Some Year-End Reflections

Bayou Teche

This is the time of the year when people tend to do a lot of reflection and self-evaluation, and I find myself doing the same thing.

I've spent a lot more time living life rather than writing about it -- my last blog post was this summer.

This has been an epic year for me and I am overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude and almost disbelief, sometimes.

I have said before that when I began this project to write about Cammie Henry and her life, her contributions to preservation and to the arts, I never had any idea where it would take me. Basically, I simply went where she led me, and I still am.

This book, and Cammie, have taken the reins of my life and led me on such a journey this year! I have traveled to cities and towns across the state and I have talked to groups large and small about Cammie Henry and Melrose Plantation.

At first I was terrified. At my first appearance at the Louisiana Book Festival (2018), I was a nervous wreck. Even though I have been teaching for over twenty years, it was still intimidating to me to get up in front of a crowd of people and talk.  As it turned out, that was a pretty friendly, and small, audience that included my husband, my editor, and an intern that contributed to some of the editing work.

In the spring I spoke at the Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches (APHN) annual banquet; this was a very large crowd and I was still quite nervous. This was followed by an appearance before the Baton Rouge Country Club Book Club, and later the North Louisiana Historical Association. Most recently, I spoke to a group of architects at the Institute of Classical Art and Architecture event in Natchitoches and then to the Calico Belles, an auxiliary group of the APHN -- young high school age ladies who volunteer at events in Natchitoches like the annual Tour of Homes.

Each event has become a bit less nerve wracking and the Calico Belles event was downright fun because those girls were so enthusiastic and interested, plus we got to walk the grounds of Melrose and talk about Cammie and her friends. It was a joyous day.

Cammie Henry has also led me to many new friendships that mean so much to me. When the book launched in October 2018 at the Cammie Garrett Henry Research Center at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, in attendance was a fun-loving group of ladies who were the children and grandchildren of one of Cammie's sons. I visited with them that night and it seemed like all they did was joke and laugh. I remember thinking at the time, "These are my people." I felt instantly comfortable with them...connected.  Cammie kept throwing us together -- I started running into Dana everywhere! And in late summer they invited Steve and I to a small family gathering on Cane River and it was just the most wonderful day.

Another event that stands out to me from this past year is our trip to Lake Charles and McNeese University to speak at their SAGE program. That was another huge crowd and the first time I'd included a visual presentation with my speech. McNeese rolled out the red carpet for Cammie and Cane River Bohemia. Steve and I were treated to lunch and dinner at beautiful local restaurants, given a tour of the city, and I did two television appearances. May Gray, who organized the event, has become a friend now, and she made the trip one I will never forget.

I feel so blessed and honored for all of these opportunities and I know Cammie isn't finished with me. Our journey is not finished.

Besides book related blessings, this is the year I feel in love with Arnaudville, a tiny town in south Louisiana, where the arts are celebrated and the people are welcoming. I discovered Gateau Nana this year! And Song Trivia and Social Commentary! I made some great new friends and acquaintances in south Louisiana. I spend a lot of time waiting until my next trip to Arnaudville. The way we found Arnaudville and the house on the Teche where we stay has its own convoluted sort of story and wispy Cammie-connections which I'll be able to convey someday.

This year has also included a great first-semester at school; last semester, in the spring, was rough, rough, rough, but this semester has been good, and all but three of my students passed their EOC exam. And my gosh, the people that stepped up to contribute to my classroom library or to fill my Amazon wish list for my classroom have been amazing,

As this year comes to a close, I think we all tend to look back and evaluate our year, and I'm no different. It has not been without challenges, to be sure. Christmas is often a difficult time for me... I get overly sentimental and filled with loss for those who are no longer with us. We have a very small family and those losses are so strongly felt. But we persevere, we make new traditions, new friends, and really, I am blessed.

This self-serving post is really meant just to say thank you to everyone who made this year so exciting and gratifying for me.

You know who you are.

Arnaudville Guest Houses Are Lovingly Restored and Incredibly Inviting

Arnaudville is a small community in St. Landry and St. Martin parishes on historic Bayou Teche and some pretty cool things are happening there.

A favorite stop of ours when traveling through the southern part of our state is Bayou Teche Brewing on La. Hwy 31. Besides the fabulous beer and tasty wood-fired pizza, you meet the most interesting and friendly people there.  On our most recent trip we met a guy from Florida who was in town working for developer Tony Adrian at Les Deux Mondes guest houses.

