Arkansas/ Louisiana Trip Day 13

This day was actually August 3. I've just been too busy to get around to writing this. But, now I've found my Daytimer pages for early August and can use them to give details.

The morning started with a relatively hurried breakfast and final packing. The Cook Hotel was not able to give us a late checkout time and I'd be in church at the 11:00 deadline. So, the car had to be packed up before going to 10:00 Mass. My husband was available to help with this. I wanted as little as possible to be in the back seat, as I would be parking in downtown Baton Rouge and didn't want to advertise our stuff. We headed out at 9:40 and at 9:42, I was parked behind the Anglican church across the street from Christ the King Catholic Church. It was an easy walk for my husband to get to his final meetings and events, and off he went. 

I loved the church! There was an old part that is now a  chapel and a very new part that was obviously added across the hall and put under an extended roof. The older part looked like an older church with lovely stonework. The entrance to the new church had a cool free-standing arch at the entrance. Pews were on three sides around the altar. It took me a while to realize that my seat on the left side was in front of the tabernacle, which felt really weird once I realized it. There was stained glass, just not the old-fashioned kind. I particularly liked the candles at the front of the altar. They were blue balls, that seemed to be ceramic and oil-filled. The sacristan was obviously a student,who was very efficient. The priest was young and an excellent speaker. It was the first time I've ever heard a priest say, "hanging out" in a homily. He told a very amusing story that took place shortly after he was ordained. He was hanging out with a friend, who said, he needed to go to confession. He replied, that yeah, he should find a priest. His friend looked at him and pointed at him. He suddenly realized, that he was a priest and could do that! The rather large crowd for a college church in the summer appreciated the annecdote.

After Mass, I drove to downtown Baton Rouge. I had time to kill and decided to visit the USS Kidd. I got lucky twice. First, there was a parking spot right in front of the museum. Then, there was no entrance fee, because: "It's the first Sunday of the month and the end of summer." Lots to see in the museum, not just about the Kidd. The ship was named for Admiral Kidd, who was on the Arizona at Pearl Harbor. Interesting quote on the walls of a courtyard around a Flying Tiger plane. Some I knew, some I didn't. I photographed them all. The second floor had lots of ship models, as well as a walk through exhibit of a deck of Old Ironsides.

Finally, I headed out for the ship, docked in the Mississippi River. The river's fluctuation in depth was compensated for and at this time of year, the ship was resting in the mud, basically drydocked. I noticed tree trunks lodged high up in towers in the river, testament to spring flooding. The tour was self-guided, following a numbered map and numbers on the ship. I couldn't really tell where the torpedo had hit it. It was a hot day and I was thrilled, when I reached portions of the ship that were air conditioned. Climbing up and down the steep stairs was tough, particularly for my bad foot. It was interesting, although I was reminded I wasn't cut out for that life, when I saw the toilets. There were urinals, of course. But there were also metal troughs with maybe 4 seats attached to each, in a row. They were not toilet seats, so much as rubber covered half- cushions. So, they sat next to each other in this most private of moments?? Yuck!

By the time I got back in the museum, I was sweating like mad. I was thrilled to find a gelato cart had opened. The guy was Italian, accent and all, and tried to be as true to Italy as possible. To recapture a bit of last year's trip to Italy, I ordered a scoop of chocolate and a scoop of vanilla cheescake in an authentic plastic cup with a shovel spoon. It was wonderful! 

After buying a pin and postcards for my collections, I asked for a lunch recommendation. Shucks on the Levee was right next door I was told and was assured I could leave my car where it was. It took work to get up to the restaurant. I had to cross the street and railroad tracks before entering the lower level of the entrance to the casino that was docked in the river. Up the escalator and then hurriedly through the large passageway back over the street. My time was limited. I was ushered to a table in the mostly empty restaurant at 1:55. I made my decision but had to wait a while for the waitress. She assured me that the Lump Crab Cake Sandwich could be prepared quickly. She even brought my check early to help me get out. The sandwich was rather lacking in flavor, which was unfortunate, as it was my last Louisiana meal and I love crab. I was out by 2;25.

