Baton Rouge

I’m in such a hurry and I tried turning the pics, but they are not cooperating, so I’ll have to deal with that later. I just wanted to get a post up there since we are so far behind!

Leaving Galveston we got to ride a ferry, but this time we had Ava, the 5th wheel with us! I’m so glad Huck was driving and not me! He makes it look easy. The kids and I decided to walk up to the next level to get a better look around. The kids thought it was so cool we could see the top of the 5th wheel. Up to now only Huck had seen the roof.

While we were up there a couple asked if we had seen the dolphins. We were so excited, we started scanning the water. Sure enough we saw a pair of dolphins surface a couple of times. Oh I wish we were closer, but it was very cool even at this distance!

We expected to only make it over the border into Louisiana, but we were making such great time we decided to press on and try to make it to Baton Rouge. I was excited to be in Baton Rouge and now that it was an option, could we see something there? We didn’t have much time since the truck had an appointment the next day in New Orleans. I LOVED the RV park – it was in/next to an Equestrian Center! Ahhh if only I had time/opportunity to ride one of the horses!

Due to our tour of the Texas state capitol building in Austin, and his amazing command of facts, Dacen insisted that he and I go take a quick tour of the Louisiana State Capitol building while in Baton Rouge. I’m so glad we did. I love Dacen’s love of knowledge and facts!

On our way to the Capitol we stopped and took a few pictures at the old, original capitol building. There was a really cute town square area that I would love to sit and people watch while listening to the music they have piped in if we ever return.

On to the “new” Capitol Building. It turns out that the Senate and House of Reps work Mon-Thursday and this was Friday. That meant the traffic was super light and we easily found parking just 2 blocks away! We were on our way to see the tallest Capitol Building in the USA.

Only one problem – it was super foggy!! Grrrr. Well we don’t have any choice. We could only hope the fog would burn off fast! We got a before and after pic. It was starting to burn off, but still not enough for us to really see the view the building offers. One cool feature is the steps going up to the entrance. Each step has a state in the order they were admitted to the Union!

The people were once again super nice! We decided not to go on an official guided tour. While sitting in the Senate Chambers one of the security guards came up and offered us some history on the building. It only took 14 months to build this massive and very impressive building! Today it would easily take 2+ years!  Also, in 1970 someone set off a bomb consisting of 18 sticks of dynamite. Luckily it was 8pm and no one was hurt. But there is still a pencil sized piece of a desk that flew up and stuck in the ceiling. They left it there and that is the only ceiling “tile” they keep lit 24/7. They never turn the light off in that square.

 

Another person told us to look for the column with the bullet hole in it. We finally found that and discovered it was from the assassination of Huey Long. He was shot outside the Governor’s office. There is still debate as to who shot him and when it happened during the melee.

We rode the elevator up to the top. The fog was burning off, but it was still very thick. It made me kind of dizzy or heady being up that high and having our heads in the clouds! I do wish we could have seen the whole city, but it was so fun to be up there with Dacen. He was so excited.

We found a spiral staircase going up another level. Turns out it was another 100 feet. There wasn’t any signs saying we could or couldn’t go up there. And there wasn’t anyone around to ask. We started up, but the cautious part of me told Dacen we should head back down. Darn it, we should have just gone up. We would have been in the very top part of the building. Oh well, another reason to return!