Caught in Betty's Web & Tabasco Factory-Jungle Gardens

   
     When Debbie and I began our wanderings a few years back, I came upon a couple named John and Sharon who were documenting their journey by putting out daily blogs of what they were experiencing.  Their blog, On the Road of Retirement,  provided us with lots of interesting factoids and unique locations to visit as we traveled across the country.  One of the most unique RV Parks that John and Sharon enjoyed was Betty's RV Park in Abbeville, La, in the heart of Cajun Country.
     Rumor has it that if you come for a day, you'll stay a week, and if you come for a week, you'll stay a month!  Get your reservation in early....the sites are few, but the fun is endless.  This trip we were able to experience a visit to Betty's, and what they say is absolutely true. And to make it even more enjoyable, John and Sharon were visiting also, so we were able to meet our traveling mentors.

     As we departed Texas heading for Betty's, Debbie received a text from Betty advising us that the entire park would be going out to dinner in Abbeville that evening, and she had included us in the dinner reservation. We could feel Betty's Web wrapping around us, and we were still 300 miles away!  Dinner was fantastic, the entire park welcomed us, and we soon discovered that "Happy Hour" really means Happy Evening, as the visiting continues into the evening on Betty's back porch.  

     And if you get a chance to visit Betty's, schedule a weekend visit. The area is loaded with food festivals, music festivals, dinner theater, and it all seems to start around 7 AM on Saturday morning.
     Since we only had 1 day to visit the area, and the weather was a little threatening, we decided to meander over to Avery Island, and take a tour of the Tabasco Pepper Sauce Factory Tour.

The factory site on Avery Island is the original location where Edmund McIlheny first developed this sauce back in 1868.  The tour included the Tabasco Museum, Tabasco Factory, and of course, a gift shop.  There were interesting videos included which explained each step in the processing of that little red pepper from Mexico that started the industry.  The entire process takes over 3 years, as they allow the red pepper mash to ferment in oak barrels.

 Interestingly, the top of each barrel is covered in salt to keep out any impurities, which extends nearly 8 miles below Avery Island.  I guess there's no danger of running out of salt!  The business is still run by the McIlhenny Family, and each barrel is tested by a family member before moving forward in the bottling process.

     After completing the factory tour, the next adventure included the Jungle Gardens of Avery Island.  This area is home to to a large collection of camellias, and there are thousands planted in the garden representing nearly 600 varieties.  Many of them came from Japan and France, and many were developed by the McIlhenny family.  Azaleas are well represented on the island, and thousands of red, pink, purple, and white can be seen during the auto tour around the island.

 The manicured grounds seem to be dominated with massive Southern Live Oaks covered in Spanish Moss.  Various forms of palm trees are interspersed to add a unique feature to the gardens.

    Back in 1895, when the Snowy Egret was being hunted into extinction because of its plumage, Edmund mcIlhenny built an aviary on Avery Island and then captured and raised 8 wild egrets. Today, thousands of egrets and herons return each year to the floating nests, built to protects the nests from the alligators in the waters below,

     Yesterday we continued out journey east across the mighty Mississippi, and we're settled in for a repeat visit at Fort Pickens National Seashore in Pensacola Bay.  We'll be here for a few days before heading over to Gainesville.  Looks like march is going to be a busy month, with lots of family visiting.