RURAL LOUISIANA: The CRAZY Things I Saw
2022 ж. 17 Қаз.
1 971 533 Рет қаралды
I took a drive through nearly forgotten central Louisiana. I visited these fading small towns:
Glenmora
Oakdale
Oberlin
Mamou
Ville Platte
Bunkie
Marksville
Travel Vlog 156
Growing up in a trailer park my mom once told me "just because we are poor doesn't mean we have to live like pigs ". My mom always kept the place clean.
Same here man. I grew up just like that in Louisiana
We call that class...
Amen! That and illiterate/ uneducated/ ignorant. My mom was a widow. She raised 5 boys on her own but the house was always clean, we had no tv. But the house was loaded with books and encyclopedias. So we read all manner of Classical literature
moms are best what we do without
@@jamesrosado2929 the best mom ❤
I was raised in Louisiana, and until I was 7 yo, I lived in an alley. An alley was the poorest of the poor. My mother was wonderful and raised us to have manners and pride. She was legally blind and worked in a bar to support us, 4 children. She taught us the Golden Rule - Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do To you. Mamma, thank you for loving us and taking care of us. We were street kids, but we turned out fine. RIP my dear Momma. Rose Mary
Thank you for sharing your life .what you said is so beautiful to me what kinda folks your mom and you kids are. Bless your Mother what a wonderful strong woman !! I am thankful for stories shared like yours ! I would love to be your friend 😊
🥲♥️
May your precious mama rest in God’s mighty love & peace.❤🙏
Sahak City
I am from Louisiana and I love it. We care about our neighbors, and if you are hungry, we will feed you. We like seafood gumbo and homemade pies. We like boiled crawfish and fried catfish. We are Cajuns, Spanish, creoles, and black Americans. We get along just fine. I grew up in a 3-room house, with 1 sister and 3 brothers. My daddy was a WW2 veteran and my mother a baker. My daddy taught us how to hunt and fish. Yes, I got my first BB gun at 6 years old. I learned how to shoot a shotgun at 10. We had a simple life but it was a great life. We ate wild game and I loved it. I had a great childhood living free. Those were the good old days. We didn't care what our house looked like, but my mother kept it spotless. My dad taught us a lot and I miss them so much. I love Louisiana!!
Capitalize the “C” in “Creoles” and “B” in “Black” and don’t list us last. I don’t know if Louisiana having the highest incarceration per capita rates with most of them being Black Americans quite qualifies as “all getting along well”.
How would you know? You probably live in Chicago!!!@@rhodabaruch4
I agree 1000% with you!! We had no worries back then. Always ran around in our bare feet drinking out of the hose pipe on them hot days after playing & getting so sweaty. I miss those days! I wish I could go back!! The world was a much better place than it is now!!!
Must have been a nice peaceful city to live in, too bad those old days won't come back, now times have changed too much.. good neighbors, ..
Sounds like a great childhood.
I would love for you to interview people every now and then just to get a real feeling of what it's like to live in these towns
Amen...then you begin to get a real feel for the town. Towns are made up of a lot more than just buildings. It's made up of people and their lives.
All like ghost towns, not one person seen out and about other than driving?
@@bextar6365 He probably was driving around in the middle of the day during the week. I bet he would get more people on the weekends.
I don't doubt that he interacts with the locals. Interviewing and filming conversations is another ballgame that could invite legal troubles without a waiver.
The problem is, there are never, ever any people out on the street in these vids.
I was young, dumb and broke and wound up in Lafayette, La. with a desire to work hard, get up before the sun and go down sometime after it sets. The Cajun people made sure I never went hungry or had to sleep out in the cold. After 6 years went by I was driving a fairly new Cadillac, living in a nice house along the coolie and was a superintendent for an oilfield service company. All in Breaux Bridge just outside of town. All bc they were good people and were willing to help their fellow brother.
My only experience with that part of the woods was when I first started out diving. We stayed at Pat's Fisherman's Warf in Henderson LA for 8 months while we did some dive work in the area. The food was amazing, the people were friendly, and there was never a dull moment.
xrp crypto
Awesome story, man. Touched my heart with that one!
aw yes, breaux bridge, acid bath played there!
Lafayette, La some of the best food in the lower 48 is served there.
Rural Louisiana is a place where if your down on your luck,you can live in a house trailer or shante with out being embarrassed and that’s a lot better than living on the streets in some big city.
exactly and no one should be embarrassed
I live in Atlanta and you are so right. Seeing entire families with infants sleeping in parks is heartbreaking
Some houses in Northeastern Texas look like the chicken coops.
Snoop Dogg’s father’s last name is Varnado! I read that many California Blacks had Louisiana roots. And there’s a town there of that name!
You got that right 👍
Working in New York and living in New Jersey makes me appreciate how quiet and empty some other parts of this country can be.
Well I tell ya what Louisiana has empty places lol it's a nice quiet place until your car is stolen and your cat is knocked up
Dude I grew up in Jersey. Went to Rutgers... I now live here in Bossier City Louisiana. The place is complete garbage. I truly miss NJ. But that may just be me
@@russm4677 how did you end up there? I fantasize about Louisiana sometimes. I live in New York and am working on moving south.
Same here, I’m in Cranford NJ!
