Baton Rouge 2014: Exploring the USS Kidd with the Kids

Saturday was my day with the kids and The Kidd. However, my adventure began long before we boarded the great war ship...

After narrowing down our choices, the children decided they wanted to visit the USS Kidd, a restored WWII destroyer. The catch, I had to drive Jim's monster truck with its grumbling diesel engine and 50 gears on the stick shift (OK, maybe only 5 or 6) downtown. With the aid of my phone's GPS mapping I found my way to the Mississippi River and even scored a parking space I wouldn't have to back out of.

Both Brennan and Kate loved the Veteran's Museum, but Brennan was in Seventh Heaven running from model ship to model ship like a kid in a candy store.

With our map in hand, we were set free to wander the ship from mess hall to radar room to the officer's state rooms. After our history lesson on The Kidd, we wandered around the downtown area a bit and admired the "castle"  which is the Louisiana Old State Capitol Building. I left my phone's GPS on all afternoon so my battery died. I had to "follow my nose" back home and luckily we all made it without a scratch. The dogs did get out once we were back, but came home hungry and tired in the evening. We ended the day at Mooyah's for some tasty burgers (turkey burger, that is, for me and Janel) and sweet potato fries.

Baton Rouge 2014: Lagniappe at Magnolia Mound

The next day, everyone in the Rabalais clan had plans, so I decided to explore one of the local historic plantations. Just past LSU's Tiger Stadium is a hidden gem called Magnolia Mound Plantation. Founded in the late 1700's, the plantation still has several of the original houses. I was first to arrive and so I had my own personal tour guide take me around the plantation house. She was trilled to have such a captive audience and treated me to a little historic "lagniappe" - just a little extra info and local folklore. 

It turns out Mark Twain even expounded on "lagniappe"' in his Life on the Mississippi (1883).

We picked up one excellent word — a word worth travelling to New Orleans to get; a nice limber, expressive, handy word — "lagniappe." They pronounce it lanny-yap. It is Spanish — so they said.

.... It has a restricted meaning, but I think the people spread it out a little when they choose. It is the equivalent of the thirteenth roll in a "baker's dozen." It is something thrown in, gratis, for good measure.

The plantations cash crops included indigo, cotton, a bit of tobacco, then eventually sugar cane. It also boasted a stand alone open-hearth kitchen complete with reflector ovens and a waffle iron.  I, of course, was distracted by the garden's pointy moss covered fence posts and the wrought iron shutter

latches.

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Baton Rouge 2014: Back in the Bayou

As soon as I flipped on the radio station - Voodoo 104 - and found myself driving along narrow roads with absolutely NO shoulder to speak of and green as far as the eye could see, I knew I had made it back to the heart of Cajun Country, Louisiana. As the sun sets, I even catch sight of the blue haired bicycle fairy...

Brennan is still very much into cars and all things public service. Throughout the day he gently tortured the mini "taco" dog, Penny and Kate was addicted to listening to, watching, and singing along with the movie "Frozen" (even in the buggy at Walmart.) Nothing like hanging out with family!


My first full day in Baton Rouge I hung out with my sister, Janel. We raided a few thrift stores and then went to Brennan's Cub Scout meeting. Brennan won first prize in the Pinewood Derby with his "limo" and he proudly related the tale of his car conception.