A Morgan City welcome: Traveler's account praises the local hospitality

The many good things about the city of Morgan City invalidate the critical and harmful comments we frequently see posted on social media. It would be refreshing for people to look with new eyes at the beauty and many advantages we benefit from by residing here in our hometown.
Having family members who live in large cities around the country, I am frequently reminded how quickly and easily we can get from point A to point B in our area.
In a recent first visit to Morgan City, the grandmother of one of our newer citizens kept repeating to anyone who would listen that Morgan City is a “Hallmark community!”
Our quaint downtown area, the safety we feel on the streets, the delicious food, the enormity of the Atchafalaya River, and the beauty and size of Lake Palourde were astonishing to her.
Lake End Park hosts campers from throughout the United States and Canada who return year after year to spend the winter months enjoying the weather and the beauty of Lake Palourde.
Now, the Mr. Charlie Rig Museum has begun hosting RVers through the Harvest Hosts organization. These campers pay an annual fee to receive unique, safe, and convenient RV camping at over 5,000 farms, wineries, breweries, and attractions.
Now, campers can spend the night on the swift flowing Atchafalaya River at the foot of a vintage oil rig. This has to be an experience that is both unique and educational.
In 2021, the following comments were posted by a couple who boarded their 41-foot sailboat to navigate The Great Loop.
The two spent 511 days; sailed 7,772 nautical miles; traveled through 25 states and two countries; and anchored in 134 locations.
During this extended journey, they documented their experiences in a blog, https://svaurora.net/?p=2861:
“We did not ever imagine … the generosity and kindness of strangers … until (we moored in) Morgan City.”
“There, we met the town dock master who checked in with us several times just to make sure we were okay.”
“There, we met the kind clerk in the gift store who offered to drive me to another store to buy a postcard because she did not have any.’
“There, a tow captain alerted us that our next lock was closed and told us to contact Berwick Traffic Control.”
“There, the owner of Shannon Hardware had one of his employees drive us (in HIS car) to a competitor because he only sold 7/8-inch anchor line in 300-foot rolls, but his competitor would cut us the 100’ we needed.”
“There, the supervisor at E.J. Fields Machine Works let us use their degreasing bath and cleaned off a work bench for us to re-assemble our sail-drive clutch assembly.”
"Finally, “Virgil (Allen) gave us the most thorough, fascinating tour of the Mr. Charlie ... the only remaining oil rig of its vintage. Virgil’s tour took us up and down the rig: into the crew quarters, onto the drilling platform, down in the mudroom. Along the way, he provided the color for each of these areas, explained how an oil well was drilled, spoke to us about the Deepwater Horizon tragedy and explained the effort he was engaged in trying to obtain a National Historic site designation.”
 “Do not miss this tour if your travels bring you this way; it was right up there with the factory tour at BMW!”
Their final comment about the nature of the people of Morgan City was: “I think there must be something in the water there that makes everyone sooo gracious!”
So, drink the water! Become one of these remarkable citizens who are remembered by visitors to our Hallmark community.
Adjust your attitude and become the change that will elevate Morgan City and contribute to the success of our future.