This morning we visited the factory that makes Tabasco pepper sauce at Avery Island Louisiana. Founded in the 1860's by a member of the McIlHenny family, the company is still a family owned business. There is only one factory in the world and this is it. It produces 700,000 bottles of sauce per day (4 days a week). The sauce is made from capsicum peppers that are grown on the island and also in Central and South America and the sauce is shipped to over 100 different countries. The McIlHenny's sure seem to have a head for business and an understanding of the law of supply and demand. The first 2 oz bottles made in 1864 sold for $1 each !!. We did not think much of the pepper sauce flavored ice cream but did like their new sweet and sour sauce.

The days drive continued along the gulf coast through nice forests and well manicured communities. This scenery was interrupted regularly by bridges crossing various waterways. These bridges afforded us a wider view of this very flat land as they often climbed up to 200 feet over a shipping channel. etc. Signs of the oil industry are everywhere as are large billboard advertisements by lawyers seeking to represent victims of the BP oil spill.