Issue #23 -- Louisiana Beauty - Part I

When you talk about visiting Louisiana, most people think of  New Orleans or Baton Rouge. Both are beautiful places, and they have some great Southern history, but no, it was neither New Orleans or Baton Rouge, this trip!

This trip took us North to the Town of Mansura. We stayed at the Paragon Casino RV Resort.  Their amenities and prices were very good.  We don't do any gambling, but we have found most casino campgrounds are good places to stay.  Some even have good shows to see. They also offer shuttle service to the casino, and restaurants. We would definitely stay at this campground again. 

The biggest reason we had for coming to Mansura was to visit Nicole Roy and her husband Rick. Back in the day, Nicole and David worked together in San Diego. Like David, Nicole is also retired.  She now manages her family's ranch. It's just a little place, about five hundred or more acres. And yes, she has horses and cattle. 

Nicole enjoys riding her horses and spending lots of time with Rick. She and Rick can tell you about the history of Louisiana, and know all the right places to visit. One of the first places we visited was  Avery Island. 

Avery Island is the home of the world-famous Tabasco brand Pepper Sauce. The sauce is manufactured by the McIlhenny Company on the very site that it was invented back in 1868 by Edmund McIlhenny.  Today the McIlhenny Company is owned and operated by his descendants.

The grounds are beautiful and the tour is a self guided one. As you walk the grounds you can view artifacts from Tabasco Sauce's founding family.  You are able to witness the growing process of the pepper plants from seedlings to full-grown plants; visit the mash warehouse for a peek at the Tabasco aging process; and smell the aromas of the stirring vats; all while learning about the company's bottling and shipping processes around the world.

                                                 

 

 You gotta love Nicole, she's such a hoot!

              

     

Avery Island is not only home to the making of Tabasco, it's also one of the world's most beautiful sanctuaries for the preservation and study of flora and fauna.

Edmund McIlhenny helped save the Snowy Egret from extinction back in 1895. At that time, the bird was hunted for its plumage, so Edmund built an aviary on Avery Island and captured and raised eight wild Egrets. 

Once their hatches were ready to migrate, Edmund freed them. The Egrets returned the next spring and every spring since. Not just those he raised, but thousands more. 

Some now refer to this as "Bird City."

The grounds between the Tabasco World and Bird City is known as the Jungle Gardens of Avery Island.  It's the type of place you can spend hours walking and not see all of it's beauty. Edmund not only created the sanctuaries, he also ensured that future generations had an ideal spot to enjoy and study the beauty of nature, and to observe plants and flowers from around the world.  Jungle Gardens is home to a large collection of Camellias. There are over 600 varieties of plants, including imports from Japan and France, as well as varieties developed on Avery Island. As you walk the grounds it's not unusual to see wildlife, in addition to the beautiful plants and trees.

             

 

Before you leave the grounds, check out the gift shop! Because David puts Tabasco on everything, we bought lots of varieties that you can't get in regular stores.

David's Buddy Stops:

Next Blog:

Louisiana Beauty - Part II