Looking for a Cajun Barn

Tim and I took advantage of our unplanned weekend in Lafayette, Louisiana, by relaxing, doing a few errands and continuing our exploration of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve.  One of the park’s six sites happens to be in Lafayette.  Located along the Vermillion River, the Acadian Cultural Center interprets the history, customs and language of the Acadians who settled Louisiana.

After watching a rather heavy-handed movie about the history of the Acadians and their exile from Nova Scotia, we spent a bit of time talking with the ranger on duty.  She was a delight, and we had a wonderful conversation about theories of interpretation and ways to engage diverse audiences.  I hope she is able to implement some of the ideas that she has developed.

We really have met some of the most enthusiastic, knowledgeable and dedicated rangers at parks throughout the country.  I’m convinced that the National Park Service has some of the best employees of any government agency, or any private company for that matter.  Some of our best conversations on this trip have been with these people.

Spring Is Arriving in Southern Louisiana

This morning we detoured south from Lafayette to Abbeville, Louisiana, to check out the town that figured prominently in the project that brought me to Rocky Mountain National Park in the first place.  That project involved preparing a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for a barn on the west side of the park.  The barn was built in 1942 by Frank Godchaux, Jr., who lived in Abbeville.  Talk about a small world.  I never thought I would visit the area that influenced the design of that historic barn.

The barn in Rocky Mountain National Park is a local adaptation of the Cajun barns that are found almost exclusively in southern Louisiana.  Frank Godchaux sketched a barn that was familiar to him, and we wanted to see if we could find any barns around Abbeville that might have influenced the design.

Little Buckaroo Ranch Barn in Rocky Mountain National Park

We really didn’t find much, since we didn’t take the time to drive many of the back roads, but we saw a few barns with somewhat similar characteristics.  This certainly was far from a professional survey, just a fun “look-see.”  Even though we came up short, we had a good time looking more closely at the buildings in the landscape.

This Isn't Exactly What We're Looking For

This One Is a Little Closer

We continued our drive through southern Louisiana and passed hundreds of rice fields that happened to be flooded from the recent rains.  We drove through Gueydan, the duck capital of America and made our way back north to Lake Charles and the oil refineries.  We then crossed the state line into Texas.  Yes, Texas!  We are actually in Texas.

Fuzzy Ducks

What Happened to the Scenery?

We actually arrived in Texas earlier than we had originally thought.  Because the crazy weather of the last two weeks had caused us to reroute and then delay our trip, we came to the conclusion this past weekend that we would not make it back to Memphis or to Arkansas.  I’m sad about that, since I had really wanted to visit there, but we’ll save that part of the country for another time.  

We're in Texas!

I know it sounds odd that we “don’t have time” to go somewhere, but we actually have a schedule to keep at the moment.  We are meeting Kevin in Austin, Texas, on March 3, and need to finish seeing what we want to see in east Texas and the Hill Country before then.  Because, after our weekend in Austin, we have reservations in Big Bend National Park starting on March 7.  It’s very odd having a deadline again, since we’re used to doing what we want, when we want, but it will be fun to visit with Kevin again.

Wild Weather in Acadiana

Tim and I had a great time in New Orleans, but it was time to leave yesterday morning. Thousands more people were starting to arrive for the height of the Mardi Gras festivities, and the crowds and traffic were becoming a nightmare.  We had had our fun on Thursday night and didn’t feel the need to experience any more of the madness.  Looking back on our decision today, we are even happier that we left, given the mass of severe weather that is hitting the city and forcing the rescheduling and/or rerouting of all the parades.

Kitty Wanted to Wear Her Beads Before We Left New Orleans

We took the southern route from New Orleans and drove through bayou country and the heart of the Mississippi River Delta.  This area is often referred to as Acadiana and contains some of the youngest land in North America.  It was settled in the late 1700s by French Acadians, or Cajuns, who were driven from Nova Scotia by the British.  The Cajuns were newcomers, a people apart from the French-speaking, native born Creoles, who had lived here since the founding of the Louisiana colony by France in 1699.  Both cultures have shaped this region into one like nowhere else in the world.

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve tells the story of Louisiana’s Mississippi River Delta.  It is the most dispersed of all the parks with six sites from Eunice and Lafayette on the west to New Orleans on the east.  We stopped at the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center in Thibodaux, where very helpful rangers explained both the geographic and cultural history of the region.

The Flowers Are Even Prettier Down Here

I Love Flowering Trees

It was there that we learned of the severe weather system that was headed our way.  We had planned to camp near New Iberia, but thought a nice hotel in Lafayette would be the best bet.  It turned out to be a wise move, as we watched tornado-producing clouds pass outside our window this morning.  Six severe weather alerts, from possible tornados to severe thunderstorms to imminent flooding were on the board at the same time.  Wow!  The storms have passed us by, and we’re just fine, but we’re getting a bit weary of having to dodge such severe weather every few weeks.

It's Headed Right Toward Us!

Wow!  Six Alerts for Us!

