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Monday, February 24, 2014

SOME LIKE IT HOT, SOME NOT


We wait for the arrival of our mail.  And we wait, and wait.  

You know the "postman's motto" ..... neither rain, sleet, hail, etc., etc.  Well, it is no longer true.  The frozen roads and runways for the U.S. mail planes slowed down the delivery for days and days.  

Finally, under way, we turn our attention to Avery Island, the home of Tabasco Pepper Sauces.  

We are not first in line!  Ahead of us is a bright canary yellow vintage motorhome with Tweety Bird looking out the back window.

This looks to me like a very nice restoration.  

I note the painting on the inside of the door.  How cool is that?   


As I walk up to the visitors center, I am greeted by someone who looks a bit familiar.  I wonder, did I see him greeting customers at Wal Mart? 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                            I have it from a good source that Queen Elizabeth II likes Tabasco sauce.  






The buildings look like some of the distilleries located in Kentucky.  










 Would you like a splash of Tabasco on your pizza? Or maybe you like Tabasco on your eggs.  I am sure there is enough here to satisfy your craving for hot sauce.                                                                                                 Avery Island is not only the home of Tabasco sauce, but also the home of Jungle Gardens and its Bird City.  

"From pepper pods obtained shortly after the Civil War, Edmund Melhenny cultivated a crop, invented a product and founded a company.  

Today on Avery Island you can see pepper plants like those being nurtured for next year's crop.  Seeds from plants grown on the Island are exported to Central and South America, where Tabasco peppers are cultivated and harvested at the peak of their ripeness.  Only these choicest peppers from the tropics are used in making Tabasco pepper sauce.

Tabasco pepper sauce was first produced from capsicum pepper plants first grown on Avery Island.  Its recipe, so unique, McIlhenny was granted a patent on the sauce.  This recipe is closely followed today.

Each January, seeds are planted in greenhouses, seedlings are transplanted to the fields in April.  By August, the peppers reach just the right shade of red and are hand-picked.  Newly harvested peppers are mashed at the factory with a little salt from Avery Island.  

The mash ferments and ages for three years in white oak barrels.  Finally the aged mash is mixed with special premium vinegar, stirred for one month, strained and poured into slim bottles with their familiar red octagonal caps, green foil neckbands and diamond-shaped labels."  From Avery Island, bottles of the pepper sauces are labeled in nineteen non-English languages and shipped throughout the world.  

After visiting the production line, we walk to the Country Store where everything Tabasco is sold, including shirts, scarves, glassware and nic-nacks.  


After our visit to Avery Island, we drive a bit further to Louisiana's Palmetto Island State Park just outside Abbeville.  

With our America the Beautiful Senior Pass our daily fee is eleven dollars.  What a deal!  





And you would not believe it, but they provide washing machines and clothes dryers for FREE!  

This is the first time that I have used a commercial laundry since we began full timing.  

I do prefer to do laundry in the motorhome, but the previous night, the Splendide gave me a scare.  

I decide not to take any chances and use the park's facilities.   




I come back to the motorhome and John is gone so I walk down to the lake to see if he is there.  

Look at what John is doing while I slave over the laundry!  

He says that he came close, but not too close to an alligator sunning on the bank.  

The alligator slips into the water and John decides to paddle in the opposite direction.  







 Olivia is concerned about her dad and sits on the bank to wait for him.  

Now that we know that John can handle a kayak, we will start looking at ones that will better serve our needs.  

In my blog about visiting the pottery studio, I had many photographs of all the pottery and teased you with the question, which did we buy?
  
Well, here is our choice.  These two heart shaped bowls can serve as our salad, cereal, and soup bowls.  We really enjoy their design and diverse functionality.




Last, but now least, I have a new photo of Eme.  She is growing so fast.  It is hard to believe that she is almost two months old!





Well, I am almost caught up on our adventures.  Next blog, Where were the Talley's last weekend?  

30 comments:

  1. Great post, Nan, we enjoyed Avery Island when we visited in 2007. Had no clue about Palmetto State Park honoring the senior pass, so of course I pinned the park to give it a try if we are going that way back home. Still don't know our home route, all dependent on the weather. My favorite, by the way, was the Tobasco vanilla ice cream.

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    1. When I registered, I just asked if they had any senior discounts (only because I saw a Passport America book), and yep they gave me the discount. I preferred the Tabasco raspberry Tabasco. We did not like the Tabasco flavored Coke though...double yuck.

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  2. Nope, no Tabasco sauce for this guy. Not anything even slightly spicy. I've never understood the pleasure people derive from setting their mouths on fire with hot sauces & spices.. I would paddle the other way as well if there was an Alligator in the water. In fact I would be paddling so fast I'd probably end up with a speeding ticket from the local water police.......

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    1. Al, that is funny that you said you are a no hot sauce person. The Bird Lady of Blogland (Judy) said the same thing using almost the same words!

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  3. Did you tour Avery Island? That is where two of the Tarzan movies were made. We walked on the huge bamboo path. We could just picture Tarzan screaming from tree to tree.

    The pottery is beautiful and very unique.

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    1. No, could not walk because of John's limited breathing. I know we miss much as we travel, but it just has to be at his comfort level.

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  4. Nice restoration on that GMC motorhome.
    The Tabasco tour was interesting, did you try the Tabasco ice cream?

