Month: April 2018

Curious Craig - Flying-Roseate.jpg

Galveston, TX – For the Birds

Events & Fesitivals, Nature

FeatherFest – I’ve always been a backyard birdwatcher; building birdhouses and putting up feeders to see what I can attract. Just recently photography has become a hobby de jour.  I see an event called Featherfest in Galveston which combines the two.  This seems right up my alley. Galveston Island is one of the top locations in the country for birding. The island has a rich variety of natural habitats within its 32 miles. The beaches, wetlands, grasslands, woods, ponds, and bays are home to many common year-round bird species. The area is[…]

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The Creole Nature Trail –

Fun With Murphy, Nature, Road Side America, SuperGraphic

The Creole Nature Trail – The Creole Nature Trail is a 108-mile driving trail; one of the 43 designated All-American Roads in the USA.  The road loops through Southwest Louisiana between Lakes Charles and the Gulf of Mexico in an area referred to as the Louisiana Outback.  The Outback is an incredible mesh of natural ecosystems: marshes, prairies, and beaches providing an amazing opportunity for viewing wildlife in its natural habitat. The area, with an abundance of fresh and salt water, is home to over 400 species of birds, 35[…]

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From Bourbon St. to the Boudin Trail

Food

What is Boudin? Traveling along I10 towards the Creole Nature Trail, I notice innumerable advertisements for crawfish and boudin.   I’ve had plenty of crawfish while traveling through the southeast, but only have a cursory knowledge of boudin.  Much to my surprise, there is a Boudin Trail in the Lake Charles, LA area. Boudin (boo-DAN) is a regional specialty found only in Southern Louisiana. It is a sausage traditionally made with pork, rice, seasonings, and various vegetables, such as onions and green peppers.  The varieties are, however, seemingly endless. Boudin blanc: Light colored boudin[…]

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Louisiana Jazz

Events & Fesitivals, SuperGraphic

All that Jazz – Jazz didn’t develop solely in New Orleans but it did spawn its growth.   Born as a French settlement with strong Caribbean influences in the 1700’s, the city was central to Jazz creation. These West Indian influences gave the city a more relaxed attitude in culture and especially music; creating a tradition of music and celebration.  As New Orleans grew into a diverse world port, the melding of cultures was reflected in its music. The  European influence brings in the brass, Africans bring the drums,  Louisiana Cajun adds the accordion and fiddle, and the Mississippi river[…]

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New Orleans, LA

Family, Introspection, SuperGraphic

Huey P. Long for Pie! When first planning my trip to New Orleans, the number one thing on my list to see was the Huey P. Long Bridge. I’m sure that is not a very popular tourist attraction but one that has been on my list for 30 years. The 8,000′ long cantilevered steel truss bridge rises 150 above the Mississippi River and was opened in 1935. But that has nothing to do with its significance to me. Backing up to the late 80’s when Trivial Pursuit was all the rage, I fashion[…]

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Natchez Steamer Riverboat

Fun Stuff, SuperGraphic

 The Steamer NATCHEZ- Paddle Wheel steamers are a part of the Mississippi Rivers’ history, from the plantation era, to the Civil War, through the gay nineties and into the 21st Century.  From utilitarian uses to entertainment, the paddler was developed during a time which it could navigate the Mississpis’s shallow waters as well as upriver against strong currents. The paddle wheeler is engrained into the rivers lore. The Paddle wheeler NATCHEZ is the 9th such steamer to bear that name. Her predecessor was none other the NATCHEZ VII that raced and lost to the Robert E.[…]

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