Our friends from home came to meet us in Shreveport.  None of us have ever been here before so we did a little exploring.  There are several casino/hotels in this town along a river.  On the other side of the river is the town of Bossier–twin cities much like Minneapolis and St. Paul.  On the Bossier riverfront across from the casinos is the Louisiana Boardwalk with lots of shops and stores.  We had lunch at Joe’s Crab Shack there.

Steve and Bonnie

After doing a little shopping and eating we drove to the country to visit Cypress Black Bayou Recreation Area.  Just inside the entrance to the park is a little zoo.  This began as a petting zoo for the children but has evolved into a zoo for wildlife education, rehabilitation, and a refuge for non-releasable wild animals.  We saw a bobcat, raccoon, fox, coyotes, deer, a pot-bellied pig, a wild boar, and several more animals and birds.

Peacock

After enjoying that we drove into the park for a nice scenic drive and then back to the casino for a little gambling and more visiting.  It was great to see our friends again, it has been a long time.  They’ll go home tomorrow and we will move west.