"Callin Baton Rouge"
KOA Denham Springs. LA Sept.11-12. 2020
Mom and dad were talking about the significance of this day for them. For them 9/11 is first and foremost their first born’s birthday.
When 9/11 occurred, it certainly dampened the joy of their First celebration for this day with so many lost…
They remarked that they can’t believe our only son, “Topher” Christopher Michael Sage celebrates his 41st birthday!!!
Saying the days, months and years have flown by is such a cliche, but they said it really is so true!!!
I was so happy to meet him this past month along with his family…we had so much fun together!!! They even forgave me for my puppy transgressions. True Love! We miss them along with Bek and Milena so much!
"The City of Natchitoches was founded in 1714 the site was established near a village of Natchitoches Indians. As the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase territory, its history is also a story of the development of our nation." It looks like there is plenty to see in this area...Here's just a couple of the places to visit that mom found:
Once again, we are seeing the logging trucks. It was explained when we saw Boise Cascade another big paper company. It turns out I-49 seems to parallel the meandering Cane River that appears to runs South to North for 30 miles from the Red River of the South. It’s banks are dotted with a number of plantations.
Alexandra was the biggest town we have seen for awhile since our route bypassed Shreveport. It’s a farming, trading hub and cultural center for the center of the state. Again, a number of plantations can be found around the city’s outskirts.
Waze really outdid itself today taking us some obscure ways. We passed through the Atchafalaya Basin
wetland and swamp in Louisiana. According to Wikipedia it’s one of the largest wetlands in the USA
Krotz Springs is a town in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Atchafalaya River. It had nice banners. We can’t say a lot for the elevated roads over the wetlands, other than they are bumpy!
It seems everytime we end up on I-10, outside Baton Rouge, there is a traffic jam...The last time it was an LSU game which was fun since they were all sporting flags, clothes and gear; not to mention and party atmosphere... Once we got through that mess, it didn't take us long to arrive at our latest KOA campground.
Our Denham Springs KOA was really great!!! What's with all the KOA cats that wander around teasing me???
After hooking up and cooling down, M & D decide to pick up dinner from a Greek restaurant close by Cafe Phoenicia in Denham Springs. Mom especially loves Greek food and they hadn’t had any in awhile. It turned out to be so much food, that they have enough for another meal, even after sharing some bites with me. We all enjoyed it very much!
We coordinated Sunday night's dinner plans with Molly and Andy. We will be in Santa Rosa Beach by Destin, FL. close to where they live. They are meeting us at The Craft Bar, a cute craft beer place, so we can eat outside with me too. I so love being included!!! Dad was checking with them about our upcoming weather there. It’s definitely going to be rainy while we are there. Fortunately, mom had taken me out for my final evening duties before the rain hit here with a vengeance. Mom and dad were happy to have it. They hoped it would clean some of the desert sand/dirt and all the bugs off Lucille and Sleeping Around.
We awoke to a pretty, muggy morning here. After picking up breakfast from the KOA Weekend Kitchen, M & D decided to do some housekeeping duties: dad repairing some items that needed it and mom cleaning off windows, removing oil/dirt and bugs off Lucille and Sleeping Around. By the time they cooled down and cleaned up, we got a late start to see these places that mom found to go see...
Unfortunately, by the time we got here, it started to pour, so we didn't park and walk around like we normally would have...It sat admits a beautiful Memorial Park and small lake with the new Governor's Mansion close by...
“Once the home to nine Louisiana Governors, this restored house museum includes memorabilia such as Huey Long's pajamas and Jimmie Davis' guitar, and is furnished to reflect the era in which it was occupied, 1930-1962.
Old Governor's Mansion History
Today, the Old Governor’s Mansion serves as a historic house museum remembering the lives of the nine governors who lived here, as well as the headquarters for Preserve Louisiana and a venue for special events. But its history starts in 1929 with the Huey P. Long family.
HISTORY OF THE MANSION
The Louisiana Old Governor’s Mansion was built in 1929-1930 under the governorship of Huey P. Long, its first resident. Building the Old Governor’s Mansion cost almost $150,000, plus an additional $22,000 (a princely sum during the Great Depression years) for the finest damask and velvet drapes, crystal chandeliers, hand printed French wallpaper, and other fine appointments. (The only good thing here is it had to employ a lot of individuals!) The Old Governor’s Mansion served as a residence to nine governors until 1962, when a new mansion was constructed just east of the New State Capitol building. In 1964, the Old Governor’s Mansion became the home of the Louisiana Arts & Science Museum (then, Louisiana Arts & Science Center) and served as the headquarters for the Museum until 1976.
