Enjoy this American Press sneak peak of four homes on the The Holiday Home Tour. See all seven homes and find out why River Road homeowners claim there’s not another home setting like it. The Lake Charles Symphony and The Foundation at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital 2016 Holiday Home Tour will be held Sunday, Nov. 27 from 2 – 5 p.m.

Admission is $50 per person and the price includes a tour of homes, complimentary hors d’oeuvres, holiday cocktails, beverages and the sounds of the season by Chris Shearman.

Proceeds will benefit the symphony’s educational program that provides free concert tickets to K-12 students of high-risk schools.

11 River Road

One of the first homes on the tour had humble beginnings. Like many of the places along River Road, it started as a small boathouse/fish camp.

“We have a place on Big Lake,” said Tyson Queenan. “But we enjoyed being out here so much, we decided to add on. It’s like being on a boat every day. We’ve seen dolphins twice. The skyline is beautiful, especially at night. We started spending more time here than at home.”

The “boat house” addition and remodel took the space from 500- to 2,500 square feet. However, as beautiful as it is, it isn’t roomy enough to accommodate a family of eight. Tyson and Jenny Queenan have started construction on a home across the road.

14 River Road

Ronnie and Jane Dowty are Lake Charles natives who have traveled the world. Their first home on River Road was an old fish camp constructed in the 1930s. After Hurricane Rita blew through and Hurricane Ike produced flooding that required demolishing the camp, Jane wasn’t as enthusiastic as her husband about rebuilding.

“I fought it tooth and nail,” she said. “I was sick of cleaning up.”

Now, she’s glad she let her husband talk her into it.

The Dowty home features an “indoor workshop.” Ronnie Dowty is an accomplished wood worker who has crafted many of the home’s furnishings. Equipment won’t have to be moved if severe weather threatens.

Gleaming, unpainted wood and an extensive collection of rugs and other handmade objects from around the world make this house unique.

The Dowty’s were international educators until retirement. Finding out about some of the items in the house will add to the fun of the evening: Women from nomadic tribes created the Samudra rugs. A bowl in the foyer contains ostrich eggs. Ostriches lay up to 30 eggs at one time and then furiously defend them against predators. Cowrie shells, sewn into the Babu cloth from Zaire were once a form of currency. Zaire is now The Democratic Republic of the Congo.

15B River Road

Chuck Jackson, a Lake Charles native, contracted his River Road home while he was still living in San Francisco in a Victorian period home.

“The architect asked me about my taste, so I flew her over there,” he said. “I thought it would be lot easier for her to see it in person.”

His River Road home has an open floor plan with a wide center hall. Textures, patterns and fabric used are reminiscent of the Victorian period. Jackson collects art and has an extensive collection of framed George Rodrique prints.

The 3,000 square foot home has only one bedroom and the property includes a downstairs guesthouse.

“I have a water view from every room and living on River Road is like living in your own little city,” Jackson said. “We’re all close. We all get along and often this is where everyone meets up to watch a ball game.”

15D River Road

“We were in the boat when I noticed the for sale sign for this property,” said Belinda Harper, about her River Road home. She and her husband, Barney were living in Moss Bluff.

“We sat on the property for two years before we decided to build,” Belinda Harper said.

They’ve received offers for their new home, but don’t have any plans to give up their little paradise.

Belinda Harper is a real estate agent and has seen many beautiful homes in the area. She wanted hers to be different. She maximized every square inch of space. Lines are simple. Lighting is perfect. Furnishings are comfortable but elegant. And the modern abstract art used in the home energizes the space.

“I love it here,” she said. “I’m 9 minutes from work. We looked a long time to find the perfect waterfront property.”

Harper said River Road residents jet ski to the casino, bird watching is great and the nighttime fishing boats light up the evening sky. She’s pleased that she’s in a setting sandwiched between the river and the bayou of cypress knees.

“I still meet people who don’t know about this area,” she said.

The tour will also include the homes of Bill and Sue Shearman, Mark and Gina Abraham and Lenn and Brenda Ford.

Tickets can be purchased on line at www.lcsymphony.com, at the Symphony office located in Central School Arts and Humanities Center or by calling the Symphony office at 433-1611. Tickets may be purchased the day of the tour.Holiday Home Tour is also presented in part by The Townsley Law Firm and Joe Miller, Jr. of New York Life.

The home of Ronnie and Jane Dowty at 14 River Road. (Rita LeBleu / American Press)