Jungle Gardens

Although I've visited Avery Island, home of Tobasco, several times before, I had never took the tour of Jungle Gardens or Bird City.

Most famous along the tour is the Buddha

The story says this 900 year old buddha was sent to the U.S. in 1923, but sat unclaimed in a NYC warehouse until 1936.  Friends of Mr. McIlhenney (founder of Tobasco), purchased the statue and shipped it to Avery Island.  It now sits in a special, asian style garden.  It has seen millions of visitors since it found a home in Jungle Gardens.

Bird City is truly a place for the birds.

It has become a nesting ground for the Snowy Egret.  The refuge was established in 1895, and by 1911 was the summer nesting ground to 10,000 Snowy Egrets on their annual migration.

Uncle Dick Davis Park, with 18 elec/water sites on the Atchafalaya Basin, located in Butte La Rose, LA.

Angelle's Whiskey River Landing on the levee in Henderson, LA.

It wasn't actually open the day we first drove by, but the owners let us come in and look and take pictures.  It is the place to be on a Sunday afternoon.  Live cajun and zydeco music and dancing and suds. All located in the beautiful Atchafalaya Basin.

Looking out over the basin.

On the way home I spotted this historical marker.

Just imagine this lane, early morning dew and gold covered spider webs.  What a site.  

Jefferson Island, outside of New Iberia, LA, also boasts of a bird refuge.  Here you can see lots of pink Spoonbills.  Sorry, but I couldn't get a close up.

Cajun Woodstock

We met Chuck and Sherry and some of their friends here on Saturday.  The festival was on both Saturday and Sunday and is a fund raiser for St. Jude's Hospital.  Started in 2003, it has quickly gained popularity and now the entire town sponsors this event.

Held at the Church Point, LA, park in the pavilion.

Chuck and Sherry doing a little cajun dancing.

The lineup for entertainment was great.  We got to see both Bradley Venable and Kick Back, as well as Richard Lebeouf and Two Step.  We waited until Lil Wayne and Same Ol Two Step came on, but left shortly after since we knew we would see more of them at the Crawfish Festival.

Max just goes for the cajun food.  YUM!  Crawfish Etouffee.

I said it was a fund raiser and boy did they raise the funds.  In between bands the auctioneer came out and started auctioning various items which were on display in the pavilion.  This ice chest, made of cypress, auctioned for over $2000.

This portable grill and crawfish cooker auctioned for over $5000. 

 We watched items that had a value of $250, auction for over $800.  Items valued at $35, auctioned for $100.  One homemade pie auctioned for $600.  The people here really like to support St. Jude's Hospital and seem to have the money to do that.  Maybe the Duck Dynasty millionaires were there......?

Too bad I won't be around, sounds like fun.

We even got out there and did a little cajun dancing too.

Randol's and the Festival International de Lousiane

Betty's RV Park was a holding spot while waiting for the Crawfish Festival to start.  But no worries, there were plenty of things to keep us busy.  One evening we went to Randol's, a restaurant that provides live cajun music every night.  Our friends, Chuck and Sherry from Bandera, were there.

Marion, Judy, Max and Chuck

Chuck and Sherry on the dance floor.

Chuck playing the Rubboard.

Sherry is teaching Marion a new dance step.

Chuck is dancing with both Sherry and myself.  Yes, we are as twisted up as it looks, but Chuck was good, he brought us out of it perfectly.

The night is over and we head home.  I'm just glad real, live alligators aren't this big.

We happened to arrive in time for the Festival International de Louisiane, held in Lafayette.  They have bands from all over the world, highlighting different cultures and styles of music.  Multiple stages are going at the same time, and the bands change every few hours, so you can stroll the area and stop and listen whenever you hear something you enjoy.  The festival also highlights crafts and goods from these countries too, if you are in the market for hand carved wood from Africa, or beads from South America.

This band was from India.

You never know what you will see on the streets.

This band was singing Irish ballads.

Holly Beach

As we left the Houston area, we headed south along the Creole Nature Trail to Holly Beach, the Cajun Riviera.

I spotted this as we were driving.  After parking the RVs we returned to check it out.  Someone had spray painted this poor dead dolphin.  Couldn't see any obvious reason why it was dead, but I do believe it had been here for a little while anyway.  I'm glad we weren't parking overnite next to this.  We ran into a local and they said this was not an uncommon site.

