Greetings from Baton Rouge!
- Thread starter vraiblonde
- Start date
I suck.
It's on my list today to transfer pics from camera to computer, so I'll post some here. Today we're going into Baton Rouge, which will be a big photo op - I hope.
Baton Rouge is a cool little city. They have a nice downtown, right on the Mississippi River, with a ton of neat history things. We walked several miles taking in the sights. Visited the Old Capitol, which is now a museum and visitor's center, and the current Capitol, then had dinner at Acme Oyster House.
You know, whenever we ask people what's the "must eat" dish for their state, they frequently tell us the dumbest things. Stuff you can get anywhere - "Oh, you have to have the seafood" in pretty much every state we've gone to that is near the coast. In Louisiana they will tell you to try the gumbo, or the jambalaya, or the etouffee, or a po'boy.
No.
NO!
The "must eat" dish in LA is the chargrilled oyster. Acme Oyster House is famous for them, but a number of places serve them. Oysters on the half, hit with seasoned butter and parmesan, then flame grilled; served with french bread to mop up the amazing sauce. EXCELLENT!
Their guy here is Huey Long, who is buried on the grounds of the current Capitol. We got a nice history lesson while touring both Capitols.
You know, whenever we ask people what's the "must eat" dish for their state, they frequently tell us the dumbest things. Stuff you can get anywhere - "Oh, you have to have the seafood" in pretty much every state we've gone to that is near the coast. In Louisiana they will tell you to try the gumbo, or the jambalaya, or the etouffee, or a po'boy.
No.
NO!
The "must eat" dish in LA is the chargrilled oyster. Acme Oyster House is famous for them, but a number of places serve them. Oysters on the half, hit with seasoned butter and parmesan, then flame grilled; served with french bread to mop up the amazing sauce. EXCELLENT!
Their guy here is Huey Long, who is buried on the grounds of the current Capitol. We got a nice history lesson while touring both Capitols.
Pics!
Here is our campground lake
This is Boudreaux and Thibideaux, who live in the lake with about a million geese
Memorial Park, on the Mississippi River waterfront downtown
The Old Capitol building
The current Capitol building
Here is our campground lake
This is Boudreaux and Thibideaux, who live in the lake with about a million geese
Memorial Park, on the Mississippi River waterfront downtown
The Old Capitol building
The current Capitol building
View of Baton Rouge from the 27th floor observation deck of the Capitol
View of Huey Long's gravesite and statue
Zoomed in
Old Capitol entrance
Big storm rolling in - we hid out in a bar and had drinks while it thunderstormed
View of Huey Long's gravesite and statue
Zoomed in
Old Capitol entrance
Big storm rolling in - we hid out in a bar and had drinks while it thunderstormed
Monello and I love state capitols because of the history, but the architecture is typically breathtaking. Everything is ornate and elegant, and I thought this touch in Baton Rouge was notable:
Their dang door hinges are works of art.
Their dang door hinges are works of art.
littlelady
God bless the USA
The first thing I thought of was Huey Long. Also, fun fact. Louisiana is still governed under Napoleanic Law.
https://www.bing.com/search?q=huey+...8-9&sk=&cvid=8B74C315FB28422D8AE753EB33209049
https://www.bing.com/search?q=napol...-27&sk=&cvid=7A07AD8F59C145DB99DA7DC5982C83E2
Our jaunt to Baton Rouge was quite enjoyable. It's not too far from where we are staying. Traffic was a little heavy when we got close to the city but luckily our exit to downtown was before the real logjam began. I think the bridge over the Mississippi river was the cause of the slow down.
We get to what looks like a good starting point. Right in front of the River Center and across the street from the river boat and the Louisiana Memorial Plaza. We find a parking spot right in front. I pull out my Jersey and back in. We both wonder if it is indeed a legal parking spot since it was close to the best spot around. There were other cars there and no signs so off we went.
Up on the levee they have some arty sculptures with murals and fountains. There were a bunch of kids on some sort of field trip. I admire those chaperones that are charged with herding a flock of wiggly preteens on an outdoor outing. Talk about earning your pay. I heard a few commands of "Stop throwing rocks!" It seemed pitching stones into the fountain was too much to resist. Other than the kids, there was a noticeable lack of people out enjoying the sights. Every time I've been to Washington, DC, all the memorials are packed with visitors. There was an old Navy WWII destroyer that is now a floating museum along with a river boat.
We walk along the levee, taking in the sights. The I10 bridge over the river is visible as it the new LA state capital building. It's the tallest of all the capitol buildings. A section of the old capital is also visible from there. It resembles a squat castle with it's unique architecture.
