Red Stick

Baton Rouge was a refreshing change from New Orleans. It is the State Capitol of Louisiana and home to Louisiana State University. Chris and Jay have found that this combination in a town seems to result in a municipality that is clean, friendly and filled with interesting places to visit.

They spent two days there mainly to visit Chris’ friend, Fran Grega, and the evening of their arrival, on Monday, February 7th, they enjoyed a tasty catfish dinner at her home with her sister and brother-in-law, Carolyn and Jim Bennett, who live next door.

Carolyn is the Executive Director of the city’s Historical organization and before the evening was over she had given Chris a list of places to visit during their stay starting with the Old State House, the Old Governor’s Mansion and the New State House, all of which they found to be beautiful, unique and steeped in history.

The next day, when they settled into an empty parking space immediately in front of the Old State House and caught a glimpse of the building, Jay’s comment was “Holy ----“. Brilliant sunlight bathed the stately white castle sitting atop an emerald hill overlooking the Mississippi River. The vision almost transported the viewers to the era of Camelot had they not just emerged from a 21st century vehicle. The interior’s polished wood paneling, spiral staircase and stained glass dome was just as grand.

Detail of the castle.

The grand, central staircase.

The beautiful, stained glass dome.

Inside they experienced the most fun, informational video ever.  The video screen appeared to be a HUGE, 3’ x 8’ flat screen TV housed in a deep, ornate gold picture frame.  To its right was what appeared to be a portrait of a young, 19^th century woman – until she began to speak and move.  The young lady was Sarah Morgan.  Her father donated the land on which the Old State House stood and she loved the stately, enchanting building.  As she narrated the history of the State House images on the screen, combined with lighting effects around the walls of animated silhouettes of people dancing in formal, pre-civil war attire during the heyday of the South, and workers swinging hammers and sawing wood when it was rebuilt after the destruction caused by the cooking fire of a careless soldier when Union troops occupied the building.

A portrait of Sarah Morgan.

Her Civil War diary was published in 1913 under the name of

A Confederate Girl's Diary

A huge part of the lower floor was dedicated to an extensive display about the controversial 1930s Governor, Huey Long.  It cited the positives and negatives of his single-term reign.  He went on to become a United States Senator but his term was cut short by an assassin’s bullet.  Long introduced free textbooks and bussing for all school children.  He constructed a network of highways throughout the State and instituted numerous other reforms to drag its citizens out of the mire of poverty and ignorance that gripped the South.  Along the way he acquired many supporters but some, that were not comfortable with the speed of such radical changes and the amount of debt it created, became mortal enemies.

When Huey Long took office the existing Governor’s Mansion was in such poor condition that he refused to let his family live there.  His appeal to build a new home was declined by the Legislature.  Undaunted, Huey called up the State Penitentiary Warden and had him gather a team of prisoners, equip them with tools, and within a few days they had torn down the structure.  The Legislature then had no choice but to build a new residence.

Long had a vision of a grand place to entertain his constituents, to be comfortable for his family to live in and have enough room for his office.  He wasted no time in hiring a young architect and they traveled to Washington, D.C. to explore the layout and design of the White House!  Although not on the scale of the President’s home, the Louisiana White House has a large, ornate ballroom, foyer with a curved, marble staircase ascending to the many bedrooms and living spaces on the second floor.  The Governor’s bathroom is thought to be the first in the State to have a shower vs. the standard bathtub common at the time: the reason being he was so eager to tackle his brimming daily agenda that he was too impatient to wait for a tub to fill.

Chandeliers reflected in the “endless mirrors” hung opposite each other in the ballroom.

A dining room door with the pelican Seal of Louisiana.

Carolyn’s office was in the building and she took time out to say hello before shooing Chris and Jay out to get to the New State Capitol before the tower, viewing platform closed for the day.  The scene that stretched before them, almost 30 floors below, revealed the bends of the muddy Mississippi river on the west, so close that it seemed they could have lobbed a stone from the tower and seen the splash it would make.  There were refineries and huge fuel tanks to the north and the LSU campus and office buildings to the south and east, all basking in the radiance of the late afternoon sun.

A view to the south of a nearby park and the Mississippi River to the right.

