Day 15 - Tour of Lake Charles, Louisiana

Submitted by:  Donna and Joe Risley #16


Our day started much like many others and then things changed.

Our first stop was the visitor’s center.  

There we picked up our local guide, Ralph Huval.

The first part of our tour was in the old and historic homes of Lake Charles.  The old and new courthouses.  Old Central School has many exhibits.  Here we viewed a stage show.  It reminded me of the Palm Springs Follies.

We had a tour through the Mardi Gras costumes.  Then there was a slow paced buggy tour pulled by a beautiful mule.

The next thing was to decorate a King Cake.  “I can’t believe we ate the WHOLE thing.”

After consuming the whole cake it was time to eat lunch.  

Off to the Seafood Palace. Crawfish, gumbo, shrimp and catfish was on our menu.  Most of us ate them all.

Captain Sammie Faulk joined us as our guide on our way to the Wildlife Refuge.  We passed by lots of rice fields.  At the refuge there was gators, turtles, snakes and all kinds of birds. 

The nature drive was exciting.  We saw many gators of all sizes, jumping fish and no less than a million water fowl.

The next stop was the most intoxicating place we have visited today.  Louisiana Spirits Distillery, the largest privately owned rum distillery in the USA.

Day 14 - Free Day in Sulphur/Lake Charles, Louisiana

Submitted by:  David Patterson and Kay Hart #15

This is a free day, so some took 

it easy some did chores, and well, 

we went bird watching.

Two new birds were seen today; one was the Hooded Warbler and the other was the Boat Trail Grackle, also more alligators.

Thanks to Mayor Chris Duncan of the City of Sulphur, L A 

we toured the new Brimstone Museum.  It was open for our 

group.  What a treat to learn the history of the area and about 

the early wells that recovered the sulphur.

We have been traveling throughout the State; not knowing that there is so much variety. 

Here are just a few observations that we have seen in the back country roads:

          The road sides and the yards grass is cut where ever there are home sites;

           If people have a boat the boat will be under cover before the vehicle;

Most homes are neat and clean, but once in a while one will have everything that they have acquired over the years in front yard;

Rivers are big, Bayous are back waters or what we know as creeks.  Swamps are in all areas of the State, and Lakes are so numerous that it is impossible to count them;

On the week end or Holiday fisherman are on the banks or in boats enjoying the out of doors because I did not see many fish caught;

           The people in L A are so polite and friendly.

Day 13 - Travel Day to Lake Charles, Louisiana

Submitted by:  Chris Muench #14

It was a travel day.  After a "Wal Mart fix" a lot of us proceeded to Sulphur, LA. 

Getting off of highway 10 a few of us were held up in traffic because of a horse procession. It looked to be about 100.  I parked and walked across a field to get some pictures only to find out I was at the tail end and missed the moment.

Walking back across the field I did see a crawfish hole. Never having seen one, I needed to take a picture.

When we were all settled at our campground we were welcomed by a committee of Mardi Gras greeters.  All dressed up in beautifully colored costumes.  

We were lucky enough to have the Mayor of Sulphur come and talk to us, while enjoying wine and cheese.

Later we all enjoyed a wonderful social and dinner of taco salad with ingredients brought by everyone.

Day 12 - Tour of Alexandria/Pineville, Louisiana

Submitted by: Kathy Michaud #13

                                                        

   

Bus tour of Alexandria/Pineville LA.  Shirley Ingram was our guide. Alexandria population is approximately 50,000, Pineville 15,000. The main industry is the military, then agriculture. There were many sawmill millionaires in this area in1800s. Where we camped in the Indian Creek Recreation Area had been clear cut. State forest started in 1920s as a show forest – 8,000 acres in the forest of which 2,000 acres is recreation area. Lumber is harvested every year.

Kent Plantation House is the oldest standing structure in central LA, a French/Spanish colonial. French settler Pierre Baillio II over-saw its construction of hand-hewn cypress, handmade bricks and bousillage (clay river dirt, animal hair and Spanish moss) for walls. The French Creole architectural design was changed to Greek Revival in the front by a new owner.  Kent was one of the few plantations not burned during the Civil War -- the owner was friends with William Tecumseh Sherman. The plantation depicts central LA from 1795-1855 with slave cabins, barn and other dependencies.

Silver Dollar Pawn Store – ‘Cajun Pawn Stars’Jimmy Deramus talked about this location which was just designated a museum. He has 6 warehouses of stuff. This location had many musical instruments, movie props/memorabilia, jewelry, the Martin Luther King hearse Jimmy had restored, guns, and hundreds of one-of-a-kind items. Tammi and her mom, Peggy, talked about museum, had their pictures taken and signed autographs.

Our group had a delicious lunch at SC – Southern Creations in Pineville just across the bridge over the Red River.

LA Maneuvers & Military Museum -- Richard Moran was our guide for the museum at Camp Beauregard, the National Guard headquarters. The museum is a recreation of WWII barracks for 150-200 men built in 1995. He talked about many aspects concerning WWII military planning. In 1940-41 the military established 5 major training camps in this area where approximately 500,000 military personnel were trained. They chose this area because of the challenging terrain and weather and land was available. Camp Claiborne is the largest where the 101^st Airborne started.

Forts Randolph and Buhlow State Historic Site – These forts were constructed at the site of Bailey’s Dam in 1864 to prevent another Union Red River expedition. The museum explained how the Union gunboats had been trapped on the Red River by low water and rapids. Joseph Bailey from Wisconsin figured out a way to build a dam to allow the gunboats to continue on the Red River south of Alexandria.

There was a demonstration and tasting of black pot cooking (peach cobbler) and musket firing.

Loyd Hall Plantation, Cheneyville LA – We were greeted at this plantation with mimosas, a tour and then dinner. 

The plantation is nearly 200 years old and is now a 640 acre working farm, sugar cane. Originally owned by a relative in the family of Lloyd’s of London. He was not to associate himself with Lloyd’s, hence the different spelling. During the Civil War he was a double spy and was later hung in his own front yard. The house was used for many functions through the decades, dance hall among them, and fell into disrepair for over a decade before restoration.  This property is now a B&B with pool and special event venue. There are outbuildings, old cars and farm tools displayed.