, must have airconditioning. Years of sleeping on the ground with the Army will make you reconsider what is acceptable. Unfortunately, I cant seem to find a girlfreind who shares my laisse faire attitude about lodging. I usually end up at the Hyatt but at least the old lady is happy.

Good luck with your travels. If you want specific recommendations in the Baton Rouge area I can help you out. Google would do you a better service than I in Lafayette, Hammond and Slidell though.

We stayed in Breaux Bridge at a great little place called Bayou Cabins.

Rooms are not dirt cheap, but at $60 are good value. The cabins are simple and overlook the river. Included in the price is a full Cajun platter for each person including boudin sausage, head cheese and cracklins. The platter is huge and is enough for dinner. The cabins are run by the self-proclaimed "Cracklin King" and his Cajun food has been featured in many of the guidebooks, tv shows, etc. You also get a full Cajun breakfast included. The service is extremely friendly, the location is easy to reach from the interstate and it is one of those unique places that you just have to look for to find in the United States.

It is also close to Mulates, a well-known restaurant and dance hall, as well as Lake Martin, a bird refuge.

This is the real Cajun deal and is not touristy at all. It is also very safe and clean.

Have fun.Bayou Cabins

At this time, I am sort of done with phase one, which was to find out if it is reasonable to go that route. Thanks so much. I will probably wait for further digging or planning until we are in the States. I do have this thread recorded.

As far as her accepting the Magnolia, she was born and raised to age 14 here in the Third World, within two hundred yards of where I am typing. AND, SHE WAS GETTING VERY TIRED, heh, heh.

It has been 40 years since I slept on the ground in the Army. But, much less time since sleeping on the ground in summer and in snow with the Boy Scouts. Yes, it does change your views of what is needed. There were three years when we slept on the ground a full month total each year, during rain, snow, and wind, and tornado watch.

When my wife and I started coming to her native village, we first slept in her bachelor uncle's house. We shared a room with several fighting roosters. Not only feathers and caca and general dust and filth, but also a number of times in the night, they would also make explosively loud noises, thus effectively screening everyone for sudden heart attack death. No latrine at all, literally go find a log in the woods. (That I can't handle. In the Army and Boy Scouts, we at least had latrine facilities.)

A couple hundred yards up the mountain, her brother had started a house. There were the shells of two rooms, roof but no windows, just window holes with boards sort of tacked over them, and the doors had nothing where the windows went. Really low security. I didn't have a shillelagh so security was a machete, which fortunately was never needed.

There were two stools with no water, but pipes opening down the hill a ways. By carrying buckets of water from the spring, we had working stools, if you avoided where the pipes emptied on the ground... We got a small gas burner, and heated buckets of water we carried and poured it over ourselves for bathing.

He also had an old bed with a really bad mattress and two or three blankets. With a wide open house, we'd have to (after tossing out the condoms on the floor) take all the dust covered bedding each time we visited and wash it. Finally, my wife got a sheet of plastic and covered it so when we came back it was usable.

We started fixing things up for our own use, and finally her brother told her she could have the whole thing for costs of improvements, since he had borrowed the money from her in the first place. Now, we have 2850 square feet; 4 bedrooms; 4 bathrooms; really nice kitchen with autodefrost refrigerator; automatic wash machine; heavy steel doors; barred windows and window screen on all the rooms; ultrasonics so no scorpions or mice; a septic tank; a cistern connected to city water around 50 gallons a day; DSL internet; fireplace (only one in town, but no polar bear skin in front yet); a jacuzzi (one of two in town); and US code wiring; etc., on 1.2 acres. Property taxes this year 180 pesos. ($16.67 USD at 10.8). She just paid them this morning. Water costs around $30/year Electric bill $10 a month or so; phone bill including Internet around $180 a month (Kid in med school, calls to US around 20 cents USD a minute).

So, as you see, she is able to survive as well as I am. Of course, when she has a chance, she likes it nice. But, when she is tired and we don't know where to stop, she can handle almost anything as long as she gets a hot shower, the bed sheets are clean, and as you say, the a/c works.

Bayou Cabins did look nice on their web page. We try to keep prices down because we are only looking for a place to sleep on a trip. But, $60 isn't out of line for a special stop.

The real problem is, I suspect B&B usually require a considerable advance reservation, and we don't know that far ahead when we will be traveling. The stork will decide our date and when we get the call, we will be going as fast as we can make it.

Also, we may arrive very late in the evening, which is sort of not nice on that sort of operation. The motels are usually set up for late night arrivals with an all-night clerk.

Still, thanks for the suggestion. It sure looks like a good place for those set up to handle it.

I commented to my wife that the food sounded awfully spicy. She said, no problem, she'd eat mine for me. She is an old fire-eater, and is more likely to complain the food isn't spicy enough, rather than being too hot. At times in the US, a waitress will warn us something on the menu is very "hot". My wife starts salivating, and usually she will shake her head in disgust when she actually gets the stuff to eat. She has been known to sneak an jalapeño in her purse when going to restaurants.

its a misnomer that cajun/creole foods are all spicy as hell. its more that they are seasoned very well but that usually means very flavorful food. certain foods are pretty much always hot if done well (think boiled crawfish) but mostly its quite easy to eat. Youll be able to eat your food just fine. enjoy your trip.

I recommend a stay at the Blue Moon Guest House in Lafayette, right next to Borden's Ice Cream Parlor.

The Blue Moon does sound nice, too, for those whose needs are met by a hostel. As I said, we will be coming in late, and for the good of other guests, it is best we stay in a conventional motel, which is better designed for very late arrivals. We come banging in as late as 10 pm, with a noisy travel refrigerator to be plugged in, showers to be taken, snacks to be eaten, and running in and out. That would clearly be very intrusive in either a B&B or hostel setting. Actually, the B&B with separate cabins if parking is close would be okay, except for the effects on the staff of a late arrival.

And, of course, in the AM, we might be the recipients of justice as the people we woke up at night get up early, wrecking our sleep.

Oops! Forget this. The homepage says the music in the saloon next door is loud, and usually stops a bit after midnight. No, our noise bothering other people would not be the problem. This place is for party owls. Probably but not necessarily young party owls.

But, always with this type of place, the need for reservations precludes our use, when we won't know until we get out of Houston within a hundred miles where we need to stop.

I often post things not so much for OP, as for others who will be reading it. So, subject to moderator rulings, I think it's neat we are learning about places like the two mentioned here. There will be readers who immediately realize both places are what they have been seeking. Thanks for sharing.

I especially enjoyed the Blue Moon in Peru, as shown in the photos section. Cool!