BBB Day 6

 

March 1

Biked and Hiked 4 miles

 

What a great Louisiana day! It was a sunny and early start with promises of 70 degree weather!

We left the lovely park and headed for the Tabasco Factory in Avery Island. We were so early leaving that we got there six minutes before opening, and they wouldn’t let us in! Yikes. It’s the private domain of the McIlhenny family. In fact, while we were waiting, we met a guy who’s great grandmother was “an Avery” (he acted like we should know the name!), a family member some how, who lived on this island.

In we went to the store and sampled a lot of Tabascos (gifts for some of you!) and Tabasco ice cream, chili and pop. And this was before 9:30.

We decided to also visit the Jungle Gardens of Avery Island. These were established by the son of the Tabasco founding McIlhenny.

We decided to ride our bikes around the three-mile garden. There were Live Oaks lining the path:

…stands of bamboo:

 

 

…algae-covered turtles:

 

…Camellias and Azaleas in bloom alongside dripping Spanish Moss:

 

 

…a Buddha (gifted to McIlhenny, but stolen from China):

…Palm gardens:

…and the piece de resistance, a refuge for Great and Snow Egrets (and some Ibis and Moorhens). We figure we saw close to 1,000 birds building nests on the man-made platforms and in the trees. Today, it seemed that males were bringing sticks to impress the females. It was amazing:

 

Today was also the gravesite burial for the Tabasco CEO, who died recently at 68 (flags were at half mast). We saw a military honour guard in the area that is private to the McIlhenny family.

We had lunch there then headed to the Intracoastal road (82) west to Cameron.

This area is called “The Louisiana Outback” for a good reason. You drive along swamps, lagoons, canals and lakes with “camps” scattered around (Camp David, Piscatory Place and A Cajun Hi Rise were the best names). These camps (like cottages or hunting and fishing camps) and houses are on the ground, on cinder blocks, on 4-foot stilts or 8 to 10-foot stilts.

Not to mention the dead alligator and Wild Hog on the side of the road.

Despite the raised homes, there was also the devastation (empty foundations, chimneys, staircases, graveyards without churches) from Hurricanes Rita and Ike. Churches (paid for by the congregations) and School Offices-and schools, we think-built by FEMA. Most people are living in trailers on their land (apparently few can afford to re-build to code) or in new, mostly pre-fab houses. It’s quite a thing to see.

We’re at the Jetty RV Park in Cameron (literally on the jetty with birds, a beach and off-shore oil rigs in the background and ships moving in and out taking supplies, we think, to the rigs):

 

Here’s the view from my chair (note the barbed wire, either to keep us in or the cows that surround us out; but that IS the Gulf!):