NSDCA International Camporee, Rayne, Louisiana 2009

NSDCA INTERNATIONAL CAMPOREE 2009
July 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 2009
More Information About the Host States

Lousiana

A Louisiana map can be found at the bottom of this webpage. click
The Gulf Coast region of Louisiana is referred to as Cajun Country. Try some Cajun food. Attend a festival. Play the slots at a Casino. Visit a historical landmark, an antebellum house, museum or art gallery. Explore the universe at a planetarium. Take a factory tour of the makers of Tabasco sauce. View wildlife. Bird watch. Walk through beautiful gardens. Fish for tarpon, redfish, speckled trout .... Camp. Hike. Bike. Swim in the Gulf of Mexico. Play on the beach. Build sand castles. Have a picnic. Go boating, kayaking, canoeing .... click
Video Clips Slide 12 – 44 brief clips of celebrities click
Or choose any of 5 longer celebrity video clips 2008 "My Louisiana" Tourism Advertising Campaign and Video from the Louisiana Cultural Economy Summit III (February 2, 2007), you may find there are more informational video clips to view click
Here are also some good maps of the area. For a Rayne area map, click
The Frog Festival, normally held on Labor Day weekend in Rayne, is being rescheduled on Nov 7, 8, 9, 2008.   If you click on the below link and scroll down to click on Photo Gallery, you can see some still shots to get some feel of what the festival might be like. click
This link contains very nice, sharp and clear photos of south Louisiana; ...mostly of the New Orleans area; plus maybe one or two of Baton Rouge click
Traffic Cameras in principle cities throughout Louisiana, as well as several categories of traveler information (such as weather links, traffic regulations etc) click
If you want to visit New Orleans, here is a pages you might want to see. click
Each year the town of Grand Isle, La. (refer to Page #7 of the rayne2009.9f.com Website's Informational Booklet) conducts a fishing rodeo on the last weekend of July.   They call it "The International Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo", and it's the oldest fishing rodeo in the U.S.
The 2009 Tarpon Rodeo is right after the 2009 Rayne Camporee. July is one of the best months to fish in Louisiana.
The Links below refer to the Grand Isle 2008 Rodeo. Tarpon Rodeo MAIN PAGE click
     Grand Isle MAIN PAGE PAGE click
   Louisiana FISHING Regulations (from La Wildlife & FISHERIES Agency) click
Non-Resident Fishing License Fee click
A link with some nice hunting photos click
Description of the blad cypress which are found growing in the swamp click
Do you want to learn more about alligators? click here for several videos
Randomly selected link of Swamp Tour [covered boat and airboat] click
Randomly selected Swamp Tour (closer to Rayne)    --- This link may be more suitable than the New Orleans linked swamp tours; but all offer good info click
If your travel plans take you to Baton Rouge, check out this website. click
You will find more tours listed here. click, click, click, click, click,
I've never given thought to the possibility of Gulf of Mexico offshore and deep sea fishing just out of Lake Charles, La. But while browsing links on our rayne2009.9f site, I picked up the idea that Lake Charles might be a departure point for fishing in the Gulf. Check it out because if Lake Charles does offer Gulf fishing, it will be the closest departure point from Rayne ...it's only about 50 miles from Rayne.
Though their rates are quite pricy, here is one fishing charter I found in the Lake Charles, La area. click
If your personal interests include fishing , you might find this link interesting and informative. Remember July is fishing season in our area click
A New Orleans website which may be of interest. click
Natchitoches, L A is a lovely town to visit; but it is some distance from Rayne. But it certainly is worth visiting enroute to or from Rayne while passing through Louisiana.
In our NSDCA Times Spring Edition, a brief article of the City of Natchitoches, La. appears on page 22.   VISIT click here for several video clips and more information
Natchitoches' web site home page is click
Natchitoches is the filming location of the movie "Steel Magnolias" and is also the first French settlement in Louisiana.   Though its population is certainly mixed with Cajun cousins, their daily living isn't centered on the commercial fishing and petroleum industries as those living in SW Louisiana (where Rayne is). Agriculture, commerce and recreational (sport fishing & hunting) is what keeps this area of the state going. I believe, if my memory of history serves me well, it is more than 310 years since Iberville claimed the mouth of the Mississippi River for France; and established an outpost to guard it somewhere along the river to protect France's claim. I'm not certain if the outpost was New Orleans or somewhere just south of Natchez, Ms. or Vicksburg, Ms.   Nonetheless, I think Louisiana has more history to offer than our original 13 colonies.
For anyone passing near Natchitoches, and has the time to visit, I highly recommend it.
Here are some more historic homes and places of interest. click
Click on the "HISTORY" and "PHOTOS" at the top of this page click here, Cafe DuMonde is a New Orleans tradition. If you're a New Orleans tourist, you can't return home without (among so many things) going to Cafe DuMonde. They, and only a few other establishments, serve Beignets [a French word meaning square donut   ...made of a dough that I relate to being something similar to a funnel cake. It's a traditional thing for all tourists to go there.    ....and no one wants to go home without taking in as much of New Orleans as one can take in.
Click on the words "PLAY VIDEO" to find out more about Café DuMonde click
Here's a fantastic museum to visit in New Orleans (all about the WWII). click
Several web pages telling of a New Orleans boat builder, Andrew Higgins, who built the boats that made the Normandy invasion. Higgins' Boats are featured at the WWII museum click, click, click, click, click
Another museum click
Avery Island click
And here is a link offering campers, who might be considering coming to Rayne and might want to visit New Orleans, the opportunity to ask specific questions of their concern or interest. click
Here is a list of Louisiana RV dumpsite locations.click
How about learning more about the legend’s of the area. A popular one is the Legend of Evangeline. It is a love story about two Canadians who got separated through deportation( exiled). click
A couple of Acadia Parish (County) [where Rayne is located] Points of Interest click, click
Everyone loves food. How about trying some food from Cajun Country! click
Here is another site about the food of the area, which you will enjoy. click
Differences between Cajun and Creole cooking are described on these webpages. click
This Link offers the opportunity for people to request recipes of specific interest click

