Author: Emily Gautreaux

A Dude Ranch to Explore in Wyoming

Does the dude ranch still exist in today’s modern world? The short answer is a resounding “Yes!”, and the scenery is still unspoiled and the views still magnificent.  Travel + Leisure continues to cover this jewel of a resort for good reason.

Dude ranch history stretches back to the late 19th century when wealthy men like Theodore Roosevelt made hunting trips and sightseeing excursions to the American West to chase wild game and magnificent scenery. After World War I the popularity of dude ranches increased, becoming the main tourist attraction in the Rocky Mountain area. Famous writers like Mary O’Hara and painters like Remington brought the romance of cowboy life and the open frontier to millions throughout the world. Then came Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show which was an unprecedented success in Europe and gave western life worldwide fame. Simultaneously, the industrial revolution was transforming the East Coast, destroying wildlife and the countryside. It is no wonder that the mystic of the West attracted many; galloping horses, cowboys and Indians, magnificent scenery and, above all, the freedom of the frontier captured the imagination of the Western World. In the West a man was judged for his courage and performance; not for his family background or the amount of money he had.

There at the Brush Creek Ranch, you are transported right back to the 19th century and the remote wilderness of Wyoming.  Unspoiled, unpolluted and breathtakingly beautiful, this luxury dude ranch offers 30,000 acres of adventure, scenic landscapes, and wide-open space to breathe fresh air while living out your authentic western fantasy. There, guests can spend a morning learning the delicate art of fly fishing before escaping to the spa for a signature facial that will leave their skin looking as fresh and glowy as a western summer sunrise. Enjoy activities ranging from yoga to horseback riding, as they offer over 50 miles of trails. Over 40 different activities are geared towards giving families a true western experience, or adults can spend an evening at the saloon hoping for the winning hand of poker.

Visit one of the farm branches like the bakery that uses timeless techniques with a dash of innovative expression. They feature a full range of breads, sweets and more, all prepared with top shelf ingredients and an intuition only honed by experience. What’s pulled fresh from their oven is crafted daily by their extraordinary Baker, and enough goods are produced to supply both The Farm and the rest of the ranches on property.  After that, venture over to the creamery where their award winning Creamer masterfully instills their dairy products with complex flavors, blending old world and old west traditions. Using the finest milk from their own Alpine goats, Medicine Bow Creamery is dedicated to creating superior products they have masterfully and exquisitely perfected. Delight yourself with their hand-crafted yogurt, ice cream, butter, and more, or if you’re seeking a more family-friendly experience, participate in creating the products yourself through one of their classes.

If you are a snow sport enthusiast, come during the winter months and enjoy Green Mountain.  There, you can enjoy the ultimate winter experience.  This winter, guests of the Brush Creek Ranch Luxury Collection have exclusive access to this private 600 acre mountain getaway. Located 25 minutes from the gates of Brush Creek Ranch, Green Mountain is completely surrounded by National Forest lands, combining a secluded outdoor adventure with awe-inspiring views. Green Mountain is home to one-of-a-kind snow skiing and snowboarding for all skill levels, miles of wilderness for snowshoeing and cross country skiing terrain throughout the property.

As you can see, this Dude Ranch offers a multi-angled and unforgettable experience.  All that is missing is YOU!

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Former Nicholls’ Football Player Named Athletic Director

The Athletics Department at Nicholls State University just announced their newest Athletic Director, former Colonel football player and coach Jonathan Terrell (BA ‘98), as reported by a NSU press release. 

Terell played quarterback and wide receiver for the Colonels from 1993-1996, and he returns to his Alma Mater as its new Athletic Director, aiming to take over the program that has continued to achieve new heights both on and off the field.

Other than his experience as a student athlete, Terrell has more than two decades of proven sales and coaching success, making him the school’s first Black athletic director in Nicholls history.

“I am grateful to Dr. Clune and the committee for giving me the opportunity to work at a place that I love,” Terrell said in a recent statement posted on the school’s website. “I am honored to be able to lead this department and continue the climb. Whether it’s in the classroom, on the field of play or in the community, we will be one team with one goal in mind, winning.”

