A quick breakfast of bagels, muffins, toast, and all the fixings before running to....

Martin’s accordion factory.  For over 30 years, Martin Accordions has built all hand-made, single row, diatonic accordions for musicians around the world.  If it runs on air and reeds, they can probably fix it!

We were entertained by the dad, the grandson, the daughter AND Ron.
 
Our guests just could not stay in their seats.

Especially when the daughter played spoons on the scrubboard.

Wow!  What beautiful musical instruments under one roof.

AND we met the brother who helps to make these instruments.  He was a wealth of information on how these instruments are made.

He explained about all the different kinds of woods they use to make these accordions. 
 
Lunch was at Don’s seafood,  who spent more than 80 years creating a recipe for something much greater than a place for a lunch break or a night out.  It’s a place to share and be a part of the family.  They believe in serving food that’s time-tested; years of getting the recipe just right, not just close enough.

What was on the menu?  Well your choice of broiled catfish, stuffed eggplant casserole, grilled chicken, shrimp & catfish with all the trimmings and bread pudding with rum sauce for dessert.
 
If bread pudding wasn’t enough, we stopped at Borden’s ice cream.  Borden’s, built in 1940, is the last retail Borden's Ice Cream Shoppe in the World.  It is located in Lafayette, Louisiana, where you can get a taste of ice cream done "the Old Fashion Way."

Everyone ordered whatever they wanted!  From one scoop of ice cream to a banana split.  THAT is the Rivoli Rallies Way!
 
Next stop, Bayou Teche Brewing.  It was formed by three brothers, Karlos, Byron and Dorsey Knott, when they started brewing in an abandoned railcar on St. Patrick's Day in 2009.

Tasting, of course, was part of the tour.

As well as relaxing and dancing on the patio.

As you can see, Ron was trying to show off his “dance lessons” by twirling Kay into a frenzy.
 
Dinner was at Pont Breaux’s Cajun family style restaurant where we had our choice of Cajun ribeye, catfish, hamburger steak, catfish Point Breaux, the house specialty, shrimp or grilled chicken with salad and dessert.

While we ate, music played and professional dance instructors showed us how Cajun dancing is done.  So that AFTER dinner, we could participate.

Ending with Rivoli Rallies taking over the dance floor with everyone taking turns showing their dance steps in the circle

and our Rivoli Rallies  train dance.

Great way to exercise off all that food.

Big breakfast before our full day of touring.  Oatmeal, eggs, bacon, fruit and HOMEMADE biscuits. 

Now, off to the Ardoyne Plantation House, a VICTORIAN GOTHIC Sugarcane Plantation Home completed in 1894 by John Dalton Shaffer.  What is really unique is that it has been continually lived in by the builder’s original family for 6 generations and is STILL a working sugarcane plantation.  Unfortunately, we could not take photos inside….

Their goal was to provide uncomplicated, honest and good food and drinks to their guests. They decided on classic favorites. When their doors opened, the community embraced them then and embraces them now.
 
The afternoon was spent at Chauvin Sculpture Garden.  Little is known about the reclusive Kenny Hill, a bricklayer by trade, born around 1950.  In 1988, he settled on some property on the bayou in Chauvin (pronounced show-van), Louisiana—population 3,400.  Hill pitched a tent as his home and, over time, built a small rustic home that demonstrated an interesting use of space and attention to detail.  Then, in 1990, without explanation, he began transforming his lush bayou environment into a fantastic chronicle of the world as seen through his eyes.

Less than a decade later, more than 100 primarily religious concrete sculptures densely pack the narrow, bayouside property. The sculptures are a profound mixture of Biblical reference, Cajun colors, and the evident pain and struggle of the artist’s life.  Most figures—black, white, male, female, child, or solider—are guided, supported, or lifted by seemingly weightless angels. The unique angels, some inviting passage, others prohibiting, vary from blue skinned, bare-footed, and sightless to regal celestial figures clad in medieval garb with the black boots of the local shrimp fishermen.

The lighthouse, made of 7,000 bricks and decorated with sculptures, is just the beginning of a journey through the world of Kenny Hill, a bricklayer who left behind more than 100 concrete sculptures on his bayou-side property in Chauvin, Louisiana. Ranging in subject from angels, cowboys, God, soldiers, children and Hill himself, the sculptures depict the artist’s spirituality and his struggle with growing personal pain.

Hill placed himself in many of the scenes: he rides a horse; carries Christ’s cross; stands with long hair and a beard, his heart bleeding; and shows his face painted half black and white, suggesting the artist’s struggle between good and evil.

Then back to camp with full tummies.

Before taking off for our first day of touring, we provided breakfast:  Smoked salmon sunrise, coffee, tea, etc.

Then, off to Vermillionville in Lafayette.  It is a living history museum depicting the Acadia, Native American and Creole people of 1765 to 1890.  7 restored original homes. 

Demonstrations of crafts performed by early settlers.

Lunch at La Cuisine De Maman, serving Cajun and Creole cuisine and 1800s home with servers in period costume.  I have to say that was the best gumbo soup I’ve ever had!  Bread pudding for dessert.  Bread pudding is the dessert of choice in this area.  So we decided to have a bread pudding contest to see which establishment REALLY has the BEST BREAD PUDDING. 
 
While at Vermillionville we had a dance lessons, cooking demonstration and a boat ride.

R&M Boiling Point for dinner, a family restaurant specializing in Cajun cuisine. Our choice of shrimp, catfish, alligator, chicken strip, crawfish etoufee, or hamburger!  What a menu! 

And what is their signature cocktail?  A BLOODY MARY!  Complete topped with a soft shell crab, and EVERYONE got one.

And of course, there is ALWAYS time for a photo op.

How exciting to be preparing for another rally! !
It’s set up time!

We even decorated the restrooms.

Now THAT’S kicking it up a notch. 
 
And so it begins….

We were so excited to greet our guests and get them registered so the shenanigans could begin.  What better way to start orientation but with the pledge of allegiance.

We opened up kibitzing time with a toast to Rivoli Rallies and appetizers of Phyllo pastry with warm brie and apple raisin sauce, coconut shrimp, Charcuterie Board and oriental egg rolls.

What a wonderful time meeting new people and getting reacquainted with old friends.

We were honored to have Ron and Juanita Kohn join us.  As always, they are the life of the party.

Our Bayou scapegoat was none other than ...

SOOOO, if anything goes wrong at this rally, it’s JOHN HAMMES FAULT!
 
Since opening day was my birthday, Kay and Ron serenaded me with the “short” version of happy birthday.  They are RIDICULOUSLY Ridiculous!

Dinner consisted of brown sugar & honey glazed spiral ham, chicken stuffed medallions, pasta salad, green beans, mac and cheese, and steamed vegetables.   
 
Dessert was cupcakes of ALL flavors and king cake.  You certainly can’t be in Louisiana without having a king cake!

Everyone also received their own personalized “Submerged in the Bayou” gift.

These buckets have a variety of colors to light up the night and are remote controlled.  We coordinated lighting up the park by choosing a different color each night.
 
The end of a perfect day was Kay and Ron on stage with their glowing smiles and fantastic voices to entertain us, in a way only they can do.

I think Kay surprised everyone with her outfit, but it sure was perfect for our Halloween season.