Betty's RV Park

Betty (back left) and Happy Hour
Crawfish Dinner
Potluck Dinner
Nanc prepares to attack the claws
Chillin in line at Cafe' Des Amis
Touchet's; The sign tells how it is said.
Jammin at Touchet's
Zula & Ollie
Hot Times
Bottles for Arabia

Jungle Garden's Cleveland Oak
The Rookery

We are now in Cajun country at Betty's RV Park in Abbeville, Louisiana. Betty has the reputation with RVers of being a great hostess and friend. At check-in she told us to make sure we come to the pavilion at 4 for happy hour. Even though there are only 17 sites here, there were over twenty people gathered and having a great time. We immediately made many new friends with whom we did a lot. One night we all went out to dinner for crawfish and zydeco music. Another night we enjoyed a pot luck dinner and many laughs. On Saturday morning 10 of us got up at 5 AM and drove 30 miles for a Zydeco breakfast at the Cafe' Des Amis. (see video) We were the first in line at 7 and by 8 it was standing room only. It was a wild and wonderful time with music, dancing, breakfast and Bloody Marys. On Saturday afternoon we went to a Cajun (French) music jam session at Calvin Touchet's. Many local musicians were playing and the place was packed. Within a few minutes everyone in the place knew where we were from and we had a great time talking to them and listening to the music. In the late afternoon Calvin feeds everyone in the place. They hugged us when we left and told us to make sure we return. On Sunday while walking down the street in Abbeville someone blew their horn and waved at us. It was a couple we had met the afternoon before at Touchet's. We have really had a wonderful time in this area. The Cajuns are so proud of their culture and celebrate it every chance they get. As a group they are by far the friendliest people we have met. On her card it says, "Get caught up in Betty's web" and we believe we have. We decided to extend our stay for two more days and are planning on making a return visit. While there, we visited Avery Island the home of Tabasco Sauce and Jungle Garden both founded by Edward Avery McIlhenny. The factory tour showed how the sauce is made and bottled for distribution all over the world. The bottles being filled when we were visiting were being shipped to Saudi Arabia. We also got to sample some Tabasco products including jalapeno ice cream. Jungle Garden, which covers over 250 acres, includes a large variety of plants and animals. In the spring of 1892 McIlhenny created a heron sanctuary to lure snowy egrets. Each spring a double decked structure of bamboo is built for the returning egrets. As many as 20,000 heron families return to hatch and raise their young each year. This rookery is credited with saving the egrets from extinction not only in Louisiana but in all of North America.