Terrell rejoins the program while Nicholls is in the midst of historic academic and athletic success:

  • This past spring the combined Colonel athletic programs held a school-record 3.31 GPA and 10th year in a row of successful NCAA Academic Progress Rate scores.
  • The NSU Football Program has won back-to-back Southland Conference Championships and participated in the NCAA Playoffs three years in a row.
  • Nicholls’ Softball team won the 2018 regular season conference championship and played in back-to-back Southland Conference Tournament finals.
  • Nicholls’ men’s basketball team won the 2017-2018 regular-season conference championship.
  • Nicholls’ womens’ basketball team won the 2018 Southland Conference and participated in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the school’s long athletic history. In 2018, the team was invited to the Women’s Basketball Invitational postseason tournament.

Over the past decade, due to its successful sports teams, Colonel Athletics have been growing largely in popularity with season ticket sales on the continual rise. In addition to increased sales, the athletic department received the largest single gift in Nicholls history to renovate and expand Baker Hall.

“An athletic director doesn’t win a single game,” said Nicholls President Dr. Jay Clune. “You need someone of superior judgment to put the right team of coaches in place to be successful. Jonathan Terrell has that judgment. Going into the search, I was looking for someone of unquestionable integrity and character who could raise money. I couldn’t be happier with our selection.”

“Jonathan Terrell set himself apart early in the process because of his love and passion for Nicholls. He is the right person to keep the momentum we have going and built upon it,” Lindsey McKaskle, interim athletic director and chair of the search committee said.

Terrell had returned to the Colonels once before in 2004 to coach quarterbacks during the 2004 season under coach Darrell Daye. This is about a decade after his time as a quarterback and wide receiver for the 1993-1996 Colonels with head football coach Tim Rebowe.

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Baton Rouge’s Three O’Clock Project Fights Hunger

Thousands of Louisiana’s children are not going hungry thanks to Emily Chatelain’s Three O’Clock Project, as told by a recent Advocate article. The Project was only started four years ago with a goal of making sure local Baton Rouge children in need would have dinner, the project has since grown across South Louisiana with Chatelain expanding her reach due to the COVID-19 pandemic in order to fight hunger for children around the state.

Cheryl Ford from the Martin Luther King Center in Baton Rouge’s Eden Park neighborhood said in a recent interview with The Advocate, “It’s a known fact that when kids leave school, a lot of them, that would be the last meal they would get for the day, but the Three O’Clock Project provides meals to the children who otherwise wouldn’t eat after school.”

When Louisiana schools closed their doors earlier this year, the nonprofit organization stepped up to the task of making sure that students were still receiving food in order to prevent hunger for so many.

“So many families don’t know what’s next, and now they’re in a position where this is something they can depend on and it’s one less thing for them to worry about at home,” said Chatelain.

33-year-old Chatelain got started with the business of feeding students as the owner of School Food and Wellness Group, a Baton Rouge based consulting company that ensures area school breakfast and lunch programs are meeting the  correct nutrition standards and that proper government reporting and finances are completed and orderly.

Chatelain knew that there was a federally funded program that would also provide food for after-school programs in order to combat hunger, but when she researched deeper and asked local schools about it, they were unwilling to take on the paperwork and personnel issues.

“I kept getting that kind of pushback from schools not to join the supper program and provide this additional third meal,” said Chatelain. “Yet, I knew those kids would really benefit from it, because a lot of them go home and they don’t have a meal, or they have a meal but there’s nothing healthy.”

Thus, the Three O’Clock Project was born. It might have begun in Baton Rouge, but it quickly spread throughout south Louisiana during the school year and summer enrichment programs for children from low-income families. All meals whether a part of the after-school programs or summer program are federally-funded and administered through the state government. Last summer, it provided about 30,000 meals per day.

Matters were of course complicated when schools closed in mid-March, but the Three O’Clock project partnered with BREC (East Baton Rogue Parish Parks & Recreation) churches, and community organizations to find places where meals could be picked up. Chatelain said the organization has delivered over a million meals to sites for children or guardians to pick them up. The effort began in north Baton Rouge and has spread from there.

About 100 people are involved in cooking, packaging, delivering and distributing meals to fight hunger in East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Ascension, Assumption, Iberville, Jefferson, St, Landry, St. Martin, Vermilion, Acadia, Iberia and Lafayette parishes, Chatelain said.

For more Louisiana related articles, click here.