For Cajun terms click here
Be patient with this website, it takes some time to load. More Cajun terms click here

If you enjoy music, you may want to learn more about music along the Mississippi River. Here are some pages for you to visit. click, click, click Typical of Louisiana music, here's a Sampling of different "Blues" styles on an Ocean Cruise -- Robert Mugge, organizer of the Blues Cruise, is formally of Kansas City -- this Video shows people having FUN ---Other video links are available for those who use Apple Computer software "Quicktime 6.3" click
Louisiana Hayride (old radio program of the past, similar to the Grand Ole Opry) now, being revived click
Lâche Pas La Patate   [Translation: Don't Drop the Potato (vernacular "Hang in There, kid") click
Different accordians are use in Cajun music This website shows one the accordions that Cajun musicians generally use - they also sometimes use the traditional accordion which I suppose is associated with Polka click
This one shows the accordion that Cajun musicians most generally use. click
Learn about Hunter Hayes Hunter Hayes, child prodigy video (with Boceaphus) --- click
Hunter Hayes click, click
The Ellen Show-child guitarist (another child prodigy) click
Battle of New Orleans Zydeco Music and Dancing Websites
Pandora Audio Website click
Youtube Websites click click
Zydeco Dance Instruction Websites click, click, click,
Dancing Two Step to Cajun music in New Orleans click
Learn to dance the Cajun waltz click
I wonder if our French Canadian camper \ dancers do as much dancing as our Louisiana Cajuns do; they just live to dance   ...and they eat to live to dance, too. Dance the Cajun Jig click
Louis Prima & Keely Smith - All Night Long 1956 click
New Orleans boogie click
The Best Things In Life Are Free — Tom Fischer click
Buckwheat Zydeco - Hey Good Lookin' click
Joy is a Cajun Accordion--The Music of Bruce Daigrepont.   Bruce Daigrepont is a very accomplished Cajun musician. click
SWINGBAND-YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE click
Dr. John - Such a Night. Dr. John, as he is called, does some great "FUNK" stuff click
How Come My Dog don’t bark when you come around — Dr John click
Dr. John - Goin' Back To New Orleans (Video) click
Dixieland Music click
Preservation Hall is a place where New Orleans musicians play New Orleans Dixieland Jazz in its original and purist form. Concerts are held and on any given night, the hall is filled to capacity with people eager to hear New Orleans jazz played by veteran musicians in their 70’s and 80’s and younger musicians learning and embracing music that is both sweet and very beautiful. Much to my displeasure, Dixieland Jazz has become popularized to fit the public's image of what the art form is   ....as seen in Hollywood's portrayal; and what Lawrence Welk has done to it to make it sellable; ...also what the candy striped jacketed and straw hat bands have done to the music on riverboat cruises. In my opinion, even though Pete Fountain and Al Hirt are tremendously talented musicians, the records they produce aren't anything but sellable music; which, from my purist viewpoint, borders on being garbage. I think the music they play stems from their stints with the Lawrence Welk Band. The Welk Band did, however, offer some Dixieland renditions that were exciting to listen to and watch on our TV screens. But for a purist, the Welk Band did absolutely nothing; it was just something to add enjoyment for the studio and TV audiences.This is why I think Hirt and Fountain have been influenced to veer away from pure Dixieland Jazz.
Under the "Hall" button (across the top), click on the "Interactive" button just below it. This is where the photos I've just discovered will load.
To offer example of "purist" Dixieland Jazz music, click on "MEDIA' and several video clips will appear. Of those video clips, three clips are randomly selected.
Enjoy: click PHJB playing with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
click       PHJB appearance on Saturday Night Live 1976
click
        PHJB performing on one of the Paddlewheelers -- this is a nice memory of the old timer musicians ~~~~ but unfortunately the video quality is poor [over 45 yrs old]