Down Louisiana Way, Where The Blue Dog Resides

We've been in Lousiana a couple of times in the last few weeks - New Iberia, Jefferson Parish, Baton Rouge - and despite the heat, which even at this time of year is unbearable to me, and the horrible roads, which are noticeable the minute you cross into the state, I was able to put that aside long enough to learn something new about the place.

When we were in New Iberia, we came across a place called The Blue Dog Cafe. I read about it online, and decided the menu was right up my alley, but when we got there they were between lunch and dinner and only serving appetizers in the bar area.

It would be a few hours till the dinner hour, parking the truck was a challenge, and since it was a weekend night, we knew we wouldn't get away with taking up so many spots once the dinner crowd started pouring in. We didn't want just the appetizers they were offering, so we left - guess we'll just have to save that dining experience for another time.
But stopping at the cafe wasn't a total loss, because I wound up finding out about the artist responsible for the famous "Blue Dog" paintings, George Rodrigue, who was born in New Iberia. I'd seen that Blue Dog for years, and I just never gave it much thought. I guess I must have just thought it was some sort of advertising character, an idea that may have come from the campaign the artist did for Absolut Vodka. I must have seen the ad and that's why it stuck in my head. And then I just shrugged it off. Now I know different.

My favorite discovery came from his website, in the form of an article written by his wife, where she talks about the artist's mother and how she once asked George, "When will you realize that nobody's gonna buy those pictures?" The best part is her reaction when she found out how much people were actually paying for those pictures. Read the article to find out - she's quite a character.

So see what you can find out when you dig a little deeper than just the menu in a restaurant? Such great little pockets of interesting stuff all over the country. Just another reason I love my trucking!


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2011: Crossing The Park To 5th Avenue
2010: All Work, All Play
2009: Was My Mother Hot, Or What???
2008: The Fiddleheads Of Maine
2007: Fifteen Dollar. We Make Nail Nice. No Probrem.
2006: Road Testing The Girl
2005: Ed Time