Into Louisiana

I'm a little sad to be leaving Natchez and Missipi altogether. It's a short  drive and we cross the state line into Louisiana. First stop as usual is the Visitor Center. At home we can get information about neighbouring provinces but here all they can give you is a map.
We almost missed it because so often the signage doesn't give you much time to get the 'rig' off the road safely. But so glad we didn't. Sometimes you get asked "what do you need?" You end up with limited information. Other times like today we are asked " how can we help" and it was a wonderful first experience into Louisiana. The two ladies working there and also the other people stopping all contributed to the shopping bag of brochures, maps, and things to do that we left with. At one time 5 people were all talking to us at once telling us where we need to go, what we need to eat, what we need to drink....I was starting to twitch because I couldn't take it all in or write stuff down fast enough. One lady, maybe in her 70's, told me she had been to Calgary. She was a barrel racer and trick rider at the stampede in her younger days. She must have been pretty good to compete at that level. She gave me her email and phone number in case we got down to her area near Houma which is southwest of New Orleans in Cajun country.
We were told that if we stopped to ask for information or directions down there to not be surprised if we were dragged in and fed and watered. She also told us she still got gators in her yard!!! Yikes...
They all confirmed that to see the best of Louisiana we would have to eat and drink our way through the state and not to worry about the waistline til we got home. Must tries.....Pennsylvania Dutch egg nog which you buy at the liquor store cos it has a number of alcoholic ingredients in it, Sweet potato pie (made with egg nog also, not sure of alcohol content in this one), Jambalaya of course, beignets, funnel cakes, and Cajun sausage, baudin? to name just a few things.
To get a good idea of where we are and the people we have met today, I think if you watch the movie "Steel Magnolias " it would portray them wonderfully...friendly, smart, witty and sweet as 'Tupelo honey'.
Our parking destination for tonight is Cabelas in Gonzales on the outskirts of Baton Rouge where Bob is picking up two fly reels he ordered and I have an art supply package from Dick Blick waiting at the post office.
When we were in Arkansas everyone wore the red tshirts or sweatshirts of the Razorbacks. Today in Cabelas half the people had on purple and yellow, the colours of Louisiana State University's Tigers. It is a game day and they are playing Alabama, apparently a big rivalry with the neighbouring state. Right now College football is what it's all about.