It was an odd coincidence because we had spotted the colorful cottages a few days before and been curious about them, and now, here was this fellow ready to tell us all about them. A couple of days later we had the chance to meet Tony and tour three of the cottages and now we can't wait to return and stay for a few days. In fact, I'm rather obsessed with the idea.

Tony Adrian is an energetic and enterprising craftsman; a former nurse, he now is co-owner and developer in the renovation of seven formerly dilapidated homes on Front Street in Arnaudville. The houses all date prior to 1920s and he was eager to show them to us.

The pastel cottages actually face Bayou Teche and while all of them are not complete yet, the three we saw were ready for occupancy while another is the current residence for the ULL student who does the landscaping and gardening.

Just a few years ago the property was a trash dump and eyesore and neighbors were a little nervous when Tony started moving in more dilapidated houses, but after he removed several dump trucks full of trash, fixed up the houses, and planted some flowers, tensions eased.

The cottages we walked through had gorgeous cypress tables and red oak counter tops, fully updated kitchens and bathrooms, stunning pine plank flooring, and simple, tasteful decor.

The walls feature original art from Nunu Art Collective in Arnaudville. Tony pointed out that he used milk paint made on site on the walls, "no latex paint," he said, shaking his head.

He has built spacious porches facing the bayou for each one. 

"Houses used to front the bayou," he explained. "The street side was the back door, so that's what we did."

You can walk across the street to Russell's and pick up your groceries or a plate lunch; you can spend the afternoon in a hammock just watching the bayou, or you can go down to the brewery for pizza and conversation.  You can even put a kayak in the bayou and explore the historic Bayou Teche.

"Have you ever had loquat?" Tony asked me as we walked around to the street side of the houses; he pointed to a tree filled with pale orange fruit. He plucked one from the tree, bent forward, and bit in, juice dripping everywhere. "You might need a bath when you get through!" he laughed.   The gardens along the cottages are filled with lovingly tended blooming plants, natural grasses, fruit trees, and vegetable plants.  Amber was setting out tomato plants when we were there.

Tony is all about conservation and preservation so he uses natural and local materials when he can; the rooms are all inviting and filled with natural light. He has updated all of the plumbing and electricity.

Some of the cottages are single occupancy while others are duplexes with a shared porch.

The cottages are listed on Air BnB, if you're interested in a stay. I plan to try them all!  In fact, I'm hoping maybe I can talk Tony into selling me one someday, but I doubt he'd be game for that. I get the impression this is a project of love for him.



Further Reading:
Arnaudville Guest House Project Targets Tourists, Artists (Acadiana Advocate, 9/10/14)
Les Deux Mondes Project Grows in Arnaudville (Daily World, 8/23/14)
Waterfront Cajun Creole Cottage on Bayou Teche - 4 Guests (Air BnB)
Waterfront Cajun Creole Cottage on Bayou Teche - 7 Guests (Air BnB)

Author Rebecca Wells Charms the Books Along the Teche Literary Festival

Rebecca Wells in her vintage 1930s dress.

In 1996, Louisiana author Rebecca Wells published Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood in which Siddalee Walker from Thornton, Louisiana contemplates the past, the future, and the lifelong friendships between her mother Vivi and her fellow Ya-Yas.

The book was incredibly successful and sparked such an interest in the Walker clan that the author's earlier novel, Little Altars Everywhere (1992) also became a hit.

From there, anything Rebecca Wells wrote was gold.

As fate would have it, the sweet taste of success would be on the back burner for Miss Wells. As her books began to rise to the tops of the best seller lists, she would be diagnosed with Lyme disease and would spend the next few years battling the chronic illness that this diagnosis would bring.

At the fourth annual Books Along the Teche Literary Festival last weekend, Miss Wells did not talk a great deal about her battle with Lyme disease but the residual effects do linger; bright light is intolerable and she gets cold easily. She tires easily, but when you give as much as she does to a performance, that is easy to understand.

The stage at the Sliman Theater in New Iberia was set for the popular author: three bottles of Essentia water, reading glasses, a tall bar stool, a black shawl, a music stand with her notes.

Miss Wells entered from the back of the stage, did a "Loretta Young twirl" to show off her vintage 1930s dress, and took her place.  Beautiful, ageless, charming, she told the capacity crowd about her dress, her struggle to find shoulder pads for it, and she talked about returning to the South to live in Tennessee.