The House and Senate chambers were closed for renovation and the only other area visitors could view was the main lobby, a somewhat dark but grand room of 30’ high ceilings decorated with patterns of gold and tawny autumn tones, supported by brownish marble walls.  Ten foot tall white, marble statues of the State’s founders stood guard at either ends of the chamber.  Huey Long was the catalyst behind the construction of the impressive building and was shot in a nearby hallway within a few years of its completion.

The State House is an impressive structure.

The ornate décor of the State House lobby.

The next day Fran could take some time off from her busy work schedule and she chauffeured her guests around the LSU campus on a gray and soggy day. The LSU mascot is a Bengal tiger and the highlight of the day was a visit to see Mike – the LIVE tiger. He lives in a beautiful 1/3 acre enclosure complete with bathing pool, waterfall and climbing rocks.


Mike was curled up in a sheltered corner just a few feet from where his admirers stood. Thanking their stars for the opportunity to be closer to this magnificent animal than they had been to his cousins at zoos, Chris eagerly snapped as many photos of him as she could before the rain forced them to seek shelter at the nearby campus store. The number of “tiger motif” items the store carried was astounding from stuffed animals, to baby diaper packs to men’s slacks. Chris and Jay could not leave without an adorable stuffed animal, which they promptly named Mikey, and now occupies a spot on their bed.

Mike was no more than five feet from them.

Mike pacing in his compound beyond the bronze statue.

You may be wondering why the title “Red Stick” was chosen for this blog. The story, found at this link, follows:

“Baton Rouge is French for “red stick,” a seemingly strange name for a city. When French explorer D’Iberville led his exploration party up the Mississippi River in 1699, the group came to a cypress pole on a bluff above the river covered with bloody animal and fish heads. The “red stick” marked the boundary between the hunting grounds of Houma Native American tribes and became symbol for Baton Rouge.”

Chris and Jay thoroughly enjoyed visiting with friends and the relaxed tourist days and looked forward to more of the same at their next destination – Houston, Texas.

The Best of the Mardi Gras Capital

Jay’s thirst for military history necessitated a visit to the National World War II Museum where, on Friday, he and Chris experienced their first ever 4D movie complete with vibrating seats, smoke and replica of a concentration camp guard tower.  Produced and narrated by Tom Hanks, it guided the audience through the battles in Europe and the Pacific using easy to understand graphics and timelines enhanced with animation and original video and stills from the battles.

Arranged around the perimeter of the main floor of the city block sized museum building was a collection of original items Jay and Chris and never seen “in person”.  The infamous Higgins Landing Craft vessels, used to transport troops and materials from ships to the shore of Normandy, Guadalcanal and other invasion sites, were designed and built in New Orleans.  Through the course of the war the vessels were modified from the traditional boats with pointed bows requiring soldiers to jump from the sides into shallow water near the beaches, to the famous front ramp design so often seen in wartime photos and movies.  Both styles were represented in the display and Jay was excited with the fact that he could actually touch them!

A replica of the famous Higgins LCVP (Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel).

To Chris one of the neatest items in the collection was the ambulance.  She’d only seen them in movies and videos and was amazed to learn that, after the war, the U.S. left them in France and they were used for another 40 years until 1985 by the French government.  Jay was fascinated with the German machine gun and “88”, an 88 mm artillery gun that laid devastating blows to Allied aircraft, tanks and troops with its deadly accuracy and fire power.  A security measure at home that neither of them knew was the mobilization of Coast Guardsmen on horseback as stations implemented coastal patrols to thwart landings by German, covert demolition teams.  They even spent some time talking with a WWII veteran that transported supplies and piloted C-47s, known affectionately as the Gooney Bird, in the Pacific.

A WWII ambulance and portable operating table, light and, x-ray machine in foreground.

Jay in the WWII museum with the C-47 hanging above.

Fortunately the weather cleared and Saturday was spent outdoors following a stop at a Visitor Center for guidance.   Touring one of the many above ground cemeteries is an absolute must, in the City of the Dead, and the St Louis Cemetery #1 was just across the street.  There are numerous tour companies that they could have hired to guide them through the grounds, but Chris and Jay decided to just pop into it and see what it was like before deciding if they wanted an official “tour”.  Just inside the gate, a departing couple was thanking a nicely dressed black man for the tour he’d given them after which he immediately turned his beaming, white smile toward the new arrivals capturing their attention with his personable, upbeat nature and the pearls of knowledge he spewed forth.  David carried a somewhat worn broom and explained that he “volunteered” at the cemetery, meaning that he freelanced tours for whatever people paid him. 

