Still in New Orleans

Saturday 19 January

Our last day in New Orleans is not quite as cold. I wear one layer less - probably will be a mistake but I am seduced by the glorious sun!

The Natchez Steamboat is moored across the  canal from our RV park. It has been our view from the RV for the last few days.
It is undergoing a refit; there have been people working on it each day including today. I guess it will be needed during Mardi Gras for daily tours on the Mississippi River.


Mardi Gras - French for Fat Tuesday - may cover the entire period from Epiphany (6 January) to the day before Ash Wednesday, Shrove Tuesday in many other countries around the world, or just the few days leading up to Fat Tuesday. The festival season varies from city to city in the US; it is not observed nationally, but a number of traditionally ethnic French cities and regions have celebrations.

Mardi Gras is music, parades, picnics, floats, excitement ... and one big holiday in New Orleans. The Carnival festivities are celebrated with lavish masked balls, ornate costumes and colourful floats. Everyone is wearing purple, green and gold and are adorned with long beads caught from the floats. During Mardi Gras businesses and roads practically shut down; people walk everywhere; the slogan  'let the good times roll' is very much alive.

Many Carnival traditions began with the Krewe of Rex, the King of Mardi Gras, in the 1872 parade.
The tradition of throwing souvenir coins, beads and dolls from the floats began a few years later.
As we travel around New Orleans we see long necklaces of beads in purple, green and gold hanging from the trees bordering streets. They are caught up in the trees during the parades and  left there from year to year.

We take the 10am shuttle. When we arrive in town we join up with Rick and Sue, a couple  from Colorado who are also staying at the RV park. We book a City Tour for 1pm then wander through the French Market, an area which served as a trading place for Native Americans before European settlement. Rows upon rows of  stalls and tables selling everything from jewellery and pottery to arts and crafts. I thought there would have been much more fresh Louisiana  produce but I guess we weren't in the right place.
A coffee and sugar-coated beignet before joining the tour. We came away lightly dusted with icing sugar; impossible not to.

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These guys made a great sound!

We join the City Excursion for a 2 hour informative sightseeing tour. Our tour guide and driver is a local. He is interesting and provides some unique insights into life in New Orleans.

Only in New Orleans could cemeteries be major tourist attractions. Because the city is built on a swamp, the deceased have to be buried above ground often in elaborate stone crypts and mausoleums. Over time the cemeteries have come to resemble small villages and are known as Cities of the Dead.

We visit St Louis Cemetery #3. Our guide explained that there are 2 types of crypts - family vaults and oven crypts. A coffin is slid inside one of these crypts and the combination of heat and humidity acts like a slow cremation. In a year or so (they let the family grieve at the first anniversary) the occupants bones are all pushed to the back, the coffin pieces are removed and another coffin can be inserted. In the larger family vaults there are shelves. As family members die, the bones are swept into a pit below and everyone lies jumbled together!! An efficient use of space!

We drive through the lower 9th Ward, a district devastated by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. It was one of the strongest storms to impact the coast of US in the last 100 years. New Orleans was extensively damaged, almost as much by the failure of the levees as by the hurricane.
Many people moved away and abandoned their homes. On many blocks, a carefully restored home sits beside one that has been boarded up.

St. Louis Cathedral

Looking at those neighbourhoods certainly brings home the strength and ferociousness of mother nature.










We have a meal at Cafe Maspero's, on Decatur Street, sharing seafood platters.

More strolling, back to Bourbon Street which is now closed off to traffic - as it is each night. It is almost impassable with people yet it is still relatively early!
We seek out Pat O'Brien's Piano Bar - 2 girls on pianos playing anything and everything. Trevor requests a Willie Nelson song. We stay there until 'shuttle time'.

Let The Party Begin!!

It's a cold start in the morning after an even colder night.  We had all the blankets on the bed!! But we get up to a sunny morning; sitting in the sun inside the RV everything seems possible. I go for a long walk in the late morning and warm up.

In the afternoon we take a shuttle into downtown New Orleans. We are dropped off at the corner of Burgundy and Toulouse Streets in the French Quarter with instructions to be back at that corner at 8pm for a ride back to the RV park; any later and we are on our own!