The highlight of her performance was her reading from her book-in-progress, Divine Daughter of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. In an interview with Deep South Magazine in 2016, Wells said, "I am never happier than when I am performing my work. It’s really all I want to do," and it shows. She is a performer and as she read her work it was pure poetry. The inflection, the quizzical tones, the humor, delivered in Miss Wells's sweet southern drawl all come through and bring her characters to life. It is mesmerizing to watch and to hear.

In the excerpt Wells shared with us, "No More Y'all," Siddalee Walker is in New York and takes a class to minimize her Southern accent in order to advance her acting career. Sidda struggles with this, of course, and as Miss Wells enunciated the difference between "ten" and "tin" and "four" and "fo-oour," I think everyone in the audience was silently saying those words to themselves. I know at the dinner event later that evening everyone at our table said them aloud!

"Say 'Ten'!" said one guest from Iowa.

"Tin," I said.

Whoops and good-natured laughter.

After her performance, Miss Wells took a brief break to recoup, and then signed copies of her books for everyone who wanted her signature. Some brought play programs from other performances, and some brought posters. Anything Rebecca-Wells-related that was there, got signed, and anyone who wanted to visit with her got their wish. She was the most gracious, kind person I could possibly imagine.

Later that evening, at the dinner and dancing event at the Steamboat Pavilion on Bayou Teche, as we practices saying "four" and "fo-ooor," as we ate fried shrimp and jambalaya, and as we danced to Terry Huval's Jambalaya Cajun Band, in waltzed Rebecca Wells, perfectly darling in black leggings, pink long sleeved top, and a black, gauze tunic.

She is, as my mama would say, "not as big as a minute," a tiny little thing, with her hair swooped up on top of her head and her lipstick perfect.

She spent the next hour eating, dancing, and taking photos with the crowd.

Posing for photos with the locals

She did the Cajun two-step, the Cajun Conga line, and she took the microphone and pronounced the festival to be "not a book festival but a book party!"  She expressed her love for Louisiana and her hometown roots and said how glad she was to be back.

Wells in the Conga line with your author right behind her.

She won every heart in the place.

It is so exciting to see this festival grow and to see the great talent that it attracts. Last year was Ernest Gaines and I couldn't imagine how they could top that. Now I can't imagine who could top the precious, talented Rebecca Wells!



Coming Next:  The Great Southern Chefs Cooking Demo and Ken Wells/Gumbo Life


Further Reading:
Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Louisiana Blood: An Interview With Rebecca Wells (Lafayette Daily Advertiser, 4/5/19)
Wells has Audience Thrilled with Tales of Life, Fiction (The Daily Iberian, 4/7/19)
Rebecca Wells Comes Home (Deep South Magazine, 10/14/16)
Take a Trip to the Books Along the Teche Literary Festival, Part 1 (SIGIS, 4/9/18)
Take a Trip to the Books Along the Teche Literary Festival, Part 2 (SIGIS, 4/14/18)

Take a Weekend Trip to New Iberia

Bayou Teche, New Iberia

As my summer vacation comes to a close and the hectic school-year calendar approaches, Steve and I made one more trip to south Louisiana before we become consumed by school schedules, his Masters studies, and my book events.  In this sort of calm before the storm, we threw ourselves into the Jeep and headed south.

After our first visit to New Iberia in April to attend the Books Along the Teche Literary Festival, we fell in love with the city and with the people.  I am simply enchanted with all of it: the hospitality, the natural beauty, the lyrical Cajun accents, and the complete joie de vivre that we found there.  And because the weekend of the literary festival was so fun and so full of activities, we didn't get a chance to see and do everything we wanted to, so a return trip was more than needed.

The attractions around Iberia parish are epic.  When we were there in April we did a quick tour of the Tabasco factory (because it was Sunday they were not in production that day), and Jungle Gardens on Avery Island. Both were amazing and call for a return trip.  I want to see Tabasco when they are in production and Jungle Gardens is beautiful and deserves more than the quick couple of hours that we were able to give to it before going home.

For this trip we wanted to visit New Iberia again, catch up with some friends we made in April, and tour Jefferson Island.

When we arrived, my friend Wendy asked if we were up for going with them to the Cajun French Music Association dinner and dance with them and so we tagged along for that which was big fun.  We danced a bit and learned a couple of Cajun dance steps.

Cajun French Music Association dinner and dance.

The evening ended at Clementine on Main where we had a couple of drinks and the most divine bread pudding on the planet.  After listening to our New Iberian friends, I decided I need to brush up on my French!  If I lived in New Iberia, I'd go to the French breakfast at Victor's Cafeteria on Thursday mornings and learn a few things!

