Finding America

After a great nights sleep we packed up the trailer so we would be ready to roll when we returned from the city. Then it was off to the WWII D-Day Museum in downtown New Orleans. One of Kamrin’s classmates Dave Mueller had arranged for us to have complimentary tickets for the exhibits. His father is the head of the museum so it helps to have friends in high places.

Anyhow the museum was by far the best Kamrin or I had ever been to. The mix of real equipment, hand written correspondences, multi media maps, recoded audio and video interviews and the presence of WWII vets serving as docents made for an enrapturing tour. Really I personally can’t say enough about how incredible this museum is. I only wish I had more time to read every placard and listen to every interview. Dr. Mueller and his team haven’t missed a thing, and with their new Anne Frank exhibit opening recently a visitor to the museum is sure to be wowed as well as earn a profound respect for the service and sacrifice of ‘The Greatest Generation’.

Reluctantly we headed back to the RV park hooked the Fox up to Kodi and we were on our way to Avery Island. Thanks to my father’s friendship with Bill Simmons, a grandson of the former president of the Tabasco company we were scheduled to take a VIP tour of Avery Island, it’s Tabasco plant and the gardens and greenhouse for which the Island has become known.

Avery Island is a fascinating place, surrounded by mile of marshland and bayou it sits atop a salt monolith which extends some 15,000+ feet below the surface. After seeing miles and miles of lowland en route Avery seemed like a veritable mountain poking up out of the bayou.

The tour was incredible and I won’t say too much more as I have almost 2 hours worth of film to edit to bring you a first hand look at this amazing place and the famous family behind America’s best loved hot sauce.

As the sunset we left the island and drove north to Baton Rouge. It was our first drive after dark but I must say the Fox lead the way with ease and Kodi behaved the whole way to the Kelsey’s doorstep. We arrived to warm hugs and hospitality as we pulled up to Kevin and Monica’s home. Their little son Nick had us mesmerized most of the evening, what a cute little boy, and Monica filled our stomachs with some a delicious read bean and rice recipe. We all talked late over dessert and then Kamrin and I excused ourselves for our first non-rv sleep.