David explaining why some tombs were in such disrepair.

Chris and Jay couldn’t have asked for a more enjoyable experience as he guided them along the narrow pathways explaining how the Catholic Diocese owned the property and wouldn’t allow any third party contractors to repair the tombs as the reason why so many of them were literally crumbling to the ground.  He showed them actor Nicholas Cage’s newly constructed tomb in the shape of a pyramid and explained that there were some plots still available in the cemetery for the six-figure sum that only the very wealthy could afford.  For those who remember the cemetery scene in the 1969, Easy Rider film, you guessed it, it was filmed in that cemetery. 

Nicholas Cage’s tomb.

Some tombs were more grand that others

such as this one belonging to the Catholic Diocese.

St. Louis #1 happened to be the burial place for the renowned Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau and her daughter and husband.   David told them that the series of three Xs found written numerous times on their tombs, represented three knocks.  When people would ask the Voodoo Queen for something and it was granted, three knocks was a sign of thanks.  Marie Laveau and her daughter were cosmetologists and offerings of lipstick, eye shadow and other cosmetic cases were scattered along the ledges and at the base of the tombs.  David was a wonderful guide, pointing out interesting features one wouldn’t have noticed on their own and sharing the history of the place and its inhabitants in a humorous, entertaining fashion that his customers will long remember.  They applauded him for his ingenuity and desire to earn an honest living and they gladly paid him for his service.

A visitor pays homage at Marie Laveau’s tomb.

Mr. B’s Bistro was recommended for lunch and following filling gumbo meals, Chris and Jay trekked through the French Quarter, staying on the sunny side of the constricted, windswept streets to stay warm, and enjoyed the wrought iron balconies, the rustic charm of the architecture and the joyous nature of those around them.  They arrived at Jackson Square and were informed that a wedding was just about to finish at the famous St. Louis Cathedral just across the street.  Not really knowing what that meant in terms of something to see or participate in, Chris and Jay made their way toward the church, joined the gathering throng of onlookers and waited, camera in hand.

The doors to the church opened and the bride and groom emerged holding aloft a lacy, white parasol and black umbrella respectively.  They led their white napkin waving guests through the park and danced to the sounds of the Jazz Quintet playing When the Saints Go Marching In then disappeared into the adjoining Cabildo Museum for their reception.  This seemed to be a New Orleans wedding tradition called Second Line  which basically means having a parade.

The jazz quintet waiting for the entrance of the bride and groom before the Second Line.

The bride and groom surrounded by well-wishers during the Second Line.

Sunday brought more sun, more warmth and less wind; a perfect day to visit the Garden District of the City where the wealthy lived in upscale homes and 19^th century mansions.  Chris and Jay decided it was probably best to get around via the network of streetcars that stretched from the main business district to the outlying and popular tourist venues.  They boarded one near the center of town and with each stop it collected more and more passengers until there was standing room only. 

The streetcars were adorable with old-time wooden seats and interiors.

Chris was finally doing what she’d come there for and was prepared with a full camera bag and tripod.  Although of the same era as Savannah, it was different.  Savannah’s historic district consisted mostly of row houses connected to each other along the entire length of streets whereas New Orleans’ homes sat on large, grassy lots with beautifully landscaped gardens adorned with majestic Live Oaks and surrounded by intricately detailed wrought iron fences.  One of the defining features of New Orleans’ architecture was the abundance of second story balconies trimmed, sometimes top and bottom, with filigree-like ironwork. In one day Chris just could not capture all that she wanted and a return trip within the next two years would definitely be on the agenda – preferably in the spring!

A balcony detail of one of the more majestic homes in the Garden District.

Both stories of this house displayed this intricate ironwork.

