Last Friday it was a very cold and wet day in Southeastern Louisiana so I decided to take a casual stroll in downtown Baton Rouge. The late winter weather allowed me to take a very lonely, solitary walk, which was exactly what I was craving.
I began my adventure at the east end of North Blvd. I parked next to a rather charming old house that actually had a Revolutionary War canon in the front yard. I had recently read that the downtown area was once littered with such canons and that the city used them to keep people from driving up onto the sidewalks.
Directly across the street was the picturesque First Presbyterian Church and in-between was a lovely tree-lined green belt walking path. I ventured onto the path and began my walk westward toward the Mississippi River. Almost immediately I can upon the beautiful white house and property that once served as the original Louisiana Governor's Mansion. Further down the way I discovered a fascinating statue of Hebe (The Greek Goddess of Youth) across from the District Courthouse building. At this point the area transforms into an upscale dining and shopping district. The ultra modern Branch Library Building is something to behold, but it pales in comparison to the gothic castle-like Old Louisiana State Capitol Building next door. It is fitting that such a majestic and historical structure sits at the end of this pathway and the cherry on top is the old Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad Station (Illinois Central RR) that now houses the Louisiana Arts and Science Museum that sits on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River.
Overall it is a truly wonderful area to explore and soak in all the history that I highly recommend taking the time to visit if you ever find yourself in Baton Rouge.
Here are my photos:
Check Out:
No comments:
Post a Comment