Itchy Feet

We've spent the last two weeks at Peace River campground in Wauchula, in central Florida just being slow and restful. This is a good area for that, as it’s just far enough away from the city hustle and bustle (and temptation) to make us think twice any big trips. That and the fact we all arrived sick and in serious need of some recovery time!

It’s been a nice break from our often frenetic pace, and it’s given us time to catch up on a variety of tasks and repairs around the trailer. The trailer is certainly in need of some TLC. Rough roads have shaken a variety of pieces loose, road dust has permeated absolutely everything, and the relatively constant travel has made it difficult to keep it clean and organized, inside and out. I painted the kids room, cleaned the place, and Bob steam cleaned our (disgustingly dirty) carpets and booth cushions. The understorage (think garage or basement) got reorganized (and now I can’t find anything!!!). A variety of other small repairs were needed, which we either did or got the materials/ tools to do it at a later date. All of this is so much easier when we’re not moving every couple of days!

The lack of major activities and commercial centres kept us closer to home, but also let us discover the quieter activities of the area. 

We hunted for fossils in the Peace River on the edge of the campground, with several other families.  The adults waded into the slow moving river with shovels and the sieve (some working while others kept an eye out for alligators, or on the kids), while all the kids played on shore. I think the adults were actually having more fun than the kids! The afternoon netted us quite a haul of fossilized shark teeth, stingray teeth, scutes and other small fossils.

the haul

People are allowed to keep the fossils they find here, so Bob picked out a few from the haul and we now have a small collection in our trailer.    

For the first time ever, we picked strawberries at a U-pick farm (I have wanted to go to a U-pick for years, and years, and years… you get the picture… and for whatever reason, never did. Hooray for inexpensive, yummy strawberries, to finally get me out!)

We went for bike rides and walks on the trails near the river, trying to spot Stumpy, the resident alligator (Bob saw him, the kids and I didn't).

The kids and Bob practiced their snorkeling skills in the pool. Mom asked if they had grown gills yet. I checked, but didn't find any… yet. It’s only a matter of time, though, I think! (Yes, I actually asked the kids if I could check for gills and they both came over and obligingly showed me their necks. LOL. I love how kids think!)

We also spent time visiting with, and meeting other families. For a few days our section of the campground felt like kid-central, and it was fabulous. Entertained kids, and adult conversation, made for a happy family (and worn out kids!).We have spent most of our time on the road relatively isolated. We've connected with friends and family at various points along the way, but haven’t really connected with anyone in the campgrounds. Being at a membership campground (Thousand Trails), where other families tend to congregate, gave us the opportunity to make those connections.  

And, so, for the past two weeks, we have felt like we are part of a community. It’s been an enjoyable time, but my itchy feet are ready to move on. Bob is usually more content to sit back and become one with the scenery, but this time he’s feeling it too. Evidently two weeks of quiet and being stationary is enough for us. Time to move on and see some more of the country!  

A Pop of Color

Yes, I've left the cubby alone intentionally - for now

The kids have been asking to have their bedroom painted for months. I've finally gotten to it, and the result is definitely colorful. It’s interesting that both have chosen colors that they had in the house, but it makes sense. Their bedroom certainly looks more like a bedroom now, rather than a bunk room in a trailer. 

It’s a bit of a riot to my eyes, but the kids both like it, and that’s what counts.

Neither of them wanted the draperies changed

Flowers painted by Lily and myself

Next up: the living room!

...It's funny what makes home feel like home. We've always had color in our house, and painting it back to boring brown to sell it made it feel less like our home. Just a few coats of paint in kid's room and the trailer transforms just a little bit into MY home (not just somewhere I live).

Metamorphosis

Becoming a Butterfly

All my life I've felt like I don’t quite fit in. Like I’m out of step with the world I know, or belong to a different time or place. But maybe that’s secretly a good thing. I feel now, with our decision to leave what’s familiar and comfortable and make our own path that maybe I can discover who I really am. 

