Jungle Gardens is a 170-acre botanical garden and bird sanctuary located on Avery Island, Louisiana, was next on the list after our “homemade” breakfast egg muffins. Our introduction to the gardens was the beautiful flowers, birds, wildlife… As well as the Buddha, a magnificent centuries old statue. What a serene environment. Then it was off to a much less serene location. THE TABASCO FACTORY, which has been produced by the McIlhenny family since 1868. The guitar, shown below, was owned by Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, was stolen from the New Orleans restaurant in 1999 and recovered 11 years later. Avery Island is a natural paradise located in southern Louisiana where the world famous TABASCO brand Pepper Sauce has been produced. In 1905 a second Tabasco Sauce factory was built on the island and a village was constructed nearby for the factory workers. They had their own dancehall, where workers socialized and did the tango, a popular dance of the day and eventually became the name of the town. Many of the company’s employees still reside in Tango. The pepper mash is aged in white oak barrels for up to 3 years. Salt evaporated from brine springs on Avery Island since 1791. When they hit solid salt at 16 feet down in 1862, mining operations began, the first of this type in North America until destruction by union forces in 1863. Tabasco sauce has a close relationship with the U.S. military since John Avery McIlhenny joined the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War and his son, Walter, served in the Marine Corps Reserve during World War II. The sauce’s popularity among the troops became apparent when aviators in World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War used the word “TABASCO” when nicknaming their airplanes. BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW THAT! All seven family favors are made right here on Avery Island. We had a tour, cooking class & lunch with their Master Chef. mmmm mmmm good. We learned the Cajun secrets on how to make crawfish etoufee the “Cajun Way.” Something you will NEVER learn from a book or someone just handing you a recipe. Dessert was homemade ice cream with a secret ingredient. That ingredient was…you guessed it, TABASCO SAUCE! I have to say, it kicked it up a notch. Little River Inn dinner. Richard Hurst is taking on his grandfather’s legacy. From snowballs to hamburgers to famed “Poor Boy” sandwiches, Hulo’s business expanded and prospered. With input from his wife, Eugenia, and relatives and friends, the menu grew to include seafood and steaks. Our menu was your choice of Ribeye Steak, Catfish Acadienne or their famous House Salad served with twice baked potato and of course, bread pudding with bourbon sauce. In 1946, he opened the first completely air-conditioned restaurant in Lafayette and enjoyed continuous success until his death in 1958 at which time his son-in-law and only daughter, Larry and Kathlyn Hurst, took over the management of Poor Boy’s Riverside Inn, and prospered on the same premise that brought success and respect from the community to Hulo - quality in food and perfection in service.
In 1977, Poor Boy’s Riverside Inn moved to its present site where the Hursts began to groom two of their four children to manage the restaurant. In 1985, under the guidance and watchful eye of their parents, Richard and Elaine took over the operation of the restaurant. Richard and his sister made an outstanding brother/sister team, and so on….
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The International Petroleum Museum & Exposition the only place in the world where the general public can walk aboard an authentic Offshore Drilling Rig! It was established for the purpose of educating the general public, and the next generation, on the significance of the offshore oil and gas industry and its affect on the local area, the state, the nation, and the world. It is a tribute to the pioneering men and women of an industry that developed a culture based on initiative, perseverance, creativity, and hard work. It is a living reminder of the positive contributions, the technological advancements and the world-wide influence of an industry that began in this sleepy, fishing village community. Through the efforts of the rig museum, everyone has the opportunity to experience the real oilfield. It tells the story from the view point of the participants; the hardships and heroism, the challenges and conquests, the problems and solutions. It is an accurate depiction of life in the offshore oil business. Lunch at Achafalya at Idlewood Golf Club. Here you can enjoy Louisiana’s most unique golf experience, with championship design surrounded by the wildlife and incredible beauty found only in the heart of the Atchafalaya Basin. The Atchafalaya at Idlewild is as close as you can get to Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin while enjoying a spectacular round of golf. We didn’t play golf, but we did have lunch at their club. Note to self, DO NOT sit close to Juanita or you will find her digging into your desert. We had the afternoon off to prepare for the “Day of the Dead” Costume Party. Kibitzing started with shrimp cocktail, graveyard 7 layer taco dip, and mini crawfish pie. We loved watching everyone as they arrived. What creativity! Even Bartender Bill dressed up. Deadly Good Catered Dinner by our favorite caterer, Virginia, who surprised us all by joining in the fun and dressing up. What a dinner she prepared for us! Baked Salmon, Pork Chops, Grilled Asparagus, Twice Baked Potato. OF COURSE there was dessert too; Made-to-order "Day of the Dead" Cookies and VooDoo Brownies, not to forget our trick & treat candy. Day of the Dead Halloween Party with Zydeco Music buy Grammy Award Winning Chubby Carrier & the Swamp Band. What great foot stomping music! Even Toni got into the act. No one stayed off the dance floor. Even our wonderful caterer, Virginia, grabbed a few guests and made it to the dance floor. It was difficult to choose the winner of the costume contest because everyone did such a fantastic job. The winner