and in other news....Natchitoches...huh?

Why have we never heard of Natchitoches, LA?....(pronounced nack-a-tish)

 

Are we the only people in America who didn't know this gem was here. Known for the Christmas Festival of Lights - which we stumbled upon was just beginning to come to life, the city park and river-walk, along the Cane River, in the historic district is beautiful, quiet and just steps away from the many shops, cafes and historic colonial era homes that line the shore.

 

 A short walk from downtown you can see this Prudhomme Rouquier house which belongs to the family that also owned the Oakland Plantation just a few miles away - now Cane River Creole National Historic Park. Est. in 1821 it continued to be occupied by the Prudhomme family until 1998, at which time it was turned over to the NPS

 

(the live oak trees above were planted in 1826 to direct the wind into the house for cooling.)

and is now the Cane River Creole NHP.

 





 The plantation is almost completely intact as it appeared in the mid 1850's with just one or two changes. The cook's cabin was moved, in the 1930's  to another part of the property for use as a hunter's lodge; and the main house has been restored back to the 1960's era - considered the end of the "sharecropping era".

 

This 3 sash window section, is not only in-line with the front gate, but the 2 lower sections move up to allow for an additional 'entry/exit' into the main house. One on each side of the front door provided additional air flow during warmer months.

The 3,000 bottle garden below, begun prior to the Civil War, was both an early method of recycling of used French wine bottles and  a method  of replacing the box hedges that lined each segment of the garden.

 

After the Civil War, plantations created their own farm stores for supplies; both for the owners use, but also for their sharecroppers.

 Tokens like these were used to pay the sharecroppers, hence forcing them to also spend them in the plantation 'store'.

 

If you happen to find yourself in Natchitoches like us...do yourself a huge favor and to Lasyones for one of their famous, hand-made meat pies. (They also have a crawfish pie, for those who are meat-free.) It could become an addiction...

 

 

 

Before I take you further down the road...just a whimsical last note on plantation life. Ever wonder where the phrase "shoo fly" came from?  Pre-Civil War house dining rooms were equipped with a wooden panel bolted to the ceiling, and a young slave sitting on the floor would swing it back-forth, thus creating a breeze to "shoo flies away"from the dining guests.

 

 

A short walk down main street one will find the

re-created Ft. St. Jean Baptiste

Built to stop the expansion of the Spanish from Texas, it served as a trade center first for the tobacco crops and then later cotton.

At the fort, which is pretty much self-guided, there are roving "en-actors", dressed in period costumes, who will answer questions about the creation of, and function of the fort during it's usage. Mike asked the young man with the long gun about it's workings and he was more than happy to explain and demonstrate how to prime, load and fire the rifle. Had I known we would get a live demo I would have taken a video of it...so wish I had that now.

Walking back to the forts visitor's center this is the view from along the water's edge.

 

I have compiled a slide show attached to the blog should you wish to see more of Natchitoches, Oakland Plantation and Fort St. Jean Baptiste.

 

~ Ciao

 

 

Shreveport, art and gambling

LA State Exhibit Museum

Our first glimpse of a paddle-wheel riverboat casino on the Red River.










Shreveport, Louisiana on the edge of the Red River...named for the steamboat captain, Henry Miller Shreve, who opened the river up in 1839 - from a logjam called "The Great Raft" - 150 miles of logs clogging the Red River and leaving it virtually un-navigable.

 

We spent a couple of hours touring the Louisiana State Exhibit on the state Fairgrounds. Built in 1939, it is a Smithsonian affiliate and was really beautifully done, with these dioramas that present “Louisiana in Miniature", covering the history of  people, industry and economy, culture and natural resources of this state. From the Caddo natives to the present day oil and gas exploration, the displays captured our attention.

 

Along with the state history there is a large area devoted to original letters and documents "Autographing History" from the 1700's (Lewis & Clark) to the 1800's (T. Jefferson) that have been donated by the collectors Charles E and Gloria B. Meyer.

 

 

Sitting bull and General Custer above.             Daniel Boone above.

 

 

The sunken, circular map, which measures 49 feet in circumference, was created by internationally noted sculptor Duncan Ferguson, is located just inside the entrance.

 

If you find yourself hungry, as we did and having asked for a recommendation, we ventured into the "depressed" industrial area to eat at Herby K's....managed by his granddaughter, this 'diner' has been in the same location for 77 years. We had the house specialties: gumbo/etouffee and jumbo shrimp.

