Reader, Take the Wheel!

Two years ago, I reclined in the comfort of my room at the Renaissance Hotel, pondering the new city I was about to call home.

"It's HOT there," people warned. I was keeping cool in the suite, engulfed in the Cuisine issue of a fascinating coffee table magazine I picked up in the lobby. Hot? I prefer warm. Inside the cover of that magazine was a whole new world of flavors and friends. Classes at Red Stick Spice?! Sign me up! I called Anne Milneck and inquired about teaching in her demo kitchen. She said yes and sweetened the pot with a "come check out a class on me." Rather than take a seat in an open row, I chose one right next to my now-friend Karen. We talked like old friends before the class started and our dialog continues with frequent lunch dates. Anne keeps the welcome mat out for me in that cozy kitchen space. Biscuits and Scones, Soups & Soufflés are my favorites to teach and I'll be branching out with more this fall. 

I made two new friends that day I explored the world of Red Stick Spice, and so on and so on. Relocating is tricky. Country Roads made the transition a breeze. It's warm here and I love it!

—April Hamilton

Memories. That's what each month’s edition brings to mind.

As the youngest of 3 children, we spent many weekends traveling the back roads of Louisiana. My mother was from North Louisiana, and my father was from South Louisiana. Trips to see my mother’s parents were always the same route taken with few changes to our trip. We may stop for fresh produce or a treat for them that they could not get in the same community in which they lived. But traveling to South Louisiana meant that each trip would be an adventure. My father was always looking for new routes in order for us kids to learn and see something new and different. I have read your magazine for many years, eagerly awaiting each new issue to see if one of our many adventures is in the next issue. Both of my parents are now gone, but the memories are brought back when some off the beaten path story brings them back. Thank you for reminding me that even the simplest of adventures can make lifelong memories. Congratulations to 35 years of making memories!

—Suzanne Guido

I want to thank you so much for the article in the December 2017 Country Roads about the painted churches of Texas.

In 50 years of going back and forth to Austin, I had never even heard about these churches. And I realized that the 4 churches described near Schulenburg were not far from Bastrop where one of my sisters lives. We did this little tour on April 5th and the timing of this trip coincided with all of the wildflowers being in bloom throughout the countryside. These churches were just amazing--I didn't want to leave them for fear of missing out on seeing something --there was that much to look out. This article led to a truly unforgettable day in the countryside of Texas.

—Gail Kuttruff

The Pontchartrain Basin Boat Museum’s wooden boat show in Madisonville, La.

As the long-time proud owner of a 1956 Cruiser 16’ wooden outboard The “SoniaB,” I was pleased to find a group of like minded people in Louisiana. The “SoniaB” was never the fastest boat on on any lake, but she didn’t have to be, as everyone slowed down to look at her and take pictures. She sported a clinker-built hull with mahogany deck & wind screen frame. She even had a Navy top (Bimini) with rope fenders. Our grandchildren loved her as she pulled them around on tubes in the bays of Kentucky Lake. All wooden boats are like fine furniture and require quite a bit of maintenance, and as I aged, SoniaB kept insisting that I find her a younger man to care for her in the style that she was accustomed.

She insisted I bring all her factory inspection slips, sales invoices, and brochures. After all, pedigree is important in the South.

So it was with this intention that I took her to the Bayou Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society show in 2016. Of course, she wanted to look her best and even at 60, she could still make young men swoon, and she was all original, never requiring any refurbishing. She insisted I bring all her factory inspection slips, sales invoices, and brochures. After all, pedigree is important in the South. On arrival, she was certainly intimidated by the large concourse, all-mahogany inboard speedboat queens that only left storage for such shows, and even at her best she felt a little dowdy next to them. But, the judges keep coming by many times to look at her more closely, asking many questions and examining her papers. So many people stopped by to tell her about the boats like her, that their fathers owned and took them out on the lake as children. All were deeply impressed how well she looked for her age. Needless to say she was stunned to be awarded the Most Original Boat silver plate, which she immediately pranced in front of the queens with. This led to discussions with the museum, who wished to add the SoniaB to their collection. As much fun as she had frolicking on the water with the children, the prospect of being coddled in her golden years appealed to SoniaB very much. She retired there in the fall of 2017.

