Hearing the name several times on the weather during the nasty storms, we were curious about Natchitoches, Louisiana. Just the name was enough to prompt a stop. In case you were wondering, it’s pronounced “Nack-a-tish”. It was the oldest French settlement in what became the Louisiana Purchase. It was located on the Red River, which flowed into the Mississippi, and so was an important port until the course of the Red River shifted, leaving the city with a 33 mile long lake.
Front Street in downtown Natchitoches runs beside the lake and has several old buildings with beautiful ironwork – fun for a stroll. There are some plantations outside of town that predate the antebellum mansions I associate with the word “plantation”. The buildings were interesting from a historical perspective but not much to look at.
Indian Creek was about half way to our original destination, Natchez. Nice campground mostly populated by locals who come early for the weekend to fish. Good cell service and several OTA TV stations. Surprisingly, it had Wi-Fi. Even more surprising, it had good Wi-Fi. Bathrooms a bit dated but very clean and hot showers.