We started the day at Louisiana State University's Rural Life Museum located in Baton Rouge. The museum consists of 23 buildings demonstrating architecture in Louisiana, from early settlement and Acadian homes to slave and other out buildings found on a plantation (plantation homes themselves were not covered since the focus was on the less moneyed classes). It was interesting to wander around and look at the buildings and to sort through their barn full of various artifacts. Before attending the museum, I had read a couple reviews from people complaining that the buildings and artifacts are all just thrown together without much material to help organize or explain it. Beth (who did not read the reviews) had the same basic opinion. She also felt that most museums in the South have been that way, just a collection without much interpretation.
Next we went for a tour of the Atchafalaya swamp in an airboat. How could you pass up an airboat tour when in the Louisiana swamp? I scheduled the tour as we left the Rural Life Museum and didn't leave much time for lunch after the driving to get out into the Atchafalaya basin. So, we found a boudin shop on the same highway exit as the tour and had our first experience with Louisiana boudin (we had boudin balls [which are fried stuffing from the boudin links] earlier but I considered that cheating). Boudin is apparently big business here. On this exit were two boudin stands. The first was so busy that we wanted to go there (lots of people, must be the best, right) but couldn't find a place to park. So we went to the other shop just a short way down the road. There was no one there when we got there but it was hopping by the time we left. We ordered boudin links (which are around 12" long in a pork casing), some plain smoked and some on sandwiches (the lady in the shop made it clear it isn't often ordered as a sandwich, even if it is on the menu). There was no seating in the stand (it was primarily setup as a drive-through) but there were a couple benches to sit on outside in a shaded porch. Everyone agreed the boudin was good. It had a little bit of spice to it but not so much that any of us objected.
We arrived at the landing just in time for the airboat tour. We were issued hearing protection (the airboat is loud) and boarded the boat. We stated the tour in open water that looked like much of the lakes, bayous, and rivers we have already seen on the trip (different than Minnesota because of the bald cypress with Spanish moss growing throughout the lake). We then moved into an area carpeted with aquatic vegetation. Our tour guide showed us his duck blind (I believe he brings us to this area because most of what is not open water down here is privately owned, and he owns this portion of the swamp) and stopped in an area where he said an alligator will often visit. While we were paused, we saw an owl playing (or eating, or, who knows) in the water, but no alligator.
Our guide told us a little about the swamp. The vegetation that is all over is water hyacinth. It was introduced to the area during the 1884 New Orleans World Fair and has since taken over. He also said the water in this area has been receding for the last couple weeks and will be dry (or, I guess, mucky) soon (part of the seasonal cycle). I asked if it would come back up when the Mississippi flood waters come down the river (which would only impact this area if the Army Corps of Engineers diverted additional water from the Mississippi into the Atchafalaya basin via the Old River Control Structure or Morganza Floodway) and he felt pretty certain the water would not come back up. The alligator never showed, he thought perhaps because she had gone someplace to nest (this was norrmally where she nested but the water is staying higher than normal for this time of year, so she may have gone elsewhere).
So, he brought us to an alligator nesting area. Here there were two alligators that greeted us, swam right up to the boat. He apparently has a personal relationship with one of them, he said he has been feeding him for 17 years. What is an alligators favorite snack? Marshmallows, of course. He fed the alligator and picked it up by under its jaw (I think to show us that he could) and we watched them for awhile.
I saw some reviews of this tour where people complained that the only alligators you got to see appeared to be trained. The airboat is LOUD. I'm pretty sure that anything that doesn't want you to see it is long gone before you ever get near. The only wildlife we saw were birds (only a couple species, plus the owl) and the alligators. I think if you really want to see wildlife, a different conveyance is really in order. Following the alligator visit, we returned to the dock. The tour was around 1.5 hours. Beth and the kids considered this one of the highlights of the trip, along with the next stop.
French Quarter, New Orleans. On our way from the boat tour to New Orleans, we booked a Voodoo tour with Haunted History Tours. We chose a 7:30 tour so we could see the French Quarter in the dark. I was a little apprehensive about this, not really knowing much about the French Quarter, except for its reputation as a party town, but, in the end, it was a good choice.
Driving into the French Quarter, I was amazed. First of all, getting off of the freeway and into the French Quarter requires you perform a ritual at the wheel of the car that involves most of a whole U-turn and a quick lane change. Then, in the French Quarter, the streets are narrow and filled with people. Fortunately, traffic is pretty light and and all of the streets are one way, so it is manageable. One problem though, is that I hate parallel parking, so, when we found a parking garage, I took that option. The parking garage had valet parking. They take the car into an elevator, and parked it. . . somewhere. Given the amount of gear in the van, I felt better about having it parked out of the way.
So, then we were on foot. The buildings and the streets were really cool and the people were really drunk (or on their way). The smell of strong alcohol was everywhere. It didn't feel like a dangerous place at all (and there were other obviously tourist families around). Most everyone was having a good time. Plenty of people asking for money, some with a shtick, some not. Some examples of shtick that we witnessed were a living statue (a gentleman dressed in an Uncle Sam costume with a dog posed in the process of crossing the street), a gentleman on a box, painted all in sliver, striking various poses for brief periods of time, a dance off, some boys, probably under 10 doing a tap-dance routine, a boy who rode around on his bike and said he also tap danced and wanted money. Tons of people, lots of police presence. So, while I was still aware of the fact that I was a conspicuous tourist with my camera bag, etc, I didn't feel too concerned. We had dinner at The Old Coffeepot Restaurant near where our tour started (Beth enjoyed the Grits and Gridalles from their breakfast menu) and then toured the neighborhood for a bit before our tour started.
The tour (as we were told multiple times before it started) was not a spooky tour, or a tour where people jump out and try to scare you (as the tour guide put it, if that happens, it's called a mugging, punch them in the face and run [she was carrying two knives, which actually seems like it might escalate the situation, so, I hope she is good with them]). Instead, she provided some background on what voodoo is and how it evolved in New Orleans. The essential story is that voodoo was first and most prominently practiced by Marie Laveau (a free born African American woman). Marie Laveau was very engaged with the community, involved in the betterment of the neighborhood, and was well respected. Marie Laveau had a daughter that looked just like her. When she died, her daughter took the name Marie Laveau and spread the rumor that she was indeed the same person as her mother, leading some to believe Marie Laveau was immortal. As it turns out, the new Marie Laveau was not a good person. She was a schemer and a hustler. She would plant omens at peoples' doorsteps and when they came to ask her the meaning of it, she would tell them of the dire thing that was about to happen to them, UNLESS, they paid her to remove the hex. There were many other stories of her doings. It appeared that the story of voodoo in New Orleans was really the story of Marie Laveau II making herself rich through the fear of others.
By the time the tour concluded, it was getting dark. I didn't want to stick around with all of my gear on my shoulder now that we had lost the tour herd. So, we booked it. Getting out of the French Quarter and to our hotel was not too difficult. That evening I was browsing for some information on the French Quarter when I noticed a news article. The article said 9 people had been shot at 2:45 AM this morning just around the corner from where our tour started. It also said this was the first shooting in the French Quarter in three years. So, is it safe? I would guess it is probably more likely you will be mugged than shot but I wouldn't want to be responsible for three kids in the French Quarter much later than we were there. In any case, we enjoyed our time in the French Quarter and seeing it in the early evening hours. The kids ranked this as one of the highlights of the trip.
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