Houma and Baton Rouge

Our cruise across the Gulf was incredible. I wish I could've taken pictures of all the stars that showed themselves. It was truly amazing, and exactly what I had been wanting to see!  It was a full 2 days and 2 nights that we were on the Gulf. We took turns at the helm every 2 or 3 hours, allowing each other to take a good nap before going back on duty. I have to say, on the second morning, we were a little snippy with each other because we were more tired than we thought.

We were happy to tie up to a piling in Morgan City and just crash for a full 8 hours. The next day we felt much better and were raring to go again. We went through our first lock together, a new experience for both of us. As we headed on up the ICW, we meandered through some beautiful marsh lands with old Cypress trees draped in Spanish moss lining both sides of the river. One of the most stunning sights I've seen in Louisiana are the massive old oak trees with Spanish moss hanging from them. These ancient Cypress Trees are, in their own right, beautiful and almost prehistoric looking.

Birds on the ICW
 

 On our entrance into Houma, we floated by homes that were directly situated on the canal, lending a cozy and homey feel to the area. We are in the land of the Cajun folks. A small bit of history for those who don't already know it. It started in a village in France that was in between two warring factions. The people of the town finally got fed up with being in the middle of the fighting so decided to pack up and move. They sailed across the Atlantic and landed in the area around Newfoundland/Nova Scotia.

They called it Acadi and the people were the Acadians. There they made their new lives and dwelled peacefully for generations. However, during an invasion by the English, they were cruelly slaughtered and the surviving few were stuck on boats without food and forced to leave. It took many months before the few remaining Acadians finally landed in Louisiana. They took up residence in the delta where they were free and could hide if necessary. Their resilience and will to survive have made them a very strong and resourceful folk. Pictures of us winding our way through town on the ICW...

We missed our exit to the Houma City Marina, and a tug boat Captain hailed us on the VHF to ask where we were headed. We told him and he said "You just missed it"...and then proceeded to guide us back to the marina.

It was in the middle of town, right on a sweet little park under two overpasses. The fee was $25 a night for tie up, electric, water, and pump out. Here are a few shots of the area.

Our daughter-in-law, Michelle, who is from Houma originally, was able to get her mom, Esther, and us together. Dinner with Esther and her friend, Skip, was fun, and we all enjoyed each others company very much. Loved listening to Esther's stories.. She is definitely a fun loving person, a pool playing wizard, and a dancing machine!! Also enjoyed her French/English mix of speech...that's the Cajun language. Love it!

Michelle drove down from Baton Rouge to pick us up the next day, and on the way back to BR, she stopped in a little town called Napoleonville. There was a church with a graveyard that we stopped at, and took some pics.

Michelle peeking in to see if there were any bodies to see.

The Napoleonville graveyard is distinct in that many of the men buried here have fought not only in WW II and WWI, but also, the American Civil war and the Napoleonic wars as well. Yes, some even died in battle with Napoleon. I had never seen this before. Amazing!

Our visit with our kids and grandkids was relaxing and fun. I can't believe I didn't take pics, but I do have some from a few months earlier.

Paul and I had a great time in Houma and Baton Rouge. It's always hard to say goodbye, but we drove back to Houma to clean up and ready our boat for travel once again. On our way out of town, we saw this very creative house being built out of an old Tow Boat. Check this out...

Until next blog, sunny skies and fair winds...