I know my feelings about Louisiana from my experience and I’m 63, my dad’s family were Cajun French and my mom’s family were Cajun French but my dad and his brothers and sisters spoke French but they used the language to talk over us as kids! I’m still upset with that today because we as they coming up youth back then were cheated out of our chance to learn the language and carry on the tradition! I still talk to my mom about it even today! I never had a chance to teach my daughter and for her to teach her kids! I believe that’s what you’re looking at with these small towns my friend, the tradition is gone and lost and nobody has the respect like the old people did! I love Cajun music and the language even though I can’t understand all of it or speak it! But I remember when the old people took care of these towns and they were beautiful, that’s the only thing that the old generation did was to keep the cities clean and hospitable! Thanks for sharing and my dad’s family is from Lafayette! Just my opinion!
I feel the same way . Hurts my heart to see all that culture fading . I try hard to keep it alive in my family.
Mamou is known for it's Mardi Gras celebration. The ride around on horses and collect chickens and other stuff to make gumbo. My Aunt married a Guidry and lived in Crowley; I loved going to visit her as a kid. Her husband was creole and loved hearing his french and his accent on english. He was a good man, they both were good people and I miss them.
Grand Mamau is a famous song
Interesting. My family is from Crowley.
Beautiful story. Thanks for sharing it.
My family is from ville platte.
That’s awesome that French language still survives in Louisiana. I hope it never dies out completely. That would be tragic.
Most abandoned mobile homes are the aftermath of hurricanes. A lot of these rural towns that are depopulating were thriving before the interstate system was put in. Oil and gas industry is at a downturn due to various reasons causing some relocation. The Acadian region you are exploring is very strong in culture and heritage. Some of the best folks you'll ever meet.
Was hoping you would go into Trees and show the place and the people. I luv smoked meats btw. Carry on. Come to my town give you a tour.
Fred's I meant
Said what I was thinking... hurricane Laura and others moved alot of folks out
The vibe here is unreal. The elevated houses, the sun, the grass, the swamp. I can hear the accordion and the banjo playing in my head just by watching.
One thing you need to take in account when you're down in Louisiana is when you see something like that trailer being taken over by nature that's only about a month or two of growth in the summer. I giggled when you said it's been abandoned for a very long time. 😆
I also love it when people from out of town roll through and figure they know the whole story already.
Mane the grass and plants be growing crazy for reason
If a person likes to learn history about the U.S. this is a good place to learn it. Especially the comments from the locals. Thanks for your videos and the comments from all the ppl. Very educational and interesting.
Some of his “guesses” are off the chain. Not all of us hire lawn services. Some people couldn’t care less what their yard looks like. Chances are he lives in a HOA. 🤣
Can you imagine what the old houses would tell if they could talk ? I love old and small places. Thank you for sharing the area and small towns with us !!
Thank you! And I totally agree. :)
During the '70s and '80s, I traveled through many of those towns as a portrait photographer. There was a large percentage of the people there who had never traveled more than 30 miles away from their hometown. It was also a very different way of life.
I learn so much from the comments. Thanks to all the people who give history and personal experiences, so we can better understand the places.
I remember in HS in the 1960s going to the theater downtown on a Saturday night with a beautiful girl at your side. It was a rush posturing your arm closer and closer to her shoulder until contact was made and she remained in place as we watched "The Great Escape." All three theaters closed their doors in my home town to be open no more to those teenage transforming years. It's a damn shame, gone forever.
Was in the Air Force with a guy from Lafayette. Told me every time he drove his van to New Orleans, he would get pulled over and searched for drugs. He went to a sporting goods store and got two big stickers. One of a fish and one of a deer. Put them on his van and never got stopped again.
Busted, down on Bourbon Street. Set up, like bowling pin. Knocked down, It gets to wearing thin. They just won't let you be... 🎶
Ok..
@@mrjon75 Great Dead reference. "Truckin" good song.
@@ronaldwalton6066 I knew at least a couple folks would get it :)
@@mrjon75 what in the world ever happened to sweet Jane?
Glenmora La isn’t perfect but the people who live there are warm friendly and inclusive, for the most part. I grew up there and graduated from high school there. I have a wide range of memories of my home town, G-Town. ❤
What exactly do you mean when you say "inclusive"? Please define that.
I grew up in Glenmora and have family still there. Great place to raise a family.
My dad was born in Mamou (pronounced like mah moo). Used to spend my summers with my grandparents there. So many great memories. My grandfather played accordion at Fred’s and Fred and Sue were like family to me. I’d spend my days walking from one end of town to the other catching crawfish and frogs in the ditches. Everyone knew who I was and really everyone was like family. If I got thirsty or hot, just about anyone would offer me some tea or lemonade. My dad’s side of the family are buried in that cemetery. One section is Protestant and the other is catholic. My grandfather was actually featured in a Life or Time magazine (can’t remember which). You can find old videos of him playing accordion at Fred’s on KZhead. My grandmother barely spoke English. French was her native tongue as was the case of most born in that area.
Fred’s was the place to ‘pass a good time’✌️
omg! Are you family of Charles Duplichienne?