In 1978, the Mansion was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Mansion underwent restoration from 1996-1998, and opened as a historic house museum in 1999.
LOUISIANA'S WHITE HOUSE
The Louisiana Old Governor’s Mansion is reported to be inspired by the White House as it was originally designed by Thomas Jefferson. It is said that Long wanted to be familiar with the White House in Washington when he became president, so he had the White House duplicated in Baton Rouge.
The Old Governor's Mansion Street
Many of the features of Louisiana’s Old Governor's Mansion are reminiscent of those in the ornate White House in Washington, D.C. Both structures have a portico supported by four smooth columns; both have similar entrance rooms, east rooms, west wings for office spaces, and state dining rooms on their first floors; both have oval rooms on their second floors, as well as east wing guest bedrooms; there is a stairway with a beautiful, large curving marble staircase with a fancy wrought iron banister; and the floor of the stair hall is black-and-white checked marble. From the outside, it was lovely and definitely reminded one of a mini Whitehouse!
This New Mansion wasn't far from the Old or the New State Capitol and another gorgeous Riverfront area. Again, we were only able to drive around it...
Mom and dad thought the history of these sites were fascinating...Never underestimate the egos of some men...
"Louisiana's Old State Capitol sits on a hill overlooking the Mississippi River in downtown Baton Rouge. Completed in 1849, the castle-like fortress has been restored to its original grandeur..." "Louisiana's Old State Capitol educates the public on Louisiana's rich history and the democratic process through exhibits, programming and the arts. The museum is dedicated to inspiring engaged citizenship, advancing the collection and preserving this National Historic Landmark."
“What began as the dream of one man - Governor Huey P. Long - became a symbol of pride, history and the spirit of Louisiana people. As the tallest capitol in the United States, the Louisiana State Capitol building is 450 feet high with 34 floors. It was completed after only 14 months in 1932 and stands on a 27-acre tract.
The Baton Rouge Riverfront area is positively beautiful with the Old State Capitol Building overlooking it, the USS Kidd Memorial Museum and ship, old warehouses transformed into a casino and hotel and Raising Cane's Riverfront Center and another museum and such..."For those that have never been on a Fletcher Class WWII Destroyer here is the virtual tour and explanation"
We were fortunate enough to walk around this area for a few minutes before dad had us heading back to the car ahead of the rain. Wish we could have gone into the Old Capitol building, it looked like it came out of a fairytale...
After driving around to see these downtown sites, dad wanted to go see Louisiana State University, the LSU Tigers.
What a beautiful campus and neighborhood!!! University Lake seems to provide the backdrop that the university and neighborhood are designed around?
Since it had started to rain again, the photos don't do the campus and surroundings justice.
Mom was trying to find stuff to see and do here and this popped up…unfortunately, not quite Baton Rouge; but another historic place to see sometime???…
..., outside of town in Lafayette, LA. Walking through our 23-acre living history museum and folklife park will transport you back in time, landing in Acadiana in the years between 1760 and 1890. Come and meet our costumed artisans who are demonstrating trades and crafts exactly was they would have been performed in this era. You'll hear the stories of the Native Americans of the region, the Acadians, and the Creoles and people of African descent, learn about the region's history, and discover how their cultures developed into Acadiana's unique contemporary folklife."
Since we were staying in Denham Springs, we had seen historic downtown signs.
Off we went...It reminded us of a small farm town in southern Ohio, Lebanon, OH, but on a much reduced scale.
It had a number of antique places, cute boutiques and tiny cafes like Lebanon; that a number of people seemed to be enjoying on this rainy afternoon.
Her hubby was the chef; and if his pink, light vodka sauce and chicken were any indication, he knew his trade. Wow! Mom let me finish her last few bites...Delightful!!! They bought some fancy Italian deli meat, fresh ciabatta, parmesan eggplant and chicken and to have another day...
Mom is excited because it will keep her cooking easier; especially, if we are stuck inside Sleeping Around while it's raining.
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