I grew up feeling like the caterpillar. Kind of odd, bumping along, just making it through while other creatures around me dazzled. As I grew into an adult, I wrapped myself in a nice cozy cocoon of my own design, and slept away. Not truly living, yet living life all the same. In that time, though, I have found myself shaking off my old skin and slowly transforming. Old ideas and patterns that were so comfortable have now become restrictive and no longer feel right. I am ready to emerge from my self-imposed cage and fly. 

Many, many months ago, as we were preparing to leave our home of nearly 12 years, I wrote that post.  Once written, I didn't have the confidence to publish it, but I've kept it all this time as a reminder.

I’d actually forgotten about it recently, but meeting and conversing with so many other families that travel full-time, while at the rally, brought it to mind. It was amazing to hear what drives other families to depart from a stationary home and embrace a mobile lifestyle. There are as many reasons as there are families, but they are all transformative. Those conversations made me realize that the metamorphosis I wrote about those months ago is happening. The signs are subtle, but real. It’s not finished, and frankly, I don’t think it will ever be complete (cause life it all about changes), but I no longer feel like that caterpillar.

I still have plenty of fears, and bad habits. I’m still a procrastinator, and am overly critical of myself (I still hate pictures of me!).  I still have a temper and tend to put myself last. But I am also less afraid to live, and realize that the way we live now has caused this. Our somewhat unconventional lifestyle has allowed me (us) to experience some of the beauty of the continent, meet amazing people, and take life as it comes, rather than waiting for life to find me. 

(edit: now that I've published this, I'm a bit embarrassed to have shared, but I will leave it be - changing it would defeat the purpose!) 

Side note: I love butterflies; the way they fly, their colors, the way they seem so free & floaty. I've had pictures of butterflies in my house for years, and the pictures came with us into the trailer. For some reason I hadn't managed to put them up. I finally got one up during the rally! Now to find a safe space to put up the other (It’s glass fronted with real butterflies – for now it lives in the glass front cupboards in my bedroom.).  

Manatee Springs State Park

The day before we were due into Tampa, we had only 3 hours driving time to go (which for us usually equates to 6!). There were groceries to get, errands to run, and preparation for the rally to do. But that’s no fun, so we set off to find an adventure instead. 

Thanks to the lovely, fast internet at our Perry campground, I learned that the region is full of cold springs that bubble out of the limestone that is prevalent to the area. The one that sounded most interesting along our way: Manatee Springs State Park , a first magnitude spring (measured by flow rate) that lets out into the Suwannee River, and is home to manatees in the winter. The main drawing point, for me, was that people are allowed to swim & snorkel in the spring. (Ooh, maybe we could swim with some manatees!)

Squirrel! (sorry, family joke)

Arriving mid-afternoon, we parked the rig in the small parking lot (which is always entertaining, in a frustrating sort of way – exactly how many parking spots can we take up?!), had a late lunch, let the kids play in the playground, and then headed up the boardwalk which follows the length of the spring inlet, to the river where there is a viewing platform and floating dock. The spring creates an invitingly lush micro-climate which has been attracting all sorts of creatures for a long time (including people). We were really hoping to see some manatees, but sadly, while the manatees had been there the day before, they were apparently taking a day off when we arrived. 

There was plenty of other wildlife to check out though: birds (larger aquatic birds, and a bunch of turkey vultures), fish (large sturgeon jumped in the river, while smaller fish could be seen along the spring outlet), turtles, and squirrels (and fishermen too, although I don't think they count as wildlife. 

Lily took lots of pictures with the big camera. Morgan did his usual head-down, high speed run from one end of the boardwalk, to the other. That is, until he discovered the dock. Then he went bounding back and forth on it, making quite the ruckus, and (likely) scaring the fish away. I am amazed that he didn't bounce himself into the river! The people trying to fish from the dock didn't seem to mind his noise making, and were quite happy to engage both him & his sister in conversation.    

After our walk along the boardwalk, Bob & the kids got into their swim suits & snorkel gear to swim in the spring. Several people along the boardwalk & by the spring made comments, asking if the family was planning on swimming, and making approving sounds when we said yes. Odd, but okay. We found out pretty quickly why they commented. The water was an inviting turquoise and Cold! The spring stays at 72 F year round, which isn't all that warm. After much noise and complaint, Bob & Lily got in and swam around the spring while Morgan hung around close to the edge before joining them – riding on Bob’s back. (To be fair, I only dipped my toes in and that was enough!) My family is crazy!

