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Baton Rouge, Louisiana - Part 6
Written by: Janet Pope
Photography by: Donald
A walk through Baton Rouge with a guide re-enactor to enjoy Cajun history and song in a very personal way. Today is the day full day on board the stream boat. Don stayed up almost all night to make the trip last.
Day 6 - Baton Rouge
Rise and shine, today we docked very early in Baton Rouge and by sunrise I could already hear the hustle of activity of those eager to start the day in a new town.
We enjoyed breakfast right on the porch and watched as the deck hands maneuvered the steamboat into the dock and securely attached the gangplank.
It was a beautiful February day in Baton Rouge, with temperature high in the 60s. We signed up for a walking tour in hopes of melting some of those unwanted pounds we had gained all week. We expected a tour, but we ended up with so much more, part tour, part comedy, part music and a little Cajun storytelling thrown in for good measure. Our tour guide and fiddler's name was Ann Vidrine, a third generation Louisiana fiddler and she was quirky, fun and interesting. As Ann fiddled her way down the streets of Baton Rouge, the crowd from our tour followed her as if she were the Cajun Pied Piper.
With clever little visual aids, Ann talked about the state reptile (alligator), the state crustacean (crawfish), and the state bird (pelican). She is a very good teacher; I remembered those facts, without the help of notes. We also learned that Baton Rouge means red stick, in tribute to the red sticks once used as bounty markers by the earlier hunters.
We absorbed these little-known facts as we passed the old state capital, Repentance Fountain, and the new (tallest) state capital. The Old State Capital, built in 1850, is a Gothic Revival structure. It burned down in 1862, while occupied by federal troops, but was rebuilt 20 years later and remained in use until 1932.
Having a tour with Ann is like having a long-lost Cajun cousin show you around, which was rather unique for me because being Italian and from Brooklyn, I do not think I have any long-lost Cajun cousins. She ended the tour, though, as any Italian would, which was to showing hospitality with food. Out of the back of her car, Ann whipped out the state dessert (pralines) and the state drink (café au lait). Here we all were, in the middle of downtown Baton Rouge, having a tailgate party and feeling like old friends after only one hour. This was a great tour. It gave us some laughs, some time to walk off our extra cruise calories, and some Baton Rouge facts and flavor thrown in.
Before heading back to the boat, I spotted another casino and, again, made my donation before Don dragged me away, hearing the toot of the steamboat's whistle.
Whew! All that walking sure stirred up an appetite and it had been at least three hours since our last meal, so we luckily made it back in time for a sit-down lunch. Busy schedule today. After lunch, we played more bingo and, then, we went to the Mardi Gras celebration. Somehow, going along with the premise that I would never see these people on the boat again, I was talked into volunteering to be a New Orleans madam for the show.
They handed me a costume of frilly pantaloons, a bustier, a shear robe, lots of beads and a boa, and encouraged me to strut my stuff and ham it up. For the sake of fun, I did my best to let out the floozy in me. It is amazing what people will do while on vacation just to win a bottle of champagne.
I believe I was the youngest madam in the show, with the majority well past the Social Security mark. This is a great cruise on which to feel young. I guess everything, including age, is relative. It was fun though. We had laughs and certainly caused a few.
This is probably the saddest night on the cruise, the last night. We had to tend to mundane chores before dinner like packing, filling out luggage tags and sorting out money into our many tip envelopes - none of which did we feel were undeserved.
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The Old State Capital Building | |
We headed off to dinner knowing it would be our "Last Supper," and the last time we would be dining with the lovely two couples we had the pleasure of getting to know all week. Tonight, we even managed to take in three shows and the late-night buffet, knowing it would all be ending soon
Overall, it was a wonderful cruise experience. I enjoy cruising for the obvious reasons, an all-inclusive abundance of good food and warm, fun atmosphere. I also love that Donald and I could both choose an activity during the day and then meet afterward, which gave us both the opportunities to do what we enjoyed (for me, it was bingo; for Don, it was taking photos). In my opinion, The Delta Queen Steamboat Company takes cruising to another level. This true American experience provides a chance to see a section of our country with an up-close view. The service and the care afforded each guest is old world in manner, making you feel like a valued customer, in an exclusive club and the spectacular view from The Grand American Queen changes not only daily, but also hourly. This is a cruise that seniors have been hiding from everyone under 60 years old and shame on them for not wanting to share this gem. Our cruise was themed the Jazz n' Blues Cruise. The entertainment was along that theme. It was very interesting to feel like you both listened to and understood the music. The cruise lines are hoping to broaden their clientele by offering more cruises based out of New Orleans, with extended days and tours of that exciting city - more on that in another story.
I would recommend this vacation to anyone, of any age. It was one of my all-time favorites.
Part 1 - American Queen - Jazz and Blues Cruise
Part 2 - Vacherie, Louisiana
Part 3 - St. Francisville, Louisiana
Part 4 - Natchez, Mississippi
Part 5 - Vicksburg, Mississippi
Part 6 - Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Part 7 - Mardi Gras, New Orleans
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