Louisiana and Texas road trip report

This trip was done just to clear my head.  I am nearly out of options and continue to get worse.  It was also a minor bucket list item.  I had been in the water on the Gulf coast in FL, AL and MS but not LA and TX.  I have now checked off every state on the Gulf coast.

Recent trial and error:
GABA/glutamate spray- FAIL.  Just 2 sprays triggered a negative reaction.  The recommended dose was 4-6 sprays.

Sparga- This is a sulfur detox supplement that supposedly does not affect ammonia.  So far so good.  No negative reaction but not a miracle cure either.

Adenosyl B-12- Too soon to tell yet.  One pill contains a mega dose and it failed but there is still a chance that a smaller dose will work.

I should get the results of my Urinary Amino Acid test by next week and that will give me some answers specifically about my sulfur status.  One other thing to try is moly + Liver.  I can't take either alone but there is a slim chance that they could work together.  In any event, I am going to pursue to holistic dentistry and mercury toxicity.

Trip:
Friday-  Left in the evening after work and winged it.  I went as far as I could comfortably and made it down to Bogaloosa, Louisiana after a dinner stop in Meridian, MS. I walked to a local bar just outside my hotel and met a couple characters but nothing too memorable.   Bogaloosa is slightly off the beaten path and about 40 miles north of the New Orleans suburbs.  Mississippi is surprisingly hilly with the exception of the Delta and Gulf coast but Louisiana is nearly dead flat especially in the southern portion but the bayou scenery made it interesting.  If I ever get healthy, I may consider another trip to Baton Rouge.

I've always been fascinated by how the local culture can change quickly in less than an hour.  I felt right at home in Bogaloosa but about 40 miles further south?  Not so much. That's just one example.  Uniontown, PA and Morgantown, WV are only about 30 miles apart but you will find distinct differences in speech patterns among the locals when you cross into West Virginia from Pennsylvania.

Saturday- Took a US highway from Bogaloosa to the I-10 and made 2 quick stops in Lafayette and Lake Charles.  As expected, the predominant culture became more Southern and less Cajun as you travel further west on I-10.  Nearing the Texas line, I took a country road down to the coast.  I had read that the Louisiana beaches are forgettable and it was true.  I stopped at a place called Holly Beach, which had no hotels but you could park on the beach itself,  The sand was brown and a bit muddy while the water was brown with no waves.  I walked on the beach for a bit and just went little more than ankle deep in the water.  This really wasn't worth the stop but at least I can say that I've been on the Louisiana coast now.  Lake Charles is probably the best place to swim here.

From Holly Beach, it was a scenic ride along the coast and it quickly became apparent that the beaches across the Texas border would be no different than Holly Beach.  I would have to go to Galveston to catch any waves so that's where I would go.  I stopped at a nice independent restaurant in east Texas about an hour from Houston then hit the road to Galveston and arrived by mid-afternoon.  This time, I splurged a bit and stayed at a hotel on the beach so I could simply walk from my room to take a dip. The hotel staff was very nice.  When I go to the beach, I'm not there to sit under an umbrella and read or sip drinks.  I'm there for the action, which is boogie boarding and catching some big waves.

As expected, the Texas beaches are not as nice as Florida and Alabama but it was worth seeing.  The main attraction was a place called Stewart Beach.  The beach itself is rather small with a sea wall and the main road right next to it so the view was good.  The sand was brown and the water also had a bit of a brownish tint but was a bit clearer than Louisiana but more importantly, at least to me, the waves were pretty decent and I had fun that afternoon as well as the next morning.  Supposedly, South Padre Island(near Mexico)  is much nicer but it's way too far and too expensive.

Sunday- Left Galveston in early afternoon and took an alternate route back.  I stayed that night in Alexandria, near the geographic center of Louisiana.  As expected, I fit right in there.  It was a relatively smooth trip back to Birmingham,

Final thought:
I'm glad I took this trip and really needed to clear my head but in the future, I'm sticking to the Florida and Alabama Gulf beaches.  I may go to Savannah on the Atlantic coast if surf conditions are optimal (4-6 footers).  My trips will be impromptu based on weather and surf conditions.  Back to work tomorrow but I do have an afternoon appointment with the holistic dentist.