Coffee first!

We walk to Bourbon Street; along Bourbon Street to Canal Street. It is fairly quiet but that is about to change!
We have a coffee at PJ's.




We then walk to Decatur Street, pass by Jackson Square and back to Bourbon Street. It is early evening and the number of people out on the streets has increased considerably.


This is a Thursday and a cold afternoon and evening; even so we find the restaurants are filling up and the street and cafe entertainers in full song!

A group of young guys - about 30 - are walking up Bourbon Street singing loudly, accompanied by a 5 piece jazz band. Great sound! Perhaps that is what you do for your birthday; hire a band????

We have dinner at Remoulade on Bourbon, a casual restaurant serving creole and cajun cuisine. Sounds like Trevor??  He has  Jambalaya and I have a dish of Red Beans, Rice and Smoked Sausage - both delicious. We each have a Cypress Screamer. It was green and quite sweet - that's about all I can tell you!

As we dined I could hear a little of the conversation at the table next to us. An unmistakeable Aussie accent. So we started up a conversation and discovered they were from .... Mandurah!! A small world!

Then back to our corner for the shuttle and home to our RV. All good fun.

On both Friday and Saturday we took the early shuttle - 10am - and stayed downtown until the 8pm shuttle. We walked and walked.

We spent several hours at the National World War II Museum, the world's most extensive museum commemorating World War II and designated by Congress as the country's official World War II Museum. The museum covers the entirety of the war emphasising the American experience. It opened on 6 June 2000, the 56th anniversary of D Day.
The building is large; it takes up several blocks in the city. In the atrium aircraft including a Spitfire, Messerschmitt, Douglas SBD dive bomber and Douglas C47  are suspended from the ceiling.
The most recent exhibit opened in January 2013  - the US Freedom Pavilion: the Boeing Center where are displayed 5 fighting aircraft and an interactive submarine experience.

A mural on the wall of a building alongside a parking area.

New Orleans ironwork both wrought iron and cast iron are seen throughout the city, particularly in the French Quarter and the Garden District where balconies, fences, window grilles and gates are adorned with decorative motifs.
It adds a romantic touch to the city.

Street musicians

In the evenings we find ourselves back at Pat O'Brien's - the Home of the Hurricane!
The original Pat O'Brien's (there are now 2 venues in New Orleans) was founded  in 1933. It is located at 718 St. Peter Street, an historic building built in 1791 - the first Spanish theatre in the US.





The Hurricane drink had its birth in the 1940's when, during World War II there was a limited supply of whisky because the distilleries were used to make ammunition! However rum was readily available from the Caribbean. Bar owners were forced to buy large quantities of rum in order to buy a case of whisky. The mixologist experimented with different drinks and came up with the fruity concoction. The name was chosen because the drink was, and still is, served in a glass that is shaped like a hurricane lamp. Somewhat addictive!

On Friday night we have dinner at Maison Dupuy, a great little restaurant on the corner of Burgundy and Toulouse - so no problem waiting for the shuttle and out of the cold wind!
We both have Jambalaya and a margarita. Locals now!
There are so many people out on the streets;  it is the approach to Mardi Gras  - and - New Orleans is host to the Super Bowl on Sunday 3 February.  A perfect storm!!

Party Time!!

I hope the title to this post is not too misleading. We start off with miserable weather and a bleak outlook. But it does get better ... much!









We spent one day (2 nights) at the Hollywood Casino RV Park. A good time to catch up with washing. We go over to the casino - for coffee!

We made further arrangements and bookings for California when the kids are here.



Watching the fog get thicker and thicker!!






Wednesday 16 January - headed for the state line and New Orleans. We leave the Hollywood Casino RV Park about 10.30.
It is cold!  44 degrees as we drive; 37 this morning. Be impressed!  That's 3C min and 7C max!!
But it is not raining and the fog has lifted.

The forecast for the next few days is into the 50's. I guess it is winter and considering the weather in the north of the country ......???

I think we have to stop here!

We cross the state line about noon. Another Welcome Centre. They are truly amazing places with all the resources, maps and brochures you might need and very helpful people. Also great restrooms!! We chat to a helper - she is so nice and seems to know exactly where we are headed which is more than we do!!


