Dec 3 – Our last day in Louisiana is in Covington. Why? Because Covington completes our circle and gets us back near New Orleans. It also puts us in position to cross Lake Ponchartrain on the world’s longest continuous bridge for cars over water – 25 miles. (It used to just be the world’s longest bridge, but newer bridges in China necessitated the addition of some qualifiers.)
Covington is also home to the Abita Mystery House / UCM Museum, a dusty little roadside attraction that is not to be missed (spoken with tongue firmly in cheek).
An eclectic assemblage of oddities …with lots of home made dioramas A building covered with a mosaic of broken pottery Several two-headed alligators A quote from ThoreauA UFOAnd posters you wish you hadAnd last but not least, how about a Bigfoot sighting?There you go!Dec 4 – Driving across Lake Ponchartrain in the rainBack to the airport, and home. Thanks for traveling with us!
Dec 2 – Today we came to stay at The Myrtles, a plantation built in 1796 by General David Bradford, leader of the Whiskey Rebellion. After the Revolution, our young republic needed income, so put a tax on whiskey. Those who rose up to protest were vanquished and had to leave the country. So General Bradford came here – Louisiana did not become part of the US until 1810.
The property passed through many hands, including use as a hospital during the Civil War. Over the years, many stories of murder and haunting were attributed to this place.
The most popular concerns a 14 year old enslaved girl named Chloe, who had her ear cut off as punishment for eavesdropping. In revenge, she poisoned the children of the house, and then was killed.
Both Chloe and the children are said to haunt the premises.
The stately Myrtles Plantation, the most haunted house in Louisiana, and 7th most haunted in the USAThe crepe mrytles that give the plantation its name General Bradford, in portrait and Wanted poster. Rani is our enthusiastic tour guideAn image of Chloe to the left of the shutter. Do you see her? This is a postcard in the gift shop.This mirror is the most haunted piece of furniture in America. Although it has been reglazed several times, images of a face and fingerprints keep reappearing. See the face in the middle of the doorway?Chloe’s treasure chest – many tourists report losing an earring in this building, which the staff subsequently find hidden in the house. Chloe only steals one earring, as she only has one ear.Rani shared her personal sightings, captured on her phone. See the little boy behind the tourist’s leg?How about the ghostly child on the right?A portrait of Kate Winter, beloved child of the house who died of yellow fever at the age of three. Is hers the ghostly face you see above?This is a photo of the outside of the house, showing a ghostly figure……and two ghostly children sitting on the roof. This photo has been examined by experts to prove it is not photoshopped This old piano only plays if you pump the pedals with both feet and work the bellows with both knees – except when it is heard to play by itself at nightThe 17th step where a former owner of the house may have been murdered. Happy to say we made it out alive!
Dec 1 – So this morning we sauntered around beautiful downtown Lafayette to see what there is to see.
We saw the beautiful Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, built by a Dutch architect out of red brick in 1916.There is a 500 year old live oak hereA beautiful sanctuary St. Mother Teresa is hereA stroll downtown revealed my very favorite sight – wall art! Enjoy!For lunch, how about some shrimp creole? Bon appetit!
Nov 29 – Today’s adventure was a visit to Vermilionville Historic Village to learn about early Cajun culture. Vermilionville was the named of this area before it became Lafayette. The word Cajun is a corruption of the word Acadian, the French people who were forced to flee here from Nova Scotia in the mid 1700s to get away from the British. All the signage here is in French first, then English.
I like the primitive religious paintingsHandmade quiltsNative Houma handicraftsAn old cabin with part of the wall removed to show the Spanish moss mixed with mud used for insulationSeveral of the houses contained folksy re-enactors with stories to tell. This gentleman in the schoolhouse told how children were punished for speaking their native French dialectsThe poster showed different expressions in Cajun, Creole, French and EnglishThis lady has been hand stitching quilts here for 12 yearsThe quilt-in-progress is stretched on a frame that can be raised up to the ceiling so that the room can be used as a bedroom after the day’s work is doneA finished quilt hanging on the wall Here’s the petit bayou ferry – just pick up the center rope and pull yourself across!Product placement? How did that Tabasco barrel get here?The restaurant at Vermilionville offered great Cajun gumbo……and a baked potato filled with an excellent crawfish étouffée After lunch we walked over to a performance hall where local musicians gathered for an afternoon jam session. They chatted together for a few minutes, somebody started a song, then everyone else joined in.Guitars, fiddles, an accordion and a washtub bassFine music Nov 30 – A rainy gray morning, somehow befitting that we are visiting a cemetery today to see the Little Cajun Saint. Jim is interested in stories of miracles.In 1959, 12 year old Charlene Richard died of leukemia. Her priest was impressed that she did not fear death, and used her name to raise funds for a new church.Over the next 20 years, people prayed to Charlene, visited her grave and reported miracles of healing.Charlene has been nominated for sainthood, a long process that requires the Church to verify at least two miracles. Hundreds of people visit her grave every week.There is a box of index cards here where people write down their petitions and leave them for Charlene. So far, Charlene has been named a Servant of God.