It didn't take long to get back to campus. I was able to park next to the music building, where the final concert would take place. It featured the Professors Choir, of which my husband was a member. It was not easy to find the ladies room, but I was able to get into the concert hall with time to spare before the 3 pm start. What a surprise, when the woman next to me recognized me as having sat next to her at the first concert! What are the odds? She'd enjoyed the conference and was considering next year's in Madrid. The concert ran a bit over 4 pm, and she had to leave before the end to make her flight. The concert was quite good. My husband made his final good-byes and we headed off to see Mike the tiger.

I hadn't had a chance to do this all week and thought it would be stupid to leave without seeing the mascot. It was a bit tricky to figure out where he was, but it turned out to be totally logical. He is in an incredibly large habitat right across from an entrance to the stadium. He's really quite impressive and lovely. Someone mentioned that the fan store right there was still open for another 10 minutes and I wanted to see, if there was a cute little stuffed tiger. There wasn't, but there was an LSU cheerleader Barbie! I had to get her for my Barbie collection. Such a unique Barbie! Plus, she'd been in the doll museum's Barbie exhibit. So, there you go.

We were on the road at 5:01, with me at the wheel. We crossed into Mississippi on I-10 at 6:32. The tire pressure light came on, which is not good, but could have been due to the rain we'd gone through. We got off at Exit 44 in Biloxi at 7:16. My husband added air and we pushed the reset button. We saw a McDonald's nearby and figured it was time to eat. The moment he said that he couldn't really read the menu, I knew I couldn't let him take over driving. His eye condition worries me and I didn't want to take any chances. By 8:11, we were back on the road.

8:41 brought the Alabama line and we crossed into Florida at 9:38. We made a pit stop a few minutes later at the Florida Welcome Center. The main part was closed, which was unfortunate, as it looked really interesting and like it presented the state well.We'd hoped to make it to Tallahassee, but there was still a long way to go to get there. I really wanted to at least make it across the time line to make the next day a bit easier. I put my husband to work with the map and his phone to find a place, where he could get loyalty points for one of his hotel memberships. He called ahead, when we finally made a decision on how far we could get, and made a reservation.

We reached the Fairfield in Marianna at 11:46 pm. I was particularly exhausted, having driven 391 miles. We were glad we'd packed overnight bags, so that we didn't have to unpack the whole car.We weren't over the time line, but we were fairly far across the Panhandle. And that was something.

Arkansas / Louisiana Trip Day 12

Rain was starting to fall as I left not long after 10 and would continue off and on until evening. I headed west along I10 and soon crossed the Mississippi. On the west side of the river, there were signs of industry such as a grain elevator. I hadn't gone 40 miles, when I realized I'd been on a low bridge for quite a while. I moved over to the left lane and could see water between the eastbound and westbound bridges, with trees on the far sides of the bridges, but not between them. I saw a sign with the name of the bayou I was crossing. I also saw several signs proclaiming the Atchafalaya Basin Heritage Area. Intrigued, I decided to stop at the Welcome Center for the area. What a welcome center! They had the usual brochures, but also displays, books and a movie. I didn't feel I had time for the movie, but I liked the place.

It's a good thing I didn't stay too long. The GPS proclaimed I'd arrived at the Acadian Cultural Center in Lafayette, but it was a tennis court. I parked to check the AAA book, but the directions matched. Down the road a bit, I saw the Vermilionvillage and also its address. So, I continued on a bit further and saw the back of a large concrete and brick sign. Passing it and looking back, I saw the national park logo. When I walked up to the building, I thought it odd, that the flags were not flying. I soon saw why- as of last August, they close on Saturday at 12 instead of the 4 in the AAA book. It was now 11:45! i managed to get brochures, postcards, a pin and my national park passport stamped. I also talked to the ranger about the merits of the village nearby and the Acadian Village. I opted for the latter, because they give money to help mentally challenged people. I also asked her about the lunch place I had in mind and she said that it was good. The terrible thing was that there were people stopping here. In the parking lot, I saved a couple from Colorado from getting their little ones all the way up to the building. I showed the young mother the two options and suggested the nearby one might appeal to her little ones more with its music, costumes and demonstrations.

