We started the day by doing something we planned to do the day before. We went to Avery Island (http://www.tabasco.com/avery-island/) where they make Tabasco sauce. It was only about 20 minutes from our hotel.
When we got there, we drove over by the Tabasco factory. The smell of the Tabasco was overpowering first thing in the morning. They offer tours (for a fee), but we decided to explore the Jungle Gardens instead. The Jungle Gardens (http://www.junglegardens.org) are are set on 170 acres alongside Hayes Coulee.
We drove through a stand of Spanish moss covered Live Oak trees that are hundreds of years old. They provide natural air conditioning as the breeze blows through the leaves.
We stopped at a Marsh trail and walked for a bit. We saw a small snake in the water, and as we walked further, Sarah spotted a water moccasin next to the trail. We almost turned around, but the snake went into the marsh. On the way back, the snake was in the same spot again. Once again, it went into the marsh. We also spotted an alligator in the water. We almost did not see it, it was so well camouflaged.
When we got there, we drove over by the Tabasco factory. The smell of the Tabasco was overpowering first thing in the morning. They offer tours (for a fee), but we decided to explore the Jungle Gardens instead. The Jungle Gardens (http://www.junglegardens.org) are are set on 170 acres alongside Hayes Coulee.
We drove through a stand of Spanish moss covered Live Oak trees that are hundreds of years old. They provide natural air conditioning as the breeze blows through the leaves.
We stopped at a Marsh trail and walked for a bit. We saw a small snake in the water, and as we walked further, Sarah spotted a water moccasin next to the trail. We almost turned around, but the snake went into the marsh. On the way back, the snake was in the same spot again. Once again, it went into the marsh. We also spotted an alligator in the water. We almost did not see it, it was so well camouflaged.
We got back in the car and drove a little further. There were a series of ponds, and we saw alligators all along the way. We stopped further down the road and walked around a small island. There were three alligators in the water surrounding the island. It was fascinating to watch them glide along in the water.
The next stop was the Asian garden where they have the statue of Buddha. The statue is said to be over 900 years old. Local Buddhists perform ceremonies there throughout the year, especially on the Buddha’s birthday. The statue sits in a glass case. I would like to have seen the statue without the glass, but I understand why the glass is there. Many people go through the gardens, and not everyone would respect the statue. It could easily be damaged by accident or by vandalism.
We drove through some other areas before making a stop at Bird City. We walked down to an observation platform where we could see out over a lake. On the lake were large platforms where hundreds if not thousands of snowy egrets were nesting. I was able to get quite a few photos. In one of the photos, a young bird has a parent’s beak in its beak and appears to be biting down. No matter the species, children have to give their parents a hard time.
Bird City began in the 1890’s as a conservation project. The number of snowy egrets had dropped due to overhunting. The feathers were used in ladies hats. Ned McIlhenny raised eight egrets in an aviary. In the fall, he released them to migrate across the Gulf. The next year, six came back to the spot (with their mates). Over the years, it has grown to the incredible preserve it is today.
Along with photos, I also made an audio recording of the birds. We were fortunate enough to be on the platform by ourselves for a few minutes. The sounds of the birds was fascinating.
Bird City began in the 1890’s as a conservation project. The number of snowy egrets had dropped due to overhunting. The feathers were used in ladies hats. Ned McIlhenny raised eight egrets in an aviary. In the fall, he released them to migrate across the Gulf. The next year, six came back to the spot (with their mates). Over the years, it has grown to the incredible preserve it is today.
Along with photos, I also made an audio recording of the birds. We were fortunate enough to be on the platform by ourselves for a few minutes. The sounds of the birds was fascinating.
After Bird City, we drove through the rest of the gardens and then headed over to the Tabasco Country Store. Sarah and I tried a few of the hot sauces. After three or four, all I could taste was heat.
We left Avery Island and headed to the Marriott Courtyard in Houma. It was a pretty long drive to Houma. We drove through Morgan City in St. Mary Parish. That city and that parish are my least favorite places in coastal Louisiana. When I worked down there the people in Morgan City were nice to me as long as they thought I had money to give them. When they found out we did not have grant money, they were actually quite rude. I know I should not judge the entire Parish by a few people, but these were the leaders of the Parish, and their actions left a bad taste in my mouth. It has been 20 years, and it still bugs me.
When we got to Houma, we checked into our hotel and brought in the luggage. Then we drove down to Cocodrie along Grand Caillou. We stopped at Ceana’s Cajun Cooking for lunch. It was another great fried feast. Sarah had a shrimp po-boy, Kate had a catfish po-boy, and I had a bowl of chicken and sausage gumbo.
When we got to Houma, we checked into our hotel and brought in the luggage. Then we drove down to Cocodrie along Grand Caillou. We stopped at Ceana’s Cajun Cooking for lunch. It was another great fried feast. Sarah had a shrimp po-boy, Kate had a catfish po-boy, and I had a bowl of chicken and sausage gumbo.
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