Nov 28 – No trip to Louisiana can be considered complete without a visit to Avery Island, the ancestral home of the McIllhenny family, creators of Tabasco sauce.
Jim is holding the tiny Army Tabasco bottle that was provided in C rations in his Vietnam days. He said for some meals, it made all the difference!We walked through the greenhouses where the peppers are grown. Tabasco peppers face upward, toward the sun.The vats where the pepper mash is processedThe warehouse where the mash is aged for up to three years The gift shop featured many interesting Tabasco products There are 12 different Tabasco sauces offered, from mild to super hot. I particularly liked the garlic sauce.Jim, of course, tried the Scorpion Sauce, the hottest one. It immediately made his nose run, and he pronounced it mighty fine.Here’s a big alligator that menaced the McIllhenny family, back in the day. As the weather has turned chilly, I’m afraid it is the only gator we will see on this trip.We took the three mile walk around the island called the Jungle Gardens – the other tourists took their carsThe island is a sanctuary for the snowy egretSomething blooming in November!Also camellias in several colors At the top of a hill is a pagoda containing a Buddha that was gifted to the McIllhenny family in 1936. They are not sure how old it is or where it came from.A mystery to end a fine day!
Nov 26 – Now here’s a place I bet you haven’t been! In the town of Patterson on the road to New Iberia sits the Wedell-Williams Aviation and Cypress Sawmill Museum.
There’s an F4 Phantom sitting outsideInside are racing aircraft from the 1930s and 1940sWe watched a fun video about the barnstorming aviation era, featuring Mary Hazelip, who held the women’s speed record for 7 years starting in 1932Wedell and Williams both manufactured and piloted their aircrafts. They both died young in plane crashes.In the same building we learned about the logging off of the cypress forests of this area from the late 1800s up until the Great Depression Cypress trees grow right in the water, and are excellent rot-resistant soft woods for making boats, paneling and flooring Pretty sleekThis tree was almost 4,000 years oldPeople also harvested Spanish moss in great quantities to use as furniture and mattress stuffing, and also wall insulation. Who knew?We stopped for lunch in Jeanerette, but arrived too late for the Cajun special. The fried shrimp were tasty, but we’ve really had enough fried food.We walked around the grounds of Albania Mansion, built in 1842It’s right on the water, and is used for weddings and partiesThe back of the house looks just like the front! I wonder where we’ll go next?Nov 27 – Today dawned clear but cold. We are going to see what there is to see around Lake Fausse Point. Lots of palmettoLots of cypress kneesLow bridge, Jim – don’t bump your head!A pretty day
Nov 24 – Now that Jim’s conference is over, we’re going to see a little more of Louisiana. We jumped on a bus this morning to ride back to the airport, and pick up our rental car. We never rent cars when we travel internationally, so this was unusual. From this point onward, I’ll try share some things that you may not have in your neck of the woods.
So long, big city!We drove to the Bayou Savauge, which wasn’t far from the city. There was some swampy marsh…and a castle!The hiking area was a bit too civilized, so we moved on.If you’re ever in Morgan City, you absolutely must visit the Mr. Charlie Rig Museum. It just might be your only chance to walk around an actual oil rig!We had a private tour of the rig. Built in 1954, it now serves as a crew training facility.Virgil was our guide, knowledgeable about many aspects of the oil drilling business. You may be interested to learn that calling oil a “fossil fuel” is only a theory, as the Good Lord put it in the ground for us to use, and no one really knows how it got there. Okayyyy…We got to see the crew quarters where the rig crew live for up to four weeks at a time. A work schedule might be two or four weeks on, followed by the same number of weeks off. Shifts are usually 12 hours.The all-important galley, where the crews are fed four meals a dayThe robot arms that robotically assemble and place the drillsGrab on and get hoisted out over the water – no seat belts here!Add more pipes to drill deeperLots of wheelsJim asked lots of questions A submersible pod. Quite the place!Morgan City is getting ready for the holidays……with flying alligators pulling Santa’s boat!Lake Palourde, part of the Atchafalaya River basin. Lots of birds……and Spanish mossFor lunch we sought out Rita Mae’s Kitchen for some authentic Cajun cuisineThe Cajun gumbo (shrimp, sausage, chicken and rice) was mighty fine. The potato salad was mashed and really creamy. Quite the day!
Nov 22 – Although we’ve been in New Orleans for almost a week, we have yet to see the Mississippi River. It’s only a block from the heart of town on Canal Street, so we sauntered over to have a look.