@@leilasutton8233 I don’t think there’s any relation, but my dad was friends with some of them and actually some of them later ended up growing up around where I grew up and I went to school with them (Deidre and I forget the other kids names)
Awesome, rich, history. I love it ❤️
During Mardi Gras the Main Street is blocked off and the intersection by Fred’s Lounge is set up with a bandstand and there’s music and food on the streets! You should make a trip and video during Mardi Gras and really meet some crazy fun people and try the Cajun barbecue and gumbo, it’s awesome and exciting! I’m from Lake Charles and a bunch of friends, all get together and ride our Harley’s there for the fun, music and food! Thanks for sharing the video , brings back memories of the last time I was there and it’s been a while! Thanks
How I miss the flatness, small houses, old gas stations, and vegetation along the Gulf Coast. I grew up in a small, Southern town and am sad to see that so many small towns are disappearing all over the country. Thank you very much for your documentation.
Thank you for the kind words, Trixie!
@@JoeandNicsRoadTrip you are more than welcome.
Very sad to see this fading town, Hard to believe when there is so much homeless in the USA.
@@normanlee4025 Cost of Living is too high.
@@Surfer041cost of living in rural towns is not high. There’s just no opportunity anymore for people to make a decent living.
Nothing new here when you were brought up in rural America. That's especially true in the South. I grew up in a town with a population of just under 800 back in the 50's and 60's (and I think they counted the dogs and cats to get that number). The last time I visited that town was 2 yrs. ago and about half of the buildings on main street were demolished (the rubble was still there). Some of the old houses were still there, but the majority of them were either remodeled to the point you couldn't recognize them, or replaced with newer houses (or just gone completely). At 73 yrs. old now, I could not find anyone I knew from the years gone by. I always thought I would someday return "home", but after that visit, I realized there was no "home" to return to. None of my few remaining relatives are still living, and none of the friends I once had there are living or still live in that area.
☹️
you got that right, they will erase a lot of places and more to come, THEY, Meaning rothschild.
My dad is 73. Your comment made me chuckle and sad at the same time. I swear your last statement is a quote from a movie I’ve seen. That you thought you would return home but there was no home to return to. I’m glad everyone thinks this way. That regardless of where you end up, nothing will ever feel as “home” as there place you grew up in and the memories of loved ones are.
Yeah, I'm 66 and I know that feeling. Old acquaintances and places are now ghosts of the past.
Ditto.
I imagine a lot of residents didn't come back after Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma hit in 2005. I was a volunteer that went out there to help and met some of locals. Many people lost EVERYTHING they had, including their lives. A lot of buildings became plagued with deadly mold and infested with termites and some didn't have insurance. It was horrible and the few people that came back to see how their homes withstood the hurricane, were leaving again permanently. It was very heart wrenching. . Be thankful for what you have, as it could be gone tomorrow.
Also, after you showed the front of a building, that didn't have a main building. I saw a huge store (a big name construction store) that was moved off its foundation, I believe I saw it on the other side of the parking lot.
I’m loving this video. It’s taking me back. Fully functioning Civil War cannons used to be a common sight in people’s front yards across the South in the early 1970’s. Also, before the interstate roads were built, all the “mom & pop” shops were open for business. We had no Walmart’s or McDonald’s & gasoline station attendants actually came to your car and checked your oil and water and filled your tank up with leaded gasoline. All the small towns had an ice cream stand too. We had cards on Saturday night with dad’s family and Sunday supper at mom’s family. I was very fortunate to have experienced it all.
Wow. Thank you for the great comment.
What a shame it's all in the past 😕 WV is like this as well & all of the foods, traditions, lifestyle that made us unique are forever gone.
It's not that much trash 🗑️
@@iron352 what trash? Lol
I can't even put my jealousy into words. I was born in 1988 and grew up here in the Midwest. But my soul belongs in the deep south and in the past.
It's so sad to see these old towns disappear. I grew up about 20 miles or so from Oakdale.
Lived in oakdale for 20 years haha
I find your channel on small American ( mostly dying ) towns truly fascinating ; really sad to see these once thriving small towns - slowly corroding , and dying …
I’ve lived and loved Louisiana my entire life and live in southeastern Louisiana but the entire area you’ve traveled has gotten hit by hurricanes so many times over the years that people got tired of building back just to have another storm wipe it out. That is the main reason so many of these towns have lost much of the population. It breaks my heart to see people give up and move out. If you went a little south of Lake Charles, you would begin to see the damage hurricanes does to our low lying state
That makes a lot of sense Lurlene. It must be heartbreaking to have your home flattened by Hurricanes, not to mention the danger. I was on holiday in New Orleans just a week before Hurricane Catrina struck. When I watched the news back in England I could not believe what I was seeing...that was a close shave! Before we left I could tell something was brewing in the atmosphere, it was really weird. Just so hot and uncomfortable. Thanks for sharing your valuable local knowledge.🙂
The Florida panhandle is very similar. Even with the real estate boom, where Micheal hit in 2018 still hasn’t recovered
It’s amazing how many old historic plantation homes survive. All the floods, storms, hurricane.
At a certain point, people realize it's just not worth it to live in a crime ridden swamp that gets blasted by hurricanes all the time. I would live in Louisiana I could, just not near the coast.
How much dollars of properties at there? House & lands?
You will be surprised at how many houses that look abandoned have people living in them or someone keeping an eye out for people that ain't from around there. I discovered this traveling the back roads of Florida during the 90's and early 2000's.
