Day 910
Traveling around this part of Louisiana, we came across a vendor selling shrimp right off the boat, so we stopped to buy.
Barbara beat the pelican to the front of the line, with a crane coming up to be third. Yogi Bear told us to wait for him.
With spring finally arriving, Barbara heard azaleas were in bloom down by Bayou Lacombe. So, off we went.
Richard Webster Leche was born May 17, 1898 in New Orleans. He was a dirty, rotten politician who ultimately became Louisiana’s 44th Governor. Corruption was to become the major feature of his administration. Shortly after becoming Governor, he claimed “When I took the oath of office, I didn’t take any vow of poverty.” He served from 1936 until 1939, when he resigned as a result of criminal charges. Convicted on charges of misuse of federal funds, Leche was the first Louisiana chief executive to be imprisoned, but not the last.
The estate and gardens we visited today were purchased by Leche in 1946 upon his release from prison. The land and buildings were acquired by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in 1998 and opened to the public. Governor Leche’s house was not very impressive:
The gardens were nice, with the azaleas in bloom.
Hiked down to the Bayou, no frogs on the lily pads.
The 5th Wheel - Now on 4 Wheels 