Baton Rouge, La Fun

We have one full day in Baton Rouge. 

But first, our breakfast in Baton Rouge.  It was spit in rain when we arrived the night before.  So we did not go to a grocery store.  Just went to our Airbnb apartment.  It was not fun getting our luggage and other stuff into the apartment in the pouring rain.  But we made it.  But we had no bread.  Mike had brought pretzels from home - so that is what we ate.

Tuesday, our plan was to go to the old Capitol and the new Capitol and spend time on the waterfront.  But - the most important thing to see is the old Capitol and it was closed today.  It is just across the street from the Riverfront Plaza where we went.  There are railroad tracks next to the river - so you have to climb stairs up and over the tracks and then down again.  This is more work, but you do get some good views of the old capitol and other things, so all is not lost.  We walked along the Mississippi river - Mike searching for coffee.  But, alas, none was to be found.  There is an interesting structure at the end of a wharf.  We also met a young man from Alberta Canada who was basically traveling to the states we want to see, except he started in Canada so saw a lot more of the US.  And he left his family behind and is traveling by himself - thus doing all the driving himself.  Another fellow traveler who has been to a lot of places all over the world.  I wish I would have taken a picture of him.  Then as we waked along the waterfront we met another couple of fellow tourists -also from Canada.  And those are the only tourist we saw all day!

First thing we saw was the picture window display of the planets from the planetarium. 

Then on to the wharf.

A view of the bridge, part of hwy 10

The old capitol - looks like a castle to a lot of people.

The passage way to a casino on a boat.

The new capitol.  Review say it is now that interesting to see.  So we did not go in.

On to the LSU Rural Life Museum.  Several different styles of homes based on where the immigrant was from. 

View of an outhouse.  I think I remember having a moon on the outhouse on our farm.  We did not have indoor plumbing until I was about 6.

An Assemblies of God Church.

I found this interesting as the steps to the loft are outside.  Mom drew a sketch of the house that was Grandma Fasts favorite home in Sully County, SD.  They also had a loft room where the boys bunked.  There was no heat - that is usual.  But the stairs to the loft were inside the house.  The girls had a room downstairs.  In Mom's case, she, her sister Mary and sister, Tilly shared a bed in a room downstairs.  The 7 brothers were upstairs in the loft.

An unusual slave quarters.  A double pen - most were singles.  Two families shared this.  Each family had one room.

 This is part of the blacksmith shop.

This is the display in the school house.  The overseer's children as well as freed black men's children could attend.  The Plantation owner's children would have private tutors.

They had a huge display of old carriages.

With one weaving loam.

An old Ford car.

One of the first refrigerators.

We went to Crawfords restaurant for a late lunch.  The catfish was the best part of the meal.  Then headed for a grocery store.  We got what we needed, but arrived at our car just in time for the first drops of rain to fall.  It was pouring by the time we reached our apartment.  So we got wet again!  We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and doing laundry.  Tomorrow we are off to New Orleans!