Just because Mardi Gras is over doesn’t mean partying ends. The small town of Independence LA had their Sicilian Heritage Festival, with a parade, a spaghetti cookoff, a meatball throwing contest and more. It was just a few miles from where we were so we went to check it out. The parade was more like the parades we are used to seeing and nothing like the Mardi Gras parades. I did score some more strings of beads and some candy.

Parade

We’ve been to several community festivals all over the country the last two or three years and none of them had cheese curds, much to my disappointment. Back home in Minnesota you will find deep-fried cheese curds on every corner of almost every fair or festival in the state. So, I was pleased to see my favorite treat at the festival.  However, when we went to order them they said they were “out.”  😦

Cheese Curds!

The sun came out and it was 80 today! We went for a drive along the Mississippi River. From the river road you cannot see the water because it’s all held behind a levee, but it can be seen from the bridge. Cargo ships and barges line the shore here.

On The Mississippi River

Several old sugar plantation houses remain along the river here. Oak Alley Plantation is a National Historic landmark and recognized for having one of the most spectacular settings in the entire Mississippi Valley. We bought tickets for the guided tour and spent the afternoon exploring the house and the grounds. There is a long list of productions that were filmed in part or entirely on this location including Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte (Bette Davis, 1965), Interview with the Vampire (Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, 1993), and a paranormal investigation by Ghost Hunters in August 2008. You have probably seen it on TV or in magazines too.

Oak Alley Plantation

Slave Quarters

Almost 200 men and women were enslaved here at Oak Alley before the Civil War. The remaining slave quarters now contain artifacts and information about that and one wall includes their names in a respectful memorial.

Slave Names

City and county parks and county and state fairgrounds often have RV parks at bargain prices. We found Lamar Dixon Expo Center RV Park on the internet and decided that was the area we wanted to be today. The net said they have 284 sites with full hook-ups and are open year round. We were surprised to be here alone. But I’m sure it will fill up on the weekend when there will be a big Sportsman’s Show here.

Lamar Dixon Expo Center RV Park, Gonzales, LA

• Gasoline Expense:  $100 @ $3.13
• Lodging Expense:  $25
• Admission Fee:  $40