Buddha Statue at Avery Island, LA

Avery Island in Louisiana is home to a beautiful statue of a Buddha that is housed in a glass temple that looks over a lovely Asian themed garden.

This is the path that you walk to get to the Buddha.

This Buddha originally lived in the Shonfa Temple northeast of Peking and was commissioned by Emperor Hui-Tsung between 1101 and 1125.

According to tradition, in the 1920s a Chinese warlord sent a roughly 900-year-old statue of Buddha to America, where it sat unclaimed for many years in a New York City warehouse. In 1936, two friends of E. A. ("Ned") McIlhenny  purchased the statue and sent it to him by rail as a surprise. Ned responded by designing an Asian-influenced garden setting for the sacred statue. He constructed a long forest pool, an arched stone bridge, and glass-enclosed temple. He built up seven "hills of knowledge" that surround the Buddha and covered them with azaleas, sasanqua, camellias, and bamboos.

The glass is very scratched up so it is hard to get a clear pic of the statue.

Today the Buddha statue serves as a centerpiece of Jungle Gardens and greets thousands of visitors annually.

From tobasco.com:

The Tabasco Factory Tour

We went to the Tabasco Factory Tour on Avery Island, La.

There was a short film about the history and products, then a tour of the factory. When we were there that day's hot sauce was going to Germany. They explained how it is made in much the same way, aged in white oak barrels sealed with salt from the island's salt mine.

Then we spent time in the Country Store that had everything you could think of to buy related to Tabasco.

Live Oak Trees of Avery Island, La

Today's post is dedicated to the beautiful Live Oak Trees on Avery Island. These trees are absolutely breath taking and hard to describe in words or capture in pictures. They are huge and strong. The Spanish Moss that hangs from their branches give them an elegant appearance.

Each tree has a different appearance because of the way the branches expand, twist, and reach outward toward the ground in a horizontal manner and then turn back up to the sky. These trees are everywhere in the south but you never get tired of the awe inspiring feelings each one of them produce when you view them.

Their branches twist and turn every which way and it feels like they are going to reach out and scoop you up...just like in the Wizard of Oz movie. It is hard to determine if they are gorgeous or scary.

The Spanish Moss that hangs from the branches.

Spanish moss has been used for various purposes, including building insulation, mulch, packing material, mattress stuffing, and fiber. In the early 1900s it was used commercially in the padding of car seats.

The legend of how Spanish Moss came to be:

As the story goes; there was once a traveler who came with his Spanish fiancée in the 1700s to start a plantation near the city of Charleston, SC. She was a beautiful bride-to-be with long flowing raven hair. As the couple was walking over the plantation sight[sic] near the forest, and making plans for their future, they were suddenly attacked by a band of  Cherokee who were not happy to share the land of their forefathers with strangers. As a final warning to stay away from the Cherokee nation, they cut off the long dark hair of the bride-to-be and threw it up in an old Live Oak Tree. As the people came back day after day and week after week, they began to notice the hair had shriveled and turned grey and had begun spreading from tree to tree. Over the years the moss spread from South Carolina to Georgia and Florida. To this day, if one stands under a live oak tree, one will see the moss jump from tree to tree and defend itself with a large army of insects.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_moss

Lake Fausse Pointe State Park, La

We chose to stay at Lake Fausse Pointe State Park because it was the closest state park to Avery Island & Tabasco Factory. What a gem of a state park! We would stay here again and would recommend this to everyone. The only drawback is that it is far away from a town and services, but if you are looking for a gorgeous, secluded, quiet, camping experience this park is for you.

This is a pic of the pavilions that house picnic tables and the nature/educational center.

Here is a pic of the rental cabins.

This pic is of the area right behind each camp spot. Most of them back up to the waterway and have their own wooden deck you can sit on and look out at the beauty.

Some info. on the campground:

Lake Fausse Pointe State Park occupies a 6,000-acre site which was once part of the Atchafalaya Basin. The area surrounding the park was formerly the home site of the Chitimacha Indians. From the middle 1700s, the region was dominated by French and Acadian farmers and trappers, although the Spanish were in control of the land from 1763 until 1802. It was during this period that a major influx of Spaniards and Canary Islanders (called Isleños) emigrated to the New Iberia area, contributing to the cultural diversity of this section of Louisiana.

Fishing, boating and canoeing opportunities abound. A boat launch gives visitors easy access to the labyrinth of waterways that winds through the Basin. Overnight visitors can "rough it" in the campground or stay in lake-front cabins. A visitor center complex features a boat dock with rentals, and a nature center provides fun programs and activities as a way to learn about the surrounding environment. Three  hiking and canoe trails offer a "up close" view of the area plant and wildlife, as well.

http://www.crt.state.la.us/parks/ilakefaus.aspx

Mission Concepcion

We rode our cruiser bicycles to another mission named Mission Concepcion. The mission is named in honor of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and Juan de Acuna, the marques de Casafuerte. The Marques was Viceroy of New Spain ( Mexico) when the mission transferred to the San Antonio River area in 1731.