Exactly ..Don't think just because houses or trailers are abandoned that they are....These towns look like they're fading to the outside world but they're not...Lived here for years
@Marie Moore I've parked outside of abandoned areas and I haven't seen anyone just crawl out of a building even a bank teller area with nothing going on. Should I start pounding on boarded up wood to see if any of them will wake up ?? Lol
I live in Ville Platte and you really did a disservice to the town. There are much nicer, thriving and newer areas. Some beautiful old buildings, two libraries, three local grocery stores and a Walmart, a variety of fast food, sit down restaurants and cute Ma and Pop roadside daily lunch special take-out stands. We also have a beautiful and popular state park. The people who live here have manners and treat one another respectfully. The water is clean enough to drink out of the tap and the air is clean as well.
I visit city downtowns on this channel. That is it. A city's downtown should be the best part of town, not the worst.
@@JoeandNicsRoadTrip good point!
We moved to Opelousas for awhile following Hurricane Katrina and we visited the state park a few times..you are right; it is very beautiful * I actually thought it would be a great place to live.🤟💯
@@JoeandNicsRoadTrip I understand your overarching point, but you aren't simply visiting downtown. I've been to all the cities and towns in this video. It kinda does feel like you're selective about which residential areas you film. I agree that a city's "downtown" should be maintained. Unfortunately though in the south, a lot of downtowns are "historic", and it's difficult to obtain a permit to actually modernize the buildings, so businesses choose to construct in open areas with more real estate. Obviously they also want to be on main thoroughfares.
Right! Not sure where Lord S is originally from but as a transplant from Ohio to Louisiana, I have found / noticed each area or town can be different and unique. That is part of the charm of La to me. Others may not agree but it's to each his own. I love La as much as if I was born here and after being here 11 years I feel very much a part of this state even more so than my home state. Ppl down here just think and live different and THANK GOD that is the case bc we all look out for each other. Something you can't find in many states anymore.
I spent some time in Bunkie. The folks I stayed with were wonderful. I spent a lot of time in that general area of Louisiana. If you really want to see something different, start at Thibodaux and go south to Cut Off. It’s like a different universe. Got nothing but love for the people there.
Thank you for yo.ur tours, Joe and Nic. Y'all do a great job of tour s. I have enjoyed the entires series
Louisiana is MY favorite Foreign country in the United States I Love it's hospitality it's people it's Food is out of sight MY First Love for 39 years and 10 months before She passed was for there what a Blessing.
LA as a state is not enticing, , but I would love to go driving around to get a feel of the state. The only place in LA I’ve been to is New Orleans and its environs.
This brings back so many memories. Drove down that way while in high school. My boyfriend lived in Welsh, LA. His family had a camp on the gulf coast. Traveled with them to visit relatives around Mamou. Such friendly, happy people. Best food ever!!
I’m a new subscriber, I feel like I’m riding along with you guys . I love history so I’m enjoying learning about so many towns from the comfort of my own home . Thank you for such interesting content .
Thank you for the kind words, Shayna! My goal is to make you feel like you're riding in the car with me, so you gave me a great compliment! :)
"Runaway Bride", a 1999 movie staring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere.
Thank you. I have been to many of the town you have shown in your videos, but did not see them as you. It is nice to see the neighborhoods and learn of the history you share. I look forward to more
You had me at "Cajun food is the best!" Agree 100% with a caveat that can also be applied to Cajun girls. One of the most amazing women I'd ever met in regard to demeanor, humor, looks, sex appeal, and talent was a very proud "coonass," (absolutely not meant derogatorily in any way) from Baton Rouge. Sweet memories of her laughter, scent, sweat, and taste will follow me to my grave. Monica you truly deserve the best of everything...
LOL, I was waiting for you to say that you married her!!
@@JoeandNicsRoadTrip 😂 The young fool that I was believing I didn't deserve and couldn't keep someone like her, but things worked out as they were meant to be. Been a widower going on 2 years. Extremely grateful for everything God had given me...no regrets.
@@joebanks3698 That’s awesome. 😀
@@JoeandNicsRoadTrip Ha! ha! So was I...lol!
I moved to Louisiana in 2006 and eventually married a beautiful Cajun girl. It's been the best 15 years of my life!
These were my stomping grounds. Fred's is the best during Mardi gras 🎉❤😅. Love me some Fred's.
Been to Fred's Lounge a few times. Really cool place to go
Love the tour of the northern small towns. Great trivia and info on the towns. Cemeteries and swamps were very cool. Great narration!
This is my old stomping grounds … When you go to Lafayette be sure to go to Ole Tyme grocery and have a Shrimp Po boy there it is incredible
Fried fish too.
HEY, MY NANA'S HOMETOWN (Glenmora)! She lives at the end of McNicoll St. My Papa was part of the town committee when they started naming streets; they used to not have names or just had informal names. As you might have guessed, he gave it our last name. We have family in almost each town you went through, including a camp in Oberlin. And yes, PLEASE do a video of Mamou (Mah-moo) during Mardi Gras. Fred's is poppin on Saturday mornings. They do prizes for farthest traveled because so many people visit. My Papa was even featured in the article cover when National Geographic came and did a piece about the bar.
By now you know it's "Mamoo" Taut Sue, Aunt Sue" ran Fred's for years. Always had a shot of fireball for you @ 7:00 a.m. on Saturday mornings. My wonderful Cajun neighbors. Check out Wayne Toups going back to big Mamou tune.
