Louisiana

Looking for a change from Interstate 10 we decided to travel US Hwy 90 after getting out of New Orleans. Charlie again trusted me with the good camera and I was in charge of pictures of wild, wacky or just odd. Thank goodness it’s all digital and not film! I took a lot of bad, blurry shots – sometimes due to the bumpy road and sometimes due to poor technique. But I did manage a few reasonably good pictures.

The bridge on Interstate 310 over the Mississippi River was quite high but we only saw barges – no tall ships.

The beginning of our day was mostly highways raised up over swamp – lots of cypress and some palmetto. In many places the highway is like a very long, rather short bridge!

There were many bridges throughout the day – some more scenic than others. While the new bridges are very impressive I think we both preferred the older bridges.

After a while the swamp gave way to agriculture – mostly sugarcane but some cattle and small farms. In some places the sugarcane was already cut and the fields were being burned – smelled like molasses.

Eventually we headed for Lake Fausse Pointe State Park – we were aware that the RV campground and hiking trails were closed for repairs but were hoping for some photo opportunities and a bit of a walk. They have extensive picnic areas with grills, tables, pavilions and even playgrounds. Overlooking the lake is a large pavilion next to canoe and rowboat rentals; nearby is a boat ramp if you bring your own boat. Charlie got a glimpse of their cabins but we couldn’t get near the RV area or hiking trails. It was a bit odd being the only visitors in such a large park!

The park was the midpoint of the most difficult driving of the day – smaller, narrow roads with sharp turns and no shoulder. There were some lovely homes and churches, a boat that looked a bit out of place and a scary, old, one-way bridge!

Tonight we’re in a small campground right along the highway – it should be quiet enough for one night. The weather is still making our planning difficult – hopefully soon we’ll be able to go north of Interstate 10.

Almost forgot – click here for more pictures along Hwy 90 and click here for more of Lake Fausse Pointe State Park.

Due to the weather we bundled up in many, many layers including our down parkas in preparation for a day of wandering the French Quarter. We waffled between a city bus ($1.90 and 45 minutes) and Uber ($12-$13 and 20 minutes) and then the fun began! The Uber app wouldn’t process our request and we couldn’t figure out why. The bus was either a few minutes early or missing-in-action. While waiting for the bus Charlie decided to update the Uber app and before a bus ever appeared we were finally on our way with a nice Uber driver named Bernard.

With a list of places in easy walking distance from each other we started at Washington Artillery Park taking pictures of Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral.

Mass was about to start so we didn’t spend much time in the Cathedral but it truly is magnificent.

Next door is The Cabildo – a museum of Louisiana History in a former government building. It wasn’t on our list but we decided it would be a good overview of New Orleans and Louisiana. In addition to the exhibits with artifacts there were many portraits lining the staircases.

Our next stop was Madame John’s Legacy to see an 18th century residential building complex but our timing wasn’t great – they were closed for lunch! Looks like timing for picture was a bit off as well – I was caught mid-blink. Madame_Johns

So we headed for The Old Ursuline Convent for more Louisiana history – this time with an emphasis on the Catholic Church. The attached Saint Mary’s Catholic Church is much smaller than the Cathedral but it is just as magnificent.

After a detour into enVie Cafe for coffee, tea & a scone (wish I could have taken the stained glass lights) we walked to The New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint where the featured exhibits were of Pete Fountain and Women in Jazz. There was also some rather unique artwork – we liked the statue outside best.

By now most all the museums were closing but the Farmer’s Market in the French Market was still open. Cauliflower, brussel sprouts and green onions came home with us and our favorite way of roasting cauliflower and brussel sprouts stayed with the farmer! Farmers_Market1

After way too long spent looking through a list of nearby restaurants we finally decided on Napoleon House. It was dark & cozy and our timing was great this time – we were seated right away! Hot tea, muffuletta (sandwich for Cheryl & salad for Charlie) and jambalaya was a great way to end our wanderings in the French Quarter.

Throughout the day we enjoyed finding unique and picturesque sights along the streets. Beautiful fences and balconies, lovely architecture, street markets and shop signs & offerings all caught our eye.