Baton Rouge

The boat pulled up the night before at 11pm, and we were going to sneak off the boat to go to the local casino, but Margherita fell asleep, and we forgot to set the alarm. We woke up at 1:30am and felt a bit too tired to get up and regrettably missed it. If we had to do it again, we'd stay up to see when we pulled up to Baton Rouge to go to one of the local riverboat casinos at night.

Anyway, the next day started early at 8am. Since it takes a bit of time for the boat to travel, it's almost necessary to have the days start early so we can leave port early enough to get to the next destination.

Instead of exploring on our own, we did the "Cajun Experience" tour, which was one of our favorites. Basically, they put you on a bus and drive you through town giving you a brief overview of Baton Rouge, and of course, the infamous governor Huey Long. If you've never read up on Huey Long, I highly recommend it. The man was an insane genius.

The bus ride was 40 minutes, but was done like a city tour so it didn't feel like simply a 40-minute trip. We then showed up to a local bar in Cajun territory. At first, I was a bit nervous as the bar/restaurant we showed up at seemed like a typical local diner, but upon walking into the wooden structure, it was a pleasant surprise.

First of all, we were greeted by locals, who were not only thrilled to see us, but also greeted us with singing and local music. In fact, the fiddle player was none other than the State Champion Bill Grass.

We were led into the back meeting room, where they told us Cajun stories, fed us Cajun treats, sang Cajun songs, and taught us Cajun dances. You might notice a theme of Cajun.

Cajun Dancing

I hate dancing, but Margherita seemed to love learning to dance like a Cajun. The dance instructor was brilliant, and everybody was swooning for him, much to the jealousy of others.

Outside on the porch was a woman holding a 2-year-old baby alligator. I had the chance to hold the alligator, thinking if my future children ever get out of line, I'll be able to show them my strength and fearlessness by holding the alligator.

After the Cajun tour, we headed back through town and heard more of the history of Louisiana and Baton Rouge ... and a lot more to learn about Huey Long, the infamous governor of Louisiana during the '30s.

Once we got back to the boat, I grabbed the Riverlorian (person on staff who knows a lot about the river) and borrowed a book from the ship's library about Huey Long. Sitting by the river on your riverboat, rocking in a swing, reading a good book is probably one of the most relaxing things you can do. That is, of course, up to the point when Margherita starts complaining she wants to play Bingo since she didn't win in yesterday's game. Ignoring the Bingo requests, it's one of the most relaxing things that you can do.


Daily Itinerary of Our Cruise

Delta Queen
Day 1 - Oak Alley Plantation
Day 2 - Baton Rouge
Day 3 - Natchez
Day 4 - Vicksburg
Day 5 - Helena