The River Levee Ride, Thursday 4/23/15

Our  steamboat put into an unused ferry site on the west side of the river today for our morning ride's departure point. It was another 30 miler, and, with the threat of afternoon storms, we decided to take it. Besides, there were a couple interesting aspects to the morning ride we didn't want to miss.  First, was our first opportunity to get off the bike and stretch our legs at the "world's smallest church," the Madonna Chapel. It was constructed in the early 1900s in thanksgiving for an answered prayer. It has Mass there once a year on Aug. 15th, The Assumption, and although we missed that ;), we lit a candle and said a prayer. Further down the flat, smooth road along the west side of the river levee, we stopped at the Plaquemine Lock Museum. Although no longer used as a working lock (I can relate since our Locks at St. Anthony Falls in Minneapolis are soon to be decomissioned), it was a fun rest stop. We got on the ferry near there and crossed the river and biked down to old eastern unused ferry landing where we met our boat. After lunch on the boat, we had the choice of riding another 18 miles to our next stop, taking the bus, or staying on the boat. We decided to ride the boat and shower. We arrived at our next stop in the late afternoon where we were met by those who biked. We had too many options for the time allotted at this short stop. We could wait a bit for ye old southern crawfish boil, complete with creole band or head across the road to tour of the Houmas House Plantation and gardens. We decided on the house tour. This is one of those places that has been continuously inhabited, and therefore upgraded, over the years. Its original structure dates to the 1700s. That part is now a high-class restaurant and has been on some nationally televised cooking shows. The 'newer' structure is still very impressive. There are many antebellum artifacts and furnishings in the rooms and the first two floors are open to tours, even though the current owner lives there and uses them, too. I guess that is real southern hospitality. Our docent was spectacular, the gardens were amazing, and it was well worth the time. We were on the last tour, and we missed the crawfish, but had to make the hard choice.

The Madonna Chapel: altar

The Madonna Chapel

Some of our group on the ferry.
I bet they don't see this every day!