The next day, our only full day this trip, was dedicated for Jefferson Island.  We stopped in Delcambre on the way and looked at the boats which was pretty cool.

Somebody please throw me on a boat and take me out into the Gulf!

Shrimp boat at Delcambre.

You have to see Jefferson Island to believe it.  I took lots of pictures and not a single one does it justice.  Driving into the parking lot, we had to go really slow to avoid hitting peacocks.

Peacock on Jefferson Island.

The island isn't actually an island, but a rise from a salt dome, just as Avery Island is.  In November, 1980, a Texaco drilling rig on Lake Peigneur pierced the salt mine which cause the huge lake to drain into the mine, backed up water from the Delcambre canal and the Gulf of Mexico rushed into the mine and lake bed, and remarkably, none of the mine workers were injured, although much damage was done and property lost.  You can easily see the chimney from a home which is all that remains.  The litigation dragged out for years.

Here's an eight minute video of that disaster:




Joseph Jefferson died in 1905 and his beautiful home and island were sold:

After his death in 1905, Jefferson's heirs sold Jefferson Island and the 2,000 acre plantation in 1917 to a partnership of John Lyle Bayless, Sr. of Anchorage, Kentucky; Paul Jones, bourbon distiller of Louisville, Kentucky; and E. A. McIlhenny of Avery Island, maker of TABASCO® Sauce. John Lyle Bayless, Jr. affectionately called Jack, developed Rip Van Winkle Gardens around the historic home in the late 1950's after selling the salt mine that tunnels under the island and lake. Bayless donated the home and 800 acres to a private operating foundation which he formed to assure its continued operation far beyond his lifetime to share with everyone, the place he so loved and enjoyed.

The house was amazing:

Joseph Jefferson home.

We spent the entire day in this paradise; the gardens are gorgeous.

Rip Van Winkle Gardens on Jefferson Island.

There are many oriental influences in the gardens including these gates:

Rip Van Winkle Gardens on Jefferson Island.

I was mesmerized by the lotus garden and took a million photos here.

The Lotus Garden.

The flowers were so delicate and beautiful.

Lotus flower.

Here's another:

I took another million pictures and videos of peacocks.  I really wanted to capture their calls on video but wasn't able to do that.

We spend a long time just sitting on one bench or another, listening to the sprinklers, watching butterflies, raccoons, peacocks, and squirrels, or just watching the lake.

There is the chimney - all that remains of the house.

For lunch we went to the Jefferson Island cafe which offered air conditioning (yay!) and a beautiful view of the lake.  I imagine in cooler weather (that is, not over a hundred degrees...), people dine outside because there's a nice cooling breeze coming off the lake, fanned by the Spanish moss, and through the trees.

I had a pastrami and Swiss cheese sandwich and Steve had an eggplant dish that he raved over.

We spent a couple more hours in the garden after lunch then went back to the hotel to shower and change for dinner.

We got to Main Street a couple of hours before our dinner reservation so that we would have time to shop.  We stopped at Books Along the Teche and visited with Howard and Loraine Kingston for a while and purchased a couple of books.  Loraine told me that Burke has a new Robicheaux book coming out in January called New Iberia Blues.  I can't wait!  Anything James Lee Burke related, Howard and Loraine know.

Books Along the Teche.

It was still too early for our dinner reservation so we walked Main Street, visited with some locals, and finally stepped into Bourbon Hall for a cold beer and a couple of quick games of pool.  We went to this sports bar when we visited in April and because the service was fast and friendly, we went back.  I lost three games of pool, but hey, I'm out of practice.

On to dinner.

Our dinner choice was Clementine on Main.  Clementine originally opened in 1980, closed for two years, and recently reopened under new owners.  They describe themselves as "southern casual fine dining" and I can attest to that.  The beautiful, old, tiger oak bar is stunning.

Tiger Oak bar at Clementine.

The restaurant was busy when we got there; a lot of the locals were having an early dinner before the Iberia Performing Arts League production of Annie.

We both opted for the flat-iron steak which was divine.  Perfectly seasoned, perfectly cooked, and tender as it could be.  Steve had a sweet potato/sausage hash and grilled, smoked vegetables for his sides and I had fries and wilted spinach which had just the right touch of fresh garlic.

Flat-iron steak, sweet potato hash, wilted spinach.

Our appetizer was Avocado Tartar which was described as a "deconstructed guacamole" and this raised the level of guacamole to new heights.  Let's just say that I ran out today to buy avocados and Tabasco's Sriracha sauce so I can try to recreate this.

