Southern Belles

Made our way south to the panhandle of Florida.  Stopped at Destin when we spotted this huge shark. 

Huge shark found in Florida

To recover from this we stopped by this huge bus that was parked at this huge pub.  One huge meal and a couple of ales later and we were fully recovered from our shark encounter and ready to move on (just imagine what our recovery would have to be if we met a real shark).

Huge bus found in Florida

 

Huge pub found in Florida

The next morning we made our way to Pensacola, stopping at this old Ice House from the 1930’s and Fort Barrancas.  Amazing how the ice hasn’t melted after all these years although the polar bear on the roof has shrunk from life-sized somewhat.

No disguising what they used to sell here

Has the rooftop polar bear shrunk due to global warming?

Fort Barrancas is the third fort on this site.  The British were first, establishing a redoubt in 1763, the Spanish were next, building a water battery at the base of the bluff and an earth & log fort above it.  Finally came the Americans.  They remodelled the water battery and built a masonry fort above.  It has been fully restored with almost every nook and cranny able to be explored.  This includes numerous tunnels linking all the different sections.  Our inner 10 year old selves were pretty happy with this.

Just the one entrance across the dry moat into the fort

We got to explore lots of tunnels and passageways

The old Spanish Water Battery with Fort Barrancas behind

From Pensacola we decided on a long haul to New Orleans where we were parking up for several days.  We needed to arrive at the camp by 7pm, making it with 10 minutes to spare.  No sweat.  Well, none once we’d crossed to the other side of New Orleans and were within spitting distance of the campground.

Did a bit of exploring around New Orleans before hitting the downtown area.  Took a day trip to Venice and the mouth of the Mississippi.  Unlike the headwaters of the Mississippi which is geared towards tourists, the mouth of the Mississippi is full of commercial buildings and heavy industry.  Nothing for the tourists at all but it was interesting to see that many locals build their houses on stilts.  Not only houses but schools, hospitals and other community buildings.  

This is where the Mississippi River meets the Gulf of Mexico - there'll be no wading across here like we did at the headwater

Schools have been rebuilt on stilts

Which house would you rather be in if it flooded?

Some serious stilts on this house

Found ourselves another fort to explore, Fort Jackson.  While not restored to the same degree as Fort Barrancas, again we pretty much had free rein to explore.  We’re good with forts now.
 

Eating lunch alongside the river when this rather large ship comes cruising by

Entrance to Fort Jackson

And do you think we remembered to bring a torch?

Crossed the causeway over Lake Pontchartrain.  At one point all you can see is the road and water.  Quite an eerie feeling.  Start to finish was about 25 miles in a straight line.  Made our way north into the state of Mississippi to an area known as the Little Grand Canyon.  It’s not on any tourist map as it has been created by subsidence.  Lots and lots of subsidence.  So much that the road has had to be moved twice already.  Such pretty colours though.  Can’t wait to see the real Grand Canyon in a few weeks.

Crossing the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway

I'm sure that with a decent run up and a ramp we'd get over

Some lovely colours in the eroding hillside

The intrepid explorers - we went in with 3 people, we came out with 3 people

Jean’s birthday dawned bright, sunny and … cold.  We didn’t let that daunt us, just wrapped up in another layer of warm clothes and hit downtown.  Took the hop on hop off bus round town.  We were the only intrepid souls that sat upstairs in the open upper deck (for intrepid you may substitute stupid, imprudent or just plain crazy).  

Are we intrepid or just plain crazy ... your call

Masks for Mardi Gras are for sale everywhere

Canal Street - there was meant to be an actual canal here but the dude who was paid to build it absconded with the city's money

Not a UFO, it's the Superdome

Creole houses are often painted in bold bright colours as many are in the Caribbean

Hopped off in the French Quarter for lunch.  Mmm, gumbo and cocktails, what a great combo.
 

Finally managed to defrost over lunch - I think the ice cold cocktails helped

We’re still a few weeks early for Mardi Gras so did the next best thing and visited Mardi Gras World.  This is where a lot of the floats are prepared and decorated each year.  Took the factory tour where we got to dress up (our inner 10 year olds are loving this holiday), watch new props being made and wander through the props of years past.  They never throw the old props away – storing them for an opportunity to refigure and reuse.

All dressed up and no party to go to

New props being worked on

Re-purposed prop - it was once a hobbit house, then Shrek's house and is now a candle

One of the many floats being decorated for this years Mardi Gras

Time to head back into the French Quarter to eat more food and quaff more drinks.  Found a nice little restaurant on Frenchman Street that served up good food and better drinks.  

 After our meal we meandered on down to Bourbon Street.  What a contrast.  Thousands of people milling around, bars pumping out louder than loud music and street acts providing entertainment.  Eventually found ourselves a bar that played jazz so settled in and mellowed out. 

Lafitte's - possibly the oldest bar in USA

Some of the crowd on Bourbon Street

Couldn't go to New Orleans and not listen to some jazz

All good things must come to an end and, after visiting an old Creole plantation, it was with great sadness (Jean) and regular sadness (Sue) that we dropped Wally (abject misery - just kidding Wal ... honest) off at the airport to head back to New Zealand.  Less than 2 months now Wally till we all meet up again.  Hope ya enjoyed your second visit with us.

Laura - one of the many plantation houses around New Orleans

The road beckoned so we were off once again.  Visited a sculpture garden in Chauvin.  Found the sculptures to be okay but more impressed by the scenery driving to Chauvin – bayous, houses on stilts, houses on mounds.  Still plenty at ground level though, wouldn’t want to be in those ones during a flood.

The lighthouse was one of the more interesting sculptures at the garden

Paid a visit to Mr Charlie an off shore drilling rig now parked up at Morgan City and used as a training facility.  Had a two hour guided tour that felt like half an hour.  It was all so interesting.  Almost makes me want to go work off shore.  Almost.  

 

60 years ago Mr Charlie became the first semi-submersible oil rig