The little hair salon @ 10:02 doesn't cut hair any longer, but it can cut it shorter 😂😂😂.
We call them "shotgun shacks". Usually they were built by mill companies to rent to the workers. The mills were the fabric of the communities. When you see those hulking buildings with hoppers on the roof, those are mills. They lasted until all that work gravitated overseas because labor dried up as young people left for greener pastures. I really enjoy your travelogues, man.
Thank you, Crewmax.
Are you sure the young people left before the jobs left?
They were called shotgun houses because if you opened the front and back doors you could fire a shotgun through the house and not hit anything. Had plenty of those where I used to live in South La..
Thanks for letting us ride with you. I'm living in Europe as a single dad and can't afford to tour the U.S. This way you are giving us a mini vacation.
I love your videos❤ I’ve been bingeing to catch up😊
My wife and I really enjoy your videos; we especially enjoy learning the small differences between our two countries. We live in the largest town (Blyth) in Northumberland, England but it is still classed as only a small town with a population of 37,000+ and growing. It is surprising when you call a place with 8000 a small city. I think the biggest surprise is seeing so many buildings simply abandoned as if the people just walked away. My wife keeps saying: "Where do all the people go?". It really makes me want to visit.
These videos DO NOT depict how most Americans live even in small towns and small cities. He’s cherry picking the worst of the worst for views and advertising revenue. Don’t believe his hype.
I have traveled to over 90 countries on every inhabited continent and few of them have such areas of extreme poverty and derelict buildings as one finds in the USA. The levels of inequality are matched only in a few corners of Africa and Asia. The saving grace is that one finds that people, whether in Louisiana, Kenya or Cambodia to be wonderful. Here in America WalMart and the automation of most industries has killed off these towns.
Thank you so much for posting this, I love going to LA and New Orleans. I was super excited to see this pop up this morning! We’ve been to plantation country where Oak Alley and a bunch of others are and we always go to Laplace LA to the Cajun Pride swamp tour. I’ve never actually driven around and explored Cajun country though so I loved seeing this video. Please do more Louisiana videos. ⚜️💜💛💚 🦐
Thank you, Stacy! Yes, there are more Louisiana videos coming. :)
I'm a Harvey that married a Marrero my roots run deep in Louisiana & will always be my home no matter where I live today. Jambalaya crayfish pie & filet gumbo Cajun girl in ❤ & soul
I'm from Old Gretna and work on River Road in Marrero. I love where we are from and wouldn't trade it for the world!
Things have been depressed like that for years. Prices were always about three dollars less over in Louisiana from Texas. I can't believe Bill Pringle's Theatre is still there. Thank you for posting this video as I 'd not seen things there for a long while.
Good Ole Glenmora…. I used to live and work there. Home is only 20 minutes away. Oakdale used to be a very rough place to live. Thanks for the video. 😃😃
It's sad to see these small towns which were once bustling with commerce, activity and life slowly fading away. So many stories behind the vacant storefronts and deteriorating homes which will never be heard... I find it very poignant. I wonder how many will end up as complete ghost towns in decades to come, or even be completely consumed by nature with almost nothing to indicate that they ever even existed. I'm talking about a pretty long span of time there, but our works can seem so impermanent when compared to the relentless, tireless march of nature. The vagaries of civilization also play their part in the decline of rural communities, of course. I like to think that at least some of these towns may bounce back, but that's probably a forlorn hope for the most part. Your videos are wonderful, LS. I'm so appreciative of your efforts to present these places which are so far away from where I live, and which I would otherwise never get to see. I find them absolutely fascinating. Whatever else the internet may be, there's no denying that for experiences like this, it's without parallel. It's an amazing time to be alive.
Great comment, Markus! Thank you for that.
I would say that the increasing bad weather and deadly hurricanes 🌀 😑 are the main reason why people are leaving the lowlands for higher ground
Walmart Kills!!!
Nobody wants to live those places
From what I can see here in "Ville Platte", there is no 'industry' to keep or attract a population. I enjoy seeing small towns like this too but I don't think I'd want to visit it at night. Thank you for sharing this with all of us. I'm subbed, left a thumbs up, and a tap on the bell. I look forward to seeing more of your posts like this.
Thank you sir, you take us on a nice journey that I hope to go on myself when I retire. 😊
I don't understand why your videos hasn't so many view, you are truly showing a lot of the American History places, that I am sure that most of the American even heard about it!! Louisiana state has signficant role in American History since XVIII when it was created, not only in music, but cusine, food, religion, clothing, language, architecture, art, literature, games, and sports. Unfortunately since the civil war it was relegated to "minimum importance" but thanks for you to show those places. Please if you can talk about the Jean Laffitte the pirate who hide some of his treasure bouty on Lousiana somewhere in the bayous and it was never found!! that is an amazing history and a good place to visit.
Thank you, xxx!
You ever been to Natchitoches, LA? The oldest town in the Louisiana Purchase (founded in 1714). The movie Steel Magnolia (and other movies) were filmed there. Lived there for about 15 - 20 years in the 1960's, 70's and early 80's before settling down in the Houston metro area (since 1986).
We'll be doing a video there, probably in late spring.