Avocado Tartar at Clementine

At the end of the meal I sent a text to my friend Wendy confessing that I was eating the bread pudding once again - I couldn't stop myself.

Fabulous bread pudding at Clementine.

After dinner we walked around downtown a little and then walked through St. Peter's cemetery right before dusk; it was serenely beautiful.

There is a lot of history in the cemetery and the city does cemetery tours each year with residents playing the parts of various people and telling their stories.

One more pass through downtown to see Church Alley alight:

and we called it a night.

Our final morning in New Iberia consisted of a tour of Konriko, the Conrad Rice Mill, which is the longest operating rice mill in the country.

Konriko.

Our tour guide was adorable, full of personality, and told us the story of the mill, showed us how everything worked, gave us samples of their signature Wild Pecan Rice (yes, I bought a bag - it's amazing!)

The mill is on the National Register and so they are a little limited as to what modernization they can do, but with over a dozen employees, they still produce a quality product and the thing I loved most: they waste nothing.  Nothing!  They either sell or donate hulls and broken rice and other by-products to farmers for feed, or breweries for their production needs.

The mill store is a relatively modern structure but a great deal of it was built with salvaged lumber and other items.  It was well worth the stop, plus we got to meet the mill cats who we are assured control any rodent problems!

We took one more pass through downtown and hit Highway 31 heading toward St. Martinville.

It is a stunningly beautiful drive with sugar cane fields everywhere and the two-lane highway is lined with towering oaks draped with Spanish moss.

In St. Martinville we toured the Acadian museum and memorial.

The full sized mural that greets you inside the museum is simply gorgeous.  It is 12 x 30 and was painted by Robert Dafford.

There is an audio that lasts for about twenty minutes as some of the people depicted tell you their stories.  I expect that this is a terrific place to come do research if your family has Acadian ancestry.

We saw the Evangeline statue which was pretty awesome.

Evangeline

And the Evangeline Oak:

And we ate (again) at St. John Restaurant which was delicious.  I had alligator au gratin and Steve had another eggplant dish.  Both were excellent and we had a cool view of Bayou Teche while we ate.

We stayed on Highway 31 through Breaux Bridge and on to Arnaudville where we stopped for a cold beer.

Bayou Teche Brewing.

A cajun band was playing outside,

a mobile cigar lounge was parked under the trees...

and a BBQ food truck was there.  I could have stayed all day but I filled a growler, listened to a couple of songs, and came on home.

We've been to New Iberia twice now and each time I love it more.  And there is still more to see.  I want to return to some of the places we saw the first time, like the Bayou Teche Museum.  We haven't been to Loreauville or to the Jeanerette Museum.  I could spend an entire week on Jefferson Island and Avery Island.  I still haven't made it to Cypremort Point, I haven't done a swamp tour on the Bayou, and there are lots of restaurants I still need to try (although you may never get me away from Clementine).  And this weekend is the Iberia Film Festival!  The Cajun French Music Association has dinner and dancing once a month and there is always some festival or another either in New Iberia or nearby.

I'm so impressed with how these people love their community and work so hard to make it a lovely place for both locals and tourists.  New Iberia has recently reinstated their own police force, too, and this has instilled a lot of pride and excitement in the town which saw some spike in crime after Hurricane Katrina.

I love Iberia parish and I hope they'll let me be an honorary Cajun because I'm brushing up my French and plan on coming back really soon!

The SIGIS Take a Trip Series:

Take a Trip to Books Along the Teche Literary Festival, Part 2

Take a Trip to Books Along the Teche Literary Festival, Part 1

Take a Trip to Scottsville Cemetery in Harrison County, Texas

Take a Trip to the Mansfield State Historic Site and Civil War Battlefield

Take a Trip to Tour Oakland Cemetery in Shreveport

Take a Trip to Natchitoches and Tour the H.A.Cook Guesthouse

Take a Trip to Greenwood Cemetery Memorial Day 2016

Take a Trip to Keachie Confederate Cemetery Memorial Service

Take a Trip to the Eighth Annual Barksdale Oktoberfest

Take a Trip to the 2015 Highland Jazz & Blues Festival

Take a Trip to the American Legion Cross Lake Floatilla 2015

Take a Trip to Two Memorial Day Ceremonies in Shreveport

Take a Trip to the Battle of Natchitoches

Take a Trip to Miss Cammie's Dinner Table

Take a Trip on Route 66 from Oklahoma City to Miami OK

Take a Trip to Coushatta, See the Lawnmower Man, and a Crop Duster

Take a Trip to the 2014 Cross Lake Floatilla:  Loving the Lake Life

Take a Trip to the Barskdale AFB First Annual Luau

Take a Trip to the 2013 Highland Jazz and Blues Festival

Take a Trip to Natchitoches for a Sons of the American Revolution Grave Marking Ceremony and Some Gator Bites

