On to New Orleans

After leaving Gaffney SC for service where we spent 3 nights, we went to McKinney Campground in Altoona, Georgia for 3 nights.  On to Greenville Alabama for just one night in route to New Orleans, where we spent 3 nights at Ponchatrain Landing.  Pardon the wiggly arrow signs, It's hard trying to computer draw while on a bumpy road!

 Driving to New Orleans from a little north of Atlanta on a Sunday morning was uneventful.  As expected, the roads were uncrowded and rarely was a tractor-trailer seen. 

Stopped for the night in Greenville, AL

 We stopped for the night in Greenville, Alabama staying at Sherling Lake Park and Campground. We were lead to a beautifully paved and level site by the host, and after we quickly set up, Norm was itching to get to the driving range to practice his golf swing.  Turns out the campground was city owned as was the adjacent Robert Trent Jones designed golf course. 

 I dropped Norm off at his insistence as a thunderstorm threatened in the distance. Men!  I then headed to the nearby Verizon store to have them put a better sim card in my iPad, so hopefully I would get better reception. 

 I hurried back to pick up Norman just as the golf course’s sirens were sounding to get all stupid men off the course. Great timing!  He was satisfied though because he had just finished hitting in one of their three practice bunkers.  The driving range was a huge horseshoe shaped bowl with three tiers of grassed hitting areas and there was only one other (obviously also stupid ) person there.

We then had dinner and another quiet evening watching an episode or two of the series Nashville we brought on DVD.

Monday, May 1^st, 2017

New Orleans is a city we found we really liked, but didn’t get too much opportunity to see much of it when we came through here 3 years ago, so we were excited about going back.  We managed to be on the road about 8:30AM and drove the remaining 225 miles (5 hours) to New Orleans.

As we turned off the interstate, the road quickly turn desolate.  Abandoned industrial buildings on one side, and a cement wall stretching for miles (for flood control) flanked this narrow, pot holed road that appeared to leading into a dangerous area. Luckily we had come here before after having it highly recommended because its being so safe ??? 3 years ago. We therefore weren’t nearly as freaked out as we otherwise might be. 

Our site at Ponchatrain Landing RV Park

After a mile or so we could see a marina then a row of motorhomes which was a welcome sight.

Our site #25 at Ponchatrain Landing RV Resort and Marina

All set up

When we arrive at any campground we never know what we will find. Some campgrounds are attended by let’s say, very “unmotivated” people.  They won’t tell you anything about the surrounding area, sometimes not even the campground itself!  As we entered Pontchartrain Landing, there were 3 or 4 RV’s parked ahead of us getting checked in.  As I entered the lobby/office/store I discovered a young man explaining to the group in a quick and efficient manner, everything about the campground, the restaurant/bar, the internet and shuttlebus service to the French Quarter. While doing this he was processing payments and contacting a fellow to guide us into our spots!  Amazing!  I stood transfixed imagining this young man running a large hotel.  We found all the employees here to be unusually ambitious, courteous and smart. It’s a sad commentary for our modern society to find this out of the norm.

One of the first things we do after setting up is to clean the bugs off both the glass and the nose of the RV.  We drove through a swam of Love Bugs whose shell will etch the paint if not promptly removed.  There are a million products sold to remove those dastardly critters, but we find warm water and a microfiber towel (and some elbow grease) works just as well

We were shown to our site on the waterfront facing several large sail and motor boats.  The weather was about 80 degrees, no humidity and light, breezy winds.  I was in heaven, and dying to go do something.  Since Norm did all of the driving he was tired, so I made do sitting outside and soaking up the atmosphere, planning for the next day’s activities.  There are so many tours in New Orleans it was so hard to decide!

Tuesday, May 2^nd, 2017

After much debate, we packed our lunches and took the car into New Orleans in order to take the Tour of the City by bus with Adventures in New Orleans.  We have not done many tours while traveling in the past, but I want to change that.  You see and learn so much more than we ever would on our own.  And we certainly did on this tour.  The wonderful guide, Micky, educated us with the history of the city, the architecture and of course spoke about the devastating Hurricane Katrina which took more than 1800 lives back in 2005. 

