I know some of my family are confused--and then there are those who say, "It is Toni who is sooooo confused."
Yes, I am now in Minnesota.
Yes, I am way behind in posting on my travels.
Yes, I am determined to document it all whenever I can get a breather or reasonable WiFi reception.
On leaving Breaux Bridge we headed straight to Avery Island where Tabasco Sauce is made.
"Roughly 150 years of tradition and three simple ingredients--aged red peppers, natural vinegar, and a dash of Avery Island-mined salt--produce the distinctive, spicy flavor that is TABASCO*Original Red Pepper Sauce."
"The process by which TABASCO* Sauce is made has remained virtually unchanged since Edmund McIlhenny created his first commercial batch in the late 1860s. Still a family-owned business today, McIlhenny Company uses only one variety of red pepper, Capsicum Frutescens which is significantly hotter than the cayenne pepper commonly used in most other hot sauces. The pepper is picked at the perfect shade of red, then immediately crushed, mixed with salt and aged in white oak barrels for up to three years. The aged 'mash' is blended with vinegar for two to three weeks, and strained to remove the pepper skins and seeds. The finished sauce is now ready to be labeled, bottled and shipped around the globe. The tabasco pepper and the unique aging process are what give Tabasco* sauce its distinct taste and ability to enhance the flavor of food"
The smell of peppers is definitely in the air.
The tour of the factory is interesting but the gardens are the highlight and well worth the trip.
Yes, those are all birds--
--snowy egrets to be exact.
From Avery Island we traveled to Shreiver and visited a friend of the family who owns his own plantation. Dickie Bourgeois is renovating the plantation with plans for it to be a great spot for weddings and parties. Meanwhile, he invited us to spend the night.
This was what it looked like when he bought it some years ago....
....and this is what it looks like today.
And meet Dickie. He is up on my roof sawing away the branch of the oak tree that I so ceremoniously hit when I drove onto his property.
There was little damage done to the top of Spirit but quite a lot done to my pride.
But most of all, "Thank you, Dickie, for rescuing me."
It was a lovely night spent on the grounds of this majestic old home.
We had company...
And relaxation
A lesson in Louisiana history....
"The Winders owned Ducros Plantation from 1845 to 1872.
Van Perkins Winder died of yellow fever in 1854 leaving Martha Winder eight months pregnant with their fifteenth child. She continued to run the plantation until she sold it in 1872."
Martha Ann Grundy Winder
Van Perkins Winder
And a tour of the home.
This was the kitchen because kitchens tended to catch on fire in the 1800's so they were exiled to outside buildings to safeguard the house.
These verandas are on both floors and also in front and in back. Wow! Think of the rocking chairs!
Some things were not part of the original.
and some things are.
Just look at those floors!
"Thank you again, Dickie. This was a lovely visit."
I learned several years ago that my great grandmother was born in Mobile, Alabama in 1870. She lived all of her adult life in California, but I am curious about her Alabama roots. Another reason I hope to see the Gulf Coast at some point. Enjoying these photos!
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