The diner has been "expanded" by enclosing the patio. The original space

here, has 9 counter stools and 4 booths -- that in a pinch will seat 24.

The food was very good, the staff friendly, service was good and we would willingly go back.

 Next up...an art museum. We checked our GPS and were directed to one on the campus of Centenary College -

Meadows Museum of Art

Really exquisite art on display...
"Our permanent holdings includes Indochina Collection of Jean Despujols. This comprehensive Collection represents the aesthetic achievements of a variety of world cultures and includes works by George Grosz, Emilio Amero, Mary Cassatt and Alfred Maurer. Additionally, the Meadows Museum of Art has received a copy of The Triumphal Arch of Maximiliian I by Northern Renaissance artist and engraver Albrecht Durer." (from http://www.centenary.edu/meadows)

 

and some of whimsy.

Marion Davis "Games On" 2011

 

 Gambling in Louisiana, for the most part, must be on the river. Hence the casinos are on riverboats and all the other services are built adjacent and on the river bank.  My total outlay = $0. By obtaining a "players" card with $5 to spend from the management, I was able to parlay that into winnings.

 

 YES! <cough>winner<cough>

 

 Hey, it helped pay for lunch.

 

~ Ciao

 

 

 



 

 

Gay Paree

I'v now been to Paris... Texas that is!  They say everything is bigger in Texas - however this Eiffel Tower stands only 65'....I giggled. The big red Stetson does nothing for the tower...other than be a beacon for incoming aircraft.

LaMar Co Historical Museum

There is a museum located on the grounds of the old Union Station with displays related directly to the city and the county, most notable: The Oak Ridge Boys are featured, as Duane Allen was born in LaMar county.

 

                                                              below > 1898 Physicians Buggy

                    
Inside they have re-constructed a small reclaimed cabin - a small portion of the interior below - inside one of the display rooms.

We stayed out at the Pat Mayse State Park,where large sites; many with views of the lake, provided quiet time after a day of exploring. Catfish and bass fishing kept the boat launch busy, but we were able to explore the lake in our kayaks on one of the sunny days.

In addition to the herons, cranes, coyotes - yes, we were serenaded by them nightly, and squirrels there was a large flock of ducks that moved around the lake as if connected together.
 

 

Our reward for the week was seeing our first armadillo...This one came out, at roughly 4pm, to feed in the same spot every day.  He didn't seem bothered by our presence, and we certainly enjoyed his.

Next up....Shreveport.

~ Ciao

 

 

 

 

Making our way to Paris; with a stop or two in-between

 



Who doesn't love a face like this? At the Wagon Master RV Park the owners raise them...they even have a hand-out describing each one, their personalities, names/ages...and how you can hand feed them. So sweet..





 



 We spent a day in Denton, TX, which is a major suburb of the DFW area. Considered a college town, anyone interested in rodeos, or the arts/jazz festival in April, should visit as well. These two events draw in roughly 300K visitors a year.

My love of old theatres continues to expand...especially in the historic districts of the towns we drive through. For the most part, the locals have renovated the buildings, to some degree and yet manage to keep the old marquees. This is now Denton Fine Arts Building.

 Denton Co. National Bank across the street from Denton County Courthouse - extraordinary building that is currently used by the county commissioners and as a museum by the historical society. At some point in the next year the historical society will receive the building entirely for museum space. Currently, the Courthouse-in-the-Square museum is located inside and was really interesting and fun.

Built in 1886, it was renovated in time for the Sesquicentennial in 1986 - which in turn resulted in a revitalization of the historic district of Denton.  All the interior doors have these brass plates displaying the restoration date.

 

The entire ceiling is made of stamped tin. During the restoration, they were able to get the original design and molds from the St. Louis mfg...so while some of the ceilings are newer they were able to use the original mfg in the restoration process. (This photo does not provide for the beauty and luster that is visible to the visitor.)

 

The railroad had a huge impact on the county, hence the museum uses this as a major focal point in depicting the history of the area.

 

A miniature train takes up the center of the main room....for your 9 sec viewing pleasure - enjoy. 

 

Museum offerings include some really interesting antiques; like this blanket loom... 

  making blankets from fabric strips.

 This is a taper candle mold.

And this is a corn sheller...

 

This cherry desk was designed to hold 'secrets'---cubbyholes hidden behind the drawers, the center panel pulls out to reveal a hidden back section...it was really fun to have the docent reveal all the hidden places.

 

 

 A section of the freeway with a lovely mural is below.

 

Next stop....gay Paree!
~ Ciao