It took about 25 minutes to cross town to the Acadian Village. It is a village of authentic Cajun homes and gives the story of the Acadians who came to Louisiana. It even has its own bayou. I only saw a couple of other people at a distance, as I went on my self-guided tour, taking lots of photos. The rain threatened, but held off. But the humidity was getting me and I could feel the sweat dripping down my back.

There was a nice arts gallery and I got a cypress box and an oyster shell painted with Santa's face. I was the first customer of the day and glad I bought something. In the gift shop, I found some cool ornaments made with gar shells or  crawfish claws. I got a "poinsettia" bloom made of the latter.

Then, I headed off for the Blue Dog Cafe. It was 2:13 when I arrived and they were closed!! Who stops serving between 2 and 5? I searched AAA for other options, but they were too far away. I decided to go to Sans Souci Art Gallery, which sells Louisiana products, hoping a likely place to eat would also be there. I had passed some on the way to Blue Dog, but was loathe to double back due to the time. I passed through University of Louisiana, Lafayette on the way. The gallery was nice, but nothing rocked my world. Nor did I see someplace I wanted to eat. Disgusted, I headed for I10.

A few miles down the road, I pulled off at Exit 109, Breaux Bridge. In spite of the vaguely Cajun name, I didn't see somewhere that looked quick and Cajun. I ate at McDonald's and then got gas, while the price was lower than most along the interstate.

Soon, I was on that bridge again. I rolled down the passenger window and pointed my camera that way, hoping something good would be caught without aiming. There was a lot of traffic. We were particularly slowed by a very large boat that was being towed.

I managed to get back here at 4:20, which let me go to the fitness center to walk before a shower. My husband arrived and we made a dinner of the leftover quiche from one of his meetings and the rest of the dessert I bought the other night.

Then, we headed off for the ICA's awards ceremony. Near the end, my husband was given a plaque for his six years of service on the board, which ends next month. The president made a very nice speech about him, noting how he is the memory of the ICA and has 41 years worth of the journal! Afterwards, my husband had someone take our picture. I took the plaque and left him to the concert.

I had to come back to pack. Church is at 10 and checkout is 11. It doesn't look like they'll let us have late checkout, so the car must be packed before church. I'll have time to kill until the 3 pm Professors Choir, that my husband is in and whose concert I will attend. We leave town after that. I may go to the USS Kidd in my free time.

We plan to get to Tallahassee tomorrow night, which is a long drive. Due to the late hour, tomorrow's adventures will probably have to be documented at a later time.

Arkansas / Louisiana Trip Day 11

It has been a day with its ups and downs. The downs have been frustrating, but have not destroyed the day. They started first thing after breakfast. I had to send a reminder to my miniature club members about Tuesday's meeting. Try as I might, I couldn't get it to send. I tried cutting the number of addresses until there was only one. It still wouldn't go. I called my daughter and left a message for her to let me know when she gets home tonight. I thought, that I could get her to go onto the home computer to send it.

I also had to take time to program the GPS for the next few visits. I couldn't do it last night, because my husband forgot to bring it in after his concert and it was too late to go get it. I discover that the Jean Lafitte NHP is actually several different places and they are not close together. I had to figure out which one most interested me.

Thus, it was 11:23 when I left. The first stop was only 7 minutes away. It was The Enchanted Mansion-a doll museum. The cashier explained that a woman's husband had built this place to house her collection. Even with that, not all of it can be displayed at once. Plus, as I'd read in the newspaper, they were hosting a Barbie exhibition. Before taking me inside, she asked if I wanted cookies and lemonade at the end. Why not?

The museum starts off with a talking bear and cuckoo clock. It was cute at first, but went on a bit long for my taste. The doll displays were well-lit and thoughtfully put together. Whenever possible, there were cards identifying the doll and manufacturer. The Barbies belong to the local Adult Fashion Doll Collectors. Most of them had labels. After them, were some Disney character dolls that looked a lot better than what you see at Magic Kingdom. The displays end with old dolls and an old dollhouse, that was too dark to really see into.

There is a shop and I found a couple of dolls at reduced prices that could use a good home. There is a little bit of dollhouse furniture, but nothing special. The cashier reminded me about my lemonade and cookies. Good thing I went for them-more Barbies! The lemonade was in a tea pot and the glass was a small Coke glass. The cookies were store-bought, but good.

