Laissez les bons temps rouler

New Iberia

Nothing to show you from the trip to New Iberia, just I-10 and Louisiana highways, well that is if you don't count the naked guy riding a unicycle with his pet goat on a leash, which you can see everyday in Austin without driving so far.

B-O-R-I-N-G

Luckily my driver was anything but boring, so we solved the world's problems, discussed trips in the future, destinations that might or might not make it to the list, and even giggled a time or two.

First on the things to do was to find lunch.  We wanted to go to Clementine's but they were closed - even though the door was unlocked and the Open sign was on.  Pat had heard from a friend that is was good food, and I had read the website history and it caught my interest.  So even though we didn't get to go, you still get the story.  Clementine's was named for the owner's favorite artist, Clementine Hunter.  She worked on a plantation in the early 1900's and found some tubes of paint left by a visiting artist.  With those paints she documented her life which was pretty much just work and church.  She signed her work with her initials CH but turned the C around because she thought the regular way was cold and appeared to be turning her back to the person reading.  Instead she faced it to the left so it was welcoming and reaching for a hug.

OK, on to what we actually saw.  After a quick sandwich at a nondescript lunch counter we joined a tour of Shadows on the Teche, an antebellum home in historic downtown New Iberia.

The home was built between 1931 and 1934 and is 3,750 sf in size.  It was built on the edge of one of four plantations owned by David and Mary Weeks and it was the town house, used for entertainment and for a social life.  The rooms on the ground floor (kitchen - yup attached to the house by the last owner, dining room, and artist studio) were not interconnected.  You have to go outside to get to one of the other rooms.  David Weeks became quite ill while the home was being built and never lived in it, having died in New England where he had gone to seek medical attention.  Mary Weeks and her children continued to live at The Shadows and Mary remarried.  During the Civil War, Union officers lived in the home.  The property was separate from the second marriage and the eldest son of David Weeks inherited it on Mary's death.  He did a bit of restoration but after his death the two daughters, Lily and Harriet, inherited it and had to sell most of the land (all but 2 1/2 acres of the 158) to meet living expenses.  The last private owner was William Weeks Hall, Lily's son and he finished the restoration. 

William Weeks Hall was an artist and designed the grounds with an artist's eye.  The gardens are laid out very symmetrically with lines that draw your eye from one spot to the next.  He donated the home and the gardens to the National Trust towards the end of his life so it would be preserved for us to visit.  One of the unique items in the home was a door that his distinguished guests signed when they visited, Walt Disney was one such person signing for both himself and for Mickey Mouse.  However, if you angered him, or he didn't think you worthy of autographing the door, he would erase your signature. 

Unfortunately, no photos were allowed inside the home, but take our word for it, it was filled with  beautiful antiques and art work.  We can, however, show you the grounds.

The Bayou Teche from the grounds of Shadows on the Teche

The old oak trees with gnarly and twisted trunks and branches, draped in Spanish Moss were just plain fascinating.   Everywhere we went in Louisiana we were pointing and oooing and ahhhing at these gorgeous trees.

Even the Shadows needed a scarelizard.

The back of the Shadows.

The Weeks family is buried on the grounds of Shadows on the Teche.

The city of New Iberia has a boardwalk adjacent to the Shadows so we toodled down there to see what was what.  Surprise!  We were expecting just a walk along the Teche and found art instead.

Since all the Scarelizards have changed jobs it became the duty of the Scareducks to protect the art work and the board walk.  And a fine job they did.

After a relaxing glass of wine and a light dinner (I can't even type that with a straight face) at a local restaurant filled with locals we headed for bed in a beautiful bed and breakfast.  The light dinner was called a Half and Half.  Half etouffe and half fried shrimp.  Unfortunately, it was a full order of etouffe and a full order of shrimp, not the halves we thought.  On the plate with the main dishes of a large cup of etoufee with a mound of rice and at least 6 friend shrimp were fries, a hushpuppy, a fried banana, French bread, and a salad on the side.  BURP!  If every you are in New Iberia, I highly recommend Jane's.

Well I thought this would be a picture story about the beautiful flowers and homes we saw, but I think it is turning into a foodie blog.  I think Jo, the hostess at Estorge-Norton Bed and Breakfast could have put me in a tent in the back yard and I would still go back, just for the breakfasts!!  The first morning it was a tomato slice topped with a mixture of mushrooms, garlic, bread crumbs, onion and artichokes and covered in three cheeses.  Served with fresh fruit, cereal, croissants, and scrambled eggs taken up a notch. 

