ALLONS A ABBEVILLE AND CROWLEY

So glad to be in a new campground.  Abbeville RV Campground...No parking in water here.  The campground is run by an adorable couple...the wife from Abbeville and the husband from Belgium.  They met at the Omelet Festival that is held in Abbeville every year in November.  I feel happy...oh, so happy!

See how easy it is for me to hang around the campground...so many friends, so little time...the Caravan will be over on the 25th and all of us will be going our separate ways...gee weez, I better stop talking this way.  I may start bawling.

 

 Stop #1...Grand Opera House of the South...Vannie said that the good people of Crowley had completely renovated the place, and it was awesome.  Built in 1901 with Louisiana cypress, oak and pine, it is truly a magnificent place.  Famous guests include Babe Ruth, Clark Gable, and Huey Long. 

Vannie was most impressed with the ladies bathroom...and you can see why.

Stop #2...Crowley Rice Theater...Built in 1940.  It, also, has been renovated.

Look at this cool entrance counter in the Rice Theater...Art Deco Period 

 

Stop #3...Kelly's Landing....between Crowley and Eunice, LA.  Kelly is the big guy in the green apron.  He was showing the Airstreamers his crayfish boat.  He was, also, the cook.  They ate lunch here.



Shrimp Etouffee, corn marque choux, salad, garlic bread, bread pudding

V and D said that their diet has gone completely out the window.

Dave really enjoyed Kelly's toy collection.  It all started with this John Deere Collection.



 Stop #4...Menard's Accordion
 and Music Stop...Crowley... Mr. Menard showed them the ins and outs of making an accordion from scratch.

Vannie said he could play that sucker, too.

 

V and D said that even though they lived in Lafayette for 40 years...today was all new to them.

 

Bonne Nuit

 

 

RAIN...GATORS...SAINTS

Rain, Rain, Go Away...Little Vannie wants to play!  We are really getting the feel of South Louisiana.  It's wet...very wet!  Just look at this first picture.  To get to the truck, Vannie had to take off her shoes and roll up her pants.  But did that stop her...NOT!  Get out of the way...it's play time...and V and D were not going to let a little rain stop them.

...and it was cold, too!

Champagnes is located on Lake Martin near St. Martinville, LA

Heading out into the swamp

Gators

...and more gators.  Vannie said they saw at least 20.

Cormorant...Coastal birds

fish-eaters

mainly dark feathers...some are black and white

Church of St. Martin de Tours

St. Martinville, LA

4th oldest church in Louisiana

Built 1836

Robert Dafford Mural

"The Arrival of the Acadians in Louisiana"

V and D saw this in a small museum behind the church.

Statue of Evangeline (from Longfellow's poem)

located in the cemetery by the St. Martin de Tours Church

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha

Native American

Canonized 2012 by the Roman Catholic Church

Kateri is an old friend of V and D's.  They were invited to a dedication of her statue at the Pueblo near Albuquerque, NM in 2013.  And here she is in St. Martinville...small world!

PLANTATIONS, PEPPERS, ALLIGATORS, EGRETS OVER RICE

Yep...The Cajun Caravan does it up good.  I'm still hangin' loose at the Catfish Heaven Campground in St. Martinville.  Vannie and Dave and the rest of the Airstreamers hit the road for a full day of sightseeing.  Plantations (Shadows on the Teche), Peppers (Tabasco Plant), Alligators (Avery Island and Jungle Gardens)...all served over rice (Konrico Rice Plant).

Stop #1...Konrico Rice Plant...Did you know?...Kon (first part  of original owner's names, Conrad), ri (first 2 letters of rice), co (Company)...America's Oldest Working Rice Mill...102 years old

Konrico Rice Company...New Iberia, LA

Rob, Janice from Georgia and Fred, Ann from Marcalus from Iowa standing with Dave

Ca c'est bon!

Bagging machine...Old, but still works great!  Hey, that tells my story, too.

 

 

Stop #2...Shadows on the Teche Plantation...New Iberia, LA...Teche is an Indian word meaning snake.  The Bayou Teche is like a snake weaving back and forth. Built in 1831 by David and Mary Weeks.  Vannie said that over 17,000 documents were found in the attic.  That enabled the historians to discover innumerable  tidbits of history about the plantation.

 

Giant Camellia Bushes

The Shadows

 

 

Stop #3...Avery Island and Jungle Gardens...Developed by Edward Avery McIlhenny.  The "island" is actually on top of a huge salt dome.  Mr. McIlhenny is known for saving the Snowy Egrets from extinction..

Notice the notch on his tail...means he came from an alligator farm

The Big Buddha...Once Mr. McIllheny said he had everything but a Buddha...so someone gave him one. This one dates back to 1000 AD.

Awwww...V and D enjoying tour.

 

Those Cyprus knees look like a bunch of little puppies.

Snowy White Egrets...This area is called "Bird City".

 

Stop #4...McIlhenny Tabasco Company...family owned and operated since 1868....McIlhenny started with just a few seeds and a small garden, and now Tabasco is labeled in 22 languages and sold in 165 countries.  WOW...that's a bunch of hot stuff!

Ca fait chaud!

 

 

Hope you guys are learnin' all these facts...there will be a test later!