She spiced up the tour relating  how the term “hooker” ( prostitute ) came about.  She said that the term came from women hooking men’s hat’s off their heads with canes, then luring them inside. Hence the term “hookers”.  I did a little fact checking on the internet, and read several other hypothesis about this term’s origin, but that could be very true.  Sounded good to me.
 

Because of the high water table ( or low ground ) people of New Orleans are forced to "bury" the dead in above-ground graves. 

As we approached New Orleans’ above ground cemeteries, Micky told how during the pre-embalming era people used to put jingle bells on the fingers of the dead after finding scratch marks on the inside of coffins. This was obviously proof that people were being buried mistaken for dead! So when someone was determined to be “dead”, family would take turns sitting beside the newly-departed for a few days  so that if by chance they would “come back to life” they would wiggle their fingers triggering the bells.  Therefore, the term “saved by the bell” was born.

Many trees are adorned with miles of beads here in New Orleans. Pretty!

While fact-checking that story I read a similar story saying that when someone died during that era they would tie a string to the wrist on the person in the coffin and run a line up through the casket and dirt above.  There would be a bell hanging on the string so it would ring if the person came out of his/her coma-like condition.  People would sit 24 hours a day in the cemetary listening for the ringing of the bells.  This is where the term “grave-yard shift” came to be. Interesting, in a ghoulish sort of way!

We also learned that in New Orleans they have an Open Container Law.  She explained that we could get a drink from a bar and ask for it in a “to go” cup.  If the bartender puts a straw in it that still has the top paper wrapper intact on the top it is OK.  If the paper wrapper is gone, it would be illegal to drive with such a cup.  Wow!

After this 3 hour tour we hurried back to the campground to eat the lunch that I left on the couch, and take a much needed nap and shower before we headed back out on the 4PM shuttle for a very special dinner at GW Finn, a top rated seafood restaurant. This was our first meal out since we left.



People stroll the streets with alcohol served in fish bowls?



It's cheap to drink like a fish on Bourbon St!

As we waited for the shuttle we met a couple that are full-time living in a boat of all things!  I  imagine it wouldn’t be too difficult in their 46 footer, though.  They were very nice people willing to answer all the questions I was throwing at them.  “ What made you decide this lifestyle?” “Did you have experience boating?” “where have you gone?” “ How long do you stay when you get there?” and many other questions.  People fascinate me, and

The shuttle dropped us off near the famous Bourbon Street, and Norm and I walked around checking out some shops and art galleries.  We stopped for a drink and listened to some jazz at Café Beignet. We then headed over to GW Finn’s for a fabulous meal. 



Enjoying the jazz band in the courtyard of Café Beignet on Bourbon St, we had a cocktail of our own, but no beignet.

Wanting to check out the new “Bourbon Street “ of the local’s, we walked to Frenchman Street.  It was very similar to Bourbon Street but less touristy, with very few older white folks such as ourselves.  More homeless and unsavory characters.  As we walked further along, I got more and more nervous.  When we noticed people were few and far between, with the ones we saw appearing homeless. I insisted we go back to the more crowded area. 

After walking through a pretty scary part of town, we arrived where the locals go to play Jazz, on Frenchman St.  This talented band lured us into this club by their quieter volume and bluesy sound. Unfortunately after only 2 songs there were done for the night, and replaced with a band that deafened us, so we left.

 We found a bar with a group featuring a clarinetist.  Since that is what I play in our local band, we went inside.  Jazz has never been my favorite style of music.  Let me change that.  I hate jazz, but Norm likes it, so we sat for a while and listened.  When the new, exceedingly loud band began playing, we high-tailed it out of there, calling Uber for our very first time to get a ride home.  Showing up literally in 2 minutes, it was a great experience. 

On Frenchman's Street we saw this group of people enjoying their own little parade.  We loved the lights on this bikes, and think it would be perfect for night riding in The Villages!  No one could miss you, any

So many new experiences!

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Today we had hoped to spend the day back in the city seeing the areas that intrigued us more closely.  Because of the severe storms predicted, we made a quick trip to Walmart and got home at the beginning of a raging storm that lasted all day.  I continually monitored the TV and weather radio for tornado warnings and worked on this blog.

The weather forecast for tonight is even worse.  Let’s hope there isn’t a tornado.

It’s too bad we didn’t get to see more or New Orleans.  I am so glad we had such a busy day yesterday and saw so much!   Oh well – have to come back again!