Our plan for the day was to drive the back roads (Louisiana Route 14) to Avery Island rather than take the Interstate. It would take 2 hours instead of 1 but would be more picturesque. Once there we would tour the Tabasco Plant and Visit the Jungle Gardens.
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Click Read More below right...
Along the road we passed a sign that said “Lacassine Pool” next to another sign for a scenic by-way. We stopped, reversed direction and took the turn having no notion of where we were headed. The road eventually took us to the Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge. The dominant feature of the refuge is known as “the pool” which was formed by enclosing a 16,000-acre marsh with a low levee. The levee is the road on which we drove. The refuge is one of the major wintering grounds for waterfowl. During the hour or so we spent in the Refuge we saw only one other car of “birders” and one Fish and Wildlife employee taking samples. We did see lots of waterfowl.
Another hours drive on LA 14 and we arrived at Avery Island. The factory tour was closed due to renovations so we had lunch in their café where all the menu selections included Tabasco in their ingredients. Nothing to write home about. BUT, although it was not open yet, the Tabasco people are just about to complete a renovation and improvement to their Factory Tour which looks like it will be very good.
Jungle Gardens – The name doesn’t do it justice. Jungle Gardens sounds like a roadside attraction somewhere in Florida where there are animatronic Tarzans swinging from the trees.
In reality it is a 170 acre garden with magnificent stands of live oaks, four hundred varieties of camellias, a remarkable row of holly shrubs that form an arch over the road, a palm garden, a 900 year old Buddha statue housed in a pagoda overlooking a lagoon and much more. The garden was created by E.A. (Ned) McIlhenny who was the son of the inventor of Tabasco sauce. Ned who eventually ran the company spent his early years as an arctic explorer, naturalists and conservationist. He opened his private garden to the public in 1936.
In reality it is a 170 acre garden with magnificent stands of live oaks, four hundred varieties of camellias, a remarkable row of holly shrubs that form an arch over the road, a palm garden, a 900 year old Buddha statue housed in a pagoda overlooking a lagoon and much more. The garden was created by E.A. (Ned) McIlhenny who was the son of the inventor of Tabasco sauce. Ned who eventually ran the company spent his early years as an arctic explorer, naturalists and conservationist. He opened his private garden to the public in 1936.
We trusted Trip Advisor tonight and decided on dinner at Bon Creole. From the outside Bon Creole is the kind of place you would never consider going in. Louisiana seems to specialize in this kind of reverse curb appeal. The reviews on Trip Advisor help the traveller get over their jitters. We were glad we did.