Pepper Dreams and Other Things

A couple of weeks ago, Rob and I finally took a trip that has been on our Travel Wish List for years. Well, part of it has been on my TWL for decades.

One of the many things we learned from those quiet, boring, quarantined days of the last few years is that talking about doing stuff is a lot less interesting and fulfilling than actually doing them. So with Covid blessedly feeling a lot less pandemicky and a lot more endemicky these days, Rob and I are prioritizing finally taking those “someday” trips.

First up: Texas and Louisiana.

Yes, I know. Not typically Dream Trip destinations. Unless you are addicted to Tabasco sauce. Which I kinda am.

I can’t remember when I first tried Tabasco sauce. I know it was well before college, because my college roommate apparently still thinks of me every time he catches a whiff of the glorious pepper elixir (not his description). I ate a LOT of spaghetti in college – and Tabasco is absolutely required on all tomato-based pasta. So, Tabasco = Toni. I’m quite pleased with that.

My saucy addiction revealed itself in a myriad of ways over the years.

Like having no idea the bright red sauce can turn brown if you don’t enjoy it in a timely fashion. Or not needing to follow the “Shake Well” instructions because the bottle gets a good workout on a weekly if not daily basis. Or traveling with a bottle stashed in my purse back when we were allowed the frivolity of carry-on liquids AND when airlines used to serve flavorless albeit free meals (a boss used to make fun of me for this little business trip habit and then sheepishly asked once from the aisle seat to borrow my bottle of flavor. Yes, I very smugly handed it to him.)

Perhaps the most telling demonstration of my dedication to Tabasco came when Rob gave me a gallon of it for Christmas one year. I quickly bought a glass soap dispenser to disperse my addiction on pizza, lasagna, pasta, eggs, French fries… I also, just for kicks and giggles, wrote the date on the gallon’s label, curious how long it would take me to go through one gallon of Tabasco at my normal at-home-consumption rate. Any guesses?

Nine months.

So yeah, my love for Tabasco sauce is strong, deep, and not entirely healthy. Naturally, making a pilgrimage to its factory in southern Louisiana was at the top of my Bucket List.

It's like they knew I was coming

We spent two days exploring Avery Island, which is actually a salt dome near the Gulf of Mexico but by no means surrounded by it. Rob mused with appreciation about my ability to turn what is typically a couple hours of fun for most people into days of enthusiastic glee (see: so many posts about my beloved county fair). I guess when I am passionate about something, I go all in.

I was both surprised and thrilled to discover how relatively small the factory and production of Tabasco is. Like, we were able to see the entire process (once the peppers arrive on the “island”) in one series of buildings. Making Tabasco sauce is actually pretty simple. It just takes a long time. Much like wine, most of the time spent making it is just waiting for natural chemistry to do its thing.  

Believe it or not, this is most of the factory

The Tabasco peppers themselves used to be grown on the salt dome, but demand outgrew the local fields long ago, so the peppers are brought in from proprietary growers in Central and South America.  Once the peppers arrive on site, they are smushed into repurposed bourbon barrels, topped with salt, and allowed to age for three years. The smell of that storage area was pungent and sort of gross. It was a stinky mixture of wet wood, old bourbon, and fermenting peppers. I wanted to like it, but I really didn't.

Barrels full of wine smell MUCH better

After 3 years of fermenting, the pepper mash is then mixed with distilled vinegar and sits for another month or so before the sauce is strained and then bottled. The room where the vinegary mixture chillaxes for a month smelled heavenly. The idea to allow visitors to push a button to open up a vent to get a good whiff from behind the glass wall was truly inspired.

We could smell the Tabasco as soon 
as we entered this part of the building
but the button to fan in more pepper air
was a much appreciated touch

The bottling line was super fun to watch. I was amazed by how small the actual factory was while yielding about 700,000 bottles of peppery deliciousness per day. Rob and I spent quite a long time peering at the process, eventually realizing that the small 2oz. bottles (the size I guess most people have in their pantry?) don’t require the clear plastic topper to help slow down the bottle’s flow.  You know, the doohickey that I often pry off with a knife?

