Biloxi redux, and New Orleans

It has been an entire week since we posted anything.

We are still in Biloxi because li'l Bessie, our truck, is still in the hospital. They were able to repair her rear end, but now her transmission is slipping...and they are going to fix that.  I should have such a great extended warranty!

AND they are paying for our rental car! We are cruising around in a little black Ford Fusion.

Fortunately for us, Biloxi is a nice place to be stuck. The people here are warm and friendly. We know where the movie theater is...in fact, we have been there 3 times. We pretty much belong to a gym here. Jack went to one of the casinos, and won enough to pay for his lunch. There is a great bike trail along the beach, and we took a refreshing (COLD!) ride a few days ago. We have viewed the Katrina memorial wall. We know where to get the best charbroiled oysters, and the best blackened grouper sandwich. We're locals!!!

Many of the HUGE old oak trees lining the beaches in Biloxi were destroyed by Katrina. Rather than tear our the broken trunks, the community decided to leave them in place and carve them into wonderful sculptures. The "can-do" attitude here is amazing. Everyone is looking ahead, and no one is moaning about the past.

A dolphin, rising from a Katrina-sticken Live Oak tree

We told you in our last blog that we had not been allowed to drive through Keesler Air Force Base due to security precautions and budget cuts, even though Jack trained there in the '60's. Well, Jack located a wonderful P.R. person from the base named Susan, who volunteered to give us a private tour. So last Thursday she spent over an hour driving us around the base, and updating us on what she could. It was interesting, and a walk down memory lane for Jack. No photos though.

Due to our mechanical difficulties, we have had to significantly change our travel plans. We had planned to spend 3 nights in Biloxi, then 3 nights in New Orleans.  The RV parks in both locations have bent over backwards to accommodate our ever-changing needs, which has been a real blessing.  But, we still need to see New Orleans.

What the heck?!? Let's go to Louisiana!!

Sunday we decided to drive there in our rental car (only about 90 miles) and spend a couple of days...IN A HOTEL!!! We stayed right in the French Quarter (Canal Street at Royal Street, for those who know the area).

Row houses in the French Quarter

Jackson Square. (Andrew Jackson saved New Orleans during the War of 1812.)

We had red beans and rice and a Hurricane at Pat O'Brien's on Bourbon Street. We walked the French Quarter and Jackson Square, and the dikes along the Mississippi River.

The mighty Mississippi

The Port of New Orleans

We walked through St. Louis Cemetery, with graves dating back to the 1700's

Tombs of families dating back to the 18th century

Some a little worse for wear...

Some quite extravagant

We thought this was neat.

Grave of a woman known as the "Voodoo Queen"....although this is an exclusively Catholic cemetery. Go figure.

We drove down to the Lower Ninth Ward to see first-hand where the levees broke. It struck us both how absolutely terrifying it would have been to be in this low-lying, low-income neighborhood, surrounded on three sides by water, and not knowing where to run.

This morning we had cafe au lait and beignets at the famous Cafe du Monde, while a man with a trombone played Amazing Grace on the sidewalk.

Can't figure out how they got those beasts to stand still for this. We didn't partake.

We walked through the Battle of New Orleans battlefield memorial. In 1815, this was the final battle of the War of 1812 where Andrew Jackson -- teaming up with the pirate Jean Lafitte -- beat back the British to win the war. Some say the prayers of the Ursuline nuns helped, and every year a mass of Thanksgiving is held.

15,000 graves...Mostly American Civil War and War of 1812, but some from WWI, WWII and  Vietnam

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in New Orleans. There was music at every corner, odd and wonderful characters, fascinating history and modern day triumph.

It was wonderful!