It's Carnival Time

So as not to keep you in suspense one minute longer, I’m excited to report that Tim and I did everything tonight that we missed out on last night.  Hard to believe, but true!  We had a wonderful dinner this evening at a restaurant serving authentic Creole and Cajun dishes. We then participated in our first Carnival parade and have quite a collection of beads to show for it.  Now, I’ll tell you a little more about how it all unfolded.

Our campground in New Orleans is located just a block from St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, and we started our day there.  Cemetery tours are especially popular in New Orleans, since cemeteries in New Orleahere ns are unique in that all of the tombs are aboveground.  We just decided to wander through on our own.  It almost felt like walking through a miniature city, and a spooky one at that, particularly when we happened upon a crypt with offerings laid in front.  The tomb of the city’s most famous Voodoo Queen had to be the most-photographed of the bunch.  Tim claims we only went to the cemetery because his sister Alice got us started looking for dead people when we were in Kentucky.  True or not, I’m just glad we went.

City of the Dead

Offerings to the Voodoo Queen

One of the prettiest places in New Orleans is St. Charles Avenue and its adjacent neighborhoods, and the best part is that the historic St. Charles Avenue streetcar will take you there.  We took the streetcar all the way to Audubon Park and then started walking.  We passed by the gated entrance to one of the city’s most exclusive neighborhoods, Audubon Place, with its fabulous historic houses.  We walked by Loyola University and wandered into Tulane.  Just as Tim asked what Tulane is noted for, he looked at a map and found we were standing in front of the Anthropology Building.  Maybe the archeologist in him just knew it was there.

St. Charles Avenue Streetcar

Gateway to Audubon Place

One of the Houses in Audubon Place

Anthropology Building at Tulane University

Loyola University

Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans travel down St. Charles Avenue, and we saw people already staking out their spots for the parades this evening.  Chairs, tarps and ladders lined the avenue.  Maybe I just haven’t attended many parades in recent years, but the ladders were a surprise.  Some even had a seat attached to the top to make viewing that much more comfortable.  We saw evidence everywhere of the beads that had been thrown the night before.  I wonder if someone cleans up the ones that end up hanging from trees and power lines.

Ready to Watch the Parade

We returned to the French Quarter to attend a jazz concert at the Old U.S. Mint Performance Hall.  As it turned out, we probably heard more jazz at several impromptu street performances than we would at the Mint.  The New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park sponsors daily concerts, and the one this afternoon was to feature works by some of the rangers.  Unfortunately, the main performer was off today, so the lone ranger who showed up mostly gave us a talk on the history of jazz, illustrated by a few bars or songs on the guitar.  The park has some very talented rangers on staff, and Tim and I both had such a great time today and yesterday chatting with several of them.

A Musical Ranger

Street Performers

We had an early dinner at The Praline Connection, a restaurant off the beaten track that serves authentic Cajun and Creole dishes.  Tim and I shared the “Taste of Soul” platter, which was divine.  The gumbo, jambalaya, fried chicken, catfish, ribs, red beans and rice, greens, cornbread and bread pudding were delicious.  But the best part of the meal was chatting with our server and the large, extended family that arrived shortly after we were seated.  The ladies who sat closest to us had arrived in New Orleans for a baptism, and they were such a hoot.

The weather had held up for the day, and we wondered whether the predicted thunderstorms would rain on tonight’s Mardi Gras parades.  Should we attend?  Were we too tired?  In the end Tim made the decision that we should just go.  We walked over to Canal Street and waited with several hundred other people for over an hour for the parade to arrive.  Once the parade began, we had a blast.

We discovered that “crowd participation” parades are much more fun than just watching floats go by.  As you probably know, float riders in Mardi Gras parades throw scores of beads, cups and other baubles to the crowd.  Tim and I found ourselves getting caught up in the action, vying to catch the beads that were being tossed from the floats.  Tim even accused me of being too greedy!  He was probably right!

Arms Outstretched to Catch the Throws

Please Throw One to Me

The parade we watched was put on by the Knights of Babylon.  The floats were very traditional in design and have changed little in more than seventy years.  The floats were just beautiful, although it was a bit difficult to appreciate their elaborate designs while focusing on catching the throws.


Long Live the Queen

Beautiful Floats

Although there were two more parades to come, we decided to call it an evening and returned to the RV with our loot – scores of beads and a cup.  We may never make it to Mardi Gras again, but I’m so glad we bit the bullet and enjoyed the party this time.

Some of Our Loot

Dressed for Carnival

Some People Just Don't Know When to Call It Quits

Jazzing It Up in New Orleans

Tim and I are in New Orleans, Louisiana, camping in the heart of the city, in our RV, during Mardi Gras.  No, this blog has not been hijacked by someone hipper than we are.  What’s wrong with this picture, you may ask?  And how did we find a campground within walking distance of major sites?  And didn’t I say some time ago that Tim and I are not particularly fond of crowds?

Although it may sound odd, there is a new campground, or resort as this one is called, just a few blocks north of the French Quarter.  It is definitely an urban campground and is enclosed by a wall and security gate.  It is also way more expensive than any place we’ve stayed, but the amenities are very nice and the location can’t be beat.

