Travel writers treated to Mardi Gras tour of Houma

Ten travel writers from as far away as Canada to as close as Florida visited Houma on a mission – to experience a family Mardi Gras, indulge in Cajun cuisine and tour the wetlands of Houma.

Traveling with the Georgia Turner Group, a Florida-based travel consulting company, the newspaper and magazine writers arrived in Houma Sunday during the height of Mardi Gras.

“The experience was great. I have been to Houma and other parts of Louisiana many times, but this was my first Mardi Gras, just like some of the writers. I was very impressed,” said Georgia Turner, owner of the travel consulting company.

Although more typically known globally for Mardi Gras, New Orleans does not have a good standing reputation for wholesome Fat Tuesday fun, according to Angela Gary, a Georgia editor. She is writing a two-part series on Houma and its South Louisianan culture, foods, attractions and wetlands.

“People have a misconception that New Orleans is the only place to experience Mardi Gras. But they’re wrong. Houma has a perfectly good Mardi Gras celebration that is good for the whole family,” Gary said. “A lot of people don’t know Houma and south Louisiana have an eroding coastline and I think they should know because if something isn’t done to correct it, Houma will lose the pleasure of hunting and fishing for recreation and sport.”

Gary is the managing editor for The Commerce News in Commerce, Ga. It is a part of the Georgia-based Main Street Newspaper Company.

Massachusetts native Don Woodland has similar views about the city.

Woodland said when he arrived in Houma, his first thoughts were, “What does this place have to offer?” and “Why should my readers spend money on a plane ticket to come here?”

Why? According to Woodland, Houma is something to experience in one’s lifetime. “Northerners have a misunderstanding of Mardi Gras and the whole festival celebration. But what they fail to realize is that there are 15 other cities in Louisiana that have parades, and Houma is the second biggest parading area for Mardi Gras,” he said.

Woodland writes for a monthly publication in Cape Cod called Vitality.

He plans to take a more “monolithic view” of Houma, giving his readers a schedule of suitable activities should they choose to vacation here.

Canadian writer Doug English is an old hand at Mardi Gras. This is his third trip to the coastal area. He is researching the Cajun culture because he said it has a strong connection with the Acadian culture in the eastern provinces of Canada. “There is a link and bond that can’t be denied,” English said.

English is a freelance travel writer for The Toronto Sun in Canada. He also writes for the local London Ontario newspaper in Canada.

Florida writer Joyce LaFray said you could not talk about the culture of Louisiana without mentioning the cuisine and the spices that are indigenous to the area.

“They all go hand-in-hand. Without the food, the culture is lacking in a sense,” LaFray said. “There are a number of interesting things to write about in Houma.”

LaFray runs a publishing company and a gourmet food business in Florida. She plans to profile some of the Houma’s chefs in her magazine and books.

“The Houma area chefs are not just doing the ordinary gumbos , they are doing all types of foods and adding their Cajun roots to it. I think that that’s impressive,” LaFray said.

Of the 10, Canadian native Bob Fisher was the most outspoken. He is determined to show the world just how interesting and complex Houma residents can be. Fisher said he plans to take a more philosophical and ethical stance on Houma and its wetlands.

“Getting people to recognize what Houma has to offer is not about where you can have fun or where you can eat the best foods. It’s about the people and what they have experienced in their lifetime,” he explained.

Fisher said of all the species that make up the world, humans are the most misunderstood.

“If you get to know the people first, learning about their culture and their way of life will come. Looking from the outside, we only scratch the surface of what Houma has to offer,” he said.

Fisher uses an electronic media called “Travelosophy Presents” to take his audience on a video time warp of the people, places and events in any given area.

Overall, all the writers had praise for the community.

“I find that Houma has a culture that is more open to visitors,” said Sara Wyatt, of Mountlake Terrace, Wash.

Wyatt said Seattle is known for its “Seattle Freeze,” during which people tend to shy away from each other and friendliness is kept to a minimum.

“During the parades, the people were so generous. People were sharing beads and everything. People in Seattle are the complete opposite of what I see here,” she said.

Wyatt is a contributing writer for Women’s International Perspective and Wind of Change, a Native American Publication.

Upon her return, Wyatt is going to focus an article on the Houma Indians and their female matriarch structure.

The Georgia Turner Group worked with Houma-Terrebonne Convention and Visitors Bureau to schedule the trip in hopes that writers will construct positive publications about the area they visit, said Angela Morehead, head of the local bureau.

Café Milano’s executive chef Patrick Besson discusses Louisiana cuisine with Sharon Alford, Georgia Turner and Canadian writer Maria-Christine Blais. Alford and Turner teamed up to bring 10 travel writers to Houma for the Mardi Gras holiday. * Photo by SOPHIA RUFFIN