Bob directing Morgan while Lily stays near shore

Bob snorkeled around the spring on his own, as well, calling out whenever he saw a fish or turtle, trying to direct the kid’s attention. He was speaking loudly through his snorkel, as he wasn't sure the kids could hear him or not. They could hear him. I’m pretty sure the entire park could hear him! The snorkel acted much like a bull horn, and everyone in the vicinity could hear him quite clearly as he called out the animals. “TURTLE!” and everyone knew where the turtle was…. “FISH!”  yep, got it. Between the splashing, Lily’s shrieks when first entering the spring, and Bob’s calls, the family attracted quite a bit of attention. It was quite comical, and rather entertaining. 

They all stayed in the water a lot longer than I figured they would – at least an hour (brr). Morgan climbed out first, shivering and slightly blue lipped (of course, he has no fat on his bones, and does the same thing in swimming pools!). He amused himself by playing on the manatee statue, while Bob & Lily made one more circuit of the springs.

The turquoise is where the spring wells up

It’s too bad that there were no manatees at the springs when we visited, but it was still a very interesting afternoon. We spent far longer than I anticipated in the park, and by the time we were all tidied up, it was nearing supper time. There is a campground at the State Park, but, true to McMillan form (instead of stopping for the evening at a logical time, and when the majority of other travelers are settling in for the night), we decided to head a bit further down the road, rather than stay. Silly decision, but that’s what happens sometimes (I would quite happily go back for a longer visit sometime). Regardless of where we ended up (truck stop!), it was a great day, all because we did choose to stop and have an adventure, rather than just drive!

Bob showing off his snorkeling skills

On the Way to the Rally

Wow, am I behind on my blog. Blame it on being sick… the whatever it is that has run its way through the whole household, finally catching Lily has really messed up my sense of time. Yeesh!  It feels like the past week has been lost in a fog of germiness…

Anyway, back to the good stuff.

The drive east from New Orleans (gosh that feels like a long time ago) to Florida passes through Mississippi and Alabama. Both these states have small coastlines and it took us only a few hours to cross their borders again - which means no crossing them off my visited states maps. L I would have liked to stop and see something in at least one of them, but it just wasn't to be(this time). The Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Centre in Mobile, AL was a stop that another full-time family had recommended, but there was no RV parking anywhere nearby and our deadline to get to Tampa was looming closer (meaning not enough time for an overnight stop). So we bypassed it; a choice I’m regretting a bit, because I've now heard from several others that it is a Really Awesome place, for both kids and adults. Oh well, choices, choices. I’m not sure we would turn around and head back west just to go see it, though. 

Pulling into Pensacola, FL, as the sun was setting, we stopped at Walmart to pick up groceries.  Then after getting back on the highway, we discovered that my chosen campground for the night (Fort Pickens) closes their gates at dusk. Doh!!! 

Trying to find a new place to stay, in the dark, when the driver refuses to stop so we can all figure out

1) where we are! 2) where we might go 3) what’s the safest/ smartest way to get there

is stressful, to say the least.  So, it the space of 30 minutes we got to 1) head straight toward a 10 foot high bridge 2) realize this just quick enough and turn into a  (almost) way-too-tight for us Welcome center  (Closed)  and 3) take a tour of downtown Pensacola with the trailer in tow.

before finding another Walmart to stay at for the night.  Fun times!

We never did go over to Fort Pickens National Park, which is supposed to have some beautiful beaches and interesting history at the Fort, itself. Instead, we continued east.  By this point though, both Bob and I were tired of traveling the (fast, but often dull) I10, and elected to take the coastal roads to see something different. There are lots of neat little beach towns along road (lots of traffic lights too), and interesting looking shops.  Not many of them have parking for a unit our size though, and so we continued on.  (That really bugs me sometimes!)  There were also many tantalizing signs – Beach Access - , which often also proclaimed No RV’s.  Eventually we were able to pull into Henderson Beach State Park so we could get our first real up -close experience of the Gulf of Mexico.   

