Incoming Journey from Long Island, NY - October 26-31, 2024
Host Coordinator - Lynn Robbins Ambassador Coordinator - Ivan Ziegler
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FFBR welcomed 11 ambassadors from Long Island on Saturday, October 26, by taking them to a local dance studio for a Halloween themed Cajun dance that included Cajun dance lessons and a buffet supper. Many of us and our ambassadors came in costume.
The next day, we took a guided tour of the Rural Life Museum, a replica of rural life in the 18th and 19th centuries in Louisiana. It is primarily an outdoor village of original structures that were moved from other locations in south Louisiana. A large barn-like structure houses many implements, furnishings, and other items related to that era, and adjacent grounds include a separate horticultural area called Windrush Gardens.
After lunch at a local Piccadilly Cafeteria, we briefly passed through the Louisiana State University campus and saw the Tiger mascot before relaxing at the Sunday in the Park outdoor musical event downtown. That was followed by a stop at Coffee Call for beignets and coffee au lait.
After lunch at a local Piccadilly Cafeteria, we briefly passed through the Louisiana State University campus and saw the Tiger mascot before relaxing at the Sunday in the Park outdoor musical event downtown. That was followed by a stop at Coffee Call for beignets and coffee au lait.
At LSU Rural Life Museum
In the chapel at the LSU Rural Life Museum
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LSU Mascot, Mike the Tiger
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Relaxing after lunch at Sunday in the Park concert downtown
On Monday, we traveled below Baton Rouge to visit Laura Plantation, an 1805 sugar plantation on the west side of the Mississippi River. Originally built by Flagy Duparc, it is currently named for Laura Theard, a later owner who died in 1974. Being close to New Orleans, the owners concentrated their social life there, so Laura was chiefly a working plantation without the fancier furnishings and larger spaces for guests and entertainment found in many other plantation homes farther upriver.
We had lunch at the nearby B&C Seafood seafood restaurant before taking an adventure at Cajun Price Swamp Tours near Laplace. Our ambassadors were able to see many alligators, wild hogs, birds, and other animals from the boats and were even able to hold and pet a baby alligator. The day ended with small dinner parties at the homes of some FFBR members.
Lunch at B&C Seafood restaurant
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Main building and gift shop at Cajun Pride Swamp Tours
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Dinner party at home of Sherry & Tony Dodson
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Dinner party at home of Joy Rich
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On Tuesday, we ventured north of Baton Rouge to visit Rosedown, an 1800s cotton plantation in St. Francisville, a village with a lot of British influence, rather than the Spanish and French of lower Louisiana. We dined at Magnolia Café, a local hotspot, then visited Grace Episcopal Church, an Anglican church built in the 1800s. In the church graveyard, we visited the grave of the only Union soldier buried there. He was a Mason, and there was cease fire for 3 days while local Masons held a funeral for him.
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On Wednesday, we attended a presentation by the LSU River Studies showing how the Mississippi has changed over the years as levees have been built. The guide also demonstrated how Louisiana is losing land to the Gulf of Mexico. A large working model of the lower Mississippi River allows researchers to simulate various "what if" situations with regard to river levels, floods, commerce, and other issues.
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Our next stop was the Capitol Park Museum, operated by the state of Louisiana, which showcases many geographical, cultural, commercial, and even politic things of interest in our state in a self-guided tour.
After lunch at Aztecas Mexican restaurant, we visited the Louisiana State Capitol, the tallest capitol building in the U.S. Visitors got a bird’s eye view of the area from the top and then a guided tour of the main hall, legislative chambers, and hallway where Huey Long, former governor and U.S. Senator, was assassinated.
View looking upriver from Capitol observation deck
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View looking downriver from Capitol observation deck
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We ended the journey with a buffet supper and socialization with our guests and club members. In possible response to our Cajun dance lessons at the Welcome Party, the folks from Long Island tried to teach us dances of their own at this Farewell Party. Unfortunately, a couple of resulting videos of the laughable efforts did not work well on our website, so only a few stills are posted. In consultation with FFBR, the visitors also presented a check for $110 as a charitable gift to Keep Tigertown Beautiful, which we were able to present to Jennifer Richardson, that group's founder later. The next morning, we transported the ambassadors to New Orleans for flights home or further visiting in New Orleans.
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FFBR Host Ambassador Lynn Robbins (left) and FFBR President JiJi Jonas present charitable gift check to Jennifer Richardson, founder of Keep Tigertown Beautiful.
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