Huntin' for Gators on the Geaux #1

Remember this amazing piece of art we discovered at the Cameron Prairie Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center? Well he's inspired us to start huntin' for Gators on the Geaux! Gators on the Geaux is a public art project in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and although many gators have been stolen and/or destroyed, there are still many hanging out in and around Lake Charles. 

So this guy will be our starting point, and we are going to hunt down as many as we can, keeping you updated along the way, of course! Wish us luck!

Do you know of any Gators on the Geaux? Comment or e-mail us their locations, so we can add them to our list!

Fearless Finds: Pint House Pizzaria

I get so excited when there are new restaurants in town, and if it’s a favorite of mine like pizza I just have to go! Pint House Pizzaria at 329 Broad Street in Lake Charles opened in July of 2014 and has such amazing pizza combinations, desserts, beers, and more!

Although we opted for a traditional pepperoni pizza because I’m super picky, Pint House Pizzaria offers pizzas like the Atomic Rooster and the Napalm Duck, the latter is made with ranch sauce, two types of cheeses and peppers, duck, and chipotle and srirache sauces! The pizzas are handmade and cooked in a brick oven which makes for an incredible crust that’s both crispy and soft at the same time. While you can of course purchase whole pizzas, they also offer a lunch buffet Monday through Friday from 11 to 1:30 so you can test out a few different pizza varieties. It’s only $8.99 for adults and $5.99 for kids twelve and under.

To wet your whistle, Pint House Pizzaria has a long list of craft beers and rotating kegs. A few with names we couldn’t forget were La-31 Biere Noir, Clown Shoes Tramp Stamp, and Monty Pythons Holy Grail Ale! For non-alcoholic beverages, they have handmade sodas in lots of flavors including Jamaican Cola, Cotton Candy, and Smores. Ice cream sodas, shakes, malts, and beer floats are also on the menu. 

(In case you’re wondering, we had water. Yes, we know we are boring, but next time we won’t be!)

Once you’re near full up on pizza and beer, you can top of your meal with fresh, homemade gelato or sorbetto! We had Vanilla Marscapone Chocolate Biscotti gelato, and wow it was so good!! My mom talked with the sweet worker who helped her, and she said she actually made the gelato! You can see her pictured with the gelato case. They’re constantly changing flavors, so you always have something new to try!

The environment is so cozy and warm, and all the staff was super friendly! Looking at their Facebook page, Pint House Pizzaria also hosts local artists on their stage on some Saturday nights. We’re definitely planning a trip back to try more flavors of the pizza and gelato and to experiment with some handmade sodas!

For more information on Pint House Pizzaria check out their website, pinthousepizzaria.com, where you can order online, like them on Facebook, or call 337-419-1931.

Fearless Finds: The Louisiana Market

After 25 years of business in the same location, The Louisiana Market at 2710 Hodges Street in Lake Charles, Louisiana, has become more than a familiar sight among the Cottage Shops; it’s a tradition. The current owner, Lisa Foreman, began working at The Louisiana Market three years ago with plans to buy it, and in July of 2014 that’s what she did. Her only employees are her family, and they show great dedication and support. Lisa was so warm and inviting, and it was obvious she loves what she does. Most of our visit was spent talking about and meeting her local artists (many to be seen on future blog posts!) and exploring the shop.

The Louisiana Market has anything and everything Louisiana! “What I try to do is to promote Southwest Louisiana,” Lisa explained as she showed us the wide variety of products, art, and décor she carries. She has cookbooks, dishware, and gourmet foods including Virgin Pecan Oil. You’ll find unique t-shirts and jewelry, most referencing Louisiana. They even make super cute gift baskets for any occasion. Most recently they filled miniature pirogues with goodies for a local Mardi Gras Krewe.

Lisa works closely with local artists selling their works and helping them reach a broader audience. She even connected one with the flag company she buys from, and now the artist’s designs are featured on flags! There are beautiful works all around the shop including watercolor, acrylic, and oil paintings, local pottery, and recycle art.

Specialty coffee is also available at The Louisiana Market. All the beans are roasted and flavored in Mooringsport, Louisiana, and they are sold by the pound, whole or ground. The flavors are so unique with names like Swamp Gold and King Cake. I actually bought a half pound bag of ground Café Beignet and love it! I can’t wait to go back and try another flavor.

We will definitely be regular customers now and know where to find unique gifts in the future. So whether you need a present for a native Cajun or want to share the Louisiana spirit with a faraway friend, pay a visit to The Louisiana Market to find exactly what you’re looking for!

For more information visit thelouisianamarket.com, like them on Facebook, or call 337-656-2908.

A day at the circus!

It’s a Louisiana snow day! Of course there isn’t any snow anywhere to be seen around us, but all the schools are closed and college classes cancelled! The only problem now is, what do you do with your kids on an unexpected day off during the week? Well we have the perfect adventure for y’all! The Lake Charles Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center is currently showing a FREE exhibit (most all their exhibits are free though) called “Step Right Up: Behind the Scenes of the Circus Big Top.” We loved it! There was no photography allowed inside the building, but we can share a few of our favorite tidbits of history we learned.

The exhibit is on the third floor of the Historic City Hall building located on 1001 Ryan Street across from the courthouse. There are so many colorful posters, many dating back to the late 1800s! There are also several interesting artifacts such as an old elephant headdress and authentic giant clown shoes! The exhibit takes you through the different parts of a circus from the high-flying trapeze artists to the amazing animal performers and their trainers.

Here are our top five favorite circus facts:

1. Large travelling American circuses often had a barbershop, doctor’s office, and schoolhouse to serve the workers and performers.
2. The iconic Ringmaster top hats were hardly ever worn. Instead they were used as an extension of the Ringmaster’s arm to direct the attention of on-lookers here and there.
3. The phrase “Hold your horses!” originated in the circus! Back when spectators arrived on horseback to watch the circus, the horses would sometimes be spooked by the elephants, so before they were brought out the crowd was told to “Hold your horses, here come the elephants.”
4. There are three basic types of clowns: Auguste, Grotesque, and White Face.
5. There was a circus worker called the Twenty-Four-Hour Man who would travel to a location a day ahead of the big top to hang posters and directional arrows leading people to the show.

Along with the amazing exhibits, there were fun activities for the kids to do! There is a booklet that asks interesting, thought-provoking questions about circus life and has areas for kids to draw their own “never-before-seen wonders.” Another activity offered is an art scavenger hunt. Eight thumbnail images are shown, and you must find the poster each was taken from and write down the title and year.

We really enjoyed this exhibit, and we know kids would, too! The exhibit will show through March 14^th, so the next time you have a day or just a few hours to spare, stop by the Lake Charles Historic City Hall to experience real big top life.

"Before I die..." Art in Lake Charles

Have you seen this amazing art installation in downtown Lake Charles?! 

I was so excited when we just happened to drive past it on one of our latest blog adventures, and I had to stop! The “Before I die…” project started in New Orleans when artist Candy Chang obtained permission to paint the wall of an abandoned house with the now iconic black and white interactive installation. Anyone passing by can add their own hopes and aspirations to the wall and see what others around them dream about. This has become a global project with walls in over 70 countries and in over 35 languages. Check out the website and find out about the “Before I die…” book at beforeidie.cc. Our wall is on the west side of 505 Bazaar at 314 Broad Street. We read several incredible bucket list items including hiking Kilimanjaro and going skydiving.

What do you want to do before you die?