Historic Cemeteries

Cemeteries might not seem like a likely place to visit as a tourist but they are. Some people visit cemeteries to pay homage to presidents, artist, poets and other influential individuals.  Others go to admire the art and architecture, while still others find the beautifully landscaped gardens a place to reflect.  



1. Arlington National Cemetery: The military cemetery located just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. It is the most visited cemetery in the United States.  It is the grave site of President John F. Kennedy.The Changing of the Guard at the tomb of the Unknown Soldiers has taken place every day without interruption since 1937. 

2. Gettysburg National Cemetery: This Pennsylvania site is the final resting place for more than 3,500 Union soldiers killed in the Battle of Gettysburg, considered the turning point in the Civil War. There are numerous monuments including one to President Abraham Lincoln where on November 19, 1863 Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address speech.
3. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans: There are many

tours of this cemetery where, because of the high water table the deceased are interred in above-ground, whitewashed crypts topped with statues. It is a stop on the African-American Heritage Trail. Many noted individuals are interred here including New Orleans’ famous voodoo priestess Marie Laveau.

4. Colonial Park Cemetery: With live oaks draped in Spanish moss it is Savannah's oldest and most haunted cemetery. The Gen. Sherman’s soldiers changed the dates on dozens of headstones indicating that some of the interred lived 100s of year. According to Josiah Muir’s stone he was 11 when he died and his son died the same year at the age of 12.
5. Lakeview Cemetery: The Cleveland, Ohio cemetery is for Tiffany-lovers. It is home to the Wade Memorial

Chapel and boasts of one of the few interiors in the world that was entirely designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany and his studio. The chapel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

6. Forest Lawn Cemetery: Architecture lovers will enjoy Buffalo’s Forest Lawn Cemetery. It claims to be one of the world’s finest outdoor museums with monuments, sculptures and mausoleums designed by great sculptors and architects including Frank Lloyd Wright’s Blue Sky Mausoleum and Tiffany stained glass. 
7. Woodlawn Cemetery: The Woodlawn Cemetery in Bronx, N.Y. was one the earliest garden cemeteries in the United States. The curving road through the rolling hills passes by hundreds of mausoleums, many designed by noted architects. Irving Berlin and Herman Melville are just a few of the famous people interred there. 
8. Hollywood Forever Cemetery: Starry-eyed travelers should visit Hollywood Forever Cemetery, the final resting place of many of Hollywood’s greats. It is on the National Register of Historic Sites. Visit and pay your respects to Rudolph Valentino, Cecil B. DeMille, and many more legends of the screen.
9. Lyndon B. Johnson National Historic Park: Some

cemeteries are under the auspices of a local government while others are military and a few are private family cemeteries such as the Johnson Family Cemetery which is now part of a national historic park. LBJ is buried in the same area where he was raised. 

10. Boothill Graveyard: Those interested in the Old West should head to Tombstone Arizona where about 250 people “died with their boots on.” Lester T. Moore who died in the 1880s has what is probably the most famous epitaph: “Here lies Lester Moore, four slugs from a 44, no Les no more.”

The Battle of New Orleans

The end of 2014 brings to a close two years of celebrating the

200th anniversary of the War of 1812. The war is called “The Second War for Independence” because after the American Revolution the British did not respect our independence; but it is also called “The Forgotten War” mainly because it only lasted two years and was fought mainly on the water. Many of the battles were fought on Lake Ontario and Lake Erie and even though the bicentennial is over visiting sites along the Great Lakes still makes a great way to learn and remember.  Fort Ontario in Oswego has War of 1812 events yearly and Sackets Harbor has a reenactment every summer. 