We are also given directions to a supermarket and .. a Starbucks!!
The supermarket is a delight!!. Rouses. We haven't come across that one before. We find the Starbucks too.

Waiting for the lift bridge.

We have reserved a site at the Pontchartrain Landing RV Park in France Road, New Orleans.  It is located on a Navigational Canal. It is one of the closest RV parks to downtown New Orleans and offers a shuttle into the French Quarter 3 times a day.

This is the reason - a barge.

Lake Pontchartrain is not a true lake - it is an estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico. However it is one of the largest wetlands in the world. It covers an area of 630 sq. miles (1,600sq kms) and is 40 miles west to east and 24 miles north to south.
The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway which consists of 2 parallel bridges was constructed in the 1950's and 60's. It connects New Orleans with Mandeville in the north bisecting the lake in a N-NE line. The Causeway is the longest bridge over water continuous in the world. The word 'continuous' is very important in that statistic for the Guinness Book of Records.

We arrive at the RV park about 2pm. It is very cold, windy and raining. A difficult set up for those with the 'blue' jobs.  I was fine. There are benefits for those with the pink jobs!

We stay inside for the rest of the day - reading and doing puzzles. Trevor makes margaritas late afternoon. A stir fry for dinner and that's our day!

Party time ??? It will have to wait for tomorrow!!!

Great company!

On Sunday Jim and Sue drove us around Spanish Fort, a city rich in history. It is located directly across the Bay from Mobile; it took its name from an old fort which was built there during the American Revolutionary War by the Spanish troops of General Bernado de Galvez; it had been the site of a Revolutionary War battle in 1781 when a British force from Pensacola tried unsuccessfully to drive off the Spanish.

During the Civil War the Confederates built massive fortifications and batteries there as the bluffs at Spanish Fort commanded a key water approach to Mobile. On 27 March 1865 a major battle began. Union troops encircled the land approaches to the Confederate fortifications. With a force of only a couple of thousand men, the Confederates defended the Spanish Fort against the Union army (15 times greater in size) for 12 days until 8 April 1865.

Spanish Fort holds onto its history. As we drove around, Jim and Sue pointed out earthworks and breastworks (battle trenches)  in the yards and gardens of homes, preserved and still to be seen to this day. It is quite something.

Afterwards we went to Jim and Sue's home for a lovely meal; bbq pork steaks, wonderful salads and to top it off ... a King Cake, a Mardi Gras must!  Lots of fun and great company!

And then we are  headed for Mississippi.

We leave Spanish Fort on a cloudy, foggy and cold morning. We get onto I-10 and immediately are swallowed into a tunnel! Fortunately Jim had warned us about the tunnel but it was still something new, driving into its mouth!!

















We cross into Mississippi about 9.45am and stop at the Welcome Centre. Then off I-10 and onto Hwy 90 which will take us along the Gulf Coast. The fog hasn't lifted a lot and visibility is limited. I have put a Starbucks in Biloxi into the gps so that is our next stop!


The Mississippi Gulf Coast is 62 miles of scenic shoreline including the world's longest beach - man made and 26 miles long - Long Beach.
There are also 11 casinos along the coast with 24 hour gaming and world class entertainment.
We travelled here 25 years ago when we visited with our boys, our friends John and Christine and their 2 boys - 4 teenagers!
Quite some trip!











We cross several large bridges over waterways, bays and inlets along the coast.

The weather is closing in more and more! Some of the bridges appear to hang in the air. It is a relief to reach the highest point and see the road continuing over the other side!
We see many empty blocks of land along the waterfront. This area was badly hit by Hurricane Katrina and it looks as if a lot of the homes that were there were destroyed. I wonder if the residents have moved away or rebuilt elsewhere. The concrete pads of houses are still there as are some of the driveways; even garden structures and retaining walls - but no houses.

There are numerous For Sale signs.

We stop at Bay St Louis. I rang ahead and booked a site at the Hollywood Casino RV Park.

I'm not going anywhere!!

It is really foggy by late afternoon and quite cold! When we have settled in, we go over to the Casino to have a look around. We don't stay. Not even a flutter!