If I had had the great fortune to meet
one of the line workers, I would have
totally fangirled. Do they realize what
amazing jobs they have?!?
Here's a video of the bottling line for
the super curious.

After I was done immersing myself in the production process, we headed to The Tabasco Country Store next to the factory for some shopping. I was quite excited.

!!!!

For some reason, I was expecting the Tabasco Store to be something like the souvenir shops at Disneyland. You know, all modern and shiny with bright lights and neatly organized and well-stocked shelves. Instead, the Tabasco Country Store was actually aptly named. It felt very homey and well-loved and had the organization and flow of a house that has been lived in and not particularly updated for 30 years. It was a bit of a treasure hunt and required several laps before I felt like I had really seen all the store had – and didn’t have (thank you, overpriced kiosk at the New Orleans airport! I love my adult-sized classic Tabasco t-shirt!) – to offer. 

It was a bit of sensory overload

Of course, the very best part of the store was in the back. The Tabasco Tasting Bar was what dreams are made of. 

More than a dozen different flavors and Tabasco-infused inventions I had never seen (chili starter, BBQ sauce, salad dressing) were available for sampling. OMG! The only thing lacking was a box of tissues, because that Scorpion Pepper Tabasco packed some heat! I also loved blending some of the products and discovered that the thick Sweet & Spicy sauce mixed with the more vinegary and longer-aged Family Reserve variety demanded Asian food, particularly pot stickers. Into my shopping basket they went!

Those bottles with pumps might make a lot
more sense at Woodhaven than the 12oz bottles
I get at Costco

In retrospect, it probably would have been wise to have my souvenirs shipped home to Woodhaven. Because with two days to poke around the store, my stash kept growing. To the point that we almost had to buy a small check-thru suitcase to lug home all my pepper treasures.  Oops.

Believe it or not, though, the Tabasco Tasting Bar was not the ultimate highlight of my visit to Avery Island. Nope, something was even BETTER!

A couple of weeks before we left Woodhaven, I got an email from Keyna at the Tabasco HQ regretfully informing me that a special culinary class we had signed up for was cancelled because George the Tour Guide was having a medical procedure done that day. I was of course devastated…and confused. Did they not have more than one George to tour us through a tasting menu of Tabasco-laden delights?? This was my first hint that despite Tabasco being a world-wide phenomenon, it is actually a pretty small operation.

I quickly sent back a reply to Keyna, expressing my disappointment, understanding, and well-wishes for George. I then decided to take a chance and ask for a favor.

After explaining that we were traveling from Washington state, I wrote, “One of the things I was most looking forward to about the class was the opportunity to sample the mash. Would that still be a possibility somehow?  This is a dream trip for me as I am sort of addicted to Tabasco sauce...”

Keyna replied, ”Thank you for understanding. When you get here on the Monday please ask for Keyna, I will make sure you get your mash tasting!” 

And there was MUCH rejoicing!!

After going through the Store’s check-out line one last time, I asked the cashier if she could direct me to Keyna. “I’m Toni from Washington state.”

Just a few minutes later, Rob and I were standing in Keyna’s office at the back of the store, feeling pretty VIP to be hanging out with real-live Tabasco Management!

We chatted for a bit, me slightly distracted by Keyna's soft Louisiana accent. I was a bit awestruck to learn Keyna had grown up on Avery Island and was several generations Tabasco. In fact, a number of her relatives were in photos in the small-but-comprehensive museum next door. Although she was not a McIlhenny, I’m sure they wave to each other at the Island post office, exchange Christmas cards, and sip mint juleps together on hot days. I just know it!

“OK, I need to get you your mash!” Keyna sang to my heart as she escorted us to our Tasting Room. Which turned out to be the Country Store’s stock room AND employee breakroom. OMG! 