Unbeknownst to those in New Orleans the Treaty of Ghent had been signed on Christmas Eve 1814 ending the war so one of the war’s most decisive battles was fought after the war had ended. The Battle of New Orleans is considered the greatest American land victory during the War of 1812. It was fought in the town of Chalmette near New Orleans between December 23, 1814 and January 8, 1815, to protect New Orleans since British troops were intent on capturing the port. It is the battle in which U.S. Major General Andrew Jackson led a team of about 5,000 soldiers – regular

troops, state militiamen, volunteers, and even a band of pirates. Most of them had no official training and had never fought together. Jackson led them to victory against 7,000 British soldiers. In one two-hour period during the battle, more than 2,000 British soldiers were killed, wounded, captured or missing compared to a 71 American casualties (13 dead, 39 wounded, 19 missing).It was later made famous by Johnny Horton in the fun song “The Battle of New Orleans.” It tells of the determination of the Americans in the line “We fired our cannon ‘til the barrel melted down, so we grabbed an alligator an’ we fought another round.” After the war Andrew Jackson became an American hero whose popularity eventually led him to become the seventh president of the United States and landed his image on the $20 bill. Three other men who played roles in the War of 1812 also ended up at the White House – James Monroe John Quincy Adams and William Henry Harrison.

John and I have visited the battlefield but I would love to be there

between January 6 and 11, 2015 for their big Bicentennial Celebration. However, the story of the Battle of New Orleans is told year round at the Chalmette Battlefield. New Orleans is a popular destination but many miss this important part of American and Louisiana history. 

We learned interesting facts while visiting War of 1812 sites in NYS, Louisiana and elsewhere.  We Americans don’t make much of the fact that one aim of the war was to annex Canada but when visiting sites on the Canadian side of the St. Lawrence this is often mentioned. Two major events that took place during the war were the burning of the White House on August 24, 1814, during James Madison’s presidency, and the Battle of Baltimore a few weeks later, which inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner.” One of the most impressive presentations of the American Flag is at the end of the film at Fort McHenry when the curtain opens and there it is in all its glory. 

Learning about the War of 1812

The War of 1812 was fought on land and sea from Montreal to New Orleans and from the Atlantic Coast to the middle of the continent. Remember the War of 1812 with a visit to some of the significant sites many of which have scheduled events commemorating the War of 1812.

1. Detroit: On August 16, 1812 shortly after the US declared war on Canada and Britain, the British under Mayor General Brock with Native American allies under the Shawnee leader, Tecumseh were able to trick American Brigadier General William Hull into surrendering the fort and town of Detroit, Michigan.
2. Fort Niagara: On December 19, 1813, British forces invaded the United States and captured Fort Niagara without firing a shot. The British troops and their native allies then burned nearby Lewiston, NY in retaliation for the American burning of the Canadian village of Newark, Ontario, now known as Niagara on the Lake, ten days earlier.
3. Erie, Pa: In Erie the public dock is named for Daniel Dobbins, a merchant marine, who made the long trek to Washington, DC, where he informed the government that there was a desperate need of more naval power on Lake Erie which led to the creating of a base in Erie. Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry took command of the ship building effort at Erie aiding the American’s control of the Great Lakes.
4. Oswego, NY: In the Great Lake port city, an estimated 200 men and boys volunteered to transport an anchor rope needed in Sackets Harbor to make the “USS Superior,” a newly built frigate, battle ready. The rope was six inches in diameter, 600 feet long, and weighed about five tons. The H. Lee White Marine Museum recalls the event.
5. Sackets Harbor: Sackets Harbor was the center of American naval and military activity in the eastern part of Lake Ontario. Visit the Seaway Trail Visitor center to learn about the war along Lake Ontario. Storyboards are located along the Lake Ontario shore where major events happened.
6. Burning of Washington, DC: On August 24, 1814, the British force led by General Robert Ross occupied Washington and set fire to many public buildings including the White House and Capitol building. It was the last time a foreign power captured a US capital.
7. The Star Spangled Banner: On September 13, 1814, the British attacked Fort McHenry in Baltimore harbor. During the bombardment, Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the poem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which was later set to music and became the national anthem of the United States.
8. USS Constitution: Sitting in Boston Harbor, the Constitution earned the nickname “Old Ironsides” when she successfully defeated the HMS Guerriere. It was just one of her sea battle victories. The USS Constitution is the world’s oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat.
9. Canada: There are many sites along the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River where the battles for control of Canada occurred including York, now called Toronto, Niagara-on-the-Lake, and one of the bitterest battles at Lundy’s Lane, near Niagara Falls.
10. Battle of New Orleans: Treaty of Ghent signed in present-day Belgium formally ended the war on December 24, 1814 but one of the most famous battles occurred on January 8, 1815 under the command of Mayor General Andrew Jackson. The victory was later popularized in song by Johnny Horton.

