Magnus in the Swamp, Day 4

Sunday, Dec 7

 Alligator at front entrance to Palmetto Island! 

 

 Second day at Palmetto Island. We ate a lazy pancake breakfast, then locked poor Molly in the Motorhome and headed to The Tabasco Factory.

 

 

I’d had to cancel trips to the Tabasco Factory twice before in our motorhoming history, so this one was not going to be dismissed. Even after I noticed that it was a 45-minute drive to get there. For reasons unknown, I’d thought this state park was close to Avery Island, where the factory is located. And it is close—as the sea gull flies. Right across the trackless swamp that constitutes southern Louisiana.  We had to drive a lot farther than that.

 

 

 

 

Barrels of aging sauce.

Anyway, we got there and it was pretty cool. We took a self-guided walking tour (skipping the audio—it gets old really fast) along the seven stations of Tabasco. First is history—the museum; second, the growing of the peppers, mostly tabasco but also jalapeno and habanero for their green pepper variety and Habanero hot variety; third, making of “the mash”; fourth, aging in white oak barrels for three years; fifth/sixth mixing and resting for a few weeks and I think straining goes in here; and seventh, bottling. The factory wasn’t actively being manned by human beings when we were there—I guess the current batches were in the aging and mixing stages.

And then we were directed to go the the Jungle Gardens. I’m not sure why it’s called that, but it is indeed a very beautiful place. There’s an aviary for Snowy Egrets, which were unfortunately not there at the time. And a very bumpy and challenging drive. It would have been an awesome walk, but I was with Ed and Molly was left at home. So, no walk.

 

I was driving and I couldn’t locate the parking for “station 3”, where the alligators were supposed to hang out. But by the time we'd gone on around to the starting place, there wasn’t time to go back. Molly was waiting.

I forgot to mention that Molly did get a nice morning walk while I jogged, down the palmetto trail then down to the lovely pond at the end of our camping loop.  There are four backpacking campsites there, tucked away in the brush. But empty. A few birds, like blue-gray gnatcatcher and Great Blue Heron, but mostly butterbutts. Molly saw armadillos on  the previous night’s walk. I suffered greatly.

If I were to review this place, I’d say that its a really nice campground on an exceptionally crappy road.  Sadly, on our first night we were parked right by The Loud Family.  I had to go inside to get some peace and quiet.  I also made this observation:

Some people respect the night - others fear it. Some sit back and listen and love. Others burn bright I-AM-HERE!!! lights all night long, like they’re afraid that they will vanish in the dark.

After Molly’s evening walk I was thinking I’d go outside for a bit before bedtime. It wasn’t too cool and there were bugs brrr’ing and stars peeking trhough in the cloudy night sky. But then, while we were watching our evening TV show (Man on the Inside) it started raining. A real shower. Blah!