Albuquerque, New Mexico

I’ve flown from the pancake flat land and water of Louisiana to the high mountainous desert of New Mexico. I’m here, staying with my friends Jeannie and Jack, for the balloon festival. Jeannie and Jack recently bought a new home with breathtaking views and frequent visits by wild horses, bears, and other wildlife. I’m staying in their casita, which in … Read More

Lafitte, Louisiana

I’ve known about the pirate Jean Lafitte for many years and have recently been running into him along the gulf coast, first in Galveston Texas and now in Louisiana. Lafitte’s legacy is deeply intertwined with the lore of the area, where he remains a legendary figure of adventure, rebellion, and piracy. But I never knew there was a town named … Read More

Grand Isle, Louisiana

I left Breaux Bridge early yesterday morning for the 3-1/2-hour drive to Grand Isle, Louisiana. The terrain through the first part of the journey was familiar to me. Miles upon miles of sugar cane, which at this time of year is beginning to be harvested. Even early morning trucks filled with cane were on the road, heading to the sugar … Read More

Louisiana – Day 1

My body doesn’t quite know what to make of my travels. Freezing cold, arid Colorado to moderately cold New York to balmy, humid Louisiana. I’ve managed to get a cold, fortunately not covid, and am soldiering through. I flew to New Orleans yesterday. It’s a city I love and have been to many times, but this trip is different. It … Read More

Louisiana – Day 2

A uniform steel gray sky wasn’t a good omen. But in New Orleans “laissez les bons temps rouler,” let the good times roll, is the rule. My day started the Vue Orleans. Perched on the top levels of the Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans it’s a combination interactive playground and 360-degree observatory. I loved the interactive displays where famous locals, … Read More

Louisiana – Day 3

Geaux Saints Geaux! A large part of yesterday was experiencing how New Orleanians participate in New Orleans Saints football games. The game was between the Saints and Detroit Lions at the Superdome. The first stop was a VIP tailgate party on a patio overlooking the entrance to the Superdome. I will confess that I am not a football fan, but … Read More

Louisiana – Day 4

After a kerfuffle with Budget car rental, I finally got a Rav4 and headed out of NOLA. I had a very specific destination in mind, the Abita Mystery House. I had visited it in 2001, when it was called the UCM museum, I loved the ingenuity, sense of humor and especially its’ creator, John Preble. He and I had a … Read More

Louisiana – Day 5

Yesterday was all about plantations along the Mississippi river. I woke up in a cottage on the property of Destrehan Plantation. Should you ever want to stay in this area, it’s a great place. Far larger than my apartment, the cabin is elegant and comfortably furnished, with an enormous living room, kitchen, comfortable bedroom and two bathrooms. A benefit of … Read More

Louisiana – Day 6

After five days of nearly continuous activity, today needed to be at a slower pace. I slept in, wrote and leisurely packed. Once I finally got moving, it was just over an hour drive to Louisiana’s capital, Baton Rouge (or Red Stick in translation). As I’d passed through Baton Rouge before but never spent any time there, a brief stop … Read More

Louisiana — Day 8

After my quiet day, I was back to serious exploring. After breakfast at @MaisonMouton B&B in Lafayette I headed west towards Rayne. My friends wondered why I was going there. As Leo said, it’s not much more than a dot on the map. Rayne has proclaimed itself. “The Frog Capital of the World.” This started in the late 1800s when … Read More