is ..... drumroll ..... ![]() Door Prizes galore! What fun! Big breakfast consisting of egg and sausage casserole, pancakes, sausage, hash browns, and oatmeal served by our favorite caterer, Virginia. She is so sweet; she even cooked eggs especially for Don, over easy. She goes above and beyond! We spent the afternoon at the St. James Cheese Company, a family run enterprise. They built an international network of cheese makers and affineurs who hooked them up with the artisan and farmhouse cheeses not found in other shops. Their name comes from their 200 year old shop in the St. James neighborhood of England where they began their life in cheese before bringing it to New Orleans in 2006. Operating on the premise that cheese should be fun, they make each visit unique and unforgettable. They lived up to their word! It is a playground for the cheese rookie, the rind-sniffing expert, and the curd curious. Guests are encouraged to try every cheese, every day, to ensure that each cheese is being offered at its peak. We had our own Cheese Monger, She taught us how to pare wine with cheese. Check out the huge sandwich they provided us for lunch. We also had an opportunity to buy some of these unique cheeses. Our afternoon was spent at Café Du Monda and the French Market. You cannot visit New Orleans without visiting the market. The iconic New Orleans cafe is known for café au laits, chicory coffee & beignets since 1862. It is open 24/7, closing only for Christmas and hurricanes. What is chicory coffee and beignets? The taste for coffee and chicory was developed by the French during their civil war. Coffee was scarce during those times, and they found that chicory added body and flavor to the brew. The Acadians from Nova Scotia brought this taste and many other french customs (heritage) to Louisiana. Chicory is the root of the endive plant. Endive is a type of lettuce. The root of the plant is roasted and ground. It is added to the coffee to soften the bitter edge of the dark roasted coffee. It adds an almost chocolate flavor to the Cafe Au Lait (mixed half and half with hot milk). Beignets were also brought to Louisiana by the Acadians. These were fried fritters, sometimes filled with fruit. Today, the beignet is a square piece of dough, fried and covered with powdered sugar. While everyone was enjoying the café, we explored. Ron and Kay got it on with a street vendor singing gospel. The market can be quite scary. Meanwhile, at the candy store. Do you think Kay realizes who she is about to shake hands with? KAY DON’T LOOK AT THE CAMERA, LOOK AT WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO DO! All that shopping made us hungry, so off to The Country Club for dinner. It is New Orleans’ best kept secret, hidden away in New Orleans’ charming Bywater neighborhood, The Country Club offers an elegant escape from everyday living, an escape from the hustle and bustle of the French Quarter. Everyone was comfortably seated in their special section with their own special waiter. Dinner was a choice of roasted chicken, shrimp, flank steak, or penne arrabiata. Mary discovered the indescribable restroom that we just had to photograph. The photos just don’t do it justice. We visited the Sanger Theatre built by Julian Saenger in 1927 for the unheard of price of $2.5 million dollars. Advertisements of the day described it as “an acre of seats in a garden of Florentine splendor.” Today, the interior atmospheric design creates a magnificent 15th century Italian courtyard and gardens, with arched surroundings, columns and decorative moldings. The suspension of disbelief is completed by a blue domed “sky” ceiling complete with twinkling stars. Greek and Roman statuary line the walls and statues of Venus stand on pedestals along the upper rim of the auditorium. The theatre was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and redeveloped at a cost of $53 million. It reopened its doors in September 2013. The theatre show was put on by a special group of children. What talent they have!
FINALLY, a lazy day in camp. Lazy, haha, not so fast. Rivoli Rallies has a full day planned. Beginning with a light breakfast. Time for some prizes. We invited Skymed to visit with us and explain their services. Did you know you are not only covered when you are traveling, but you are also covered at home! Wow, who knew? Skymed is the bomb! ESPECIALLY since they treated us to an ice cream social. Please check out their services and tell them we sent you. Even better, attend one of our rallies for a great Skymed discount. Light lunch today, or should I say “lighter” lunch? Why? Well, because we are having dance lessons. Crazy fun Cajun dance lessons to get us ready for tonight’s entertainment. Our catered dinner was scrumptious. NO WAIT! This was just the appetizers! Day 8 Rivoli Rallies Submerged in the Bayou 2018 Leave a commentDay 8 FINALLY, a lazy day in camp. Lazy, haha, not so fast. Rivoli Rallies has a full day planned. Beginning with a light breakfast. Time for some prizes. We invited Skymed to visit with us and explain their services. Did you know you are not only covered when you are traveling, but you are also covered at home! Wow, who knew? Skymed is the bomb! ESPECIALLY since they treated us to an ice cream social. Please check out their services and tell them we sent you. Even better, attend one of our rallies for a great Skymed discount. Light lunch today, or should I say “lighter” lunch? Why? Well, because we are having dance lessons. Crazy fun Cajun dance lessons to get us ready for tonight’s entertainment. Our catered dinner was scrumptious. NO WAIT! This was just the appetizers! Saving room for dinner (pasta alfredo with grilled chicken, pasta Carbonara with homemade sausage, or vegetable lasagna) was a challenge. Served by the Liberty Ladies. Entertainment tonight was by T’Monde. Those dance lessons paid off. Until Rivoli Rallies did it again....taking over. What’s this the “bump”? And a little Hee Haw? OR getting down and dirty. Ending with the, what else???.... The Rivoli Rallies Train. But, WAIT, there’s more. Prizes! What a fun day!