Yes, instead of some fancy touristy experience in the adjoining restaurant, Rob and I were hanging out in the inner sanctum with Keyna and Donna, a ticket booth cashier who was eating her homemade lunch out of Tupperware, all the while surrounded by shelves of various Tabasco products aka My Dream Pantry. OMG! I was so overwhelmed, it didn’t occur to me to take any photos of my surroundings or my new best friends. DANG IT!

The headiness continued as Keyna presented me and Rob each with two small cups of mash, bottles of water, and TASTING SPOONS!! On chains! To wear like a necklace! OMG!

I immediately put my spoon necklace around my neck, feeling very official and swanky like those fancy wine snobs who wear silver wine cups around their necks when they are sampling wine.

Apparently Official Tabasco Mash Tasters
use little spoons like this! 

Trying to focus on the task at hand, I immediately noticed the mash in the two cups looked and smelled different. It was very easy to tell them apart. One was bright red and smelled fresh and peppery; the other had a brown tinge to it and smelled sort of dank and musty while at the same time smelling a lot more like Tabasco sauce than the redder mash.

Keyna explained that the bright red one was brand new mash. It was just about to go into the bourbon barrels for aging. Meanwhile, the brown mash was three years older. It was done hanging out in the barrels and was now going to be mixed with vinegar to start its final journey to becoming Tabasco sauce. Keyna invited us to try each one, suggesting we use a little spit cup instead of swallowing each sample. And follow with water because they were going to be a bit hot.

The mash on the left is the new stuff.
The mash on the left is 3 years old.

Truth be told, the inside of my lips were numb for a few hours. It was AWESOME!

The brand new mash tasted like…mashed peppers. Nothing much else to the flavor. It was really the consistency that was notable. It was sort of a spread, like a tapenade. The old mash, though, THAT’S when the flavor started to hint at being Tabasco. The freshness was gone and was replaced by a deeper, darker, more earthy flavor. The vinegar was definitely missing, making me realize that the vinegar brings a brightness in addition to the acidity. Yep, my years of tasting and describing wine definitely helped me understand the differences between the two mashes! Or maybe it was the authoratative spoon necklace. In any case, I absolutely LOVED being able to taste and experience The Evolution of Tabasco. Even better that it was in the storage room!

I was a little worried that I would be disappointed finally visiting Avery Island – that after so many years of dreaming about it, it would somehow not meet my expectations. And I was right. Because of Keyna and the VIP Mash Tasting while Donna ate her lunch, my pilgrimage to Tabasco Land was even better than I had hoped. It was delicious, informative, homey, friendly, personal, and my fandom of Tabasco felt truly appreciated and honored. My pepper dreams came true and more.

I clearly have no qualms about looking
like a total tourist

Yeah, but what about Texas??

In the years I have been dreaming about visiting Avery Island in Louisiana, two of Rob’s brothers have planted some roots in nearby Texas. So what was once envisioned as a one-stop destination vacation evolved into a road trip across the flatlands to visit family along the way.

We were THRILLED to be able to spend one-on-one time with some brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews. Rob is the oldest of 7, so when we see the Texas Contingent, it is typically in a big crowd of family members gathered for an occasion. Not the ideal environment for introverts who thrive on quality time spent with loved ones.

Having heart-felt conversations, sharing the real stuff of life over glasses of wine, feeling the trusting grip of a toddler’s hand around my finger as we conquered a step about 8000 times, admiring the moon over and over, playing board games, dancing in the living room, cheering for our favorite 7-year-old soccer player. All breathed life into Rob and me as we made deeper connections with people we would choose as friends even if they weren’t already family. Even without Avery Island, the trip would have been spectacular just for that alone.

Rob and one of our most favorite toddlers

I love watching Uncle Rob

LOVE this Texan crew! And loved
wearing shorts for the first time in months!

A couple of side trips

There were two especially fun excursions in amongst the family and peppers. One was a brief foray into a Texas-style livestock show, the other was a visit to NASA.

