Went camping with my mom and my kids for a weekends trip. We stayed in one of the 2 cabins because…read moremy mom needs her sleeping machine. It was a nice little trip. I took a hike with my little man to see the pine trees lined up and then the next morning took my daughter the short way. The kids loved the lake and my mom loved the fishing. The power plant across the lake lights up pretty but the constant hum coming from it is a bit strange. All and all it was a nice little trip and I'm looking forward to going back. I didn't get a chance to go on the island and I'd really like to go back to do that trail.

Fairly small park with not much to offer. I was supposed to do a campout here with my hiking group…read morelast year in December, but I was moving. So, after Thanksgiving, I was already in East TX and decided to drive to the park to check it out. Checkin was easy at the ranger headquarters. I went inside to purchase a magnet. Their stickers selection was limited and the designs were unappealing. My first impression with the creek lake that it was very beautiful and reminded me of Lake Catherine State Park in Arkansas. The beach portion doesn't allow dogs, so I just viewed it from the park. There's a total of three trails. I found one, but not the other. I searched high and low to find it, but was unsuccessful. I ended up going on the Island Trail. The view of the power plant was nice. The plant was loud. The Island trail was a smooth hike. The path is covered in pine needles and if you look closely, you can find armadillos, rabbits, and field mice. Now the camping portion was very crowded and the sites were close to each other. I didn't see any private sites. It reminded me of Blanco State Park; where you're just close enough to your neighbors where you can see and hear them. How fun! This park isn't worth coming back to explore. I didn't like it much.

Chimp Haven is open in Oct and May for visitors--try to go! It is so informative. It is amazing…read morewhat they can do as a "no touch" facility and how they care for the chimps. They do all kinds of enrichment to keep them active. The guides know all 293 chimps by name ! Grounds are clean.

Chimp Haven is a fabulous place to visit. See the post experiment life of over 300 Chimps.read more

The range is really well kept and maintained. Can't thank Josh and Jeremy enough for their help and…read moregreat hospitality. Highly recommend this place if you're in the area or local

Josh and Jeremy were extremely helpful it was my first time EVER shooting a gun and they made me…read morefeel right at home im from Cali and we'll 10/10 id come back here specifically Came here with my bestfriend!

This was my first visit to "The Carthage Country Club" unfortunately it was only for a business…read moreluncheon and not a round of golf at this seasoned golf course that was built in 1965. If you've been to any of these smaller golf courses which are typically operated out of some aging building that could hardly be called a club house with a small pro shop to sign in and purchase a few of the bare necessities that you forget to buy at the local sporting goods store or in this case maybe it's a Walmart you're in for a big surprise as you approach the clubhouse from the highway. This newer modern club house that replaced what I would assume to be the original accommodations that burnt down in the recent past is nothing short of a dream come true for the new owners. Although I didn't take the full tour I was impressed with the parking lot, front entrance and restaurant. I must tell those of you who aren't very observant check out the legs on the dining room tables, the legs are actual rifles, my first thought after seeing this was "how fitting", this rural course I'm sure has an abundance of wildlife that is native to the area and during my few trips through the area camouflage seems to be the most popular dress in these parts. The restaurant features a simple menu for lunch consisting of hamburgers, salads and sandwiches. Steak and seafood are available Friday and Saturday evenings and after sampling a few of their homemade offerings for lunch I am sure it's definitely a wait on the weekend for dinner. The service was equal to the food quality which I found to be refreshingly simply but full of favor using quality ingredients. You definitely need to try this place out, the food preparation yelps passion and is priced very reasonable. I hope to return soon.

We needed the restroom and that's all. But if you're looking for any and all brochures covering…read moreevery aspect of Louisiana, they have it here, we noticed as we walked through the main welcome center seeking the bathrooms (all the way in the very back buildings--why do so many rest areas have half the restrooms closed constantly?) The employees in that main area smiled and greeted us as we walked through; next time I'll stop to chat about all things Louisiana but this time we're just passing through. Once I arrived in the women's restroom the gal ahead of me opened three stall doors until she found one that was okay. Not sure what the problem was but if she wasn't going in neither was I! Bit of a smell too but as a seasoned road-tripper I had no complaints; the areas I encountered were clean and functioning. Probably the most stalls I've ever seen in a visitor center/rest stop. Husband reported a smell in the men's room but he knows why based on the accompanying sound effects coming from one of the stalls. Me: Really, that happens in men's restrooms? Him: Yeah when someone is having trouble. Me: That just isn't something I've ever heard in women's bathrooms. Gotta love roadtrip conversation!

