Travels of Geo Nova: “La sez le bon temps roulet”

“La sez le bon temps roulet”

(Let the good time roll)

We had 3 days to get to the Airstream Cajun Country Caravan so after a stopping at Davis Bayou MS, which was part of the Gulf Island Nat. Seashore, it was on to Breaux Bridge, LA. Aheee.

Once settled at the campground we were treated to chicken and sausage gumbo that was made and served by the locals. YUM. We had a Cajun Dance lesson too. Our next two days were bus tours of Baton Rouge. We toured the Governor’s Mansion, the State Capitol where we saw a bullet hole in the marble wall from the day Governor Huey Long was shot, and the Louisiana State Museum. It was great learning the history and government of this state. Day 2 started at a café to sample beignets (their version of our state fair fried dough) then on to the Rural Life Museum. Here we had to see things between rain showers. If you remember we had gone there last year but again it was great. They cooked us rice and beans with sausage for lunch. This is turning out not to be the best trip to try to maintain weight.

Back at the campground both nights we all split up into smaller groups to get to know one another. They are called gams and over the next 4 days we had 4 of them so we could meet everyone in smaller groups.

We are now off to New Iberia. We went to a local rice mill the first afternoon. Day 2 is spent touring a home “Shadows on the Teche” where we learned a bit about living on a bayou. This was the plantation home for a prominent Louisiana Planter. I always thought that a bayou was a swampy area, it is not, it is a river. We went to lunch at Jefferson café at Rip Van Winlke Gardens, the best seafood bisque ever. But here the rain won and we couldn’t tour the house. Jefferson Island is a salt dome that has quite the history. Thankfully the next day is nice because we had a swamp tour in the morning then after lunch a walking tour of Saint Martinvile.

We are now on to Abbeville. Here we went out to Richards Seafood, again with lots of crawfish on the menu. It was then on to “the Barn”, which was an old cattle auction house from the 19^thcentury. It was right on the bayou so farmers used the bayou as a highway to transport animals. We met the old cowboy whose family ran the barn. It is now registered as a historical site. They have put a platform in the ring where they used to parade the animals and now have musical performances. We were treated to the history and music of the Cajuns. The next morning we head out to Red’s crawfish farm. Here we were all able to take turns in the boat and harvest the crawfish. I thought they were water animals like a lobster but they are not. They live underground in the mud. They harvest them in rice fields in only 18 inches of water where they feed. They are scavengers so they put a fish in the basket and it is almost down to the bones in a day from their feeding. Now on to lunch made by Lena, an eighty-year-old Airstreamer. She and her helpers made a fettuccini Cajun crawfish luncheon. Wow! As I said we are not loosing weight (my pants get tighter every day) Aheee! The next day we are off to the town to meet the mayor and are treated to breakfast, fresh biscuits with butter and sugar cane syrup along with boudine (sausage made with rice and ?? and spices then boiled). There is a man from the agriculture extension service here to talk to us about rice, sugar can, crawfish and alligator farming. To our surprise he has also brought along 2 -18 month old live alligators for us to hold. Now it is off to tour the town and see the courthouse and church. After shopping in town then lunch we have a break back at the campground before heading back into town for “Sounds on the Square” for more music food and dancing.

The next morning we got ready to move on to Eunice where we settle in before heading out to Rocky’s Cajun Kitchen for dinner. The next morning we went to Fred’s lounge in Mamou for the weekly radio show. It is a bar that has been doing an AM broadcast live from 9am -12 for 70 years with local bands. We arrived in town early so we invaded a coffee shop and some sampled coffee and biscuits. The locals didn’t quite know what to make of us. Fred’s was a wonderful treat. Some of the caravaners joined the bar theme and had a beer or bloody mary. From here we went on to another musical treat, the Savoy’s Music store where musicians pop in for a Cajun music jam section. Unknown to us some of the Cajun greats were there. We were invited into the back workroom where the owner makes traditional German Cajun accordions. He told us his history, how at 16 he went to his father and told him he wanted to make accordions even though they were farmers and no one in his family played the instrument. Supported by his family he taught himself how to make them. His workshop out grew his family home so he moved to where he is now. He was a modest man. He makes accordions for people all over the world. He has also performed his music all over the world.

The afternoon was spent at the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center National Park. It is a museum that is devoted to Cajun culture. There were quilting lessons, Cajun/Zydeco music and dancing topped off with a Cajun cooking demonstration by a local well known chief. After sampling his creation we were off to the Rendez-vous des Cajuns at the Liberty Theater, which was broadcasted for TV. We got to hear a woman accordion player that is in the Cajun Music hall of fame and her guest was a man that has won Grammys for singing and playing his accordion. The next morning we were able to go to the Annual Eunice Crawfish Etouffee Cook Off before heading down the road.

We are now off to Carencro, which is near Lafayette, LA. Since we had such a busy morning and afternoon we are having a Pizza party at the campground clubhouse. The next morning we tour PHI which is a helicopter company that services the oil rigs in the gulf and has a medical fleet around the country along with top secret stuff. We were warned not to open any doors. From here we had another lunch out then on to the Acadian Village for the afternoon. The next day is free time so we went to a company that gets alligator hides and makes all sorts of things. David now has a new wallet and well I had fun shopping!! We were then going to go to a brewery but found out they don’t open until 2 so we went to lunch, more Cajun food. There ended up being 14 caravaners at the restaurant so the waitress brought out the chief to talk to us. He grew up in the area and his family had a 3,000-acre crawfish farm near there. He told us he has done a 6-foot gator on a rotisserie stuffed with all kinds of seafood for parties. Ahee!

Wednesday March 23 is now here. It is our last day together. We have a breakfast at the campground then free time until 5pm happy hour & dinner at Don’s seafood & steak restaurant. We got up and got laundry going before breakfast because we knew it would be a busy place. When we got to breakfast another caravaner had her jewelry there to sell. When I told her I had my crafts with me she told me to go get them. Well all the things I made in FL to bring back to ME to sell in the 2 shops I supply are sold. Wow. I am going to be busy when I get home. After breakfast and laundry it was time to get groceries and gas. We went to a brewery after lunch then got ready for the final banquet. It was lots of fun. We presented out leaders with several gifts and songs after which they had their turn. They gave us a certificate that states that we are Honorary Cajuns. Our new Cajun name is Spahnneaux! We are now entitled to enjoy Crawfish 9 different ways whenever we get da Envie. Ahee!

Needless to say we have had a wonderful time. It has been great getting immersed in this culture. The people, culture and food were great. We are reminded of our ocean cruising days and the great friends we made in that world. We now know that it is going to happen land cruising. Ahee!

We are now off to Texas. In the days of early settlement pioneers that set out for Texas would write “GTT “ Gone to Texas on their abandon cabin door.