@@JoeandNicsRoadTrip You should have an easier time getting there; at the time I moved away from there, I-49 hadn't even been built or finished yet. You'll love what that little town has to offer. Be sure to visit Front Street in downtown Natchitoches (cobblestone streets). Have fun!
This video cracked me up! Lol you're in my old stomping grounds. I know people who still live near Bunkie/Marksville. I lived in Effie. Avoyelles parish is pronounced A Voils. Thanks for the drive down memory lane!
You do a good job. keep up the classic work.
Looks peaceful and quiet. I’m thinking about moving here to get away from noisy humans. 😫🌸🌻
Close. Bunkie was named after the plantation owners daughters pet monkey called "bunkie" because she couldn't pronounce monkey. I grew up there in the late 60's/70's/early 80's(went to college in Lafayette) during it's "peak" and got out as soon as I could. Most of my generation also left town. The local high school didn't integrate until the early/mid 70's and there were still "race riots/fights" between black and white students(boys) when I got there in 79. That railroad track delineated the black side of town, McNabs didn't close until after I left town, and was why the area was eventually incorporated after the plantation slaves were freed post Civil War to bring out cotton and sugar cane. The parts of 12 Years a Slave that happened in the area were just a couple of miles south in an area called Eola. Google Maps has it designated, but the Epps House has been relocated to Alexandria. I remember when they first pulled it into Bunkie around 80/81 when I was in high school. Lots of those black families and, I suspect, NOLA refugees have moved to the "white side" of town. My old neighborhood is far more integrated than when I lived there. Also, Mamou - Mahmoo. Rapides is Rapeeds. Avoylles is Avoy-els. And not county, but Parish from all the Roman Catholic French. There was a Bailey's Theater in Bunkie, too. Good video. Glad you weren't there when it was hot. :D
Great info also explaining pronunciation would like to hear the Cajun music
Keep Hydrated & Cool in Summer when its hot.
Wow.. I used to love seeing old towns, but it's been decades. So much history. These vids are great. Shows me parts I'd never seen but would like to see.
Between Woodworth and Glenmora on the west side of Highway 165 there was the massive Camp Claiborne, a WWII Military training camp. You can still see a fair amount of the old roadways on Google Earth views. It was an awesome place to explore as a kid in the late 1960's. At one time, there was one or two military surplus stores along Hwy 165 in that area. I grew up just down the road in Oakdale. So great to see them both in a KZhead video.
I think every high school student from the 90's went to at least 1 bonfire at Claiborne..those partied were epic!!!
Yelp we rode four wheelers down there.
I am from the area... family still lives in the sticks there!! One thing I must say--- trash busted out windows, left towns-- Hurricanes ravage these small towns and with little to NO city revenues to rebuild they get left behind!! So ease do not take the trash and busted out windowsn...abandoned buildings for something more than a sad part of history dying due to natural disaster. (Not that all trash is from that..but is a huge source of the way these towns look.) Hurricanes season every year takes a couple more out EACH YEAR
I just went trail riding there a couple weeks ago! Beautiful horse trail riding
Are you the one who saw a Sasquatch and gave your experience online?
This is where my mother's family was from for several generations going back to the late 1700s. My grandmother was born in Mamou and grandfather was born in Mallet (close by.) I have never met someone with heritage from St. Landry Parish in which we could not quickly figure out how we were related. I am not sure when large numbers of people started leaving but many members in my family and cousins left in the 1930s and 40s for places like Lake Charles and the western border of Texas (Raywood, Port Arthur, and Beaumont.) Did you at least get to try the food. I miss that a lot. I haven't been back to St. Landry Parish in about 15 years. I miss it though. I have traveled all over the world and these are the friendliest people I have met. Oh, Zydeco music is from Mamou. I enjoyed your video. I not much of it has extreme poverty but I will always cherish the area as it is where my roots are from.
Thank you for sharing this.
My mother's family is from Chittagnier, Mamou, Eunice. It has changed so much from when I was a kid in the 80's. Really sad to see the culture dying
@@rivareed1641 My great great great grandfather was a Reed. He fought with Napoleon. He had a bar in Ville Platte and it was my understanding he was a tourist attraction. People would stop by to listen to his stories about fighting with Napoleon. I have family in Chattagnier and Eunice as well. It is sad to see the culture dying. I am doing what I can to keep it alive. I have done something like 25 years of research on our heritage. A while back I was considering getting a graduate degree in Louisiana Studies at ULL under Carl Brasseaux. I have read a number of his books on our heritage. I am sure like everyone else I have met who has roots in St. Landry Parish that we are related. The people before me include St. Andre, Fontenot, Gobert, DeVille, Lede, Rougeau, Reed, Allain, Guillory, Gradenigo/Gradney, Donato-Bello, Vasquez, Metoyer, Victorian, - these are most of my great grandparents from St. Landry Parish.
@@potentialreality My Reed comes from my dad, he's from Texas. My mom's family is Johnston, Sonnier, Cormier, Fontenot, and a Spanish name I can't remember of the top of my head :( The Johnston is from the same family of J Bennet. The family split in early 1900's and J Bennet's father "stole" the family bible. It was quite a scandal that was talked about every single Sunday.
@@rivareed1641 I have Sonnier and Cormier too. That is back in the 1700s but also in St. Landry Parish. I have Johnston way back. He was from Acadia, Nova Scotia so a true Cajun. I am forgetting where he migrated to, maybe Ville Platte. Fontenot is my grandmother's name from Mamou.
