New Orleans Pt.2

  This is our second week in the Big Easy and we have explored the French Quarter quite thoroughly by now. After our first two trips into town we learned that we don't have to pay $25 to park every time. We drive over to the New Orleans Museum of Art and park for free then get on a street car for $1.25 or a pass to ride all day for $3.

We did visit the art museum on a rainy day which was last Sunday. We then took a ride to Magazine St. and found one of Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives that Doreen is fond of taking me to. This day it was Mahony's Po Boy Shop allegedly famous for their Po Boy.

This was definitely a dive. The place hasn't been cleaned since Mardi Gras 2010. I had the crawfish Po Boy while Doreen had an eggplant parm, sans the parm ( a lactose intolerance issue). I have to say I am not impressed with any New Orleans Po Boy. The bread is the best part on any that I have had. I do like the local brew though. I have been downing the Abita regularly. 

Monday we were back in the Quarter after our street car ride. There are three lines that are accessible including the Canal St. line. The street car ride is a must if you visit but don't rely on the posted schedule too much. I think they just use that as a guide! 

Our first stop was lunch. We accidentally stumbled onto the House of Blues so we ate there.

Then it was time to explore some more. Doreen wanted to take the ferry ride across the Big Muddy to the neighborhood of Algiers so that is what we did. 

                                      

The ride only takes a few minutes. 

There was nothing impressive about the place. As a matter of fact it is a run down neighborhood with no character except for this fella:

We were walking down the street when I saw Al coming out of a house. I thought it odd to see an Eagles jersey in New Orleans. We struck up a conversation and turns out he is from Toms River, NJ and is an aspiring macabre' artist. He gave Doreen a piece of his art work which she is holding. A bobcat skull painted and decorated. 

We made our way back to civilization and headed over to St. Louis Cemetery. Unfortunately the gates are locked at 3 PM so we couldn't go in. I don't know if we will get back to go through so I'll post these.

After the cemetery we made our way to Bourbon St. where you will see anything.

Our destination was Pat O'Brien's and their famous piano bar.

We sat through a few numbers and sipped on mint juleps in the cool air then it was back out onto Bourbon St. Bourbon St. has all variety of entertainment and libations. From signs hawking "Big Ass Beers" and had grenades to fancy restaurant;s to gentleman's clubs and transvestite cabarets; souvenir shops and voodoo shops.

After walking down Bourbon St. we stopped by the Cafe Du Monde for dessert.

Keep in mind if you stop here that payment is cash only as are a lot of the places where they have a side window for drinks. Cafe Du Monde also only sells beignets and coffee but it is worth it. It was finally time to head back and go to the street car stop by Harrah's Casino. I had to really use the restroom so we went into Harrah's. Of course I had to put a dollar into the penny slot. Lost of course.

I will probably have at least one more post from N. O. so keep reading.

On the Road to New Orleans

Hello all. I am glad to report we have hit the road for more adventures. We picked the trailer up on May 1 and parked in front of the house to load it up and left on Sunday May 4. Our first destination is The Crescent City; New Orleans. We took I-75 north and picked up I-10 west. We stopped about half way at Three Rivers State Park in Snead, FL which is in the panhandle west of Tallahassee. I think we will be using state parks more often. The campground was nestled in the wilderness on the shore of Lake Seminole. We had a perfect pull through site with a concrete pad that was ADA accessible. Plus it was only $8.92 for the night! What a deal.

We pulled out on Monday morning and proceeded into the central time zone then through Alabama and Mississippi into Louisiana and arrived in the Big Easy about 5 PM. The trip was fairly easy and my only complaint is the road surface in some of these states. I really think the surface is the original Eisenhower Highway concrete poured in 1957. The road noise and convolutions are annoying, especially on any type of bridge or overpass. We booked a site at Mardi Gras RV Park which is right off the interstate. 

 I have never seen anything like it in my life. It is literally in the 9'th ward of the city which is of course the setting for Tennessee Williams' Pulitzer Prize winning play and movie A Streetcar Named Desire. Stelllla!  We can hear the traffic from Interstate 10 whizzing by, sirens blaring, and trains whistling. i have never heard of an RV park located in a city but it is perfect for our needs. I can be in the French Quarter in ten minutes. The view isn't too nice though. We are really in the 'hood.

Some people live this way 

 It looks like they got a good deal on leftover FEMA trailers after Hurricane Katrina and are available for rent.

I wouldn't call this camping. 