Delicious and Simple Desserts Requiring Few Ingredients

Just because you’re looking for something sweet to throw together doesn’t mean that you have to travel to the grocery store for an extensive list of long-lost ingredients. Broma Bakery offers a collection of several dessert ideas that can be made with minimal ingredients on hand, helping you clean out the back of your panty and satisfy a sweet tooth.

Healthyish Monster Cookies Simple Dessert Recipe

For those not in the know, monster cookies are one of the absolute best classic cookie recipes made with a hodgepodge of ingredients found in your pantry. Though, this recipe is more health-conscious, as they’re packed full of oats, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and M&M’s. Best of all, they require no mixer!

BetterBoxed Brownies

Boxed brownies are a simple dessert staple, but don’t let the box’s instruction be your only guide! Give that old brownie mix a little something extra with this semi-homemade recipe that doctors your brownie mix into some true gourmet brownies! With just a few additions these’ll taste bakery-perfect.

S’mores Rice Krispie Treats

Whether you’re finding yourself unable to face the outdoors or just un-willing, this simple dessert recipe for s’mores rice krispie treats are the best substitute for the real deal. These delicious bites are loaded with graham cracker pieces, chocolate and finished off with a toasty, torched top.

Salted Caramel Brownie Pie

Semi-homemade at its best. Start with a store-bought pie crust, brownie mix, and a salted caramel sauce to make this delicious, decadent treat that’s as easy to make as it is to eat.

Scotcheroos Simple Dessert Recipe

These chewy, caramel, and chocolatey rice crispy treats are made possible with only 7 ingredients provide for a delicious escape.

Vegan Peanut Butter Squares

These health and ethically-conscious vegan peanut butter squares are seriously delicious at just a count of five ingredients. You get get more of a simple dessert recipe than that.  Give Reese’s a run for their money whenever you barely have anything in your cupboard.

Peanut Butter Oat Energy Bites

These energy bites pack a much-needed punch for any time of day with only seven ingredients necessary and being freezer friendly. Whip up a big batch of these peanut butter oat bites for a guilt-free, protein-packed treat!

Cinnamon Roll Blondies

Always delicious is the cinnamon roll, though for some the task of making a batch is a huge undertaking when you’re juggling all of the obstacles that come alongside family breakfast. Luckily with this simple dessert recipe, the flavors of a cinnamon roll are still enjoyable as an easy blondie.

Dark Chocolate Bark Simple Dessert 

This deliciously delectable salted pretzel dark chocolate bark is only made with four ingredients, and the toppings can be swapped out for whatever your prefer or have on hand!

Chocolate Cake

A classic, simple, dessert doesn’t have to be complicatedly prepared to be enjoyed. This recipe is extremely fudge, decadent, and extremely easy to make. While the cake itself uses a little more ingredients than the other listed receipts, they’re all pantry staples: flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and oil. Top this off with a creamy chocolate frosting for the ultimate at home dessert!

For more delicious recipes, click here.

Gulf Coast Museums and Educational Centers To Visit

Residents of the Gulf Coast know that the area is rich in music, food, and beaches, but along the United States’ most southern coast lies a vast resource of learning opportunities in the state of Mississippi. Collected in a resource article by GulfCoastWeekend, is a pleasant handful of museums and educational centers to utilize for informative, interactive, and low-cost fun. There are several Gulf Coast museums that are definitely worth the day trip to get out of the house, have some family fun, and learn something

Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, GulfPort, MS

The Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, Mississippi’s first children’s museum, is a hands-on discovery center for children, families, and teachers. The plethora of exhibits and arts programs are designed to teach and entertain. This Gulf Coast museum was chosen by the Institute of Museum and Library Services as a 2016 National Medal winner, the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries servicing their communities. 

  • Features 15,000 square feet of hands-on exhibits for kids, an oak-covered acres for outside play, field trips, cooking classes, and summer camps.
  • Admission starts at $10 for kids and adults; ages 1 and under get in free; military and seniors 65+ get in for $8. Weekdays after 3 p.m., admission is $3. Everyone gets in for $6 on Sundays.

Walter Anderson Museum of Art, Ocean Springs, MS

The Walter Anderson Museum of Art inspires discovery, imagination, and community-building on the Gulf Coast and beyond through its programs, exhibitions, and outreach; and embodies Walter Anderson’s vision for societies in harmony with their environments. This Gulf Coast museum is one to visit. 

