"Into the Cajun Heartland" (HWY 1 South)
Written: Aug 05 '00 (Updated Aug 19 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A "genuine" cultural experience, few tourists, unique attractions
Cons: None at all
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| Howard_Creech's Full Review: Louisiana |
Baton Rouge, Louisiana’s capitol, got it’s name from a huge dead cypress tree smeared with animal blood that stood on a bluff just south of the present day city. This bizarre Native American boundary marker was the first thing early French explorers (1699) noticed in the area. “Red Stick”, as Baton Rouge is affectionately known to its natives, doesn’t get much publicity, with New Orleans just eighty miles down the road, hardly anyone pauses for more than a meal or a fill up. The “old” state capitol (504) 342-7151 (1849), is a beautiful building that looks like a “castle”, with crenelated battlements and a purple, gold, and green spiral staircase that leads to a stained glass atrium, it is well worth a visit.
The Port Hudson Commemorative Area (U.S. Hwy 61, Zachary, LA (225)654-3775)was the scene of some of the fiercest and most brutal fighting in the Civil War. Site of the longest siege in U. S. military history, Port Hudson commanded the bluffs overlooking a curve in the Mississippi River. Union gunboats had to slowly maneuver through the curve right under the guns of the Rebels. 30,000 Union troops were assigned the task of wresting the heights from the 7,000 Confederate defenders. Almost suicidal frontal attacks on the four and a half miles of earthen breastworks cost Union forces many casualties. The Confederates were forced to eat rats to survive the 48 day siege. African American troops saw their baptism of fire at Port Hudson, they fought with dedication, determination, and great heroism, hastening the acceptance of black troops. When Vicksburg fell, the Confederate Commander at Port Hudson surrendered, giving Union forces control of the Mississippi River and cutting the Confederacy in half. Port Hudson became the primary recruitment and training site for African American troops for the remainder of the Civil War. The siege of Port Hudson resulted in over 12,000 combined Union/Confederate casualties.
From Baton Rouge to Donaldsonville, Highway One is part of the ”River Road”. A scenic byway that leads to a bygone era, the largest and most historic collection of Ante Bellum homes and working plantations in the country. These are the old “Royal Land Patents” long, wedge shaped, pieces of land with a narrow frontage on the River, granted to prominent families by the French and Spanish Crowns. Many of these plantations are still in the hands of the descendants of the original owners. Famous Ante Bellum homes like Destrehan (parts of ”Interview with the Vampire” were filmed here), San Francisco, Oak Alley, Tezcuco, Houmas House (the Bette Davis/Joan Crawford classic ”Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte” was filmed in this house), and Nottoway (also known as the “White Castle”) line both sides of the river.
Plaquemine is home to the City Café 53945 Main St. (225) 687-7831 operated by the same family since the early twenties, this is an “intimate” local restaurant where everyone knows everyone else. The food is great, portions are large and prices are inexpensive. Seafood, “Blue Plate” specials, country cooking, and Louisiana style Italian dishes are specialties. Try the Chicken fried steak with white gravy and order a side of fresh cut “thin” onion rings. Save room for a portion of the “Three Desserts in One”, the City Café’s version of Mississippi Mud Pie.
One of Louisiana’s most charming cultural customs plays here, along the levees that line both sides of the ”River Road”, every Christmas season. On the night of Christmas Eve, huge bonfires burn to light the way for the Cajun/Creole version of Santa Claus. Santa to Cajun/Creole youngsters is “Papa Noel”, who brings gifts for good boys and girls, not in a sleigh pulled by reindeer, but rather in a pirogue (a flat bottomed “Cajun” bayou boat), pulled by a team of huge alligators. The bonfires light “Papa Noel’s” way all over the state, but the most impressive displays are in Gramercy and Vacherie, on opposite sides of the river (you can take the St. James Ferry from Gramercy to Vacherie). The bonfires are usually built of willow logs in a teepee shape, although more fanciful “log” structures ranging from steamboats to the Gramercy High School are popular as well. A fireman in Gramercy told me, “This is the craziest event in the state, we let the “coonasses” drink and play with fire, and invite everyone to come and watch”. The Gramercy fire department operates a concession that sells Gumbo, Jambalaya, dirty rice and other popular Cajun/Creole dishes, if you get hungry.
