Day 14
This morning we checked out the recently opened Whole Foods Market. Todd was on the hunt for filé powder (ground sassafras for his gumbo; can’t find it in Canada). Whoa – this is the 1st time we have seen this – a bar in the middle of a grocery store!
Next up – Swamp Tour! We boarded a Cajun crawfish skiff powered by an extremely quiet, environmentally friendly, 4-stroke outboard motor.
We spent the next 2+ hours touring the swamp waters of Lake Martin.
We examined Cypress trees, pieces of Cypress drift wood, and Cypress roots (Cypress Knees) in their native environment, the swamp.
Many duck blinds ( this is known as “The Hilton” on the lake) are located in the swamp. Duck hunting season here is the month of September and November to December. Dogs are only allowed in the latter months because the alligators aren’t a threat to them at that time, because the dropping temperatures are moving them into a state of hibernation where they do not eat anymore.
Lake Martin is a bird sanctuary and boats are not allowed in some of the areas during nesting season. It is home to over 200 species of birds and thousands of wild shore birds and migratory songbirds build their nests each year.
We saw Great Blue Heron,
Egret,
and Anhinga, this one is swallowing his catch, se the bulge in his neck !
We saw many Yellow Belly Turtles enjoying the sunny skies. They are also known as “Alligator Popcorn” because of the sound they make when getting eaten !
The highlight, of course was seeing the alligators.
The gators we spotted ranged from 3 feet to over 12 feet.
Alligators are not typically aggressive (not that we would challenge this), but nesting females are an exception to the rule. Below is an alligator nest.
Feeding the alligators is illegal. Here, in their natural environment they are “king” once they are 4 feet long. They feed on various fish, birds, turtles, and rodents, raccoons and each other.
We had a great couple of hours enjoying this swampy ecosystem full of wildlife and native plants.
Dinner was at Chris Po-Boys and Todd got to try another Louisiana treat – an Oyster Po-boy
Day 15 (final day)
Sadly, our Louisiana Adventure is coming to an end; we could not have asked for better weather, and we have seen and done a lot of things….
Before returning to NOLA for our flight out, we stopped at Houmas House Plantation and Gardens.
In 1770, 300,000 acres of land that was originally owned by Houmas Indians, was sold in exchange for $150 worth of goods to two American men.
It was one of the largest sugar plantations in America in the 1800s.
Over the years, Houmas House has seen many owners. See the common household remedies of those days !
One notable owner was John Burnside who purchased the home, land, and 1,000 slaves for $1 million in the late 1800s. Sandy our tour guide is holding an old gun which doubled as a cane if you removed the stock…very handy feature for trudging through rugged terrain!
Most recently, the home and property were purchased in 2003 by Kevin Kelly for about $3 million. At that time the house and property had become run down.
Kelly restored the home and property, and has amassed over $10 million in furnishings for the house including priceless antiques and art.
A 1901 David Grand Steinway piano from Hamburg sits in the parlor as paintings by Edouard Monet and Paul Gaugin hang on the walls.
A priceless sculpture of Abraham Lincoln made out of silver sits on the shelf designed by Gutzon Borglum – the man who sculpted Mount Rushmore. (It’s supposed to be good luck to rub the nose – ??)
A clock owned by Marie Antoinette and Napoleon sits on the mantle.
The grounds are beautiful. Fountains, ponds, and gardens are spread amid 38 acres. The lily pads in the picture are about 4 feet in diameter.
Live Oak trees surround the home. These trees range from 100 to 600 years old. Unfortunately they had to cut down 24 old Oak trees when the Levee was improved several years ago.
Lunch at the restaurant on the property was one of the best we have had while in Louisiana. We started with Caesar salads, served with warm buns, biscuits shaped like a dragonfly and corn butter.
I had an appetizer size of gumbo and Todd ordered the Seafood Po-Boy. Wow! It was a huge plate. (No, he didn’t finish it).
The Houmas House visit was a great way to end our Louisiana Adventure.
Stay tuned for our next adventure, a trip to Galapagos Islands in December !