The Big Easy

Day 20

We were on the road by 7:45 AM, heading to New Orleans.  We started off with a leisurely drive, hugging the coast all the way to Pensacola where we finally joined Interstate 10 that took us all the way to New Orleans.

Before we got to Pensacola we refilled our coffee mugs in Destin and treated ourselves to some Krispy Kremes.  We then took a slight detour and drove through the Gulf Islands National Seashore and we were treated to some beautiful sights:  sand as white as powdered sugar and turquoise waters.

We arrived in New Orleans around 3:30 PM and made our first stop at a downtown visitors center where we picked up a street map of the Big Easy.  Since we were lucky enough to find a parking space, we took a quick one-hour walking tour of the French Quarter including Bourbon Street, and Jackson Square. Bourbon Street is still as lively and as ever.  Everyone is carrying a beverage, lots of drunks, costumes, and it was only 4 PM…can’t imagine what it would be like during Mardi Gras!  

Jazz Greats

...and the Grateful Dead

hard to tell the hookers from the tourists

St. Peters from Jackson Square

 Andrew Jackson 

Leaving the French Quarter we headed to the Garden District for an early dinner at Superior Seafood on the corner of St Charles and Napoleon.  The place was jammed, a piano player was pounding out classics such as “MacArthur Park” and “Year of the Cat”.  The hostess first told us we would have at least a 1 hour wait, but before she completed that sentence, her partner said they had a table for us…

We had a fabulous dinner starting out with a $9 bottle of Pino Grigio, a Happy Hour special.  I had an appetizer of six, charred, Rockefeller style oysters.  We both had house salads and then both had shrimp for a main dish.  Joni’s were prepared New Orleans style, in shells and in a peppery butter sauce.  Mine, Shrimp Andouille Brochettes, were char grilled, wrapped in bacon, and stuffed with Andouille sausage!  We both agreed these were the best shrimp we have ever eaten!

We skipped dessert and coffee, finishing our wine and savoring the linger tastes of our shrimp dinners.

Leaving New Orleans we across the 24 mile Lake Ponchitrain causeway to our campsite and the Fountainbleau State Park in Mandeville.  

nothing but water

We arrived there just before dark with just enough light to find our campsite!  Great campground; it was full, but the sites are wooded, private, well manicured and the bathrooms are very clean.

Tomorrow we’ll head back to New Orleans, visiting the WWII Museum and touring the Garden District…and oh yeah, having some wonderful meals too.