When John and I were in Louisiana we made King Cakes which are served on the Festival of the Epiphany. The Epiphany, or "Little Christmas", is observed on January 6th in many Christian churches. Since the 300's, the day has honored the meeting of the three wise men with the infant Jesus. King Cakes became part of the celebration to symbolize the finding of the baby Jesus. Traditionally King Cakes are oval to symbolize the unity of all Christians. The Mardi Gras Season in Lake Charles begins on "Twelfth Night" (January 6th) and ends on Fat Tuesday, which is the day before the Lenten season begins. This year Fat Tuesday falls on February 21. Anytime during this period is the perfect time to enjoy King Cakes – they are delicious, colorful and fun.

While we were in Lake Charles, Louisiana, we visited the Mardi Gras Museum. I liked the fact that it is housed in a building that was once a school. I like it when buildings take on a new life. Today the building is the Central School Arts & Humanities Center. The Mardi Gras Museum is just one of the organizations housed in the building. The museum claims to have the largest collection of Mardi Gras costumes on display – they are fantastic. Besides the amazing costumes they have animated mannequins that tell the story of Mardi Gras and talking Mardi Gras chickens that are trying to escape being cooked up in a gumbo pot. There are various rooms set up that tell the story of baking King Cakes as well as costume making. Visitors can also climb aboard a Mardi Gras float, hear the cheering crowds and pretend that they are actually in a parade.

After touring the museum we joined a group to make – well decorate – King Cakes. The Delicious Donut & Bakery had everything ready. We inserted a little plastic baby in the cake and frosted the cakes with carnival colors: green, yellow, and purple. We added beads, a coin, and a mask in the tradition of the carnival. After a King Cake is cut and served, the guest whose slice contains the "baby" which we had hidden in the cake is then obligated to bring a King Cake to the next celebration. Our problem was how to get the cake home in our luggage! Then John had a great idea, “Since we will not be home for Fat Tuesday lets send the cakes to our family so they can enjoy them.” And we did. It seems that Delicious Donut & Bakery is well known and ships King Cakes to anyplace in the United States.

The Mardi Gras in Lake Charles which includes many events over many days is touted as being “family-friendly.” We were told, “You don’t have to “show” anything to get beads!” We have heard that Mardi Gras in New Orleans is much less family friendly but we have never been there for the party. However, we did attend Carnival in Rio de Janeiro a couple years ago. We had heard some scary stories about how dangerous Rio was during Carnival time. We bought tickets to the Sambodromo, the only place to see the Samba Parade. It was extremely safe, with access to the Sambodromo and also our seating area by pre-issued cards similar to credit cards. There was security everywhere. It was an amazing nonstop 12 hours of music and parades.

The Creole Nature Trail in Southwest Louisiana.

