We got up early once again for another long drive was ahead of us. By now dad and I are used to the routine (which always includes a morning nap for me) so it isn’t that difficult. The only difference in the routine today was that we skipped breakfast to make up some time. As we went drove east out of the San Antonio area we were blessed with great weather. It was the second day in a row with no rain, however, temperatures were still maintaining upper 90s Fahrenheit and the humidity increasing every mile eastward. The fauna was also changing again. The small leaved trees that dominated San Antonio were now giving way to the more broad leaved deciduous type. In fact, if you ignore the number of pickup trucks and Bass Pro Shops, driving through the suburbs of Houston reminded me a lot of how the northeast looks!
Around lunch time, outside Houston, we stopped for brunch. We had been seeing billboard signs for this particular family run diner for miles and decided it had to be good. When we got there, I was dead set on having some quality Texas steak. Mission accomplished and it was pretty tasty by the way.
Back on the road now, we drove past downtown Houston and soon hit the state line of Louisiana. The roads now were surrounded by thick forests. The skinny but tall trees with their leaves only up near the canopy were covered with Spanish moss and connected to each other with vines. There were also many swamps between these forests. We would drive for long stretches (upwards of 30 miles a couple times) on elevated roadways as we passed across them. All in all, this would be a pretty freaky place in the dark.
Outside Baton Rouge, we drove over the Mississippi River once again. This was the same river we saw two weeks earlier in Minneapolis but this time it was very wide, slow, and meandering. It was a treat to see such a contrast of this mighty river which splits the country in two. Then not long later, at around 5:00pm we finally made it to New Orleans and found a motel for the next two nights. After dropping everything off, we headed downtown. The information center was closed so we just headed into the heart of the French Quarter for dinner and a quick recon. We found parking near the riverfront and started walking around reading dinner menus attached to the sides of restaurants. Within 10 minutes of parking and a Monday at 6pm, we watched a random marching band stroll down the street followed by loads drunks throwing beads at dad and me. That’s when we got the full meaning of the phrase, “let the good times roll.”
We walked around the neighborhood for a little until we found a place that served what we both wanted (I really wanted to get some Cajun/Creole food). I ended up getting jambalaya and I severally underestimated how spicy it was. To make matters worse, our sketchy waiter didn’t have any bottled water and told us that he wasn’t supposed to serve tap water. I ended up getting soda and he told me there was a rule that I could only get 1 refill. Despite the sniffles and watery eyes, I really enjoyed the meal.
The following morning was a real treat. I got to sleep in until 9am! We left the room at around 10 and headed south of New Orleans to check out the swamp lands and maybe see an alligator! Unfortunately we really didn’t know where we were going and I got annoyed at a seemingly waste of time. I ordered the car back north to spend the rest of the afternoon in New Orleans. It wasn’t all a waste though. We saw some beautiful pelicans and cranes around the region. I was also surprised at how well the city bounced back from the hurricanes. The only signs I noticed were some leaning telephone poles and a gas station which hadn’t repaired the canopy over the pumps.
When we got into New Orleans we parked near the Superdome which is pretty far from the French Quarter. We thought it would be a good idea to walk across the city but that soon changed when we noticed the heat index was over 100 degrees. We chugged tons of water and went into stores for the sake of its free air condition. We must have walked into Walgreens three times and pretended to admire its goods – particularly their collection of fans. Between our “cooling stops” we saw a lot of neat stuff which included statues of Benjamin Franklin and President Andrew Jackson on his horse! We also walked down Canal Street. A very nice road lined with tall palm trees and shops on either side. A free trolley car drove through the center for the convenience of tourists too. In the French Quarter, Dad and I took pictures of the old buildings around sector. We visited the Café de Mundo, an old French coffee shop and a “must” according to all the travel books. I ate something called a beignet but really this fancy name just translates to a dough boy.
I always heard New Orleans was a pretty sinful city these days. Where ever you would walk there would be profanity, drunks, and alcoholic beverages in every ones hands. There were strip clubs, gay bars, voodoo shops, the smell of vomit and clairvoyants all over the place. Certainly, the devil had a firm grip in this city. I made sure I prayed to Saint Michael for protection against curses. From what I have read and heard, that sort of thing isn’t as uncommon as people think. Of course, I may have been a little bit over the top when I checked my food and drink for any hexes and I did freak out a little when I thought a homeless man was giving me the evil eye. I mustered up enough courage to walk into a voodoo shop but when I saw that there was a cross-dresser behind the cash register, I ran out pulling my dad with me.
Despite such evil, standing tall like a white fortress in the center of the quarter was a magnificent church called St. Louis Cathedral. It was open so we went in and wow let me tell you of all of the churches I stepped foot in during this trip, I think this was my favorite. It was truly glorious. The church was brightly lit with chandeliers hanging under a beautifully painted ceiling. There were statues of saints and angels all over the altar and corners of the church. It looked like the sort of church where old coronation ceremonies would take place back in the Middle Ages.
That night, as dozens of bats flew around over the tops of the buildings, dad and I signed up for a ghost tour which promised to be the best one in America. My dad hated it. He expected that we got to go into the actual haunted sites but instead it was just a stroll through the French Quarter where our tour guide told us stories and recent sightings of ghosts. He also encouraged us to take pictures. In one instance he nearly guaranteed us that if we snapped photos of the roof of an old convent we would see orbs. I took five pictures of the roof and on the third I caught an orb! To most people that would be pretty exciting, but after watching a lot of ghost hunters, this picture of a “ball of energy” didn’t really satisfy me.
Once the tour was over, Dad and I were exhausted and headed back to our car and home to the motel. Now I know I said a lot of bad things about New Orleans but I don’t want anyone to get a wrong idea. I actually really enjoyed this city. It is full of culture and history. Everyone is really friendly and outgoing (Southern Hospitality they call it). The food is great. It also has really sweet antique shops for anyone who is rich… which is probably no one who is reading this. Anyways, my point is that I look forward to next time I come down to visit this really unique, fun, and great city.
Next up: The Deep South!
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