Moving from New Orleans to Baton Rouge
Mardi Gras is now over for the year 2020 so it’s time to bid farewell to the 1.4 million visitors who participated in the parades, festivities and masquerade balls in “The City That Care Forgot” and travel 80 miles north to Baton Rouge, the capitol of Louisiana.
The name “Baton Rouge” itself is provocative. In French it literally means “red stick” and refers back to 1699 when French explorers spied a red cypress tree stripped of its bark that marked the boundary between Houma and Bayou tribal hunting grounds. They decided to call the tree “le baton rouge” or red stick.
This Red Stick sculpture on Scott’s Bluff (now a part of Southern University’s campus) pays homage to how the city of Baton Rouge got its name
Today, Baton Rouge is the second largest metropolitan city in Louisiana and has a population estimated at 230,000. However, the Greater Baton Rouge area has 825,000 people – which is considerably more. The city is located on the banks of the Mississippi River and has a number of historical landmarks.
One of the most stunning is the OLD STATE CAPITOL BUILDING which is known for its Gothic design and filled with political artifacts. Best of all, it is built on a bluff that offers great views of the Mississippi.
If you’re interested in how folks lived in days gone by then visit the MAGNOLIA MOUND PLANTATION that is not really a plantation, but a French Creole-style house built in 1791. You can follow this with a stop at the LSU RURAL LIFE MUSEUM that showcases the history of rural life in this city from the 18th century onwards.
THE TIGER IS VERY POPULAR IN THIS CITY
Mike the Tiger is the official mascot of the Louisiana State University (established in 1853 and home to 250 buildings on 650 acres). One of the things you can do in Baton Rouge is pay him a visit. For the past 83 years there have been seven Bengal tigers, all named “Mike” who have lived on the Louisiana State campus across from the Tiger Stadium.
Handsome Mike the Tiger at Louisiana State University
One viewer describes the tiger’s habitat this way, “It’s 15,000 sq. ft. of lush planting that includes a 20 ft. oak tree, a waterfall and a pool that allows an underwater view of Mike the Tiger swimming.” Apparently, the big cat gets excellent care and has many friends who visit him regularly. He’s not lonely.
This brings us to the LSU TIGER STADIUM that is also known as “Death Valley” because of the electrifying football games that are played there. Its claim to fame is this: Tiger Stadium is the ninth largest stadium in the world with a capacity of over 100,000 spectators.
WHAT YOU’LL FIND IN BATON ROUGE TODAY
The downtown area stretches along the picturesque banks of the majestic Mississippi River. This is where you’ll find restaurants, bars and even casinos. Which brings me to this: In 1991, Louisiana was the fourth state to approve riverboat casinos – all are required to remain dockside and all are open 24 hours. If you win a jackpot of $1,200 or more the Louisiana Department of Revenue will withhold 6% of your winnings. Like the casinos in Las Vegas there are no clocks on the gaming floor in order to ensure players lose track of time and play longer so the casinos can win more.
Hollywood Casino Baton Rouge
Here are a few quotes for visitors who gambled on riverboat casinos.
“Spent a few relaxing hours playing table games at the Hollywood casino. It is a modern casino built on what appears to be an old paddleboat moored on the Mississippi. Greatly enjoyed my time and even won a few bucks.”
“Easy access with ample parking. The boat was clean and had a great number of slot machines. There were also lots of table games and the restaurants were very nice. Would recommend visiting.”
“We thoroughly enjoyed our $15 buffet lunch. Good food and an amazing view of the Mississippi River.”
Shaun Nelson-Henrick