  • Features the artwork of Ocean Springs’ famed artist Walter Anderson and his brothers – Peter Anderson, master potter and founder of Shearwater Pottery, and James McConnell Anderson noted painted and ceramist.
  • Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children, and $8 for AAA members, military, seniors 65 and older, and students with a valid ID.

 Infinity Science Center, Pearlington, MS

INFINITY Science Center is a non-profit science museum dedicated to providing guests with quality, fun, and fascinating learning experiences, offering a blend of space, earth science, engineering, and technology content.  

  • Features 72-thousand square foot facility featuring STEM presentations and demonstrations, trams & bus tours, hikes and walks, simulator rides, interactive exhibits, the official visitor center for NASA’s Stennis Space Center, and more.
  • Admission starts at $18 for adults, $15 for military and seniors 55+, $11 for children ages 4-13, and free for kids 3 and under.

Ocean Adventures, Gulf Port, MS

The Ocean Adventure Marine Park offers over a dozen adventures to partake in ranging from Snorkeling with stingrays to dolphin meet and greets. Additionally, for only $25 you can get a kiss from a sea lion at this Gulf Coast museum and learning center. 

  • Features a bird aviary, tropical bird shows, dolphin/sea lion shows, stingray feedings, guided tours with touch pools, and much more.
  • General admission is $14 for adults, $13 for seniors and active military, and $12 for ages 3-12.

Model Railroad Museum, Gulfport, MS

This Gulf Coast museum allows visitors to explore multiple scale model train layouts and operate interactive exhibits.

  • Home of the largest LEGO railroad display in the state.
  • Free admission but donations are expected.

For more travel related news and information, click here.

Louisiana Universities Awarded Grants for 3D Printing

Looking towards the future are five universities in Louisiana that have been awarded a collective $20 million federal grant to build a sustainable research and education program in Louisiana in addition to designing complex alloys and polymers for 3D printing, as detailed in an Associated Press release this summer.

The award establishes the Louisiana Material Design Alliance (LAMDA), a board of scientists and engineers at five Louisiana universities and will have a big focus on 3D printing – Louisiana Tech, University of Louisiana Lafayette, Southern University A&M, Tulane University and LSU. The Louisiana Board of Regents is administering this grant.

The project is aiming to introduce new technologies and materials to boost a range of manufacturing industries, with federal support from the National Science Foundation, or NSF, as 3D printing technology holds the potential to reinvent the manufacturing industry, but currently available materials do not meet the needs for structural safety and integrity.

To solve this, Louisiana University scientists, engineers, and other collaborators will be discovering and testing the composition, processing, microstructure, performance, and structural integrity of materials that can be used in advanced 3D printing.

“This game-changing work is at the frontiers of science, engineering and education. We are committed to connecting our research discoveries to industry, so they can have real-world impacts,” said Michael Khonsari, the Dow Chemical Endowed Chair in Rotating Machinery in the LSU Department of Mechanical Engineering, who is the project director for the newly established LAMDA and 3D printing initiative.

The overall project aims to forge new collaborations among LAMDA institutions and establish new partnerships with federal agencies and industries to build a sustainable research and education program in Louisiana as well as development of a skilled and diverse STEM workforce which includes 3D printing. It includes summer training programs for community college faculty to provide them with educational tools to incorporate in their own classrooms, a conference series and other outreach activities.

“This is a great win for Louisiana and the economy that will provide a much-needed boost to the manufacturing industry in our state and across the U.S. We are thankful for the National Science Foundation’s support of the research expertise at LSU and throughout Louisiana,” said LSU Interim President Tom Galligan.

“The manufacturing industry plays a critical role in both state and national economies, and 3D printing will help take it to the next level,” said Sen. John Kennedy, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said. “This funding will help educate university students and better equip Louisiana’s workforce.”

“We are delighted that NSF has recognized the immense value of the collaborative work of researchers across Louisiana institutions, public and private, around cutting-edge manufacturing,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Kim Hunter Reed. “The project’s dual emphasis on research and education ensures the broadest possible reach of the work.”

The grant will pay 14 new faculty members to work in the 3D printing program at the five universities, LSU said in a news release.

In addition to their research, the faculty will develop new courses and student-led research projects to increase Louisiana’s STEM workforce.

For more education related information, click here.