—Ernest Ayo

My story would be of the love and memories receiving Country Roads brings me each month.

I was born in Baton Rouge, graduated LSU, lived in Lafayette four years, and come home twice a year or so. I have family and friends in the area. But most of my life after college has been in Kansas, Florida, Texas, and Maryland. I can't enjoy most of the places in the magazine, but just looking at the pictures and reading the articles helps my home sickness!

—Kathleen Senyard

As a Girl Scout leader, I was amazed at how little my Cadettes knew about Acadiana and how rich the history of the area is.

I knew I needed to expose them to this special area, so I started with Country Roads, and we planned a trip around so many places I learned about through the magazine. So 15 girls and chaperones headed out from Terrytown on the West Bank of New Orleans and headed west to start at Vermillionville. We crossed the Atchafalaya and they learned about the uniqueness of Louisiana's rivers, swamps, and basin. Vermillionville demonstrated the typical day in the Acadian life of the past. We drove south to Loreauville and stayed at Lake Fausse Pointe State Park. Eight miles of levee road: the girls thought it would never end but I knew we were headed to paradise.

...on our last day we went to St. Martinville and read the last few pages of the poem by the Evangeline statue.

Each day we went out to discover some aspect of Acadiana. One day it was the Konriko Rice plant, another day it was the Rip Van Winkle plantation home and gardens, one day it was Avery Island, and one day it was an airboat ride deep in the Atchafalaya. Each night we read from Longfellow's Evangeline, and on our last day we went to St. Martinville and read the last few pages of the poem by the Evangeline statue. The girls were genuinely amazed and put the whole week's adventures in perspective and understood the story of the Acadians and so much of Louisiana's history. I know they had a new love for Louisiana and her rich history, its natural resources, and special people. I still take family and friends to many of these places today when they visit Louisiana, and I always pull out my Country Roads to see what's going on this month.

—Barbara Auten

Favorite Country Roads memory? Without question, the recent dinner at Saint Mary’s Church in Saint Francisville.

I took gorgeous photos and soaked in the peaceful scenery, the music, the history, the natural table bouquets, the food and the company. One of my favorite events of all time.

—Marian Margetson

All of the events across the state.

I love having one great source of information.

—Sue Galliano

My wife and I travel.

Crisscrossing the country, we tend to keep pretty much to the South and Southwest. We stay off the interstates. A big highway for us would be Route 90 across Louisiana. Our home on wheels is a slide in truck camper. No GPS; with the aid of a magnifying glass and well-worn atlas, my wife keeps us moving to our destination, usually food! Boudin, catfish, pulled pork, brisket, hushpuppies, shrimp; the list is endless. Last year we discovered turtle sauce at Suire’s in Kaplan thanks to an article in Country Roads. I also am interested in all the music venues. I was a classic country music and bluegrass D.J. for 17 years. Both genres allowed me to mix in some Cajun and Zydeco! The name of the show was “Root Soup.” Food and music.

We’ll soon be back home on Cape Cod finishing up another five-month sojourn of the South, faithfully reading Country Roads on the computer and dreaming of getting back on the wonderful country roads of the South next fall.

I first discovered Country Roads in a pile of magazines at a free book exchange at a campground in Alabama. 

It isn’t practical for us to subscribe to the print edition because our mail delivery is so sporadic, but the electronic one fits us nicely.

We’ll soon be back home on Cape Cod finishing up another five-month sojourn of the South, faithfully reading Country Roads on the computer and dreaming of getting back on the wonderful country roads of the South next fall.

Thank you for a great magazine.

P.S. if you’re interested in the age of one of your huge fans, I’ll be 80 years old June 25^th. We began these trips in 2001.

—Frank Foley

Back to our 35th anniversary feature.