Not Much New in New Orleans

Chris’ vision of the romantic beauty of New Orleans was shattered as they left the interstate and drove through the depressed eastern side of the city and pulled into the tiny, cramped RV Park.  A solid metal fence surrounded less than two acres of flat ground and in the center rose a two-story multi-colored brick box housing the office and residence of the owner.  It was evident that multiple rows of train tracks lay immediately beyond the back fence by the numbers of cargo cars Chris noticed when they entered the Park.  She and Jay anticipated multiple nights of interrupted slumber during their week-long stay.  A couple of weak trees struggled to survive amongst four rows of concrete slabbed sites that fell far short of accommodating the length of most RVs in residence, including Sonny, whose nose projected at least three feet into the park roadway from the best site Chris and Jay found for it.

The good news was the park had a killer wi-fi signal that expedited their time at the computer which turned out to be extensive.  The tail end of a massive ice and snow storm that ripped across the country in early February roared through the south and kept Chris and Jay holed up for three days; their only respite a Katrina damage driving tour and lunch with Ned Peak, a Coast Guard friend of Jay’s from his Houston days.

Ned had lived in New Orleans for more than 10 years and survived Katrina’s devastation.  He was a perfect tour guide, taking them to the 9^th Ward – one of the area’s most affected by the collapse of the canal levees.  Of the lots that contained houses, most stood vacant, their decrepit, sometimes tilted condition made one wonder what invisible force kept them upright.

The houses that had been repaired appeared habitable – but just.  The shining stars of the neighborhood were completely new, ultra modern houses which Ned said were constructed with aid from Hollywood stars such as Brad Pitt.  The all Hispanic members of the construction crews in the area confirmed to Chris and Jay that the “poor, oppressed residents of color” persisted in their victim status and wouldn’t lift a finger to help rebuild “their” city, waiting instead for Federal handouts.

After a scrumptious lunch at a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant, where another Coast Guard buddy Drew Gerfin met us, Ned continued the tour through the business district, pass the World War II Museum, through the French Quarter and back home.  Having their own personal chauffeur and tour guide was a real treat for Jay as he didn’t have to maneuver Big Red with its “truck size” turning radius through the narrow city streets.

These tile plaques are mounted on many street corners in the French Quarter.

The famed Bourbon Street.

More than a month before, the residents decorated for Mardi Gras.

Some of the happy people found in the French Quarter.

Thursday, their fourth day in town, they decided to brave the waning storm and in the afternoon, set out to tour the French Quarter.  Minding their own business and driving in the right lane on the interstate, Jay cringed when he noticed a rock drop from a rusty hulk of a concrete truck, bounce and careen straight toward him.  When it struck the windshield and left a star crack, Jay reverted back to his Coast Guard days and, with Chris his only audience, let the truck driver know exactly what he thought of him - #*&^%$#@!!#%^&*!!!!  He pulled alongside the truck Chris wrote down the company information and their jaunt into town was terminated as they dealt with the bureaucracy of the insurance industry.  It was just as well since they were expecting Peter Troedsson for dinner and Chris had to shop for and prepare the meal.

In the early 1980s, when Jay was a Commander at Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, D.C., Peter, a new Ensign fresh out of Officer Candidate School, sought him out to talk about a career in aviation; which they did over lunchtime sandwiches on Jay’s sailboat that was kept at a nearby marina.  Over twenty years later, Captain Troedsson, the commander of Group Astoria in Oregon (where Chris’ daughter lived and worked) ran into Jay at the 2007 Pterodactyl (Coast Guard Aviation Association) business meeting and the friendship was renewed.  His current assignment was at the District 8 Headquarters in New Orleans and they couldn’t be in the area without scheduling a visit and the evening passed quickly with good conversation, stories and laughs.

Eglin and the Sound of Freedom

One night stands are usually easy to arrange at most RV Parks, but the need to stay for a week or more at a popular location without reservations can be quite problematic. Travelers come and go every day for brief or extended stays. Parks that take reservations choreograph the RV site occupancies like a well-rehearsed ballet. For those that don’t, a traveler may not be able to stay as long as they’d like.

Chris and Jay prefer to stay a minimum of two to four days and like military bases because of the facility quality and security. As one could imagine there is not much vandalism and theft on a base crawling with highly trained militants.

