Minden, Louisiana

Coca Cola Bottling Plant
Credit: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/
Coca_Cola_Bottling_Plant_in_Minden,_LA_IMG_1434.JPG

Leaving Shreveport around 10:00 AM to allow myself some time to rest, I would then set off to Minden, Louisiana. Arriving roughly around 11:00 AM, I would acquaint myself with the quaint, small town charm on display at places like the Coca Cola bottling plant that provides most of the tourism and capital for the town.

My next stop will be the far less traditional, Germantown settlement, just outside of Minden. Founded by German Christian Mystics in 1835, the town was idealized as a utopia where members patiently awaited the Second Coming of Christ. Needless to say, the colony was unsustainable and the socialist bent to life there ultimately proved unrealistic.

Led by the enigmatic Countess Leon (Elisa Leon), the settlement was relatively successful for a period and existed as a bizarre holding pattern for Puritan-like behavior and belief amidst very different surrounding cultures. My time spent exploring this strange settlement and its unassuming neighbor, Minden, will help forge an understanding of the rich, unusual assortment of cultures in the South. More info on the bizarre history of Germantown.

Germantown, LA
Credit: http://www.hnoc.org/images/1974.25.31.63.jpg