The day was cool, and very foggy, and visibility was all of maybe 50 feet. The yellow flags were out, indicating a moderate hazard, and the waves looked rough. That didn't stop my monkeys from playing in the surf and getting thoroughly drenched and full of sand. And having a blast doing it.
It’s really nice when we can find a fun activity for everyone to do in the middle of a driving day. It makes it a lot easier to spend hours and hours in the vehicle. The kids hardly ever complain about the hours in the truck, but it's still good to be able to burn off some energy!

It was my turn to drive, and we continued along in a general easterly direction. We hadn't picked a specific route, but understood the general lay of the roads. Bob had punched in a route on my phone’s GPS, but we weren't really paying close attention to it. About an hour after I started driving Bob goes “Wait, you’re on the 93!”  Um, yes. “We’re supposed to be on the 30!” Um, what!!?? It really was not a big deal – the road we were on leads towards Tampa, but does it the long way.  But at the time… OMG!!!! Huge Panic!!! Get turned around! Get us to the right highway! 

After we turned toward the new road, we all calmed down enough to realize there was nothing wrong with our previous route. Now we were on a new one, and we might as well find out what’s this way.  Although unintended, the turn away from the coast provided an entirely different view of Florida. It turns out inland on the panhandle is pine forest, and cut blocks so reminiscent of home. There were quite a few logging trucks on the otherwise empty road. It was quite interesting actually (to me, that is – don’t think the kids cared, either way). 

We drove the forested highway until darkness threatened, and then figured out a place to stay which was along our current road (thank you PassPort America). After checking into Rocky’s campground, just outside of Perry, FL we completely and utterly failed to notice the entrance (which was behind us), and instead turned onto another paved country road. Where Bob proceeded to drive and keep driving, even when it was apparent we missed the entrance. NOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Since it looked like all the other country roads we'd seen nearby (aka hardly any RV friendly side roads) I convinced him to stop on the highway, where he executed a very neat back-up into a long lane (in the pitch-black) to get us turned around and heading the right way toward the campground. Thank goodness the road was super quiet, and that our usual difficulty reversing when under stress did not come into play. He did an awesome job, really (although, we really shouldn't have left the parking lot, to begin with!) 

Some days we end up with a bit more adventure than even I was intending! Maybe the next day we could have more fun adventures, rather than stressful ones. 

I hate being sick!

Ugh. I hate being sick, anytime. I especially hate being sick now, while we’re traveling. At least, when I was stationary, I only felt like I was missing the usual stuff – school/work/activities that would come around again next week. Now that we’re traveling, being sick means missing out on exploring, doing fun activities and experiences, seeing areas which we might never come back to, and sometimes it means missing out on connecting with people. Grr!!

We've managed to stay fairly healthy during our travels; the notable exceptions being Christmas (reducing my family visit time), and now.

After spending four activity-filled days in Tampa at a rally for full-time families (and those dreaming of the lifestyle), we moved over towards Orlando and I ended up sick with something that felt a lot like the flu. (It’s small comfort that several other families who attended also came down with the same thing.)  

And in the blink of a feverish cough, all our fun plans for Orlando disappeared. Instead I got to spend two and a half days freezing in 26 degree heat, as fever zapped away my will and ability to do anything. (Well, except day 2, where Bob convinced me to come help with the kids at the amusement park for the afternoon. I must admit, moving around did make me feel a bit better – for a while.) Day three my fever finally broke and I started to feel better. Unfortunately at that point, Morgan picked up where I had left off. Kids are amazingly resilient though and his recovery is going much faster than mine. Bob decided to get in on the fun, but Lily has managed to stay healthy as well.

I can deal with not getting to see all the sights of Orlando – we’d only booked four days there, and have now moved an hour and a half away. But we can go back again before we leave Florida, if we really want to. Most disappointing of all is missing out on an opportunity to see some of my extended family. Nineteen – count em, NINETEEN!!!! – of them have been vacationing in Orlando for the past two weeks and I was so looking forward to seeing everyone. Being sick pretty much put a kibosh on that plan. I certainly don’t want to expose anyone else to these germs (whatever type they may be), no matter how much I would love to visit. To add insult to injury, on the day we moved away from Orlando we declined their invitation to join them at Legoland (in order to keep our still-present germs to ourselves and not from lack of wanting to go!), and then drove Right Past the place. SIGH L 

No More Getting Sick!