Eglin Air Force Base did not take reservations and they were apprehensive about obtaining a site when they left Mayport. They exhaled a sigh of relief when a short phone call to Eglin assured them there was room and they could fulfill the primary reason to visit the area; pick up the growing stack of mail at nearby Crestview – the location of their mailing service and official resident address.

The campground was in the flight path of the base airstrip and a love/hate relationship with the searing sound of fighter jets screaming over the RV developed. Chris thought it was the coolest sound in the world – The Sound of Freedom! Conversation and or sleep came to a temporary halt, but thankfully the Air Force keeps civil hours and only flies between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., unlike the Marine Corps helicopter maneuvers at Camp Lejeune at 1 a.m!

The abundantly supplied PX and Commissary were perfect venues from which to stock up as they were the last tax-free military store Chris and Jay would encounter for many days. Clothes, groceries and other supplies were purchased and the consistently cold, windy weather kept the couple inside working on the numerous projects that always needed to be completed. Their original four-day stay stretched into more than a week; at least three days of which were spent planning and making reservations for the next seven months itinerary.

The plan completed and with eager anticipation of driving further west than they’d been since the outset of the Odyssey two years before, Chris and Jay once again hitched up Sonny to Big Red, and on Monday, January 31^st headed to New Orleans; the land of Mardi Gras and the City of the Dead.

No May in Mayport

It had been so cold for so long in Maryland that Chris and Jay wasted no time getting to Florida. By the evening of the their second day on the road, January 4^th, they pulled into the Pelican Roost RV Park at the Mayport Naval Base in Jacksonville, Florida where they settled in for what eventually became a two week plus stay.

Part of the harbor at Mayport Naval Station.

The first items on the agenda were to call friends in the area and schedule party time – old people’s party time that is – with dinner, a glass of wine and fun conversation. We entertained Wally Holdstein and his girlfriend, Pam, at home and visited Jay’s High School buddy Marna Crim and her husband Roger at their home in Fernandina Beach, an hour north of the base.

The Pelican Roost RV Park had a variety of fun “Senior” activities. Chris and Jay went to two nights of Card Bingo and won 5 out of 18 rounds. It is played with a deck of cards rather than a bingo card and chips. It was quite simple and fun and they look forward to playing again sometime – especially since they won so often. Another night they enjoyed some bluegrass music performed by the Appalachian String Band; a family consisting of Mary, age 18, Joe, age 16, Beth, age 15 and Dad on bass fiddle. Mom took photos and kept them organized while they traveled in a motorhome.

The cold winds and the ever pressing need to make progress on a dozen or so ongoing projects prompted Chris and Jay to extend their one-week reservation to over two and they gladly pounded away on their keyboards free of guilt that they were not outside soaking up Florida’s normally warm, sunny days.

Toward the end of their stay Chris was feeling that she needed to at least tour the area near the RV Park. So, she bundled up against the elements and trekked along the nearby waterfront discovering a beautiful, deep, sandy beach that stretched to the horizon – all of which was part of the Naval Station.

The channel was even large enough for oil tankers.

Jay regretted not sharing the experience and the next day they set out again, but with the good camera. Chris experimented with a different technique and created a stunning collection of abstract images which she immediately sent to an art buyer for an upcoming client presentation.

An abstract of a small pool of water surrounded by sea walls and copper colored grasses.

Blue sea, sky and white seawall.

You’d never think these were tire tracks in sand.

Tracks in sand.

The West was calling, they had exceeded their two-week limit and it was time to leave before the residents tarred and feathered them for winning too many Card Bingo games. Next stop Eglin Air Force Base and the Florida panhandle.

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch…

The return home was both sweet and sour – sweet to reunite with friends and family; sour because of the condition of the house and the work it needed after only one year. It took a few days to climb out of the cloud of disappointment that had settled on Chris and Jay after they toured the house and grounds upon their arrival home. Overall the house was filthy and at first glance, there was some minor damage. The tenant had, for their convenience, not taken some items with them therefore leaving the duty of disposing of them up to Chris and Jay. One of the first tasks was to drag the portable basketball hoop, which had been left in the backyard, out to the curb and put a “FREE” sign on it so that it could find a new home via someone else’s efforts. The garage floor was so dirty that their first day home was spent organizing and cleaning so as not to track the filth into the house.

