Thanksgiving in the US is a BIG DEAL! The busiest travel days, the craziest shopping days. We managed, ironically, to enjoy one of our most relaxing days yet!
We knew from previous experience that campgrounds in warm weather climes need to be booked well in advance of the Thanksgiving weekend. Even though we started searching in late October predicting where we might be, we were SOL. So it’s Walmarts and casino parking lot surfing for us from Nov 22-26.
Stayed at a Walmart in Baton Rouge, Louisiana last night and picking up their Black Friday flyer noticed that the wireless speaker we JUST bought was going to be 50% off. Talking to customer service this morning:
Me: “So it says in the flyer that these deals come out at 6 PM. Can you let me know if this store has any?”
WM: “Oh, yeah, we got ‘em.”
Me: “So best to come here at 6 and go the electronics department?”
WM: “Oh, no, those deals are throughout the store. Speakers might be in the frozen section. You need to check out the balloons - they’re already up showing where certain deals will be.”
Me: “Okay, got it - yes, I see the signs. So come back at 6?”
The three ladies behind the customer service counter looked at me like I had two heads.
WM: “Well, you ain’t going to get one then. People start lining up at 1 and just mill around what they want until they’re released. And then it’s just a free-for-all!”
At this point, picturing myself having to stand around for 4+ hours to battle people for $40 back on my speaker, I figured I’d count myself out of Black Friday.
Instead we drove downtown to stroll Louisiana’s state capitol area, blissfully quiet with all the stores and offices closed. We took in the exquisite architecture, the historical markers, the beautiful parklands and Mississippi River without seeing more than a dozen people.
The Old State Capitol looks like a castle - a hybrid between real European castles and Excalibur in Las Vegas - complete with huge stained glass windows and the original cast iron fence from 1850. When a new building was needed they went even grander with a 27-story tower (the highest state capitol building in the US to this day) intricately carved like Egyptian tombs. Coco got lots of exercise at City Park, practically devoid of human life on the holiday.
Driving south to our night stop at L’Auberge Casino, we passed the grounds of Louisiana State University. The football stadium is IMMENSE!!! It’s insane...it looked like it would hold twice the people of BC Place. Though I have no interest in watching team sports and don’t even understand football, it does make me think it would be an interesting experience to take in a US college football game. The sheer energy of the crowd would be amazing. Too bad it couldn’t be channelled into something more productive....oh, there I go again with my pontificating! Well, it’s my blog and I’ll write what I want to!
Going to head into the casino soon to see if they have any turkey dinner on offer ;-)
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