Discovering Louisiana: Avery Island – Tabasco Factory and Jungle Gardens

With my goal of discovering more of Louisiana, we headed to Avery Island in late March to tour the Tabasco Factory and explore the Jungle Gardens. 

Avery Island was easy to find with signs that point in the right direction as you approach New Iberia.  It does cost $1.00 per vehicle to enter the Island.

We headed first to the Tabasco factory.  As soon as we got out of the car at the factory, we could smell the peppers/Tabasco sauce, yum!

Upon entering the Welcome Center, we registered our group for a tour and waited for the tour to start.  We had a little bit of a wait due to a wedding party that got squeezed in.  While waiting we took selfies in a full wall mirror (I won’t bore you with those photos) 🙂

The tour guide told us the history of Tabasco and how it goes from seed to the famous sauce.  They use salt from the salt mines on the island in the recipe – that’s so cool!  Then she moved us into a small theater to watch a video on Tabasco’s history.  After the video, we walked down a hall with a glass wall that had the factory beyond it.  Unfortunately, the factory only bottles Monday-Thursday, so it was quiet when we were there on a Saturday.

At the end of the hallway, is a small museum with some interactive exhibits, a model of the island, and a vat of smashed peppers turning.

After the tour, we walked over to the Country Store to sample a variety of Tabasco products including BBQ sauces, dips, Raspberry Chipotle Ice Cream and Jalapeno Ice Cream.  I have to say I LOVED the Jalapeno Ice Cream it reminded me of Pepper Jelly.  The store also offers a variety of Tabasco products and souvenirs for sale.  Everything from Christmas ornaments to t-shirts to toys.

Next, we had a quick lunch at their food truck (cash only).  All the food we had was really good!  We especially loved the Messy Mac (Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwich with a small kick).

After lunch we headed to the Jungle Gardens, with 5 miles of drive through trails and several short distance walking  trails.  Edward Avery “Ned” McIlhenny, son of Tabasco sauce inventor, converted the private Avery Island into Jungle Gardens in the 1920s by covering it with plants from around the world including Azaleas, Camellias and Bamboo.  In 1935, he opened the gardens up to the public.  The gardens cost $8.00 per adult and $5.00 per child.

Alligators

Our first stop was the alligators.  We saw several alligators, some in the water and some on land sunning themselves.  It was awesome to see alligators in the “wild”.  *Please use common sense and do not get too close to the alligators.

Old Boathouse

This is a great spot to take some photos of your family.  The white wash background of the boathouse is awesome or if you turn the oak trees with Spanish moss hanging is absolutely beautiful.

Buddha’s Temple

This 900 year old Buddha was a gift to Ned McIlhenny in 1936 from two friends.  After receiving the gift, Ned designed an Asian-influenced garden for the statue, including an arched stone bridge, a pool and 7 “hills of knowledge” covered with azaleas, camellias and bamboo.

This area was so spectacular; I could have stayed here all day.  The arched bridge with the temple in the background is stunning.  The Buddha is magnificent sitting high above the pool.

I was however a little disappointed that we could not see the Buddha better.  He is locked in the temple and you have to look through the glass.

Wisteria

The wisteria arch was on the downward slope from it’s peak, however it is still beautiful.  

Bird City: Egrets

The Egrets nest on the island in the spring on pier-like structures out in the pond.  The birds were originally brought to the island by Ned McIlhenny in the 1890s.  After hunters killed the birds by the thousands for their feathers, Ned gathered up eight young Egrets and raised them on the island then he released them during the fall.  The following spring the birds returned and the migration has continued since.

There is an observation tower that allows for a great view of the egrets.  It was so peaceful watching the birds fly and land.  My father has visited in late April and said there was a lot more Egrets at that time of the year.

Sunken Gardens and Camellias

This sunken gardens was interesting with stone steps that lead you down into it.  When you reach the top of the second set of stairs there are many camellia bushes/trees.  Unfortunately, the camellias were coming to an end of their season, however they were in a variety of different colors.

For more information about the Tabasco factory, please visit their website here.

For more information about the Jungle Gardens, please visit their website here.

For more posts in my series about Discovering Louisiana click here.