Take a Trip to the Sixth Annual Barksdale Oktoberfest

Take One More Quick Trip to Jefferson, Texas and Explore Room 104

Take a Trip to the Cross Lake Flotilla 2013

Take a Spontaneous Mother's Day Trip to Jefferson, Texas

Take a Trip Along East Texas Back Roads

Take a Trip to the "Going Green on the Red River" Festival

Take a Springtime Drive Down the Cane River Heritage Trail

Take a Spring Break Trip to Arcadia Louisiana

Take a Trip to the 2012 Natchitoches Christmas Festival
Take a Trip to the 2012 Grand Cane Pioneer Day and Christmas Parade

Take a Trip to the 2012 Highland Jazz and Blues Festival

Take a Trip to the 2012 Vets for Vets Event

Take a Trip to the Norton Art Gallery and the Photographs of the Vietnam War Exhibit

Take a Trip to Octoberfest 2012 at Barksdale Air Force Base

Take a Picnic Trip to the Lock and Dam and a Detour to Lake Bistineau

Take a Dinner Ride Through East Texas

Take a Trip to an End of Summer Party and Listen to Soulfish Blues Band

Take a Summer Trip to Jefferson, Texas and Meet New Friends

Take a Trip to Dallas, Texas and The West End

Take a Stocking the Freezer Trip to Ed Lester Farms and Find a Cool Truck!

Take a Trip to Coushatta Down Louisiana Backroads

Take a Trip to the 2012 Cross Lake Floatilla

Take a Sunday Drive in North Caddo Parish

Take a Trip to Minden's First Annual Cinco de Mayo Festival

Take a Trip to the 2012 Defenders of Liberty Air Show at BAFB
Take a Springtime Trip to Second Hand Rose Antiques in Minden, LA
Take a Trip to Logansport, Louisiana
Take a Trip to the Lock and Dam on Red River
Take a Trip to the 2012 Barkus and Meoux Parade
Take a Christmas Shopping Trip to Second Hand Rose in Minden
Take a Trip to the Fourth Annual Barksdale AFB Oktoberfest 
Take a Trip to Grand Cane's Fifth Annual Pioneer Trade Day
Take a Trip to the 2011 Highland Jazz & Blues Festival
Take an Autumn Trip to Jefferson, Texas
Take a Fall Trip to Second Hand Rose Antiques in Minden
Take a Trip to the 8th Air Force Museum at Barksdale Air Force Base
Take a Summertime Trip to Grand Cane
Take a Trip to Desoto Parish
Take a Summer Trip to Second Hand Rose Antiques in Minden
Take a Trip to Natchitoches and Melrose Plantation 
Take a Trip to Ed Lester Farms and a Random Antique Stop
Take a Trip to the Norton Art Gallery and the Masters of Cuban Art Exhibit
Take a Trip to Natchitoches to See the Christmas Lights
Take a Trip to the Third Annual BAFB Oktoberfest 
Take a Trip to Natchitoches and Oakland Plantation

Take a Trip to Jefferson, Texas 

Full Metal Jacket Saturday:  The Oktoberfest Edition

Oktoberfest at BAFB

Take a Trip to the Books Along the Teche Literary Festival: Part 1

There is something magical about New Iberia, Louisiana.  Maybe it is the 135-mile, chocolate brown Bayou Teche whose history is filled with mystery and adventure.  Maybe it is the spreading live oaks dripping with Spanish moss that gently sways in the breeze, lulling you into utter contentment and bliss.  Or maybe it is laughter of the people who all seem to have a light in their eyes and a smile on their face.

Perhaps it is a combination of all that and more.

After attending the third annual Books Along the Teche Literary Festival, I think I know where my retirement plans lie.

But, let me start at the beginning.

Steve and I arrived Thursday afternoon in New Iberia with the intent of doing a bit of exploring on our own before the festival kicked off on Friday.  After checking into the hotel, our first stop was the Visitor's Center at Shadows on the Teche to pick up our media passes for the weekend.  While there, we were able to tag along on the last tour of the day of the beautiful plantation home of Weeks Hall.  We were able to go through the house with a guide and then walk the beautiful gardens.  

