Sightseeing in Baton Rouge

SIGHTS: We visited the Magnolia Mound Plantation today.  What a great tour guide. She is a volunteer and you could tell she was enthusiastic about history. We were the only 2 on the tour which lasted about 45 minutes.  I hated history in school and barely passed.  But to tour and see and then be informed makes history real.
A little tid bit we learned...The phrase "sleep tight", came from the way the old beds were made before springs. Ropes were wrapped around the wood frame of the bed. These ropes held up the mattress or padding you slept on. Eventually those ropes would loosen and the bed would sag.  So the ropes had to be tightened to make the bed more firm again, thus "sleep tight".
I get very emotional viewing the old photos, and seeing our history via restored buildings, ships, etc.
While at Magnolia Mound Plantation, we saw where the slaves lived. The owner of this plantation was one of the "better" slave owners, if you can call any slave owner in those terms.  He at least, let them work for their freedom and in his will stated that they would be freed and he left money for them all to get started.  Of course after his death, his will was contested, but after I believe 8 years fighting it out, his will was upheld.
I never can get used to the fact of slavery.  How dare anyone force a person to be owned & abused.  We've come a long way. Now we are fighting to have our pets as dependents instead of possessions.

We also toured USS Kidd, which is a destroyer.

I have to give credit to a past boyfriend, who although mentally very abusive (I could have been on the Oprah show), did give me an appreciation for the military.
Again, I'm on the verge of tears seeing how our soldiers have to live in these destroyers, carriers, submarines & out in the field. First they are risking their lives for our country, and they don't even have decent living conditions! My gosh, how dare anyone fault these men & women just because they don't agree with the politics.

Trough style toilets

Dad, did you have to use this type of bathroom when you were on the Carrier Saigon during the Korean War?

It's disgusting that the ACLU fights for the rights of prisoners, when our soldiers don't have those same comforts. Oh, don't get me started. I'm stepping down.
This is a great way to learn history.  I always thought home schooling was a questionable education, but oh my, to bring kids along and travel the US for one big history lesson would be wonderful. They would learn and it might just stick.

On our way to the USS Kidd, we spotted a couple of children "sledding". The temperature was about 70°, so how could they be sledding? Check out the fun below.

They are using flattened cardboard boxes to slide on the grass hill.

RV Mods: Scott added an extra antenna to our existing RV antenna. A "WINEGARD WINGMAN". This is suppose to increase pick up performance of the over the air reception. Scott hates going up on the roof, but a man's gotta do, what a man's gotta do, to get better TV reception.

FOOD: Finished up the  "FROG JAM", I had bought while in NC.It is made with Figs, Raspberries, Oranges, & Ginger (name from the initials) plus sugar & pectin. Delicious. Figs & Raspberries being the main flavors.
Scott made chicken and adouille gumbo & also adouille with cabbage, a couple of days ago.  Damn, he's a good cook! The gumbo was a little spicier than I'd like, but I think that is from the sausage. But otherwise, delicious.  The sauteed cabbage was absolutely wonderful. That will hopefully be on our menu often. Scott was able to imitate this New Orleans cuisine thanks to Mickey being so generous. Unfortunately, we can't share the recipes unless Mickey gives the ok.
But, as a consolation prize, here is a link to a GUMBO RECIPE that is similar.