Our first stop in Louisiana was the Tabasco factory on Avery Island, where we took a self-guided tour. Who knew hot sauce could be so interesting to learn about? For example, these “batons rouges” (red sticks) were used by the pepper pickers as a color reference to make sure the spicy fruit had fully ripened. While in Louisiana we also learned that putting chicory in coffee dates back to bean shortages during Napoleon’s Continental Blockade of 1808, and that ordering two decadent desserts after a rich, Cajun-inspired meal sounds great at the time, but may not be the best idea when you’re spending the night in a tiny trailer at an RV park with limited bathroom facilities.