Bruce, Janet, Wayne, and Patty joined us for pre-breakfast of only cinnamon rolls (because we were heading out for a brunch) and Sunday morning sermon. It was so nice to have quiet time with Bruce and friends before jumping on the bus and heading to downtown New Orleans for a Natchez Steamboat Cruise. What a classic way to experience the mighty Mississippi. The historic stern-wheeled steamboat makes its home on the riverfront next to the French Quarter, and slowly and gracefully cruises the river for brunch, lunch, or dinner cruises with live traditional jazz on board. True to New Orleans' love of music, we enjoyed a local jazz trio as we enjoyed a wonderful lunch buffet consisting of a waffle station, scrambled eggs, biscuits & gravy, fruit salad, gumbo, glazed ham, shrimp and grits, bananas Foster, and of course bread pudding. “Someone” in our group put gobbs of yogurt on their dessert because they thought it was whipped cream. I’m not saying any names….. but I have to say, we all got a laugh out of that. As we disembarked, there was the mime that always seems to be there. I love watching him! Meanwhile… I guess it was a bit warm for Toni. We spent the afternoon at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. The aquarium immerses you in an underwater world. The colors of a Caribbean reef come alive in the walk-through tunnel, where I don’t think Kay and Ron knew people were swimming above them. Their penguins and Southern sea otter enchant you with their antics. Touch a sting ray, feed a parakeet, and marvel at our gigantic sharks, tarpon, and rays in the 400,000 gallon Gulf of Mexico Exhibit. Watch for sea turtles throughout the Aquarium as coordinator of the Louisiana Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Rescue Program, they prepare many of them for release to the wild. And of course, there is always time for a photo op Time to head over to Harrah’s to try our luck out at Black Jack. Remember, we were schooled on how to beat the house. Oh wait, another photo op as well as treating ourselves to the best New Orleans buffet. This spread is complete with something scrumptious for everyone; succulent roasted turkey, fried chicken, catfish, shrimp, and a variety of Asian dishes and soups. There were seven action stations serving up all our favorites. I can tell you, we didn’t leave hungry. The hardest part was saving room for their famous "Sweet Treats" dessert bar, with over 40 different items to choose.
Today is “Alligator Day” with Rivoli Rallies! We enjoyed the entire day with Bruce Mitchell, his wife, Janet, and their friends Wayne & Patty. Bruce is now one of the main reality stars on History Channel’s hit show Swamp People. “Alligatorman” Bruce & Janet Kliebert met when they were in Jr. High. In 1980, Bruce married Janet Kliebert. You may recognize her name from Kliebert's Alligator & Turtle Farm. Bruce began working at Kliebert's around age 20 and moved on the farm property when he married Janet. Over a period of thirty plus years, he learned from his father-in-law, many aspects of the business and was able to take on more responsibility. With Janet’s help, they ran the business together with Janet's father for over thirty years. While working at the farm, Bruce was asked by the A & E Network if he would like to participate in a documentary on the History Channel. Being that the History Channel was (and still is) the most watched network in the Mitchell household, how could he say no? From there Bruce and Swamp People were connected. In his honor, and because we were in “Gator” country, we had a morning of gatorgames. It got a bit confusing today because we also had a guest by the name of Bruce Mitchell. I know, crazy - right? And, yes, there were prizes. What else, but GATORHEADS. Everyone was able to get them signed by Alligatorman. How cool is that?! Speaking of alligator heads, that’s what was for lunch. Muffuletta, pasta salad, gourmet cookies, Voo Doo chips and a big old fashion dill pickle; remember the ones you used to get out of a barrel when you were a kid. Before Bruce, aka alligaorman, got ready to cook us dinner, we had to make sure he got all of his energy from an ice cream social. Not just any kind of ice cream, but a banana split with your choice of flavor. While settling our stomachs from all that food, we engaged in a Black Jack class to get us ready for that next casino. Once we were comfortable that we could “beat the house” on our next casino visit, we joined Bruce outside who was cooking pastalaya for us, along with our appetizers of shrimp boulettes, twice baked stuffed petite potatoes, crawfish pie, and gourmet cheese board. What a treat. Many of us helped with the stirring, while his wife, Janet, was busy on facebook Live. We had people from all over the world watching Bruce entertaining Rivoli Rallies. We thoroughly enjoyed Bruce, his wife, and friends as well as the delicious food they prepared for us. They are such down to earth “real” people. This is how caring they are; one of our guests ended up in the hospital the day before and Bruce drove with Ron, 1 hour away, to visit him. Bill was so happy that he was able to meet Alligatorman in person. How many celebrities do you know who would do that?
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