After taking our time getting the trailer set up and organized we finally ventured into the French Quarter Wednesday. We are here for two weeks so we can take our time seeing the city in small chunks. We jumped on I-10 and were parking the truck about fifteen minutes later. We made our way down Decatur Street and stopped at the Cafe' du Monde for some beignets then proceeded to leisurely walk around the French Quarter. 

First stop was Jackson Square. The square was renamed for Andrew Jackson, the defender of New Orleans during the War of 1812. Behind the square is St. Louis Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in the U.S.

The cathedral honors Louis IX, king of France who was canonized in 1297. After that we walked to the far end of the Quarter and stopped in Margaritaville for a refreshment.

We always make it a point to stop in a Margaritaville in anyplace we visit. This Margaritaville is a bit out of the way so we made our way back towards Bourbon St. taking some of the lesser known streets. 

We ended up on Bourbon St. finally and found the Hard Rock Cafe.

After having another refreshment we caught a bite to eat at the Cafe' Maspero on the corner of Toulouse and Decatur St.

I had the oyster Po boy and Doreen had the jambalaya. It was quick and easy but I think there are better places to eat. This will be the first of several posts about the Big Easy so stay tuned.

Miles this leg: 682.7

Total miles: 2424.9

Weeki Wachi Springs

  April 11 was Doreen's birthday and she wanted to celebrate it by going to an old school attraction here in Florida: Weeki Wachi Springs. Weeki Wachi was a top tourist attraction from 1947 up to 2008 when the state of Florida purchased the roadside attraction and made it part of the state park system. It is located on US 19 on the gulf coast north of New Port Ritchey.

 

 

Weeki Wachi is built on the site of an underground spring that surfaces and forms the Weeki Wachi river. The water is 99% pure and a constant 74 degrees. The famous underwater mermaid show was so popular in the 1960's that the television network ABC bought the park and featured it in a weekly TV show. The park has not changed too much and for a $13 admittance fee you get the mermaid show and entrance to the beach area.

 

 If you like low tech wholesome entertainment this is for you. It is a throwback to the days before interstates when roadside attractions along U.S. highways like US 19 were pulling in customers long before the big theme parks were in existence. After entering the park you are greeted by a colorful muster of peacocks.

A short walk away is the mermaid theater where patrons are seated sixteen feet under the spring.

The curtains are drawn and the famous mermaids are revealed.

 

 

The mermaids breathe via a submerged air hose and can go several minutes without taking a breath. The most experienced mermaids are able to dive to a depth of 109 feet following the source of the spring. The show concludes with a patriotic finale.

After the show we checked out the animal show where a handler exhibits snakes and gators.

This little fella is a about six years old. You got to love their grin. After the show there is a short riverboat ride but there wasn't much to see. Some fish and trees; there was a bald eagle nest but I was mushed into the center of the boat and couldn't get a picture. After that we went over to the beach. It is a nice set up with loungers on the sand and on a concrete deck under a huge umbrella and in front of a large tikibar.

The only drawback is the place closed at 5 PM. That was okay because we were going to go have some dinner. Since it was Friday during lent we were going meatless. We found an out of the way food shack called Becky Jacks right off of US 19.

All the reviews online praised their crunchy fish sandwich and other seafood specialties. This is the kind of place that should be on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. The inside has about eight tables and an eclectic decor'.

My fish sandwich was about a pound and I could have used three buns. The fillet is coated in frosted flakes giving it a crunchy texture. I had the little neck clams for and appetizer and Doreen had the crab cake sandwich but she was so hungry she didn't realize it had bacon on it.
A few week before Doreen's birthday we met up with my aunt Sally from Pittsburgh. She snow birds in Clearwater and we met at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa.

 

We had driven by there numerous times while staying at Happy Traveler RV Park but never made it to the casino. We had a nice lunch in the Green Room and said our goodbyes. Of course we couldn't leave without dropping a few bucks into the slots. Doreen didn't have any cash so I gave her one dollar. She got the slot machine up to $14.90 and cashed out. I on the other hand put a five in and lost promptly. Then I tried $20 in the joker poker and lost that. Enough for me.

Of course Doreen had to buy souvenirs such as a t-shirt and a pin for her jacket.

Lastly we are making preparations to close up the house and resume our travels for six months. Tentatively our plans are to leave here after the first of May and go to New Orleans for our first stop. From there our destination is the New England states and then be back here in Florida by November. I will miss playing golf everyday but I am anxious to hit the road. Hopefully my game will not get too rusty. We hope to see everyone in PA when we come through. Until then, happy trails.