AVERY ISLAND - THE JUNGLE GARDENS

Fortified and miserable from overeating we took off for Avery Island and the Jungle Gardens.  I've wanted to go to Avery Island for about 20 years at least...didn't happen last year but it sure did this year and was well worth the wait.  The island gorgeous! 

Having risen through the ranks of Scarecrow, Scarelizard, and Scareduck Horatio finally achieved his life long dream of being the official Scarehawk of Avery Island, monitoring traffic as it crosses the bridge to the island.

I won't bore you with a lot of history, although it is interesting.  The gardens were designed and built by Edward Avery "Ned" McIllheney, son of the founder of the Tabasco Sauce Company.  It started as a refuge, Bird City, for the Snowy Egrets who were endangered.  Over a period of years he grew the gardens to 170 acres. 

It is a driving tour with stops along the way, some had side trips down trails or over lawns.  We seemed to have gotten tagged up with two other cars that were taking the tour with us.  One an older couple (she was 78 - we know that since she was quick to point it out at one point) and the other was a mother with her two young daughters.

The first stop was here with an invitation to walk down a trail.

We chose to stay in the car and not walk anywhere near this wild area!!!

Instead we stopped at Stop #2 to see the Oaks

Just a side note, the Jungle Gardens lie along the Bayou Petite Anse (Little Cove).  It flows into the Gulf of Mexico through the Avery Canal and Vermillion Bay and therefore was a commercial waterway in the 19th century when schooners regularly picked up salt and sugar to New Orleans and other ports.   The Union forces used it as a means to try to capture Avery Island's salt mines.  Try being the operative word.  They failed but a land offensive 6 months later worked.  Today the bayou is used by both recreational and commercial craft seeking access to the Intercoastal Waterway and Vermillion Bay.

Next stop was for the alligators!!!  They fascinate me but I have a healthy respect for them.  Not so the older woman that was in our little motorcade.  She hopped out of the car and started taking photos getting closer and closer.  She did feel safe since she was behind a 2x4 holding up a sign.  (rolling eyes at some people).  Gators can travel for short spurts at 35 mph.  Doubt her 78 year old body can move that fast.  One on shore and three in the lagoon.  Credit for the first photo goes to Pat who took it with my iPhone out of her window (now SHE has some sense!).  Good job my friend!

The female lays 35 to 50 eggs in a hole she has dug.  After covering the eggs with mud and vegetation she will lay her tail on it to incubate the eggs.  The eggs stay buried for 14 days.  During those 14 days if the temperatures reach 93 degrees F. or higher the babies will be male; if the temps are lower than 86 degrees F. the babies will be female.  Between the two the babies will be a mixture.

Not going to bed stupid tonight!


On to tamer grounds, at least as far as we could see.  The boathouse.

The Ward Boathouse is named for Charles Willis Ward who ran a plant nursery and was an avid conservationist.  Ward and McIlhenney met around 1910 and McIlhenney gave Ward permission to construct a hunting a fishing camp in the Jungle Gardens.  To aid in his hunting and fishing, Ward brought a 72 foot motorboat and built the boathouse to keep it in.

The Lagoon

This is where we met up with the mother and two daughters.  There were two or three alligators sunning on the second of the two little nubs sticking out.  The mother stopped us and asked our opinion on whether the girls were safe...told her they were as far as where we were at that moment but we wouldn't get any closer.  She sighed a sigh of relief and said "thank you for another adult's opinion".  One girl was very keen on telling us that she had stepped on the island where the alligators were....so brave.   Don't blame the gators for hanging out here. 

The Cleveland Oak

About 23 feet in circumference and over 300 years old, the Oak is named for Grover Cleveland who came to southern Louisiana to visit his friend Joe Jefferson and visited Avery Island during that trip.  Supposedly he hugged this tree, and the one named for him on Jefferson Island, and that is why it is named for him.

It had lots of interesting bumps and blemishes too, as well as Resurrection Fern growing on it.

Following a trail from the Cleveland Oak you come to a peaceful and serene area.  The perfect spot for a Buddah.  Not what I think of as a Buddah but interesting nonetheless.

The area around him was beautiful, as you would think he would like to be. 

 No words needed....

A stop at Bird City - the beginning of Jungle Gardens, and a few random shots.  I love pictures in tree trunks...wonder what you will see.

Palm Garden

Bamboo grove - lots of bamboo in the Jungle Gardens

Tree mended with cement

Wisteria Arch working at blooming

The building above is the Tabasco Sauce factory.  There were about 18 gazillion 2nd or 3rd graders lined up for the tour....we passed this time.  Grin.

Heading overt Jefferson Island for lunch and a tour of their gardens and home....but on another post, not this one.

Laissez les bons temps rouler - Let the good times roll.