New Orleans

We left Art and Jane Monday morning and traveled up the coast from Fort Meyers trying to pick out some side roads but found we were not making as much time as we wanted. We did stop for lunch at a little roadside park that just happened to have a old railroad engine in it.

Old wood burning steam engine


After lunch we moved on and found a little fishing village that is just starting to be developed called Steinhatchee at least it looked like residential properties might be less than $500,0000. It just was a neat looking area and clean. From there we went on to Alligator Point which has a KOA that has just been sold to developers which seems to be a recurring theme amoung closed RV parks. Weather moved in and we really just hunkered down for the storm through the night. And for those of you who commented on my driving skills.... I did not run over or damage anything leaving either River Bend nor Alligator Point.

Tuesday we moved on to New Orleans and met up with my old high school swimming buddy and friend Bud Stringer who along with his wife Lynn took us to dinner at Annadele's in Covington, Lousiana for a wonderfull dinner at an old mansion that is now a resturant and B & B. Check it out at www.annadeles.com

Dinner at Annadele's


Wednesday we had the tour of tours ..... Lynn grew up in the area and Bud has lived there for 15 years or so and they know the area very well. They asked what we wanted to see and tried to do their best to show us everything. We were staying at Fairview Riverside State Park on the Tchefunckte River (actual spelling) which is on the north side of Lake Ponchatrain so we had to cross the causeway to get to New Orleans and the French Quarter. We saw St Charles Street with the Trolley Cars, Burbon Street, Basin Street, had lunch at Napoleons, saw the street vendors and entertainers, the Mississippi River and residential and commercial architecture that was wonderful. and had a Beignit at Cafe DuMonde. Below are just some of the things we saw and appreciated.

View from just across from our Campsite


The Otis Mansion on the river at campground


Typical of the many many many bars in the quarter


One of the unique stores in the quarter


Typical Balcony with stores below and apartments above


Street fortune tellers


After spending the whole day showing us around, Lynn then cooked a wonderfull dinner. They both were wonderful hosts.

Today we left the New Oleans area planning on going part way to San Antonio, but we got word that Marge's Dad (Big Al) has taken a bad turn and we felt it prudent to head for home. We are in Memphis at the moment and hope to be home tomorrow late and I assume the blog will be quiet for awhile. We will keep everyone posted when we can.