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    1. Yes George, it was a great job on the GMC. And yes we had the ice cream, yum and the coke....not yum. AND we were able to sample all their sauces. I wish I had purchased their Chili Starter. Going to search the internet to see if I can find a copy-cat recipe. Would be delish on hamburgers for meat eaters. We would marinade our tofu in it and still have the wonderful flavor.

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  5. We were there years ago. Leonard, being from Louisiana, does not know food that does not have a bit of a bite. When ordering at a restaurant his next words are "do you have Tabasco?".

    Surprised your senior pass was honored at that state park. For years we would camp at Sam Houston Jones state park near Lake Charles and would get the 1/2 price fee. However, about 3 years ago we were informed that Louisiana state parks now only honor that pass for Louisiana residents. Being a former resident doesn't count! Wonder if they changed back. Hoping so.

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    1. We have a friend who enjoys the Tabasco and puts Ketchup on everything! Saw a T shirt in the French Quarter that had a picture of Heinz Ketchup and it said, "I put Ketchup on my Ketchup"....that's Cathie, for sure.

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  6. I bet the rookery on Avery Island is starting to get busy. As you know, I don't like it hot either so I had to give away my free bottles of Tabasco. :)

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    1. Judy, you lead such a sheltered life! LOL....

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  7. We will have to do that factory tour. I have a feeling that the mail motto was never really true:)

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    1. When you do the factory tour, be sure to tour the gardens and bird sanctuary. The motto is inscribed in a wall of a post office in New York City. Go figure.

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  8. I'm a follower of several blogs. Seeing your dog by the water and your mention of an alligator gave me a stomach turning feeling. Happy your fur baby is o.k. The 'gators are quick!

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    1. There was no reports of Alligators in that area. Too many humans on the bank. But you comment has made me decide to be more cautious. Thank you.

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  9. Not a hot fan. Jim likes Cholula hot sauce better than Tabasco. I don't try either one. But that would be a fun tour to take. Glad you finally got your mail and were able to move on.

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    1. We are now fans of Seracha sauce. Tell you a secret....you had some in the chili I made for you and Jim in Idaho. It was a fun tour. As we approached the building, you could smell the sweet smell of the Tabasco in the air!

      Oh! I actually learned to spell Tabasco while there. I have always thought the spelling was Tobasco....Live and learn.

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  10. No tobasco for me either. I'm a NOT. But it would be fun to see the plant and I have a dear friend who doesn't think anything is hot enough unless she is crying and can't talk. I could clearly pick up some things for her. We sure love kayaking but if there was a gator around I wouldn't leave Olivia on the bank. Gators won't bother you, you are too big, but I have heard lots of stories of dogs being taken in a big flash. Gators are FAST! Interesting about the Sr. Pass thing. Think I'll try it out when we get to Louisiana. Well I should say IF we get there, plans being what they are.

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  12. Geezzz. And I thought we were safe there with the fur kids! Thanks for the head's up. As I said before, I thought we were safe as there were so many fishing in the area. Live and learn. Thank goodness it was not the hard way.

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  13. So glad commenters have mentioned how dangerous it is to have pets anywhere near the water and or shoreline..... It is so dangerous ... The gators use a sense of smell and are fast as lightening at grabbing pets even large size dogs, etc. they also wait in the saw grass, embankments and culverts, etc.
    It was tough for me to see your cute puppy in that area and at the waterline .... So happy it all worked out .... Some folks even take their pets in the kayak, the gator will jump up to grab the pet or turn the kayak over and then get to the pet....
    Thanks for letting me express my concerns ..... All the best, I always enjoy your blog ...

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    1. Sally, thank you so much for your concern. Lesson learned. And the info about taking them in a kayak is also helpful. The kids are safe, thank God, they just need a bath!

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  14. Interesting, but Tobasco sauce is too spicy for me! Love the photo of Eme - such a doll! And I love your bowls. Great choice - and you can use them for candy dishes or serving bowls, too. :)

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    1. We do like it hot in this family. Eme is really a doll. She got her w month shots and never had a fussy time afterward. The bowls were a hard choice. He did have some pottery with palm trees.

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  15. Your comment about the gator and then the picture of the dog right on the bank almost gave me HEART FAILURE!

    Alligators LOVE dogs and have been known to hide underwater and jump up and grab dogs. They kill a lot of dogs each year. I would never have my dog anywhere near waters where gators could be around. Also, gators are on the move, especially during mating season (now), so even if one isn't around today, he might be tomorrow.

    Yikes......glad puppy is okay... and I see others have mentioned the same thing.

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  16. Was that gator looking for a snack? Without hot sauce? Glad that John handled that kayak well and didn't meet the gator up close and personal... :cD

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  17. Finally catching up with your blog...we volunteered in LaCombe in the fall...never made it to Avery Island though...there is always next time.

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  18. I do like Tabasco, want to take the tour. Hope you enjoy the baseball game this week.

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  19. I don't have your email so had to track your blog down. We stayed at the North Llano RV Park in Junction on the way south. We looked at Potter Creek COE but could not get reservations when we wanted them otherwise we might have been your neighbor! Oh well ... weather is supposed to improve in a couple days. Watch out for ice in the morning if you're heading out!! A winter warning is out there.

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