Abita Springs Mari Gras Parade & The Bel Soggiorno

                                  February 2, 2013

                               

We were invited  to go to the Abita Springs Mardi Gras parade, with a couple Joe met playing Texas Hold'em at the resort. The little boy dressed in his police outfit made a good start for the parade.

This was Joe's and my first Mardi Gras parade.

Check out the bagpipe girl with what looks like Spanish moss from a Live Oak tree.

Abita Springs has only a population of 2,374, so the parade was fairly small .

The bee ladies all had very high bee hive hair do's.

This bee lady shook her bootie to the music!

Our campground had a decorated golf cart in the parade, It was suppose to look like a motor home. See the satellite dish on the roof.

Behind the motor home golf cart walked the camp fire and marsh mellow. The marsh mellow lady was Angie who was from the motor home that was next to our site. Angie and her husband are from Georgia and going to start full time RVing after they sell their home this spring. 

Not sure who the Uptown Abita Bone Gang are!

More of the Bone Gang.

Joe with all the Mardi Gras beads that he caught.

Marty, Gwen, and Joe .Gwen was the Mardi Gras bead winner.. Joe actually met Marty last year at Styx River Resort.  They were at Styx River Resort this year when we were there also. Marty and Gwen are originally from Michigan and Canada respectively. They now live in Kentucky during the summer months. Later that evening we went out to dinner with them also.

The next day Joe and I drove down the street behind the Post Office to see this unique home. The Bel Soggiorno was built by the Italian architect, Ron Blitch.  Bel Soggiorno means Good Rest!

Bel Soggiorno is located in the Bayous of Louisiana.

There are seven buildings on the property, with elevated walkways to each building.

This home was featured on HGTV and the inside can be seen at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOXr2EPMj5s   (You will have to copy and paste the web address in the address bar if you want to check it out. I couldn't seem to be able to link it to this blog).

When Hurricane Isaac hit, this home was surrounded by the Abita River. His whole yard was under water, and the house sat above the water, as the river rolled through. There is also a youtube video of  it online.

The home has 4 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms.

One of the buildings house's Ron's architect studio.

It is the most unusual home I have ever seen from outside.

View of  a couple of the buildings on the property with an unusual pavilion in the back yard.

Vatican pavilion in the back yard.

The strange looking things on the back deck hold the decking lights.

Marty and Gwen also invited us to the Church Of The King on Sunday morning. This church is a mega church located on Hwy 59 just north of I-12.

This is a picture of their new building that is going up and should be done in the near future. The church is a 19 million dollar project. I thought the services was good and I definitely would go back when we come back to Abita Springs RV Resort.

Most of the homes in Abita Springs are built on blocks.

Here are a few of the homes I got a picture of as Joe drove through the town.

In the middle of the Abita Springs town center are these pavilions.

This is the second floor of one of the pavilions.

The town has a very nice bike path if you have bikes.

We stopped at the town bakery but it was closed.

New Orleans is famous for catfish, shrimp, crayfish and King Cakes. I didn't get to try the King Cakes because the bakery was closed. Darn!

In a new neighborhood, we saw new homes designed after the New Orleans style.

We stopped at the Abita Springs brewery, but it was closed. also

The Art and Gift Gallery was closed too. Don't go out on Monday to see anything in Abita Springs because everything is closed!

The town market carried the Abita  Beer if you  are here when the brewery is closed and you want to buy it.

The store had Purple Haze, Golden, Mardi Gras Bock, Amber, Turbodog,  & Jockamo IPA. There are many other flavors according to the internet. I was looking forward for their root beer instead.

More Abita Springs homes as we drove back to our campground.

Joe came out $45.00 ahead after playing Texas Hold'em many nights at both Styx River and Abita Springs RV Resort after paying in his $5 entry fee.