In Search of Grave Houses and Whooping Cranes, LA
Theresa told us about an unusual Acadian cemetery an hour's drive from her house that was worth a visit. It was located in the rural town of Morse, so off we went in my minivan, with Nadine following in her RV as she had decided get back on the road later on. But our first stop was to find what used to be my favorite bakery that sells the best king cake in Lafayette, Keller's Bakery. The bakery was busy, with customers coming in to pick up king cakes. We bought a king cake for me to take home, and some slices to eat on the road.
Since we started out late, it was almost noon by the time we headed out of town. Theresa suggested having lunch at a local Cajun restaurant on the way to Morse. The C'est Bon Restaurant in Mermentau offered the best Cajun food I've had in a long time, with very reasonable prices. I ordered gumbo and shrimp po-boy (so good) while Theresa and Nadine had grilled shrimp salad. We also tried some crawfish pies on the side.
Just as we finished lunch, Theresa received a text from her sister that whooping cranes were spotted in the area where we were headed. Whooping cranes are an endanged species; Louisiana has been working to protect and increase the local population which numbered less than 100. We got details on the location, and drove to see if we can sight of them. The area was scenic, flooded rice fields with occasional crawfish traps/boats here and there. After driving and turning around, we finally saw a few birds in the distance. A couple was already parked on the side of the road, with binoculars trained. My little pocket binoculars were not up to the task, we could see the cranes foraging for food but not in a lot of detail. Still, it was quite a treat to see these rare birds. We stayed for about half an hour watching the cranes and chatting with the couple who were visiting from Georgia (I think). They heard about the crane sightings through a bird watching app and accidentally came across these 4 birds.
Then, it was on to the cemetery, which was our original mission today. A bit more driving through the rural countryside, following Theresa's directions and we arrived at the
Istre Cemetery Grave Houses. We were able to drive straight into the cemetery itself, parked and walked around to see the unusual grave houses. The linked Wikipedia article gave a little more information about the Cemetery and grave houses.
The Cemetery also has more recent burials, with more "modern" gravesites like the ones below.
We said goodbye to Nadine who planned to drive towards Mississippi and returned to Theresa's house in Breaux Bridge.
Then, it was on to the cemetery, which was our original mission today. A bit more driving through the rural countryside, following Theresa's directions and we arrived at the Istre Cemetery Grave Houses. We were able to drive straight into the cemetery itself, parked and walked around to see the unusual grave houses. The linked Wikipedia article gave a little more information about the Cemetery and grave houses.
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