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
Louisiana – Day 10
I’m deep in Cajun country with my friends Liz and Leo. Liz and I set off to explore this morning. Our first stop was in Breaux Bridge for the zydeco breakfast at @https://www.buckandjohnnys.com. It’s held every Saturday morning. People come from miles around to hear the music, but mostly to dance. The atmosphere was festive and electric. Because of back … Read More
Louisiana – Day 11
Today, Liz, Leo and I set off to explore the area south of Breaux Bridge. Along the way we passed truck after truck filled with just-harvested sugar cane. They were heading towards the processing plant. On this cold morning, I could see thick smoke billowing from the plant from miles away. I pulled over to take photos because the images … Read More
Louisiana – Day 12 – final day
My friend Liz will be flying back with me to NY (she lives there part-time). We drove east to stay near the airport for our early morning flight. Along the way we made several stops. First was in Hammond to see the home of Charles Smith. I’d learned about Smith when I visited the @AbitaMysteryHouse last week. Charles Smith is … Read More