Crowds are very heavy, so keep in mind that the thirty minute drive from New Orleans to Gramercy will become a two hour drive back to NOLA when everything is over. The last time I visited (1997), the friendly folks at ”Zaps” Potato Chips passed out bags of chips and cold cans of Mountain Dew & Pepsi to the Gridlocked Christmas revelers. A note for photographers, getting the bonfires on film is best accomplished by walking down the river side of the levee, and shooting up. Find a bonfire that is burning nicely, with several people close by, set up your camera on a sturdy tripod and bracket shutter speed between 1/30th of a second and two seconds (with ISO 100 slide film). A moderate wide angle (28-35mm) at its maximum aperture (f2.8) will freeze the flames and light the revelers well. Don’t try to capture the Steamboats full of tourists up from New Orleans, the boats (lit from stem to stern with thousands of Christmas lights) never stop moving, and with a one or two second exposure, all you’ll get are colorful blurs.
Louisiana HWY One follows the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge to Donaldsonville, from Donaldsonville to the gulf, HWY One follows Bayou la Fourche (called the “longest street in the world” by locals), the same route used long ago by Native Americans and early French explorers. After Donaldsonville, HWY One begins to look like something from another country, more boats than cars, and more water than earth. Paincortville (“No bread town”), a charming little village supposedly named because a French traveler in the early 19th century couldn’t find a single piece of bread for his supper in the entire town, is the entry point to the Cajun Bayou country.
Nearby Pierre Part, still has two old “thirties” style Cajun dance halls that are well worth the short detour if you happen to be in the area on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night. Chilly’s Dancehall on Shell Beach Road, is built on stilts over the placid waters of Lake Verret. About half the patrons arrive by boat. Friday and Saturday nights are usually “Swamp Pop” for the younger dance fans, but Sunday afternoon and evening is “Cajun” music and dancing, starting between 3:00pm and 5:00pm (earlier in the summer, later in the winter) Chilly’s doesn’t look like much, but the locals are friendly, the music is first rate, and the Lake is beautiful. Nearby is the Rainbow Inn a “Classic” south Louisiana Bar/Dancehall. The Building front is white with two round “fifties” style Coca-Cola signs flanking “Rainbow Inn” in red. Photographers will have a field day here. The music now-a-days is Swamp Pop, but for decades major Country and Cajun Music stars performed here. The “Rainbow Inn” is the last of its kind.
Many folks in the Cajun bayou country still speak French, but nowhere in the bayou country will you hear the “cutesy” tourist French that is so prevalent in New Orleans. The French spoken in the bayou country is a vibrant living language, an ancient patois of colonial era French. Cajun families, in the bayou country, are large, hard working, and close knit. Everyone knows everyone else in the small towns along Highway One. Jokes and pranks are are a vital part of the life here, everyone has a sense of humor and they all love to laugh. In an area that is subject (sometimes without warning) to the often violent whims of mother nature (floods, hurricanes, and major storms) a well developed sense of humor is a necessity.
Napoleonville, just down HWY One was named by one of Napoleon’s veterans in honor of his former commander, Napoleonville is best known for Madewood Plantation just outside town. It took eight years to build Madewood, four to cut, shape, and trim the native cypress timbers used in the house (the slaves who did the work called this “making wood”, hence the name Madewood) and four years to make the bricks used in the building, and construct the house. Madewood was one of the largest sugar plantations in the south, with more than two hundred slaves. The “Sugar House” ran twenty four hours a day seven days a week. Tours, (and for those who want to maximize their “Plantation” experience) overnight lodging and meals are available at Madewood (504)369-7151
Duet’s Bakery (Doo-Waaays) 14410 W. Main St. (Hwy One) in Cut Off, bakes cookies, pecan tarts, and custard pies that must be sampled to be believed. If you have a sweet tooth, this bakery is a “must see” destination.. The Cut Off Net Shop Cote Blanche Bridge at Hwy One. Is not a tourist attraction, but rather a vital business (making and repairing nets of all kinds) for the local fishermen. Tourists are tolerated, but try to stay out of the way, and be sure to ask before taking pictures. The wise photographer can find dozens of “killer” images in this quaint little “hole in the wall” shop. A few miles down highway one is Golden Meadow, (first things first SLOW DOWN this town is a notorious speed trap) Check out Randolph’s Restaurant a fixture in Golden Meadow since the forties. Try the catfish and white beans, with a bowl of gumbo.