The church of Mission Concepción is an excellent example of Spanish Colonial architecture. A variety of features were incorporated into the construction of this and other existing mission churches in the park. Intricate Renaissance and Moorish details complement Romanesque forms and gothic arches. It is a cruciform (cross-shaped) building of limestone. The roof is vaulted with a dome, with which recent research is suggesting a deliberate placement of windows to illuminate the two side altars on specific feast days. Twin bell towers may have been topped by crosses similar to those in place today. Colorful Moorish designs mix with images showing both Native American and Spanish Catholic influences. (http://www.nps.gov/saan/historyculture/conc_history1.htm)

San Jose Mission, San Antonio, Texas

This is part of the National Park system. It has a wonderful visitor's center with a gift shop, educational museum, and movie.

Founded in 1720, the mission was named for Saint Joseph and the Marqués de San Miguel de Aguayo, the governor of the Province of Coahuila and Texas at the time. It was built on the banks of the San Antonio river several miles to the south of the earlier mission, San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo). Its founder was the famed Father Antonio Margil de Jesús, a very prominent Franciscan missionary in early Texas. Mission San Jose is an active parish. Visitors are welcome to attend mass on Sundays.

We didn't go inside when we were there because Mass was happening. But we did peek our heads in the sanctuary and it was gorgeous but we couldn't take any pictures

San José, as it became known, was the largest of the missions in the area. At its height, the community contained about 350 Indian neophytes, sustained by extensive fields and herds of livestock. Viewed as the model among the Texas missions, San José gained a reputation as a major social and cultural center. It became known as the "Queen of the Missions." Its imposing complex of stone walls, bastions, granary, and magnificent church was completed by 1782.

Our tour guide was wonderful. Her grandparents attend church here and she is a direct descendant from the Indian's that first called this mission home.

This is 'The Rose Window', which is located on the south wall of the church sacristy. The window sculpted ca. 1775, has been the object of both legend and admiration. It is considered one of the finest examples of baroque architecture in North America. The legend is that the creator Juan Huizar named it for his betrothed Rosa. (http://www.nps.gov/saan/historyculture/sanjosehistory1.htm)

San Antonio's River Walk

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The San Antonio River Walk is a public park, open 365 days a year. It is a network of walkways along the banks of the San Antonio River, one story beneath approximately 5 miles of downtown San Antonio.

The River Walk winds and loops under bridges as two parallel sidewalks, lined with restaurants, shops, hotels and more. It connects the major tourist draws from the Alamo to Rivercenter Mall, Arneson River Theatre and La Villita, the San Antonio Museum of Art, and the Pearl Brewery. If you don't want to walk the 5 miles you can take a narrated river boat cruise that lasts about 45mins. For more info check out thesanantonioriverwalk.com

There are maps like this one all along the River Walk showing you where you are in relation to the above streets. There are several bridges like the one pictured below that connect the two sides of the river so you can easily cross over and check out the shops on the other side.

Beautiful decorations everywhere.

The Buckhorn Saloon, San Antonio, Texas

We moseyed on over to the Buckhorn Saloon in downtown San Antonio today. This is a pretty amazing place. The admission fee was pretty high and we almost didn't go in but bit the bullet and paid the money and must say it was worth the admission price. To get your money's worth you need at least half of a day to spend in this museum to appreciate all the displays.

The Buckhorn Museum features wildlife from all over the world; including fish, birds, and animal oddities. Our exhibit halls are comprised of over 520 species of wildlife, many of which are record holders.

The Buckhorn is home to a world record whitetail deer, the famous ‘78 Point Buck’. This impressive rack was sold to the saloon owner himself, Albert Friedrich, for a mere $100 dollars back in 1890. Other amazing specimens include a record 1,056 pound black marlin and a 10,000 year old pre-historic Irish Elk skull and antlers.

Albert Friedrich a young entrepreneur, stared the saloon in 1881. He learned that many traveling off the ol'dusty trail didn't have much money in their pockets. Albert then began to accept horns and antlers in exchange for free beer or whiskey from his saloon. From then on the Buckhorn grew to become one of the world's most unique collection of horns and antlers.

 Albert's wife, Emile, began to accept jars of rattlesnake rattles. She would use these to create artwork that can be seen on display at the Buckhorn. (www.buckhornmuseum.com)

San Antonio's Downtown Buildings

Here are some pictures of the buildings surrounding the Alamo, downtown San Antonio, Tx. Very beautiful area.

The Alamo Monument

You can take a carriage ride around the downtown district and learn more of the history.