The Mighty Mississippi This riverboat has a mighty horn and blasted it repeatedly for all to enjoySome wall art near the waterIt is Saturday, and there is a New Orleans Saints game today. The crowds were phenomenal, and we’re not sure if all the extra people are here for the game, or just because it’s the weekend.Today is Jim’s conference presentation, so we didn’t get to do much sightseeing. The presentation was a great success.To celebrate, we went out to dinner with Jim’s colleagues, to the fancy French restaurant Galatoires. We started with turtle soup, which was a first for me. Very good! I had the shrimp étouffée in brown roux, and it was delicious.Jim ordered the seafood bouillabaisse in a saffron stock, and pronounced it equally excellent. A fine day.Nov 23 – We checked out Marie Laveau’s Voodoo Shop.Marie, a midwife, healer and hairdresser, was the most famous of the voodoo practitioners of the 1800s.No pix were permitted inside, so here is what you can see from the door. Incantations for every purpose, and tarot readings upon request.Mother River statue in front of the Port of New Orleans The other side of the statueRight on the river is Mardi Gras World, a huge warehouse where figures for Mardi Gras parade floats are made and stored.Most figures are sculpted in styrofoam, covered in papier-mâché, then painted The figures are reconfigured and repainted as neededHere is one of the parade floats. Our tour guide was a hoot. He told us that each float contained a porta-potty so the crewe could “oui oui” if necessary.This is the same company that made all the cows on billboards for Chik Fila’s “Eat Mor Chiken” campaign. We didn’t see any cows today.An ent?So much to see and so colorful! Thank you, Mary, for this recommendation!On friend Tom’s suggestion, we stopped in at Port of Call for a hamburger and baked potato lunch. We thought we could avoid the crowds by showing up at 3pm, but still had to wait half an hour for a seat. They make a signature rum drink called The Monsoon, and we enjoyed watching people trying to walk after finishing one!Thanks New Orleans, you’ve been grand!
Nov 21 – This is our day to head south to explore the Garden District, where the New Orleans rich moved in the 1800s to get away from the crowded French Quarter. It is here that Ann Rice lived and placed many of her Vampire stories, and here that Peyton and Eli Manning grew up.
Some of these historical mansions have plaques indicating their age and the style in which they were built. Many contain more than one style, and are considered ‘transitional’.
This house is of the Greek Revival styleNice fountain One of the few we saw that were made of brickYou know you’re in a classy neighborhood if there is an Episcopal cathedral there!Tulane and Loyola Universities have beautiful campuses here. We spoke with a student from Maine who absolutely loves it here!Gorgeous treesMeticulous gardensLafeyette Cemetery #1 is walled off and locked upHere are the raised tombs that can be seen from the gate. The tombs became popular here as buried coffins would often flood and need T o be reburied.We read that the tombs can be opened once a year to deposit a new body and remove last year’s bonesI don’t think the green building is a tomb…Some houses are stately……and some are funkyStatuary that is classical….…and some that is playful We stopped into the Gracious Bakery on St. Charles Ave. for a mid morning coffeeThe cherry cream cheese turnover did not disappointGrecian columnsThis 1891 mansion was built in the Queen Anne styleThe Robinson mansion was built in 1857 in the Italianate styleSome have places to hitch your horsesWe had a recommendation to try the special at Stein’s Deli on Magazine St. We ordered a Cubano to eat later.Here comes the green St.Charles streetcar to take us back homeThe streetcar felt pretty stately tooSome wall art on O’Keefe Avenue for my O’Keefe familyBack in our suite we shared the Cubano sandwich we purchased at the deli and pronounced it “bon!”
Nov 20 – Today we ventured beyond where our feet could take us, further north to City Park. Our mission was to master the transit system and visit The New Orleans Museum of Art.
Our hotel concierge showed us how to download the Le Pass app, which magically integrated with Google Maps. Type in your destination, and you pay right in the app. A single ride is $1.25, but we paid for a 24 hour Jazzy Pass so we could hop on and off as needed. The fare is the same whether you choose a bus or a streetcar, so who wouldn’t choose a streetcar?
There are different color streetcars for different parts of town. Today we are on the red line. The streetcars run down the center of the street, between the lanes of traffic.In 20 minutes, we arrived at the New Orleans Museum of Art, situated in City ParkThe sea from the dead fishes’ perspective?Here are two different paintings of John the Baptist preaching to the people.Which one do you prefer?Interesting facesWhat is she thinking?Both of these have a local swampy feelThe artist is unknown A whole wall of sea-themed plates!We always recognize St. James when we see him. This is Santiago Matamoros – St James killing the Moors. A comfy chair and a not so comfy chairDeath Visits the BanquetThis is an odd one – Madonna and the infant Jesus flanked by John the Baptist (who you may recall is only a few months older than Jesus) and St. Peter (who did not meet Jesus until about 30 years later).Behind the museum was a huge sculpture garden with lots of interesting piecesLive oak with Spanish mossGatorBearSnailA mirrored labyrinth KarmaThis one was called Maybe, Maybe NotA horse for Lexi Then we jumped back on the streetcar and tootled back home!
Taking Our Time 