Thank you for the video. I’ve been to big cities in US & never thought things are going really bad in small town. So so..sad! Watching from AUS🇦🇺
I've just watched TX, & now LA. What strikes me is that the downtown areas look pretty much like any small town here in Australia. The houses are very different though. Thanks for the vids, I really enjoy them.
I understand what you mean but please remember that he is only showing the saddest areas. There are lovely homes and subdivisions in each of these small towns. We grew up and live in the area. Small towns were abandoned when it became possible to shop in larger towns. The automobiles made people more mobile.
Hello, Proud Louisiana native here, have lived all over the state. Yes, we live in mobile homes and shantys, and sometimes too many to a room, multi-generational, but stop and smell what's cooking on the stove, see kids playing OUTSIDE, entertaining themselves, an aunt or uncle sitting under the tree, an eye on them while he and his buddies play Spades or dominos. Not to offend anyone, but in St. Martinville, it's said that if you could be black on Saturday night you would never want to be white again.
St. Martinville would be a good spot for his downtown videos
@@benjaminguidry5827 absolutely
Very enjoyable seeing your videos, places we’ve never seen, what small town America is like around the country❤. I love how you accentuate the positive aspects like architecture, churches, courthouses, beautiful old homes, manicured lawns, parks, small businesses and also show how unfortunately many small towns have deteriorated, much like my rural hometown in upstate New York.
Thanks!
Reminder to be kind with how you remark assumptions for the obvious. I appreciate seeing corners of Louisiana and subscribed to your channel immediately. Thank you for the time you invest to provide that. 👍
Louisiana is beautiful ❤️ lovely state thanks for sharing this video 🏆🏅
The building of interstate 49 is what affected every one of the towns you have shown.
You are absolutely correct! It was so sad to see that, especially with the Interstate traffic now bypassing all those small towns. It killed off tourism and many of the small businesses.
Thank you for this videos and good luck on your own ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Another great video, bud! Thanks for all you do! Two thumbs up!
Thank you!
I love these little towns, they have so much character, and I love photographing the towns I see like that.
They are dumps
@@frankmangan2113 maybe, but the old buildings are what draw my attention, those 100 years old or more. That's my main thought.
@@diane1390 the American dream far from it
@@frankmangan2113 can you actually point out where the American dream is being lived these days? There seems to be so little of that any longer.
@@diane1390 Your crooked government talk about the American dream all the time, Wonder could they live on the minimum wage ? my guess is no.. I'm Irish and yes we do have poverty but not in your scale... easy dream when you have money American or Irish or wherever you live
So I have the LITTLE Hair Salon in Oberlin. Yes it’s little but it’s mine and it fits plenty of people who support my business! This is town that if your from there your heart is forever there. This is a town that comes together when people are in need! I love that you explore these places but you don’t have to choose to share the worst parts of these towns. Yes they are dying but people are trying to bring them back to life. There are very nice homes in all of the towns you showed, you chose to show the bad… Outsiders shouldn’t judge by what you see on the outside bc what’s on the inside is quite beautiful…togetherness and family ❤
Agreed
Thank You , We need more of these Videos from Lousiana every Day Life! Thank You from Germany.
that storage shed is a livable home someone lives in
Love the train whistle! Reminds me of your voice! So mellow and sonorous! You really have a great way with narration!
Thanks, B!!
Like in the movie Stand By Me!!! That is who his voice reminds me of.
🤠👋 Thanx for sharing your video‼️Very interesting. I also ❤️ riding around checking places out & documenting, but with photography. I saw a lot of photo opportunities while "riding along" on your video. Fascinating content in your video‼️🤠👍
Thanks for sharing. My mother was born in Oakdale, LA. Still have kin living there. Last time, there was 1977.
My family lives in Melder, right near Glenmora. This is a great video! Rural Louisiana is something else.
Basile Louisiana is my old home town. Home of the Swine Festival. Next goto Mamou Louisiana for a Mardis Gras treat
I watch you all the time this is so cool I live in Glenmora Louisiana🤓
Sir, your work is AMAZING! You provide a solid commentary as you go, filled to the brim with almost all of what I want to know! 👏🏻👏🏻 My only addition to the list would be costs of rental property. You do a great job, so I have liked, shared & subscribed my little fingers off! Well done & keep it up!I’ll be in the back seat with my head on a swivel! Be well & safe journeys.
Thank you, Sheri!
I lived in louisiana most of my life. Still here. I can tell u Mamou has brown water out of faucets. Even at the Savoy med center. Its simple here. Dont cost much to survive. I just recently went to Maine. Omg couldnt wait to get back down here. Les es le bon ton roulette!!!🎉
Is the water ok to drink?