As for the crowds, we may be here for Mardi Gras, but we are only staying for two nights. We’re getting out of town before the height of the celebration begins on Friday and ends on Fat Tuesday.

We ventured into the French Quarter this afternoon and hit some of the must-see sights that every tourist has to check off.  I always enjoy gazing at the stunning architecture wherever I am.  We walked by Jackson Square and saw the St. Louis Cathedral and the artists who sell their work along the perimeter of the square.

Jackson Square

Around the Square

Afternoon Fog Over St. Louis Cathedral

We had café au lait and beignets at Café du Monde, where we were entertained by a small jazz band playing on the sidewalk.  Tim turned out to be a pro at eating beignets.  These French doughnuts are covered with powdered sugar, and if you so much as breathe heavily, let alone sneeze, you will be wearing that white confection.  Dressing in black while eating beignets is not advisable.

Beignets and Cafe au Lait

Don't Sneeze!

A Little Jazz to Entertain Us

We may have been two of the few tourists who sought out the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park.  This has to be one of the most unique parks in the country.  The park does not preserve or interpret a place or a thing, but an art form.  The park presents a regular concert series at the Old U.S. Mint Performance Hall, and the rangers are often the ones performing.  How cool is that!  We missed today’s concert, but hope to catch the one tomorrow afternoon.

Beignets were not the only signature dish we sampled.  We also had po-boys for a late lunch. This classic New Orleans sandwich features a long, submarine-style roll piled high with assorted meats or seafood.  Mine had fried oysters, and Tim’s had sausage. 

Decorations for Mardi Gras were everywhere we looked, and more than a few tourists were wearing costumes, funny hats and beads.  We happened upon a “parade” of horse-drawn carriages, accompanied by a police escort.  The people on board seemed to be having a grand time, and they were throwing beads and hats at the onlookers, as is the Mardi Gras custom.  I just wasn’t fast enough to catch anything.

Let's Decorate!

Even the French Market Is Wearing a Mask

An Impromptu Parade

Who Is That Silver Man?

We had every intention of continuing our Mardi Gras adventure and culinary tour this evening.  We had received a recommendation for a restaurant serving authentic New Orleans specialties, and we knew where to go to watch one of the parades.  Alas, we never made it back out after returning to the campground to rest up for the evening.  Doesn’t that sound just like us?  Even when we are in a city where we can walk to fabulous restaurants or entertainment, we still stay in at night!  We did have an excuse, however, as it started raining heavily while we were resting.  Even thunderstorms were on their way.  Even a great dinner or a parade didn’t seem to be worth getting soaked for.  Maybe tomorrow, although the weather forecast isn’t much better.

Plantation Alley

The stretch of land between Natchez and New Orleans contains one of the country’s greatest concentrations of antebellum plantations.  Many of them are open to the public, and it would take a week or more to visit all of them.  We limited ourselves to one plantation today.

Just south of St. Francisville, Louisiana, is the Audubon State Historic Site, home of Oakley Plantation, which was constructed in 1806.  Oakley is an excellent example of colonial architecture with a West Indies influence.  The plantation, however, is best known for its association with noted artist and naturalist John James Audubon.

Oakley Plantation

The Library at Oakley

Audubon came to Oakley in 1821 when he was hired as a tutor for the daughter of the owners of Oakley.  Audubon was able to spend his afternoons in the woods, collecting and preparing his bird specimens, and then working on his paintings.  Audubon painted thirty-two of his Birds of America during his short stay at Oakley.  Quite a few of the prints that he completed here are on exhibit in the house and in the visitor center.  I’ve always loved Audubon’s work, and it was really interesting to see where some of them were painted.

I Don't Know If Audubon Ever Painted a Peacock

We’ve started to see daffodils blooming, as well as a few flowering trees.  Today at Oakley, a few azaleas were just beginning to bloom.  Spring should be beautiful here in a few weeks.

Azaleas Are Starting to Bloom

The drive between Natchez and Baton Rouge is lovely.  After leaving Baton Rouge, however, and turning onto the Great River Road, the landscape changes.  What used to be mile after mile of cotton and sugar cane plantations is now an industrial corridor of petrochemical refineries.  The Mississippi River is even hidden from view by the levies that are designed protect the inland area from flooding.

 

South of Natchez Is Mammy's Cupboard,
One of My Favorite Examples of Vernacular Roadside Architecture

South of Baton Rouge is the "Scenic" Great River Road,
Home of Petrochemical Refineries

From time to time a magnificent plantation house appears, but in too many cases the context has been lost.  Some plantation houses actually are on the grounds of a refinery.  If you can look beyond the industry, you can find a few architectural jewels.  Just don’t get the idea that the Great River Road is a pristine scenic drive.

We are actually spending the night at one of the lesser-known plantations, the Poche Plantation.  The house was built in 1870 by Judge Felix Pierre Poche, a prominent jurist and one of the founders of the American Bar Association.  The plantation now houses a museum and a bed-and-breakfast, and a campground has been added to the rear of the property.  It seems to be a fitting place to stay.  Happy Valentine's Day.

Poche Plantation

Sunset at the Plantation