South of Golden Meadow, the landscape becomes ”Prairie Ambulant” the slowly moving sea of marsh grass, water, and ”Chenier” that changes with each storm. Here almost every structure is raised on stilts, to escape the ever rising water and changing landscape. In 1893 a massive hurricane destroyed the village of Chenier Caminada (Chenier is a French word for oak island, when live oaks take root in the Prairie ambulant, islands of higher ground form) 287 of the 300 buildings in the town were leveled and more than 800 of the 1500 residents were drowned, the small marker that you pass as you drive onto the Grand Isle bridge is the mass grave of those killed in this natural disaster. The survivors moved to the nearby Leeville Chenier, which was destroyed by another hurricane less than twenty years later. The remaining survivors moved to higher ground in Golden Meadow (2 ft above sea level) and their descendants live there today..
Highway One meets the Gulf of Mexico at Grand Isle. This is the jewel of the “Coon-Ass Riviera”, a slightly tawdry, run down collection of weathered wooden buildings and house trailers on stilts called “camps”. Grand Isle isn’t a tourist town, no high rise beach hotels, no resort complexes, no fancy restaurants, this is where Louisiana goes to the beach. Nothing in Grand Isle looks as if it were built to last, instead everything is designed to be quickly and cheaply replaced in the event of a hurricane or major storm. Don’t miss ”R&K’s Oyster Place” right on HWY One, a local institution, known for their fresh oysters, great seafood, and the incredible collection of sea shells that covers every available spot in the restaurant.
Highway One was a white Oyster Shell covered, richly potholed, raised pathway (moderately suitable for automobiles) along Bayou LaFourche until 1949, when it was first paved. Highway One is little more than that now, a very narrow ribbon of tarmac, raised above the marsh. A popular local story is that Highway One is so slow, that a rumor starting out in Grand Isle, and going mouth to mouth, from house to house, can beat a car to Golden Meadow.
Highway One reaches “Lands End” at Grand Isle State Park. There is a nice beach (with great shelling), an observation tower, camping, and fishing. Here you can relax and watch the beautiful gulf sunsets after your four hundred and thirty six mile journey from the long leaf pine covered hills of the ARK-LA-TEX. Much of the fascinating history and many of the diverse cultures that make Louisiana the most interesting state in the country, are evident along this winding two lane highway. Protestants, Catholics, Creoles, Cajuns, African-Americans, and Native Americans make up the fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, old and young folks you saw in restaurants, at grocery stores, and gas stations along the way. This is the “real” face of Louisiana in Oil City, Nachitoches, Marksville, Lettsworth, Paincourtville, Cut Off, and Grand Isle, I hope you enjoyed the trip as much as I did.
This concludes ”Into the Cajun Heartland” (HWY 1 South) this is part three of ”LA. HWY ONE” A Journey in Three Stages. Please see ”Exploring Louisiana’s Enchanted Backroads” (HWY One, North) and ”Traveling Back in Time”(HWY One, Central) I would like to thank the helpful folks at the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development and Judi Smith, at the Pelican State Library for their enthusiastic assistance with some of the historical information on Highway One.
Recommended:
Yes
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Howard_Creech
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Member: Howard Creech
Location: Louisville, KY
Reviews written: 333
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About Me:
Photographer/Writer fascinated by Movies, Music, Books, American Diner Food, History, "Popular Culture", and Travel.
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