When John and I were in Lake Charles we took the opportunity to explore the natural wonders of Southwest Louisiana. The Pintail Wildlife Drive is just part of The Creole Nature Trail, which is recognized as a National Scenic Byway by the Federal Highway Administration's America 's Byways program in 1996. And, in 2002, it was upgraded to an All-American Road. Our first stop was at the Visitor’s Center at the Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge. They have exhibits explaining the unique aspects of the area. One display showed the largest alligator caught in the area – 19 feet and two inches and a whopping 1000 pounds. Amazing. Recently a resident shot a gator that ambling up on his lawn. It officially measured 13 feet and 5 inches and weighed around 700 pounds. There is a hunting season on alligators. The skin and meat are saleable items. During the gator discussion my desire to see an alligator in the wild disappeared. I’ll settle for an occasional skunk or raccoon in my yard. The Visitor Center had a great animatronic called “Tante Marie,” an old Cajun lady. In the diorama she poled out in her pirogue and talked about life in the bayou. Animatronics are talking statues that add an interesting aspect to museum visits.

Nearby is the Pintail Wildlife drive, a three-mile driving loop through moist soil wetlands, which have been manipulated by the US Fish & Wildlife Service to provide a feeding and resting habitat for wintering waterfowl. It is on a flyway so there are a variety of birds year round. A new handicap accessible walking boardwalk trail opened in 2010. Technology has made nature trails more informative. An audio tour of the Creole Nature Trail All American Road is an excellent way to make the most of a visit. These downloadable tours are divided into trail segments so visitors can use as many or as few as they wish. Once downloaded, they can be loaded onto a mp3 player or burned to a CD. Either way visitors will have a host of information at their fingertips. We walked the boardwalk and then drove around the adjacent driving loop. We didn’t see any alligators, phew, but they say alligators outnumber people 10 to one! We saw plenty of birds as the area is on a flyway. We saw herons and a couple varieties of ducks.The Creole Nature Trail has 180 miles of bayous, marshlands and beaches. There just wasn’t time to see it all so we headed to Shell Beach. The Trail has 26 miles of beaches. Shell beach seemed to go on forever and basically deserted except for a family fishing. Luckily I had picked up a guide to shells at the Visitor Center and enjoyed looking for the various shells along the “trash line.” The trash line is where the waves hit the shore and leaves “treasures.” It was the best shell-picking beach we have been to. We could see oil rigs out in the Gulf of Mexico but the beach and water were pristine.
We based ourselves in Lake Charles at the L’Auberge Casino Resort where there was plenty to do every evening. During the day there were museums, historical drives, and plenty of other things to do. There were things we didn’t get to do: fishing, boating, and golfing – next time. For more information check on visitlakecharles.org

Visiting Lake Charles' Imperial Calcasieu Museum

The Sallier Oak is majestic and one of the oldest and largest trees in Louisiana. It is estimated to be about 400 years old, which means it has witnessed much of the area’s history. It is a live oak, which does not grow in northern climes. The tree’s impressive limbs stretch out with some resting on the ground for support. The tree is covered with a topcoat of Resurrection Fern. The fern, which does not damage the tree, uses the oak as a host and springs to life after a little rainfall.

The Sallier Oak is located behind the Imperial Calcasieu Museum that was the home of Charles Anselm Sallier, the namesake founder of the city. The tree is a testament to the desire to survive. After the Hurricane of 1918, the tree began to split down the middle and was chained back together with heavy iron chains. These have now grown into the tree and can still be seen hanging out of the bark of the tree. The north side of the tree was damaged by lightning in the 1930’s and caught fire. Many of the branches on the north side were lost which gave the oak the leaning appearance it has today but the tree still survives and is given tender loving care to make sure it continues to survive.

One of the things that make museums so wonderful is that there is always something of interest to everyone. John was most interested in the Sallier Oak while I always enjoy the displays and artifacts from an earlier time. They had an Edison “talking machine” which still works. While we were there a Chinese-American visitor was excited to see memorabilia from General Claire Lee Chennault, an American World War II member of the U.S. Army Air Corps and once a resident of Lake Charles. John and I had never heard of Chennault but the other visitor knew all about Chennault and mentioned, “Chennault is famous in China. All the school children know who he is because he commanded the “Flying Tigers.” The Flying Tigers were a volunteer group that helped to defend China from Japanese invasion.

