Incoming Journey from Edmonton, Canada - April 11-18, 2024
Host Coordinator - Lin Ashton Ambassador Coordinator - Lou Duigou (do-we-gou)
On Thursday, April 11, after a four-day visit in New Orleans, 8 ambassadors from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and 2 ambassadors who came for a second visit from Columbia Cascade in Oregon arrived in Baton Rouge. The itinerary began on Friday morning, April 12, with a brief ceremony at Galvez Plaza downtown by the Old State Capitol including a proclamation from the Mayor and raising of the Canadian flag. After a lunch "on your own," the group toured Magnolia Mound, an in-town plantation south of downtown and north of Louisiana State University. The day ended with a festive welcome party at the Williamsburg Senior Living Center.
Canadian Flag Raised Over Baton Rouge Galvez Plaza
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Mayor's Assistant Presents Proclamation
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Magnolia Mound Plantation Main House
Magnolia Mound Slide Show Below - Click on Play/Pause or Direction Arrows or Scroll/Click a Photo at Right
Welcome Party Slide Show Below - Click on Play/Pause or Direction Arrows or on a Photo at Right
On Saturday, April 13, the group traveled west on I-10 from Baton Rouge with the first stop at the Atchafalaya Welcome Center in the middle of the Atchafalaya Basin. We then continued to Lafayette to visit Vermilionville, a re-created Acadian Village with folks in period dress demonstrating and explaining various crafts. In addition to a guided tour of the buildings and grounds, we enjoyed lunch at Café Maman and an afternoon of music in the pavilion. Hosts and their ambassadors were then on their own for the late afternoon and evening.
Atchafalaya Area Map at Welcome Center
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Atchafalaya Welcome Center Entrance
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Atchafalaya Welcome Slide Show Below - Click on Play/Pause or Direction Arrows or on a Photo at Right
Cafe Maman
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Vermilionville
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Vermilionville Slide Show Below - Click on Play/Pause or Direction Arrows or Scroll & Click a Photo at Right
Sunday, April 14, began with a free morning to visit with hosts or other sites around Baton Rouge. In the early afternoon, we again traveled west on I-10 to Henderson for McGhee’s Swamp Tour. Before getting back on I-10, many of us stopped at Louisiana Market/Shops, an interesting gift shop at the Henderson I-10 exit. That evening, ambassadors and hosts were divided into groups for dinner parties at the homes of FFBR members LaDeta Crawley with Vera Ricard, Morena Cazedessus with Joy Rich, and Trudy Ivy with Mike Wyble.
Swamp Tour Slide Show Below - Click on Play/Pause or Direction Arrows or on a Photo at Right
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Gift Shop and Flea Market at Henderson/I-10 Exit
Dinner at LaDeta Crawley's - Appetizers on the Patio
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Dinner at LaDelta Crawley's - The Formal Feast
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Dinner at Karen Pharis' House
The first stop on Monday, April 15, was the Houmas House and Gardens, an 1840 Greek revival plantation near Burnside on the Mississippi River downsteam from Baton Rouge. The visit included a tour of the mansion, open access to the gardens, and a lunch buffet at its Dixie Café. That was followed by an optional visit to the Cajun Village & Coffee House in Sorrento or visits to other sites in Baton Rouge.
Houmas House
Houmas Tour Slide Show Below - Click on Play/Pause or Direction Arrows or Scroll & Click a Photo at Right
Houmas Gardens Slide Show Below - Click on Play/Pause or Direction Arrows or Scroll/Click a Photo at Right
Tuesday, April 16, began with a movie and tour of the Old State Capitol followed by a stop at the Baton Rouge Area Souvenir Shop (BRASS) on North Boulevard. After lunch at a choice of downtown eateries, the afternoon was occupied by a visit to the Capitol Park Museum. The evening was left free for further visiting and dinner between ambassadors and hosts.
Old Louisiana Capitol Building (Castle on the Hill)
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Ambassadors & Hosts Pose in Rotunda of Old State Capitol
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Old LA Capitol Slide Show Below - Click on Play/Pause or Direction Arrows or Scroll & Click a Photo at Right
Outside Capitol Park Museum
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Welcome to Louisiana Capitol Park Museum
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Capitol Museum Slide Show Below - Click on Play/Pause or Direction Arrows or Scroll/Click a Photo at Right
For Wednesday, April 17, the last full day of the journey, we first drove south to Nottaway Plantation, an 1850’s sugar cane estate. The house is the largest antebellum mansion in the South and is situated on 31 acres on the west side of the Mississippi River near White Castle. After lunch at the Court Street Café in Port Allen, we toured the West Baton Rouge Museum.
Nottoway Plantation Mansion
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Site Map of Nottoway Resort Plantation
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Nottoway Slide Show Below - Click on Play/Pause or Direction Arrows or Scroll & Click a Photo at Right
Do Not Have Pictures from West Baton Rouge Museum
The day ended with a gala Farewell Party at First Christian Church. First up was dinner of lasagna, jambalaya, and assorted appetizers, side dishes, and desserts. Entertainment started with the ambassadors providing a quick geography lesson and then retelling a dramatic Canadian legend. The main show was dancers from the Cajun French Music Association demonstrating several different styles of Cajun music and dances and adding to the fun by having us join in. A make-shift Cajun band was created with some of our folks handling tambourines, triangles, and chest-worn washboards played with spoons. The party ended with a traditional Mardi Gras second-line dance and the presentation of a club gift from the Edmonton club to FFBR.
Farewell Party - FFBR President JiJi Jonas addresses Crowd
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Farewell Party - Ambassadors Narrate Canadian Legend
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Farewell Party Slide Show Below - Click on Play/Pause or Direction Arrows or Scroll/Click a Photo at Right
The next morning, we bid our visitors a sad farewell and expressed our best wishes for their next stops in Birmingham and Huntsville, Alabama.