The Shadows on the Teche

The house, like many homes of that style and period, has no interior staircase; to get from the lower floor to the upper you must use one of two outside staircases.  The rooms are immaculately restored right down to the carpet pattern in the parlor upstairs.  

The gardens are lush and manicured with stunning live oaks draped with silvery green Spanish moss that sways in the bayou breeze.  On this evening, the Cycle Zydeco group was in town and the cyclists were spread out across the back lawn at white draped tables enjoying drinks and food along the banks of Bayou Teche as the day drew to a close.

We headed toward the car after stopping by the graves of Weeks Hall and his family in the garden.  There is so much fascinating history about this house and its owners.  Now in the hands of the National Trust, the Weeks family built the home in the 1830s as a residence on their plantation.  The home was occupied by Union forces during the American Civil War and by the time Weeks Hall acquired sole ownership and returned to the home in the early 1900s it was in some disrepair.  He dedicated the rest of his life to restoring the home and gardens.  

Read more about the home and its family here; I'd also suggest Morris Raphael's biography of Weeks Hall.  

We had eaten a late lunch on the road at Prejeans in Lafayette so we didn't start getting hungry until late evening.  We walked the historic district in New Iberia and dipped into Books Along the Teche bookstore: a blissfully independent bookshop that has been in operation for decades. Howard Kingston and his wife Lorraine are as friendly as anyone could ever be.  Howard is the guy you need to see if you want a signed James Lee Burke book.  He's got them.  And he has signed first editions!

We visited with them in the shop for a bit; the beautiful Lorraine signed us up to their mailing list, and we headed over to Bojangles to eat some delicious raw oysters.

Nothing better than Louisiana oysters

Did I tell you there was something magical about New Iberia?  Steve found a pearl in his oyster!

The streets were crowded with the cyclists and then the patrons of the literary festival (like us) began to arrive so it wasn't long before all the sidewalks, restaurants, and shops were standing room only.  After polishing off our oysters we went to Boulingy Plaza to listen to the live music.

I'd already decided I was in love with New Iberia back at The Shadows.  By the time I listened to one or two songs by Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band as they played cajun and zydeco tunes in the Steamboat Pavillion next to Bayou Teche, by the time I'd watched the dancers spin and twirl around the floor, by the time the sun started to glow pink in the western sky, I was texting my friends back home telling them I'd found heaven.

Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band

And that was before Jo-El Sonnier came on stage.  

Wait, what?!  That little something magic about New Iberia.  I was just taking photos and watching the guy on stage play the washboard when next thing you know, Jo-El Sonnier is up there making magic happen with that accordion.  I lost my mind!

Jo-El Sonnier at Books Along the Teche Literary Festival

Even better, he hung around after his song and took pictures with us!  Get out!

Jo-El Sonnier at Books Along the Teche Literary Festival

We would have stayed all night after that, but Friday beckoned and we knew we had to get some sleep for the busy weekend ahead.  The party was still going strong when we left and made our way back to the hotel.

Friday morning we had breakfast at the famous Victor's Cafeteria, Dave Robicheaux's favorite place to eat.  Victor's serves cafeteria style; go through the line, place your order, and they'll bring it to your table.  We had standard breakfast fare and it was delicious.  You can always tell a great breakfast place if they know how to cook your grits, and Victor's does.

Victor's Cafeteria, New Iberia

Our first stop after breakfast was the Tastes Along the Teche cooking demo with my chef-idol Marcelle Bienvenu who made crawfish etouffee, chef Alex Patout who made gumbo, and then from Tabasco, chef Lionel Robin who made a delicious, garlic shrimp pasta dish.  We got to sample all of it which pretty much killed me for lunch!

Chef Lionel Robin makes shrimp pasta

But that magic thing?  Marcelle Bienvenu.  Oh my lord.  I have entire binders filled with her recipes clipped from The Shreveport Times years ago.  My mother and I loved reading Marcelle's columns, and I can say Marcelle because you felt like she was your best friend after reading those columns.  She wrote about her husband Rock and their life on the bayou.  Rock would bring home oysters and she'd have to whip up some delicious dish and invite everyone in the neighborhood over to eat them.  I still use her recipes and I kept the columns as much for the stories as I did the recipes.

Marcelle Bienvenu

When I saw her standing in the back of the crowd watching the other chefs, I had to go up and speak to her and tell her how much I loved her work.  I'm not usually so forward, but I'm glad I did it. She could not have been nicer!  We even talked about my book coming out in October and she knew about Melrose and was interested in Cammie Henry!  She even gave me her card and asked me to let her know when it is released!  

