Dance Dialogue New Orleans Day 1 March 24th

Having delayed our arrival at Pontchartrain Landing RV Park  (pawn-cha-train?) by a day we were pleased that the storm had passed and the sun was out in all its glory! A couple of naysayers had warned us about the New Orleans crime (murder) problem.  One guy said forty-some murders occur each night (or was it a week?) during Mardi Gras which never get reported because "they" don't want to hinder tourism.  Well, let me tell you, we now think every law enforcement car whizzing by with sirens blaring is on its way to a murder!

We left Avalon Landing RV Park under grey skies.  It was so warm and humid with the threat of distant rain.  Sure enough 20 miles west it began to rain. Goodbye to Florida, hello to Alabama.  The rain tapered off and we motored on through Mississippi and into Louisiana.


In New Orleans we saw run-down neighborhoods as we neared our exit off I-10. As we proceeded towards the RV park the road was dilapidated and we were in what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse area. There was evidence of Katrina (and maybe the recession too) everywhere. But...the park itself was nicely landscaped and our water front site was fabulous! 

Perfection!

The next morning we watched the movie Hurricane on the Bayou here at the RV park. Very well done and a must see for anyone visiting the New Orleans area or anyone concerned about the environment for that matter.  I discovered the blues music of Tab Benoit!  What to do now?  Off to the French Quarter...

Downtown New Orleans was packed with tourists on what could very well have been the next to last day of spring break for those wild college kids.  We brought Willie with us and had to carry him half the time because of the crowds and it wasn't even noon yet.

Bourbon Street

I'd read there were places to eat with outside dining where dogs were welcome but came unprepared and couldn't find any of them.  Luckily our $9 parking spot (for two hours) was in the shade of an old brick building and Willie was deposited there.  Lunch was disappointing; Bob's blackened chicken sandwich was bland and my shrimp with gumbo turned out to be shrimp with grits!  My bad, it was okay just not what I expected.  

A shop's entrance

The most interesting thing to me was New Orleans' open container law.  What a party atmosphere!  It was hard to pass up the "drinks to go" stands.

St. Louis Cathedral

Crowds at Jackson Square

Deliberately Distressed?

Back to the truck to rescue Willie, walked to the river and considered a ferry ride to the Algiers Point Neighborhood but our timing was off so we called it a day.

On our way home we stopped at Lowe's for a replacement hose fitting (Bob left it at the last stop!).  I waited in the truck with Wilber while Bob shopped.  It was the first time I had seen a security car cruising the parking lot of a Lowe's!  But where was she when Bob was almost ran over by a speeding truck?  He'd just left the store and was in a painted pedestrian pathway when he became aware of a vehicle in his peripheral vision.  He turned and hopped aside as the truck brushed him. Bob is convinced the guy sped up to hit him!

He's okay! But he said the best part was the reactions of the other people who witnessed the hit and run! Unbelievable!

Kim (and Bob) enjoying their adventure!!!