Parked on Holly Beach.  This year it wasn't so windy and it was really very pleasant, just cool.  Last time we were here it was warm enough to go swimming, but the wind was terrible.  Maybe next time it will be both warm and not windy.

Holly Beach really isn't a town.  Not even a gas station.  This is as close as it comes to having a store.

As you can see, it's not much.  You don't want to arrive here expecting to pick up supplies from the local market.

This may be the Cajun Riviera, but I don't think it's ready to compete with the French Riviera, at least not yet.

All you can see is shrimp boats and offshore oil wells.

Fancy sure did like it though.  She even got to run loose on the beach.

The entire lower highway is designated as the Creole Nature Trail.  

The highway at one point has a ferry crossing.  Last time we were here the main ferry was getting repairs and they were using a smaller ferry which only held one RV at a time, and anything longer than 50 foot total, had to disconnect their tow vehicle (I was 53 ft).  Today, we got three RVs (without disconnecting the tow vehicles, plus several semi's and cars.

Next stop, Betty's RV Park, Abbeville, LA.

You can check out my previous adventures by looking in the archives of April 2011.

Kemah Boardwalk and San Jacinto Monument

Although I have been to both of these places before, I still find it exciting and different each time I go back.

This time it was quite breezy and cool, a weekday, and most of the boardwalk businesses were closed.

I believe the carousel was open, but no one was riding.

Last time I was here, the wooden roller coaster was closed, but today, it is open.  I debated on whether to ride it, but my last experience with a wooden roller coaster was not a pleasant one, so I walked on.  

The Battle of San Jacinto was where Santa Anna of Mexico was defeated by the Texans.  Following the slaughter at The Alamo, Texans were not going to loose again.

The USS Texas.

My previous blogs of these places can be seen here:  Houston Space Center and Kemah Boardwalk; Shiner Bock and Battle of San Jacinto

Galveston

It seems like I was here such a long time ago.  Wait!  It was.  I visited Galveston almost 2 months ago and I'm just now finding the time to blog.  Wow, how time flies when you are having fun (and having no cell phone or internet also makes a difference).

Galveston is such an old town, settled by Europeans in 1816, back when Texas was still a part of Mexico.  The town was not only the primary port for the area but one of the most important ports in the U.S, until it was all but destroyed in a hurricane in 1900.  

You can see the Spanish influence in their architecture.

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Notice the symmetry of this building. 

Originally built in 1879 for Leon and H. Blum, Importers of and Wholesale Dealers of Staples and Fancy Dry Goods, Hats, Boots, Shoes, Notions, Etc.  In 1923 it became the home of The Galveston Tribune, and in 1985 opened as the elegant Tremont House Hotel.

Built in 1895 for a banking firm, it has housed several different businesses over the years.  It was severely damaged in the hurricane of 1961.  Restoration began in 1985.

When I was here before, I was unable to tour The Grand Opera House due to its being in use.  This time I was able to visit this wonderful and grand palace.  Built in 1894, it was designed to hold a theater, hotel and shops.  Although it sustained major damage in the 1900 hurricane, it was rebuilt and open again within a year. Instead of having its own resident theater company, it became a major stop for both American and European touring productions, and still is today.  Among some of the famous artists to have performed here are:  Lillian Russell, Lionel Barrymore, George M. Cohan, Sarah Bernhardt, Anna Pavlova, John Phillips Sousa, and Al Jolson, just to name a few.

The Grand Opera House is the Official Opera House of the State of Texas and has now entered its second century of providing entertainment.

The hotel and shops are gone, but the theater remains in all of its opulence.  Here I am standing on the third floor, looking down at the stage. Notice the private seating for each level on the sides.

The private seats were beautiful.

I first thought this was an oriental rug on display, but upon closer inspection, this is a sand painting (Mandala) by the Tibetan Monks of Gaden Shartse.  This Mandala was created on stage at the Grand and donated by the monks for display.

This Danish inspired Castle was built in 1890 by the Trube family, who still owns and occupies the residence today.

The Moody Mansion, built in 1895.  Galveston has over 60 buildings designated as National Historic Sites.

The Bishop's Palace, or Greshem's Castle, was built around 1890.  It was purchased in 1923 by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Galveston and it became of the residence of Bishop Christopher Byne.  In 1963 the mansion was opened to the public for tours. 

Sacred Heart Catholic Church

Hotel Galvez, built in 1911.

It was windy and cold, not a good day to run barefoot on the beach.

You can also check out my blog of when I visited in April 2011:  Galveston 2011