Chair (and blankie) reserved for sick people!

Things my kids say

I often get too serious and forget to see the humor in daily life. I get bogged down in myself, and my kids are great for pulling me out of it – in some fashion. Sometimes they make me crack up, sometimes they make me angry, and sometimes, they just make me scratch my head.

“We’re going to Egypt!”  says Morgan as we drive over the ocean near Pensacola. In his mind it makes perfect sense – ocean, heading east. Apparently that means Egypt. The subsequent geography lesson didn't really matter to him, as at the very next bridge the words were repeated (this time with a big grin). He said it each time with such enthusiasm that I found myself wanting to believe him. Wouldn't it be cool if we could drive to Egypt? (I wonder what he’ll think of the Confederation Bridge?)

“Yes! Got it!” from Lily after every picture she took at Manatee Springs. Using Bob’s good camera (um, who was the silly adult who entrusted that to her? Riiight, that would be me!). She was quite intense and serious about the whole thing, but not always careful. At least it (and she) didn't end up in the Swanee River as she teetered on the edge of the floating dock taking pictures. That reminds me, I should go look at those pictures.  I may have a budding photographer on my hands. 

 “Mom. Don’t take away the Wii. Never take away the Wii. If you take away the Wii I’ll ….” (I don’t know how this sentence ends because at this point Morgan walks away or mumbles something I can’t really understand – every time.)

“Mama. Mama. Mama.  Mama”…. Lather, rinse, repeat… (Imagine this getting slightly louder and shriller with every repetition.) This Can Not be ignored for long. 

“Hugs.” or ”I love you.” Both of which are very nice things to hear, but these are also things Lily says after she’s gotten into trouble. Or knows she’s about to get into trouble. Yep, my 5 year old is a master manipulator. Always has been. Good thing she’s cute! 

“Did you know that on __ (insert game name here) you can…” (My hearing usually fades out at this point, replaced by white noise – kinda like when Bob talks electronics bits). Morgan is determined to teach me all about these games he loves so much, and he doesn't give up. Sorry kiddo, I just can’t grasp it, no matter how many times you tell me!

“I’m trying to raise money.” My boy is quite the little entrepreneur.  For as long as I can remember him understanding the concept of money he has come up with these schemes to make money, generally in order to buy Wii games. Until recently he hasn't actually implemented any of these plans, but recently he decided to give it a go. Actually, he did quite well on his last venture.  He gathered all the apples in the house, got them in a basket and sold them to people at the campground for 25 cents apiece. Apparently people will buy apples from cute kids! (Note to the world: He also has master plans for an underground city where everyone will work for him for free. And no one will need money. Oh, and apparently he has plans to take over the Canadian government so he no longer has to do Grade 2. Look out world!!!!)

Silly stuff like this helps keep me grounded in our own particular reality. No matter where we are, my kids are my kids, and what comes out of their mouths is the same (well, except for the Egypt part! The Grand dictator part, I’ll be keeping a close eye on.). And I love them that much more for it.  

The French Quarter, NOLA

Oh, what to do in New Orleans when you have two young kids?  How about skip all the “usual” kid activities (zoo, aquarium, City park) and head straight to the French Quarter. 

The French Quarter isn't exactly known for being super kid friendly, but somehow, we spent the entire day there, going no more than a few blocks in any direction. And, aside from a little public drunkenness, we didn't find anything risqué. Of course, we did keep to the main areas, where the majority of the tourists could be found. The Quarter was a hub of activity on a Saturday, with plenty of other families, and while it was busy, everyone seemed to exude a happy vibe.

We parked on the eastern edge of the Quarter and walked in, becoming one with the crowd. I immediately loved the feel of the area. So much energy, and so many colors and sights to see (and apparently forget to photograph!). The buildings themselves were all sorts of colors, several stories tall with iron wrought balconies (Bob says that’s the Spanish influence). Many window fronts had displays of beautiful jewelry (Which I always take care to never look at too closely as I am a magpie with expensive tastes and am sure I would have bankrupted us by now buying pretty baubles if it weren't for the fact that I agonize over spending money!), Mardi Gras masques and decorations, and a variety of other curiosities. 