We head out by foot in the direction of the new capital building. It's a bit of a walk and it's pretty warm out. We meander around the different downtown streets. There are very few people out and about. 3rd street looks like a place that should be bustling with people. There are bars, restaurants and hotels in this area. Even the traffic is light for a capital city. We seek out the welcome center but even though we follow the signs, the person at this location informs us that the welcome center has moved. I guess it never occurred to them to remove the several signs that pointed us to them. I'm fairly certain that we weren't the only tourists that followed those signs. But the building was air conditioned and it had functioning bathrooms, so it served a needed purpose.
Further along we passed something called the Pentagon Barracks. We didn't stop there. It's part of the state capital grounds. Built in 1825, they are used by several of the state officials for offices. The grounds leading up the the entrance to the state house have an ornate garden. There is a statue of Huey Long as the focal point. Long had the capital built when he was the state governor. He was shot and killed in the building in 1935. He's buried there and his statue is in the center of the gardens.
Inside the building we saw both chambers. The style is art deco. They did a lot of detailed work in the building. Most doors are sculpted. There is no shortage of polished marble in the building. We took the elevator up the to 27th floor where they have a wrap around landing where you can view the city. I'm not bothered by heights but I did get queasy when I went up the the rail and looked straight down. You aren't allowed to spit from the top, otherwise you risk arrest. Imagine you are in Angola prison and Budda asks you "So what are you in for?". I was so hot and thirsty from our walk that I don't think I could have even managed to get enough moisture together.
We could see dark, angry clouds off in the distance. Bad news was that they were heading our way. It looked like it was already raining over by our campground. It has rained quite a bit here. This day didn't look to end any differently. Jumping back on the elevator we reached the ground floor and bid farewell to the employees that greeted us upon arrival. Stepping outside I felt a raindrop. It was just a matter of time before the skies opened up. We picked up our walking pace and headed towards 3rd street. Not sure when it would start to pour, we ducked in to the first place we saw where we could get a drink.
And not a moment too soon. Shortly after being seated at the bar of a Mexican restaurant, the skies emptied. Even the barkeep mentioned how hard it was raining. Then he spied a guy without an umbrella walking slowly down the street. The only way he could have been wetter would have been to jump in the Mississippi river. When asked what would we like to drink Vrai chimed up with an unsweet tea. I got a margarita because Mexico. And I was hot from walking in the heat. And tequila with citrus. Magically Vrai's iced tea turned into a local beer.
The world cup was on the TV. Good thing it was muted. There were a bunch of little brown guys running around kicking a ball and falling down and grabbing various limbs when someone would get close to them. When the TV cameras would show views of the stands, it looked like a cross between a halloween costume party and a mosh pit. I think the spectators were having more fun that the players. They certainly were expanding more energy than the participants on the field.
1 of the guys that fell down got to kick the ball without all the other people crowding around him. The rest of the players got in an orderly line in front of him. I bet those players went to Catholic school. Because their line was straight and nobody was talking. They also had both hands cupped in front of their nuts. Even the coach, who wasn't on the field, was protecting his boys. Anyhow the ball got kicked. It flew through the air. It went in the net. The people in the stands lost their minds. A lot of sweaty men put their hands up to their faces in disgust. The kicker pranced around like tinker bell, doing a high step walk. A good time was had by all.
My food was tasty since I had little to eat all day and it was after 2pm. By the time we paid the check, the rain had stopped. Then off we went to the old state capital. The rain cooled things down a good 10 degrees.
The capital museum didn't disappoint. It's a shrine to the Long family with their decades of elected, public service to Louisiana. They are the Kennedy's of the south. I think Bernie Sanders is a distant cousin to Huey. They both have a distinct desire to redistribute wealth. Not everyone held Mr. Long in high esteem. He had more than a few critics.
We get to what looks like a good starting point. Right in front of the River Center and across the street from the river boat and the Louisiana Memorial Plaza. We find a parking spot right in front. I pull out my Jersey and back in. We both wonder if it is indeed a legal parking spot since it was close to the best spot around. There were other cars there and no signs so off we went.
Up on the levee they have some arty sculptures with murals and fountains. There were a bunch of kids on some sort of field trip. I admire those chaperones that are charged with herding a flock of wiggly preteens on an outdoor outing. Talk about earning your pay. I heard a few commands of "Stop throwing rocks!" It seemed pitching stones into the fountain was too much to resist. Other than the kids, there was a noticeable lack of people out enjoying the sights. Every time I've been to Washington, DC, all the memorials are packed with visitors. There was an old Navy WWII destroyer that is now a floating museum along with a river boat.