Although we didn’t stay for any actual rodeoing, we were able to spend a few delicious Texan hours at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Highlights included: the most beautiful longhorn steer I have ever seen; sampling a deep fried brisket ball (OMG) and deep fried red velvet cupcake (ummm…YES!); learning about how a cotton gin works; and falling in love with the most adorable little logo.

We were told that the coloring on this Longhorn
Steer makes it extremely unique. I had never
seen anything other than a cat come close
to this beautiful calico coloring!

Deep fried brisket ball. The brisket
just by itself was pretty amazing. 
Rolling it into a ball and then frying
it was true inspiration! It was so 
good, I didn't use any BBQ sauce after
the first bite. If you know me, you 
know that is a HIGH compliment!

This old timey Westerny H guy was SO adorable! His name
is officially "Howdy." How cute is that?!?  The second
photo shows my new silver Howdy earrings. The Howdy
Bobblehead is on my Fair Souvenir Shelf next to the
Squatchy from the Washington State Fair and the
Butter Cow Bobblehead from Iowa State Fair.
And of course I have a Fair Souvenir Shelf. Duh.

Ryan and Mary were spectacular hosts!! What a fantastic visit.

Another day we got to tour NASA’s Johnson Space Center outside of Houston. I'm just going to say it: it was even better than the Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. There were pieces and replicas of history that I remember vividly, that we walked through and got to touch. Like Skylab and an emptied 747 transport for the space shuttle (named “NASA 905”) and a very cool replica of the Space Shuttle Independence.

It's pretty clear as soon as you arrive
on campus that you are about to
experience All Things Spacey

Inside the original 747 that was repurposed
as a SCA (Shuttle Carrier Aircraft).
It was fascinating to walk around inside
a stripped-down airplane!

The absolute highlight, though, was going inside a 1960s-era cement block of a building, climbing some old metal stairs, and emerging into the observation gallery for the historic Mission Control Center. You know, where the first moon landing (among others) was managed and to which the iconic understatement, “Houston, we have a problem” was broadcast.

The moment we entered the building housing Mission Control, I was smacked by a flood of childhood memories prompted by a smell I had never realized was a smell at all. The entire room – indeed, the entire building – smelled like the 1970s.

It was a plastic smell mixed with metal. It was slightly mechanical and electrical, and entirely synthetic. It was the smell of enormous computers and old typewriters and vinyl office chairs and linoleum that probably contains asbestos. The smell was so defined and distinct and glorious. I stood in the room and breathed in the reminiscent aroma so many times, I got a little light-headed from not exhaling enough.

With that nostalgia as a backdrop, I shouldn’t be surprised that I actually cried as I sat in the original nubby orange upholstered chairs in the Gallery and stared at the largely original and painstakingly refurbished Apollo-era Mission Control Center just a pane of glass away.

For a fascinating description of the process to
bring Mission Control back to 1960s glory, 
read this interview with two of the folks involved.
Apparently this restoration is pretty recent,
being completed just in time for the
50th Anniversary of the Lunar Landing

I was overwhelmed by the history of the room I was sitting in. The accomplishments, the national pride, the devastation, the unfathomable stress, the unbridled relief and celebration. And then, THEN I sort of lost it when the screens lit up and the speakers whirred and the final several minutes of the moon landing on July 20, 1969 were replayed as they were experienced when one giant leap for mankind occurred.

Because it was 1969, this was the technology
to keep track of where the astronauts were 
on the moon in relation to the TV field of view
(which is noted on the white label under the
hand). As the astronauts moved around, the
man's hand moved the little cutouts.

I have had the honor of visiting a lot of historical places and yet very few have elicited this deep of an emotional reaction from me. I blame the smell. I think it transported me. Absolutely on my Top 10 Travel Experiences ever.

LOVE the font, too!

So yeah, our Bucket List Trip to Texas and Louisiana sort of exceeded all our expectations and was truly one of the best vacations we have taken in a long time. A long-held dream was realized, relationships were deepened, and history and childhoods came back to life for brief moments of overwhelming clarity, emotion, and appreciation. 

SO grateful to be doing the things instead of just talking about them.