We tasted fresh pralines (Bob & the kids did while I looked at it longingly, grumbling about my braces), went to Café du Monde for some beignets (French donuts covered in icing sugar), walked around Jackson square to look at the paintings of local artists for sale, and popped into several interesting shops around the square.  

We headed to the French Market, which has several food vendors selling local cuisine many flea market tables selling all sorts of things (I still can’t get over the fact you can buy alcoholic beverages from food vendors, and then walk around in public with them!).  

Inside Jackson Square

We listened to music from buskers on the streets (there was music everywhere), and watched a live entertainment tumbling show at the amphitheatre across from Jackson square (The Calypso Tumblers, from America’s Got Talent fame). Many carriages & bicycle tours attempted to convince us to ride, but feet are good! They took us from one end to the other without much trouble (although Lily’s did get tired after a while).

We stood on the banks of the mighty, muddy Mississippi (Which the day prior Bob had exclaimed to the kids to look up! as one doesn't cross the Mississippi very often. This is likely true – unless you’re staying near New Orleans, at which point you may expect to cross it repeatedly!). We watched the streetcars clang by at the edge of the Quarter taking people to many places in city (we did not ride, however, which is a story for another day). 

We discovered cactus spines in Morgan’s sweater (the one he was wearing the night he fell into the cactus), and got to ask the National Park staff for a first aid kit so we could remove a spine from his hand. That one got us an odd look. Cactus in the middle of the bayou! As a result though, we did get to listen to some original live Jazz as we worked out the spine. 

After a tantrum or two (I’m not saying who), we stopped for an early supper before calling it a day. It was time to go anyway. The kids were tired and the feel of the Quarter was shifting to a much more adult vibe with street traffic picking up noticeably. We (slowly!) made our way out of downtown to return back to our camping spot at Bayou Segnette State Park and settle in for a quiet evening after our busy day (lovely place, located so close to everything, yet a bit off the beaten – often noisy - path). 

What an interesting place, New Orleans. Water, land, culture, history, and modern life all wrapped up together. Bob says he’d love to come back, without the kids, someday. I probably would, to explore some other parts of the city, or just sit in the Quarter and soak in the ambiance. Generally, when we explore somewhere with the kids we are constantly in motion and so it’s sometimes difficult to just absorb a place. That’s okay. I can leave that for another lifetime. Right now, I’m so happy that my family is here, together, sharing experiences, seeing sights and places we never even knew of. I wouldn't have it any other way.

So, if you ever get the chance to come to New Orleans, some.  Take the kids too!

The French (Canadian) Connection

The Louisiana welcome sign at the Visitor Centre said it all. “Bonjour” 

Hey, look! French! Which made me rather happy. Not that I know more than a handful of words learned in my grade 6 French classes. That’s not the point. It was a tangible connection with my home country to the north. And the connection here is more than just language. There’s history too. History I wouldn't have had any clue about if it weren't for Morgan’s grade 2 social studies. 

The bane of our school days since we began homeschooling, Morgan has inquired several times what would happen if he just threw the book out the window of the truck.  He didn't, and we've spent several months learning about some of the cultural groups found in Canada…

Okay, but we’re in Louisiana. What does that have to do with Canadian cultural groups?

Well, quite a bit actually. Louisiana is home of the Cajuns; also known as Acadians.  And the Acadians lived in the Maritimes – New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and surrounding areas - before they were forced out in the 1700’s, when the British became the main influence in Canada (before Canada was Canada). Some went back to these areas when it was safe, some moved elsewhere. Some of them came to Louisiana to resettle, bringing their language & culture with them (that’s a long way to go!).

Anyway, I’m getting off track. As we planned our stopping point to wait out the storm that was set to batter the east coast I came upon some tidbits in another full-time family’s blog and on the internet that Lafayette is Acadia country. The area was settled by Acadians, and the original village, Vermilionville, has been recreated and is now a Cajun/ Creole Heritage & Folklife Park.