We walk along the levee, taking in the sights. The I10 bridge over the river is visible as it the new LA state capital building. It's the tallest of all the capitol buildings. A section of the old capital is also visible from there. It resembles a squat castle with it's unique architecture.
We head out by foot in the direction of the new capital building. It's a bit of a walk and it's pretty warm out. We meander around the different downtown streets. There are very few people out and about. 3rd street looks like a place that should be bustling with people. There are bars, restaurants and hotels in this area. Even the traffic is light for a capital city. We seek out the welcome center but even though we follow the signs, the person at this location informs us that the welcome center has moved. I guess it never occurred to them to remove the several signs that pointed us to them. I'm fairly certain that we weren't the only tourists that followed those signs. But the building was air conditioned and it had functioning bathrooms, so it served a needed purpose.
Further along we passed something called the Pentagon Barracks. We didn't stop there. It's part of the state capital grounds. Built in 1825, they are used by several of the state officials for offices. The grounds leading up the the entrance to the state house have an ornate garden. There is a statue of Huey Long as the focal point. Long had the capital built when he was the state governor. He was shot and killed in the building in 1935. He's buried there and his statue is in the center of the gardens.
Inside the building we saw both chambers. The style is art deco. They did a lot of detailed work in the building. Most doors are sculpted. There is no shortage of polished marble in the building. We took the elevator up the to 27th floor where they have a wrap around landing where you can view the city. I'm not bothered by heights but I did get queasy when I went up the the rail and looked straight down. You aren't allowed to spit from the top, otherwise you risk arrest. Imagine you are in Angola prison and Budda asks you "So what are you in for?". I was so hot and thirsty from our walk that I don't think I could have even managed to get enough moisture together.
We could see dark, angry clouds off in the distance. Bad news was that they were heading our way. It looked like it was already raining over by our campground. It has rained quite a bit here. This day didn't look to end any differently. Jumping back on the elevator we reached the ground floor and bid farewell to the employees that greeted us upon arrival. Stepping outside I felt a raindrop. It was just a matter of time before the skies opened up. We picked up our walking pace and headed towards 3rd street. Not sure when it would start to pour, we ducked in to the first place we saw where we could get a drink.
And not a moment too soon. Shortly after being seated at the bar of a Mexican restaurant, the skies emptied. Even the barkeep mentioned how hard it was raining. Then he spied a guy without an umbrella walking slowly down the street. The only way he could have been wetter would have been to jump in the Mississippi river. When asked what would we like to drink Vrai chimed up with an unsweet tea. I got a margarita because Mexico. And I was hot from walking in the heat. And tequila with citrus. Magically Vrai's iced tea turned into a local beer.
The world cup was on the TV. Good thing it was muted. There were a bunch of little brown guys running around kicking a ball and falling down and grabbing various limbs when someone would get close to them. When the TV cameras would show views of the stands, it looked like a cross between a halloween costume party and a mosh pit. I think the spectators were having more fun that the players. They certainly were expanding more energy than the participants on the field.
1 of the guys that fell down got to kick the ball without all the other people crowding around him. The rest of the players got in an orderly line in front of him. I bet those players went to Catholic school. Because their line was straight and nobody was talking. They also had both hands cupped in front of their nuts. Even the coach, who wasn't on the field, was protecting his boys. Anyhow the ball got kicked. It flew through the air. It went in the net. The people in the stands lost their minds. A lot of sweaty men put their hands up to their faces in disgust. The kicker pranced around like tinker bell, doing a high step walk. A good time was had by all.
My food was tasty since I had little to eat all day and it was after 2pm. By the time we paid the check, the rain had stopped. Then off we went to the old state capital. The rain cooled things down a good 10 degrees.
The capital museum didn't disappoint. It's a shrine to the Long family with their decades of elected, public service to Louisiana. They are the Kennedy's of the south. I think Bernie Sanders is a distant cousin to Huey. They both have a distinct desire to redistribute wealth. Not everyone held Mr. Long in high esteem. He had more than a few critics.
I do know that down here you can still be convicted even if 2 jurors vote not guilty. They only need 10 out of the 12 for a conviction.
black dog
Free America
Dang, you all have your own interwebs tour guide....
We value the input of the people on the forums. People are a great source for places we have yet to visit but they may be very familiar with them. We don't say it enough but it is greatly appreciated. That's why we put out our itinerary in advance. Hopefully someone will point us in the right direction for places to go, things to do, or where to eat and drink.