When I came out after 1.5 hours, I decided to not go to the craft gallery, as I'd intended, but to drive south to Houmas House plantation. That way, I can more easily get to the NHP section I've chosed for tomorrow, as it is to the west.

I raced down there, because they stop serving lunch in Cafe Burnside on the property at 2. I arrived at 1:41, paid $23 (!) after a $1 AAA discount, and hurried off to the cafe, since I had to be seated before 2. Success! 

Lunch was slow, which might have been fine, if I felt I had a lot of time, but I had to be in Baton Rouge at 6. Plus, why was it slow? I was one of the last people to enter-and the last to leave, as it turned out. Since I was at a plantation, I thought I'd be a little fancy and order a German wine. When she finally came back, it was with a different wine, saying they were out of the German. I didn't like it and opted for the Sauvignon Blanc she suggested instead. When she finally came back, it was with the German after all. I ordered the Jumbo-Lump Crab and Mango Cake Salad. Why is it people claim things are lump crab, when they are mostly shredded? It was delicious, nonetheless. The balsamic vinegarette had a kick and the slice of yellow tomato was tasty. During the meal, I picked at the butter to coat the small slices of bread. You see, it was their specialty-Cane Syrup and Pecans Butter. I do not do pecans and really felt I should have been asked first. I did like the cane syrup part, though. I made one final splurge at the end and ordered the Sweet Potato Bread Pudding. As I texted my daughters: Oh. My. Goodness.  It was amazing. I think cane syrup was drizzled on the plate. This was a sugar cane plantation after all.

I'd heard a bell rung twice and had a bad feeling I knew what it was. As I'd been told at the desk, I asked the waitress where to go for the house tour. What I hadn't been told at the desk, and should have been, was how to know when the next tour was. The waitress said that the bell was the signal. When I said it had rung twice, she ran off to do the check. But it was now 2:50. The tour started at 2:45. 

I had 45 minutes to start to roam the gardens. I managed to get my picture taken in front of the oak alley with the house behind that before the rain started. It was coming down pretty well by the time I reached the bell. Seeing I still had 5 minutes, I told a couple there to tell them I was rushing off to the restroom. I heard no bell and I was back at 3:30 and no one was there. The man from the couple came back to call me to the porch, where everyone else was already assemble. 

The guide, dressed as a gentleman of the antebellum period, led the 7 of us through the privately owned house, saying the owner wanted us to take pictures. Awesome! He pointed out the wide front door, which was made that way so that a gentleman and his lady could enter side-by-side, even with her hoop skirt. The door knob was lower than today, since people were shorter back then. He also pointed out the shorter dining room table. He showed us a map found in the attic believed to be hidden there to keep Federal soldiers from knowing more about the area. He was particularly happy to point out the relatively high number of free persons of color in the pre-war period and that many of them had plantations. Later, he said that only 5-10% of the population lived in homes like this one and had the money. We learned so many details of the furnishings, the house and the people who had lived there. Terrific tour!

Afterwards, I continued taking pictures of the gardens in the rain. They are not historically accurate, as metal flamingoes would not have been used as decor outside a Greek Revival home. However, the flowers were stunning and the gardens were lush. No wonder the owner has to charge so much. It must cost a small fortune to maintain.

The shop had all kinds of things, but no pin and no Christmas ornament that was suitable for a trip the two of us had taken. We collect local ornaments when we travel and hang them on garlands in the kitchen and dining rooms at Christmas. They have to be places we have both been.

For some reason the traffic returning was going to make the trip  back longer. You'd think, they'd be heading away from the city. I let the GPS take me on a route that would be faster. I was still late getting to LSU, but had called my husband-love that feature on my car!- and he had found a place to go for dinner. It was Louis's Deli, which looked more like a diner and dated to 1941. He enjoyed his Seafood Stirfry and I liked my Sauteed Seafood Salad. 

Once again, the check was slow in being dealt with, but that gave us more time to discuss his big news. The board voted to have the 2017 ClarinetFest in Orlando, accepting his proposal. He'll have a lot to do, but I'll be retired and can help. 1400 people came here. Can you imagine how many will come to Orlando?!