Woohoo, field trip! Not one to waste a lovely opportunity to actually apply some of that dry Social studies reading to something tangible, I convinced the driver (AKA Bob) to stop and stay in Lafayette rather than drive straight to New Orleans. I figured we could wait out the cold snap here as well as anywhere else and then continue on. Of course, I forgot to account for the fact that this area almost never gets below freezing and hardly ever gets ice. It pretty much shut down the city for two days, and so we had to stay an extra day to do the sight-seeing I had planned. 

First stop, Poupart Bakery, an authentic French bakery (I have a soft spot for local bakeries and often hunt the good ones down).  Let me just say yum. So many tasty treats to choose from, I could have spent all day munching my way through their wares. We did get a lovely sampling, and when I discovered how inexpensive everything was, I darned near turned around and requested one of everything!  Anyway, with everyone’s tummy happy, we headed over to Vermilionville.

The village was quiet, due to the chill, but many of the buildings had people in them, dressed in period costume and happy to share stories about the building they were in, the history, the artefacts, and life in the area in the 1800’s. Each of these people had Acadian heritage, making it feel quite authentic. 

We only got a short way into the village before the baked goods wore off and the kids were requesting lunch from the restaurant, La Cuisine de Maman (According to them, apparently they both have two stomachs now – a sugar stomach, and a regular food stomach. And evidently one does not have any effect on the other!). They had grilled cheese sandwiches (their go to food), while Bob and I both sampled the chicken & sausage gumbo with potato salad (a local combination- quite good). 

L'Ecole

Finally we set of to explore the village proper, walking through a variety of buildings, from simple two room homes to a grand two story home, the church, a schoolhouse, a smithy, and trapper’s hut. Some of the buildings were reproductions, but several were also original – the oldest being from 1790 – in various states of restoration/ preservation. Each building had a French name, and showcased a particular facet of life for the Acadian people.

Beau Bassin

All the buildings were raised off the ground, on pilings, and many of them had rows of windows and doors to let the breeze through. Almost none had electricity and only one had running water (makes sense for being so old). Interestingly, the all kitchens were separate from the main house, in their own buildings. I assume this was to keep the heat out of the house, as well as reduce any fire danger. Many of the smaller homes had an outside staircase leading to a garconniere (akin to an attic room), where the older boys slept. I thought this rather curious, but forgot to ask why it was arranged so.

The area the kids enjoyed best was where they could board a small barge at the far end of the village and pull it across a (very) narrow stretch of bayou using the rope guideline. They did this several times before Bob & I tired of making sure no one pitched themselves into the water, and shooed the kids off to see more of the village. We all watched out for alligators, but only saw a log (which did a rather convincing impersonation of two alligators for a few minutes).





In one house a lady was spinning cotton thread on a traditional spindle. She made it look easy, but I’m pretty sure that spinning thread is quite difficult. The kids were each given a piece of raw cotton to pick the seeds out of (since the seeds need to be removed before thread can be spun), and discovered pretty quickly that it was a lot of work. 

Listening to music

At the schoolhouse we listened to some authentic Acadian music on the accordion (Morgan mostly with his hands over his ears, loudly saying it was the worst music he’d ever heard – and yet staying for several songs (&&!!)).

In the one house, a local woodcarver worked on some ducks, which are sold in the gift shop.  Lily was rather enthralled watching the process.  I've noticed she likes watching artisans create their works, and always try to make sure she isn't rushed away (she was the same watching the jewelers in Dawson).

learning how water flows

Our last stop of the day was the Watershed Exhibit, where there was lots of information about the importance of the bayou Vermilion (which surrounds the area), and water, in general, to both the area & the world. There were several hands on demonstrations, to keep the kids entertained as well as slides & other information about the animals of the area. We ended up spending the whole afternoon at the village, which was quite a nice way to spend our last day in Lafayette.

I’m glad we did stop in Lafayette, winter storm or not. Sampling yummy local food, learning more of the history of the area, and meeting people descended from Acadians helped me understand and feel connected to the region in a way I mightn't otherwise have. I’m not sure if Morgan actually learned anything related to his social studies on our field trip, but oh well. It was a fun stop, nonetheless.

On the blackboard in the school