"Acadiana" I'am a 9th generation Cajun/ Creole my dad moved to New Orleans in the late 50's for work so I grew up in the south east of Louisiana. The baffling thing to me in the 80's & 90's as soon as you would get on the west side of the Mississippi River EVERYONE had a thick Cajun accent. It has drastically faded with the gen Z's but the further you get away from I-10 you will find Cajuns that sound like my cousin Troy Landry from "Swamp People " and yes Cajuns are all linked we're all cousins. Most don't really know our history, Over half of the original Acadians were mixed with Mi'Kmaq Indian from Nova Scotia. King Philip of Spain granted my great grandparents land in 1785 to use them as a buffer between Apache and Chitimacha Tribes so you will notice alot of the people you see look mixed . I describe myself as a "Gumbo" I have every nationality in my DNA in Louisiana... (Stop at Best Stop Meat Market on hwy 93 in Kankton between Lafayette and Opelousas and get some Boudin Balls & Cracklins )
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I’m a creole that moved out of state, but my lineage is form the Evangeline parish. Komen ca va mon frèr?
@@barbarawelcome3373 ,
Very interesting. I am Canadian and live in Ontario, Canada. I use to watch your cousin on TV. Troy Landry.
I've been to around 12 towns in the area, have talked to people at gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants - I have yet to hear a Cajun accent. I'm a bit surprised.
Loving that you didn’t edit out the train sounds. I grew up close to train-yards and small stockyards in Montana in the 60s Great memories and feelings of my happy childhood attached to the sound of train whistles. Thanks!
I would never do that. I love the sound of trains!!
Yes, I am sure NAFTA and GATT had been responsible for so many business failures, loss of jobs and depopulation of so many both rural areas such as these and more heavily urban areas. It's really sad and when I look at these videos I get really conflicting emotions. Some nostalgic, bitter sweet feelings and downright love. I really hope someday many of these places will get a new shot at life somehow. Again Joe and Nic thank you so much for taking all this time showing us all these wonders most of us were not aware of. I just love it so much!
Hi Lord Spoda Rare video showing Louisiana rural life, fading empty towns, old houses slowly reclaimed by nature. @ 05:22 Are those Tar/Bitumen roads, here and ahead in many small towns ahead? Cajun culture/food connection or origin associated with Lousiana is interesting info. Among abundance of nature and greenary, a Banana tree @ 32:49 attracts the attention. A brief halt at Court House, Marksville for history is informative too. @ 36:57 twin Lions reminded me of Art Institute, Chicago (standing bronze Lions there). Thanks for this rare and nice video.
Great comment, Rajeev. Thank you.
You should stop by some shop that is still open and ask them for a quick interview ask them about the town and how long have they been open etc... would be interesting
I love the tours.... I can just imagine turning some of the little brick buildings into a guitar workshop or a small blues music pub with a few Marshall Stacks.
Very interesting and love your commentary. Those trees that were held up by metal stands are strange.
Hey Spoda!...I gotta say that I love these videos the most!...it's easy to do videos on cities like New Orleans etc,but these little rural dying towns are where the real gems are hidden...these towns don't get any visitors so they don't have any real tourist dollars to help support their local economy like the bigger cities receive...but they offer sights and things of interest that go largely unseen by anybody outside of the local population,so it's really cool to see these quaint little enclaves on your channel...and maybe just maybe because of that,viewers like myself will travel to these tucked away places and enjoy the hospitality of the locals while spending a few dollars there and ultimately help the communities in some small way stay afloat and keep their unbridled charm that gives them character and beauty beyond what the big well known cities offer....
People agree with you, Russell, as these videos do extremely well. I really like making them as well.
I really, really enjoyed this video and I thank you for your video on Bunkie , Louisiana, I had an ex-coworker that died years ago that always said that she was born and raised in that town and I was curious about what her hometown looked like and the place is what I felt it was like . I got to tell you that it was touching to see the video.. truth be told, I cried, it was like I was seeing a part of her, she talked about it so much.Thank you so much for this ,Thank you..
Wow, thank you for that, Jamille.
Funkie Bunkie! I grew up north of Bunkie in Pointe Coupee parish and that’s what we called Bunkie in the 80s.
I went to band camp in bunkie! The water is bad and the mosquitos are big enough to carry u away, lol
Man the theater too me to my childhood memories. That is how they use to have the pictures of the movies playing hang on the outside wall. I loved it as a kid.
Hello. You are traveling through the part of central Louisiana where my father's parents lived. Their house was in Moreaville. If they needed to go to a grocery store they would drive into Bunkie. Where they lived there were no store's. As a child we would pick corn and trade with others that grew other things or raised pigs, cow's or chicken's. Everyone traded so there was always a lot of fresh food to eat. This was in the late 60's and early 70's. It was a great place to visit as a child because growing up in Houston was so different. Everyone in central Louisiana was so friendly and so nice. I have really great memories of the abandoned places you are visiting. Thank you so much for your video. I will be passing through central Louisiana in a few weeks heading to Atlanta so I may take a little time to look around and see the changes for my self.
Great comment. Thank you for that.
Make sure you make a video and tag it here .. i would love to hear about the changes from you .. everything you said was just so amazing .. point the places you used to visit... safe travels
This reminds me of Blountstown Highway, southwest of Tallahassee, and of the Forgotten Coast area. I actually love these types of places and if a person just wanted a quiet place to retire, the only thing stopping you would be a fear of hurricanes and tornados. Regarding the trash; possibly an animal got into it and no one has had a chance to pick it up? It does happen.
I really appreciate and enjoy your tours through the forgotten parts of America. You really make it easy for me sitting in Cape Town South Africa 🇿🇦 and following you going nowhere slowly. Would like to see and hear more about the remaining businesses and services. Thanks 😊
Thank you for watching, Michael!