 

 

ALLONS A ST. MARTINVILLE

Headed on down the bayou to St. Martinville...Catfish Heaven Campground.  Had a busy day. After we got parked and set up, Vannie headed out one way, and Dave headed out the other.  Vannie had to get fingerprinted and fill out some papers for a substitute teaching job after the caravan.  Dave went with the other Airstreamers for a tour of PHI (Petroleum Helicopters) in Lafayette.  They met back up just in time to go for dinner at Port Breaux Restaurant in Breaux Bridge.  Port Breaux used to be the old Mulate's.  V and D said the food was delicious...the music outstanding...the dancing exhilarating.  Move over "Dancing With the Stars"!

Just me hangin' with friends!

 

Shrimp, Crawfish, and Crabmeat salad....Yum

 

Lee Benoit and his band

A Dancin' Selfie

New Friends, Janice and Rob Kelly from Georgia

ALLONS A BATON ROUGE

This Frenchman's Wilderness Camp Ground is the best.  Everyone so friendly, and the place is spotless.  I had plenty to do while the Airstreamers headed back to Baton Rouge today.  Loved all the chatter when they returned.

First stop...Morning Call Café...Beignets...Café au Lait...Vannie said that she loved watching the first-timers experience this Louisiana treat.  They almost had to hose everyone down before they could get back on the bus...powdered sugar!

Beignets and Café au lait

D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S

Workers at Morning Call

Second Stop...LSU Rural Life Museum...Dave said the guide here was outstanding.  Easy-going and had a ton of information.  The museum staff prepared lunch for the group...red beans and rice, a delicious salad, French bread, chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies.  V and D said that it was really neat to actually get to eat in the museum...such a treat!

LSU Rural Life Museum...Overseer's House

 

Dave and a friend couldn't help themselves...just had to play that old organ.

Vannie is itchin' to get in this old buggy.

Red Beans and Rice

 

 

Third Stop...Old State Capitol...Wow.Wow.Wow...Vannie said that she remembered going here years ago, but it has changed immensely.  A high-tech company had "Disneylanded" it.  They history of the place was presented by a "ghost"....Really!  In another room, Huey Long seemed to come to life.  Lots of Huey facts.  Vannie's cousin, Joe Green, would have loved it.  Hope he got to see it.  He could have given the tour.  Dave said that if you haven't visited the Old State Capitol...put it on your bucket list.  You'll be blessed!



Old State Capitol

Built 1847

Gothic Revival

These are V and D's new friends, The Diamonds. They are from California, but have a place in Hillsboro, TX (like V and D).

 

Rotunda

 

Huey Speaks

 

 

Headed back to the campground around 3:30...Beautiful weather all day

Back over the Mighty Mississippi River...

 

C-est tout (for today)

 

CAJUN COUNTRY CARAVAN DOES BATON ROUGE

Boarding the chartered bus at 8:15...a wee bit early for retired folks...but V and D were up and ready to go.  When I saw that big black chartered bus, I said, "Wow."  I love my silver brothers and sisters, but this vehicle gave me the shivers.  Maybe even the "HOTS"!  Vannie said I shouldn't say that...oh, well, it's said now!  Let the truth be known!

OK...so the group boarded this monstrosity and headed to Baton Rouge for the day.  I did some more relaxing and have been enjoying the stories and pictures when they returned around 4:30.  They had a full day of sightseeing.  V and D said that they had seen many of the things before, but it had been a while, so enjoying them with the group was a whole new experience. 

First stop...Governor's Mansion...gardens, and first floor.  Vannie had been there about 4 years ago, but enjoyed it even more with a guide.  Everything was fresh all over again.

Second Stop..."New" Capitol...The new capitol was built in 1932.  Vannie's mom was a housemother at LSU during the 70's and 80's.  She took V and D and Ashley and Emilie to the capitol many times...but seeing it through the eyes of all the Airstreamers from all over the country was so stimulating.  V and D were pumped. 

Third Stop...Lunch...Hollywood Casino...Great food and, Yes, Vannie did gamble one dollar...and Yes, she lost that dollar.   Just had to try! LOL

Fourth Stop...Capitol Park Museum...First floor...Grounds for Greatness: Louisiana and the Nation...Second Floor...Experiencing Louisiana: Discovering the Soul of America.   WOW!  Exhibits about the Louisiana Purchase, Louisiana at War, Louis Armstrong, Huey Long, Mississippi River, Poverty Point, Agriculture, Industries, Slavery, Civil Rights, Sportsman's Paradise, Southeast LA, North LA, Southwest LA, Music, Mardi Gras.  V and D's chests were poked out...so proud!

Headed back to Butte La Rose...Visited with folks...Bedtime...

I'm a quiver just looking at this thing.

Governor's Mansion garden

The Jindal's...with the Blue Dog...painting hangs in the mansion

The group hanging out under the winding staircase...photos of governors that have lived in this mansion.

Vannie pretending to be  an official greeter. 

 

This is actually a colored picture...so foggy it appears to be black and white.  I love it!

The "new" capitol

Look at that little bird...so precious.  He/She was hanging out in the brass work above the front door of the capitol.

From the top...if I had a stomach, it would be turning summersaults now.

Casino

 

Reflecting Pool at the Museum

A Sugarcane Harvester

Vannie was impressed with the original Clementine Hunter paintings that were in the museum.

Back on the bus...pooped!