John and I always enjoy driving around historic neighborhoods looking at houses. The Charpentier District, on the National Register of Historic Places, covers 40 blocks with hundreds of turn-of-the-century buildings of mixed styles. Even though each building has its own unique charm from wrap-around porches to gambles to towers to gingerbread there is one distinct Lake Charles feature – the Lake Charles Column. It is unique in that the paneled, slightly tapered square column developed in Lake Charles around 1905 and can be found on a variety of buildings. The Margaret Place section of the historic district has a wonderful collection of Victorian architecture from the 1800s. A family who must have been preparing for a Halloween celebration came out on their porch to wave to us – true Southern Hospitality.

During the 1800s, experienced lumbermen known locally as "Michigan Men" arrived in Lake Charles. They introduced the Victorian architectural style popular in America at the time. However, the 1911 City Hall is Spanish Baroque. The architecture of the area is an eclectic mix; or, as they say “making gumbo out of anything including architecture.” Visitors can take a walking or driving tour of the historic district, or enjoy a carriage ride. Carriage rides leave from the newly completed Lakefront Promenade. For more information check Visitlakecharles.org.

Eatin' Boudin in Lake Charles

Recently John and I were in Lake Charles, Louisiana and went on the Boudin Trail. No kidding! Boudin is so popular that they have created a trail that leads from one boudin maker to another. Each boudin maker uses their secret family recipe but generally boudin is made with meat and rice. It is considered the signature dish of Southwest Louisiana enjoyed as a meal and is great at snack time. Boudin comes from the French Cajuns who settled in Louisiana after being driven out of Nova Scotia by the British in the 1700s. Years ago Cajun families would get together to slaughter a hog, an event known as a boucherie. They used everything from the “rooter to the tooter.” Nothing was left to waste so boudin was made of the leftover parts of the hog.

Today boudin is usually made with ground pork, liver, rice, parsley, onions, salt, black pepper, red pepper, and other seasonings. The sausage can be steamed or smoked. Some even create their own special boudin by using shrimp, crawfish and alligator. There is even organic and vegetarian boudin.

Our first stop was B&O Kitchen in Sulfur where the fourth generation was at work learning the trade. It was quite obvious that the owner, Jeff Cortina, was proud of his product. His boudin was excellent, he shared that he did not use liver and uses only the highest quality ingredients. He makes about 200 lbs a day, which is amazing since his place resembles a mom-and-pop meat market. One thing John and I fell in love with was his cracklin’. Cracklin’ is another Cajun treat – a great snack – it a piece of deep-fried pork fat with a small amount of the skin attached. It is similar to bacon rinds but, oh, so much better. Jeff said, “Timing when boiling the cracklin’ in the oil is critical. There is a two-minute window between success and failure.

Our next stop was Hollier’s Cajun Kitchen also in Sulphur. They serve meals along with their meat products. Mike Hollier, one of the owners, said they make over 10,000 pounds a month. Hollier includes liver because that is the Cajun way but he uses only a little liver so as not to overpower the taste. “It’s a good way to get kids to eat liver,” he quipped. At one time they raised the hogs behind the store but the business has grown so they no longer have the time to tend to the hogs but they still know the source of their meat and use only the finest ingredients. He also makes crawfish boudin when they are in season. The Boudin Trail has 29 stops – that’s a lot of boudin sampling.

Southwest Louisiana is the place for good eatin’. One day we ate at Seafood Palace in Lake Charles known as the home of the best gumbo in the area. Gumbo is a thick soup that originated in the area at the same time boudin did. It can be made with meat or shellfish and the “holy trinity” of celery, bell peppers and onion along with special seasonings. We tried alligator for the first time. It didn’t taste like chicken! The flavor was quite delicate. It was very tasty but then again it was deep-fried which makes most things taste great! No doubt about it… the eatin’ was good when we were in Lake Charles.