Do it yourself

The “Louisiana Tour” was written back in 2919, today we are updating this blog post with information on how to help my home state. One of our favorite organizations because we know where the money goes, all of it, the Cajun Navy. Of course your options are limitless and will grow as other organizations attempt to capitlize, not aluturistic. That is not the case with these guys and they do it out of their own pocket. Check it out.

Jonesville, Catahoula Parish

Jonesville is the largest town in Catahoula Parish right at the confluence of the Ouachita, Tensas, and Little rivers. The three rivers become the Black River at Jonesville creating an amazing natural wildlife and fisheries areas for ‘sportsman in paradise.’  It also happens to be where my Mother’s dad was born and the site of family reunions growing up. Papaw Swayze died when I was very young, but I remember with him and later listening to stories about him told to me by my older cousins. The Swayze family still has a strong presence in the area today, some members might even be infamous in the area, if you believe all the stories.

Lafayette Louisiana

Lafayette Area of Lafayette-Opelousas-Morgan City both import ports for the oil industry. The Ragin Cajuns of Louisiana state at Lafayette produce great sports teams and wow can they throw a party. Mardi Gras in Lafayette, the second largest in the state , is a blast with less effort or cash. Although number two in Mardi Gras, the Festival International belongs to the Lafayette and definitely a stop on La bucket list. The ports in and around Morgan City are some of the best places to get fresh shrimp and crab.

Houma – and a Louisiana Fishing Tour

Houma, The city was named after the historic Native American tribe of Houma people, believed to be related to the Choctaw. The swampland ( marsh) around Houma resulted in the area being isolated. Not only from big cities but from the rest of Louisiana  well into the 1930s. Things such as radio and WWI patriotism, failed to inspire the Cajuns to become more “Americanized”.  The Cajun culture and use of French language in this region persevered much longer than in cities on the border of Cajun country such as Lake Charles and Baton Rouge.

Above you see the Louisiana Series of prefinished Heart Pine from Bayou Rustics. Some of our cities or parishes we discussed are represented by name and style. Number 3, “Red Stick” or course, you got that one right? Number 4, Ouachita after our the river with same name. Number 5 and 6 represent south Louisiana, Atchafalaya and Marsh Tide in order.

Baton Rouge

The second largest city in the state becomes the largest on Saturday nights. LSU and Tiger Stadium rank #1 on the list of things to see, football fan or not. A melting pot, Baton Rouge is the is a mix of Cajun, Creole and Rednecks.This redneck was lucky enough to have family in Baton Rouge. My aunt and uncle provided my first Tiger Stadium visit, Saints game,  first LSU basketball game, with Dale Brown and baseball with Skip Bertman. As if that were not enough my older cousin who fished with Papaw taught me to fish and took me on the best fishing trips you can imagine. So, Baton Rouge does mean LSU, of course, but to me it means the best memories valued more with each passing year. 

New Orleans

New Orleans and Orleans Parish are interchangeable. Their boundaries are the same, and they contain the same population. The New Orleans area has as diverse population as any city, even within residents, i.e. north to south. In order to understand New Orleans metro area you must look out in the surrounding parishes. There are eight of them each a tiny bit different (better) than the other, just ask em. We will not get cute with a New Orleans must, Mardi Gras or Jazz Fest, call them 1 and 1a. One more for good measure, The Commanders Palace, and the seafood platter, you are welcome. 

Ferriday, Louisiana

East is Toledo Bend and the Sabine River, go west towards Natchez Mississippi and find Ferriday Louisiana. No mention of the city would be complete without Jerry Lee Lewis, Mickey Gilley and Jimmy Swaggert. These three gave us; Rockabilly music (Great Balls of Fire), A Mechanical Bucking Bull (Urban Cowboy), and the reason people don’t trust televangelists. Jerry Lee Lewis was born in 1935 around Ferriday, you know, out in the(Concordia) parish. In his youth, he began playing piano with two of his cousins, Mickey Gilley and Jimmy Swaggart. Gilley had a movie made about his bar, Swaggarts story was told in Penthouse and the tabloids. 

Lake Charles, the Texas of Louisiana 

A Little Bit Country and a little bit rock and roll! ” While certainly the Zydeco music of the area this well-known song title just may be the definitive summary of Lake Charles, Louisiana. City is a blend of contrasts that magically works together in total harmony. Cajun personality with a Texas flair. Look no further than McNeese St University the mascot, the Cowboys. Lake Charles along with Port Arthur Texas rank #1 in humidity for the entire year. While that may be true, coming in # #2-25 is every other town in Louisiana. “The Original Downtown Crawfish Boil” is  an under the radar Louisiana festival but man do they have a good time. Check out South West Louisiana meeting South East Texas, its a blast.

Family Benefits

Again, my fishing trips were guided by my cousin who could fish for a living but instead he has huge company and fishes for fun. We had the benefit of a gate keys and passes that are like Packer tickets hard to come by unless someone dies. The marsh provides speckled trout and red-fish, both taste very good fresh and are fun to catch on light tackle for sure. And of a dozen trips, every single time we caught plenty of both, good times and great people down here.

Cocodrie – (CoCo Dree) an  unincorporated fishing, shrimping and crabbing village in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, United States, 10 miles south of Chauvin and due south of the city of Houma. Fourchon- (foo shan) Port Fourchon is Louisiana’s southernmost port, located on the southern tip of Lafourche Parish, on the Gulf of Mexico. It is a seaport, with significant petroleum industry traffic from offshore Gulf oil platforms and drilling rigs as well as the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port pipeline.