4/14/16 New Orleans, Louisana

Alligator Next to RV

The roads through Louisiana to New Orleans were mostly on piers over wetlands and rivers.  Not hard to imagine what happens to southern Louisiana when oceans rise from hurricanes and global warming.  Aviation Arbor RV Park at Naval Air Station New Orleans is a lush, tranquil little park south of the city.  From the RV we enjoy listening to birds and watching ibis fish in the drain.  Several 4 foot gators are regulars but after a monsoon rain the drain doubled in size and a 6 footer swims by.  

Jazz Plays Everywhere for Free

We take a pedestrian ferry to the island city of New Orleans and jump on the Hop-On Hop-Off City Bus Tour which includes walking tours of the French Quarter, Garden District and historic Lafayette Cemetery #1.  We arrive during one of many outdoor music festivals and enjoy numerous venues walking around the historic French Quarter.  Beautifully preserved buildings as far back as late 1700's tell the story of the tumultuous Spanish, French and American blending of

Beignets, Chicory Coffee - Cafe du Monde

cultures. We enjoy beignets for breakfast, spicy creole food (crayfish quesadillas and gumbo) and the fantastic "original muffuletta" sandwich from Central Grocery and Deli.  Think fresh bread, olive salad, and layers of mortadella, salami, provolone, ham and mozzarella.   

In the mid 1800's, Americans poured into New Orleans building beautiful Victorian mansions in the Garden District to get out of the crowded city and away from the French and Spanish style

Garden District Home

buildings.  Historic Lafayette Cemetery #1 was established in early 1800's featuring above ground tombs, the norm in New Orleans due to the high water table.  We saw French's and Smith's in there.  On the other side of the district was the Irish

Typical Cemetery Tombs

Quarter where poor immigrants settled from Ireland and Germany.  John's grandfather William Cortland H., moved here from Chicago around 1930 and worked for Sloan Valve.  Uncle Gene was born here and went to Loyola Seminary which may account for why he loved to come back and visit.

Amazing that after three days of touring with several different guides, only one mentioned the horrific August 2005 Hurricane Katrina which caused $100 billion in damage, flooded 80% of the city (half of which is below sea level), killing almost 2000 people.  After massive reconstruction, the only reminder we saw was this tree house sculpture built with storm debris.  However, outside the tourist areas in poor sections of town, an estimated 25,000 abandoned homes (down from 43,000) continue to rot.