Friendly helpful staff on my triathlon of dining, drinking & shopping. Shared everything going on…read moreand recommendations along with a book of info. Clean restrooms.

I liked the name Screaming Monkey in this running event. They used to have 100 miles, but this year…read more2024, they have a 50 mile, 50k, and 25k. I think they have shorter distances too. When I registered online, I read the course description, I was like trails, okay, no Big deal, I've done trails before. That was basically famous last words, to be honest. These were single track trails with some parts of the course had a sudden steep drop on one side, so I had to balance myself to not fall over the edge. It was a challenge for sure. 85% of the course is windy single track trails. Sure it was beautiful and scenic, but single track trails that can leave you bewildered for days. You can also hear faint screaming monkeys nearby, since the course itself sits next to the Eddie D Jones Park in Keithville, Louisiana - a monkey sanctuary after they are retired from active animal testing. 3 ish laps for the 50 mile and 2 laps for the 50km race. I navigated 1 lap for the 25km or 15 miles but I took too long, so I settled for the half marathon (21k, 13.1 miles). There was a time limit of 14 hours for the entire event. I was disappointed but, in hindsight, it was probably better that I did, since I had a 50 mile race the next weekend and I wanted to be more or less fresh for that. Either way, I picked up my 1st round half marathon for Louisiana for my 50 state quest. Had I finished the 50km event, it would have been my 2nd round Louisiana marathon/ultra. Oh well, it is what it is. Next time, I get to travel back to Louisiana sometime. Not sure when though, but it would be great to return. The overall experience here at the 2024 Screaming Monkey ultra distance endurance event was bittersweet, but knowing that I came here and accomplished something is good. Race morning came at 6:30am after arriving at the Eddie D Jones Park in Keithville, after being dropped off by an Uber. After picking up my packet and pinned my race bib to my person, I waited around for the start, not realizing that I didn't eat breakfast I purchased nor that I didn't fill up my cup with water before starting the race. The end result was me struggling for the first 5 miles before arriving at the first aid station. As I rehydrated myself there, I talked to the guy manning the aid station and he basically told me not to quit, since finishing a 10k wasn't the way to go. So, I kept going to at least finish the half marathon for my 50 states half marathon quest. There was a lot of ups and downs. More ups, inclines, flat areas than downs, but I covered one loop and it was good. Once I finished one lap, I looked at the time and knew I couldn't make the 2nd lap in time, so I bagged the 2nd loop. I assumed they will close timing after 14 hours and I would have not been able to secure the 50km credit to my name. It's okay. It was a tough course though and I told the race director that. He agreed. Not for the faint of heart by any means, unless you're a serious trail runner with experience with immediate level single track trails. 2024 Screaming Monkey ultra endurance event is staged at the Eddie D Jones Park in Keithville, Louisiana. As mentioned before, one lab is measured at 15.5 km or around 9 1/4 miles. Two laps makes 50 km and three laps plus a little more makes 50 miles. Registration can be done online at ultrasignup.com and a major credit card is generally required. Race morning parking is generally good, although, you would have to come here early enough to secure one of these parking before the gun goes off. For myself, though, I ended up taking an Uber to here. Thankfully, that I took the initiative of booking the Uber ahead of time so I can guarantee a ride to the start. There is definitely no public transportation options here. From Shreveport Louisiana to Keithsville is a good 20 ish minute drive. So best bet is to get a rental car if you're from out of state, or if your local Shreveporter, you will need to drive down. For the most part, though, it was an interesting way to see the northern part of Louisiana, especially when majority of the fun is generally in New Orleans. You can have fun here in Shreveport, running these ultras if you love Single track trails. You can consider coming to this race if you're looking to add Louisiana to your list of 50 states marathons / ultras, or try your first 50 mile race in single track trails, aka the hard way. Still the series is good and people are awesome. There is a few aid stations along the course but better to have a water ladder system on you to be sure. 5.0 stars for the overall experience, even though I did not make my goal of 50 km. It's a small race but a good one for Louisiana. I got what I came for even though it wasn't ideal. Support local! A+