The basketball hoop and large plastic tubs that were left at the house.

It appeared that the carpet in the living area had been vacuumed upon the tenant’s departure, but the kitchen and bathrooms were left so dirty that the disheartened owners couldn’t bring themselves to use them until they were rendered “clean” after several days of scrubbing. It took Chris four days to return the kitchen to an acceptable state of use. The basement floor, which had been freshly painted when they left the August before, was so badly damaged with scratches and ground-in dirt that it required a new coat. Chris spent a full day scrubbing it and another taping and painting to return it to its former glory. During the first week home, Jay’s time was spent cleaning the bathrooms and beginning the myriad of repair jobs that were appearing on the continuously expanding multi-page list of things to do. The more problems they found the harder it was for Chris and Jay to understand how three adults and one child could inflict so much dirt and damage on a house in twelve short months.

There was even some kind of dark goo from candy or a crayon

that had hardened onto the inside of the one-year old dryer. Yuk!!!

All-in-all three weeks passed before the house was in an acceptable enough condition to show potential renters with Chris having patched, touchup painted and scrubbed the walls, sanded out gouges and refinished the hardwood floors in two bedrooms, spend a week in the garden weeding and bringing it back to life and completed 100 other tasks. Meanwhile Jay put on his lawyer hat and learned more than he ever wanted to know about filing a small claim to recoup the three month’s back rent due them. Then he started painting the “boy’s” room. Funny how they were assured that no one would smoke in the house but that Chris found ashes on the window sill and burns on the carpet in “his” room. The neighbors told them that, when the wind was right, they could have gotten high some nights when they sat on their front porch.

Their friends next door also cleared up a mystery that had been plaguing Chris since before their arrival home. Her son, Kevin, had delivered the non-renewal-of-lease letter to the tenant earlier in the summer and while at the house took a photo of the periwinkle bed that had covered the majority of the front yard for the last 25 years, with his cell phone and sent it to her as it didn’t look like he remembered. The photo was not detailed enough for Chris to determine how it actually looked or the cause and her heart sank when she saw the brown, nearly lifeless condition of it her first day home. Indeed, it was mostly dead with only a few, tiny green leaves struggling for survival. She contacted the tenant who offered not the courtesy of a reply. A conversation with the neighbors solved the mystery. It had been mowed! More questions bubbled into Chris’ mind than in an agitated can of soda. WHY?!?!?!?!?! WHY WOULD SOMEONE MOW THE PERIWINKLE!?!?!?!?!? Until the date of this writing the answer has not been provided and she will probably never know. Her only consolation is that it wasn’t poisoned with an herbicide and that the roots were still alive. Within a year or two it may regain its former lushness. She’s keeping her fingers crossed.

The brown ground where the gloriously lush, green periwinkle used to reside.

With the house again in habitable condition, it showed well and a steady stream of tenant prospects toured the estate - 95% of whom the protective owners would not have accepted had they applied. Weeks turned into months and Chris and Jay spent quality time with friends and family over dinners and at parties.

The non-travel time was an unforeseen blessing as Chris caught up on the blog posting from their summer touring and both she and Jay scheduled annual Doctor and Dental appointments. But by November they were wondering if they would be spending the winter there and the early onset of frigid weather was making them feel as if they were. Fortunately the perfect tenant moving in on December 1^st saved them from such a fate – well, almost.

Picture this: It’s December 1^st and a new tenant is occupying your house so you move the RV to the nearby Fort Meade RV Park for a week or so to tie up loose ends before heading south. By then it is only two weeks before Christmas. Your children are wondering why you’re not planning on staying through the holidays – especially since your daughter is flying home for New Years! You have no better explanation other than that you want to get to a warmer climate and actually begin the two-year trip you started two years ago!

So you stay and are glad you did. Except for the day it snowed AND the continuous days and nights of below freezing temperatures that froze the water pump and required covering every window, vent and crack in the RV with 3 mil plastic and tape AND wearing long johns 24/7 to stay warm AND having to do some unexpected repairs on the townhouse, you have a great time!

At long last on January 3^rd, Jay and Chris broke their rule of not driving on the interstates and pulled onto I-95 heading south and, figuring three time's a charm, restarted their now, “no-time-limit” Odyssey.