Get out!  Marcelle Bienvenu wants to read my book! It's too much!  Steve took a picture of us and I'm framing it.  Love!

Marcelle Bienvenu at Books Along the Teche Literary Festival

So, I was not up for lunch after feasting on all of this delicious cajun fare and so while others went to lunch at Victor's, Steve and I went to the Bayou Teche museum.

What a lovely museum!  Every exhibit was so incredibly done and so informative that we could have stayed for hours.  The bayou is a huge part of their history of course, but did you know about the salt mining?  And the many Civil War battles along the bayou?  The artifacts preserved in this museum are stunning.  You can even go down into a salt mine!  Or underwater to view the artifacts from a shipwreck!  

Bayou Teche museum

But even better?  Did you know that artist George Rodrigue was from New Iberia?  I have always loved his Blue Dog paintings and was broken hearted when Rodrigue died in 2013.  According to the volunteer at the museum, when he died, his studio was boxed up and shipped to the museum -- right down to the plywood on his floor.  This studio has been carefully recreated just as it was when he died.  

George Rodrigue exhibit, Bayou Teche Museum

The painting he was working on when he died is on the easel.  

I'd be lying if I didn't tell you I got misty eyed.  It was overwhelming.  

George Rodrigue exhibit, Bayou Teche Museum

You see that Coca-Cola cooler?  It's filled with his paint tubes.  Note his glasses sitting on the tray.  

The museum is expanding its space and will enlarge the Rodrigue exhibit; it's scale is somewhat condensed right now.  But they've even got that plywood down on the floor just the way it actually was.  It's amazing.  

We had to leave the museum before we were really ready in order to catch the Dave's Haunts and Jaunts Tour bus.  Steve and I walked down Main back toward Victor's and Cathy Indest, one of the festival organizers, chased us down on the street to ask if we were with the festival, if we were having fun, and to see if we needed anything.  That's some serious hospitality!  

Three members of the volunteer army 

We visited with her on the street for a while and then Howard Kingston from the bookshop came up and visited.  Howard gives the Dave Robicheaux talk every year and tells festival goers about James Lee Burke and his time in New Iberia.  Howard knows that history better than anyone and his talk is always filled with interesting information.  Everyone gathers inside Victor's, has lunch and some towering slice of pie, and then after the talk we all get on the tour bus.

Howard Kingston at "Dave's Bait Shop" in Victor's

Oh, this tour!  Nothing but fun and laughter!

The bus was full and we all got Mardi Gras beads as we climbed aboard.  Our guide was Danny Bonaventure of Allons A Lafayette Tours and he is a kick!  As we drove through Iberia Parish, he pointed out all the interesting sites we read about in James Lee Burke's books: where Dave Robicheaux eats, works, the hospital where he took Alafair after a plane crash, the house he lived in on Bayou Teche (you can buy it for $400,000 right now!), the cemetery Dave sees from his office window, and of course, Clete Purcell's room at the Teche Motel.  All the while Bonaventure is reading passages from the books and peppering them with his own wit and humor.  

Danny Bonaventure, Allons A Lafayette Tours

"You want to get down and take a picture?" he would ask, explaining to the non-Southerners that Step Down and Get Down is the same thing.  At each stop: "You want to get down?" he would ask, peering over the top of his glasses at us.  I giggled every time he said it.  

One of the last stops was the Teche Motel.

Teche Motel sign

At the Teche Motel we got to go inside unit number four where Clete Purcell stays when he's in town (in the novels).  

Clete Purcell's room No 4, Teche Motel

The motor court is precious and Bonaventure told us you can stay there for $30 a night!  When one of the ladies on the bus pointed out that the proprietor told her $45, Bonaventure laughed and said, "He went up to $45!  He told you that?  He saw 'tourist' written on your hat!"

Bayou Teche Motel

The motel backs up to the bayou and has a lovely recreation area with tables, grills, hammocks, and swings as well as a deck for fishing.

Bayou Teche 

The tour took most of the afternoon and by the time it was done, we had to head back to the hotel to get ready for the big opening party at Shadows on the Teche.

I'm going to save that, and Saturday, and Sunday, for the next installment!  

You'll have to come back tomorrow for that.  It gets better and better!  Ernest Gaines!  The ULL symposium!  Avery Island!

For now, I'll leave you under the oaks to watch the moss sway.

Coming next: part II