Everyone Loves a Parade

Posted on December 6, 2015December 6, 2015 by Dusty Roads

The weather still couldn’t seem to decide what it wanted to do. The sky was dark and threatening and it was windy but no rain. It was tempting to head back to the hotel but I had a “vision” of the photo I wanted to get in Jackson Square so after a brief debate we decided to take a walk over there before we went back to the hotel. Good thing we did as the weather finally hit the next day, but more on that in another post.

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It was kind of cool to think we were actually walking along the top of a levy to get to Jackson Square but once there it was filled with spectators watching another street performer. As interesting as that was it meant that I couldn’t get the shot I had in mind. We hung around a bit but light was fading fast so I took what I could and we started walking back to the Wyndham.

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Since it wasn’t Mardi Gras or any other holiday I didn’t expect a parade but in New Orleans they hold parades for any reason. I guess the one we happened upon was because of a foot ball game but the float themes were more along the lines of a salute to the Horror Movie genre.

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It wasn’t a long parade but the floats were quite elaborate and they were throwing the ever present beads. Did you know that in New Orleans you must catch the beads in the air? Yup, I’m told its bad luck if you pick them up off the ground. New Orleans is very serious about their superstitions.

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Even so, I got my share of beads. Now I can truly say I have experienced New Orleans!

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Back at the hotel the concierge suggested a seafood restaurant but when we got there the line was out the door. Disappointed we went in search of another restaurant that had shorter lines.

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Along the way we passed a group of Ladies of the Night and were followed by young men trying to give away discount coupons. All very harmless but it gave me an unsettled feeling, not truly safe. This is the first time I have felt that way in all my travels.

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Finally we stopped at the Hard Rock Cafe. There were no lines probably because the music was so loud you couldn’t carry on a conversation. It was rockin’ the street outside!

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It was far different from the Hard Rock experience in San Antonio but it seemed this was the best option for dinner. The meal was only so-so. Not up to the standard I would expect in New Orleans cuisine.

The Steamboat Natchez

Posted on December 4, 2015December 4, 2015 by Dusty Roads

Back at the Lighthouse we considered our options for the afternoon. The paddle wheel steamboat Natchez was right there at the dock so we decided to take a ride up the Mississippi. We had about two hours before our trip so we went in search of lunch. The menu on the Natchez didn’t “speak” to me.

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Instead we had lunch at the Gumbo Pot on Decatur St.

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We both tried the Po’boys. I had shrimp and Sandy had hamburger. They were HUGE! and very good.

We also had a little excitement. It was clear that a storm was approaching as the wind began to gust pretty good. Suddenly it caught one of the umbrellas and over it went right on another table. That certainly got everyone’s attention while the waiters hustled around taking down the umbrellas so it wouldn’t happen again.

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After lunch we made our way to a table on the dock where we could watch the river traffic while we waited for our turn on the Natchez. We had a front row seat for the steam Calliope concert.

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Boarding was like going on a cruise. Photos were taken to documents our trip.

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The cruise was fully narrated and there was a jazz band playing inside.Both of us did a lot of our New Orleans souvenir shopping in the gift shop.

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Remember those sugar cane fields we saw from the train? Well we got to see where a lot of that goes when we sailed past the Domino Sugar Refinery.

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The narrator pointed out areas where the docks had been destroyed by many things from Katrina to fires. We passed huge ships and other refineries. The river it self was really wide and bustled with barges and tug boats.

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In spite of the “iffy” weather it was a great ride.

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Back on the dock we spotted a street performer. His “shtick” was to pretend he was walking his toy dog and freeze in place in mid-stride. Still pictures really don’e do it justice but he was quite good and very personable. His tip bucket was the white bucket you can see in the picture.

Morning in the City of New Orleans

Posted on November 29, 2015November 29, 2015 by Dusty Roads

We were up early and ready to meet the City of New Orleans. Everyone told me I would fall in love with it. DSC_1492_edited-1

We decided to walk to the waterfront to meet the tour bus. It was supposed to be a short walk and it probably would have been if I’d checked a walking map. But I used my phone to google the route not really thinking that google would give me driving directions. Needless to say we added a few extra blocks to our walk!

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After an excellent breakfast buffet in the restaurant attached to the hotel we took off to find the Lighthouse that doubled as a visitor center.

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We walked and walked. We passed a wonderful park with bronze statues of jazz musicians and promised we’d come back when we could sit and enjoy the live music. I love all the decorative grill work on the balconies.

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The streets were just waking up. Large trash cans lined the sidewalks waiting for the garbage pick up. A few joggers were out but mostly the streets were empty. Clearly New Orleans is a city of the night.

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Finally we spied the “Lighthouse” . It was located on the banks of the Mississippi. I admit that being on the banks of the Big Muddy gave me goose bumps. I hadn’t even thought about seeing the Mississippi while we were in New Orleans and there it was.

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It looked like the rain had followed us from San Antonio as dark clouds threatened while we waited for the tour bus to arrive.

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Riverwalk to French Quarter

Posted on November 27, 2015November 27, 2015 by Dusty Roads

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Day.

Now it’s time to get back to my tale of our most recent adventure. We were about to embark on the Amtrak portion of our trip. We had to be ready to board by 6:30 am so we arranged the cab ride the night before.

The cab was early. It was still dark and rainy when we arrived at the station so we didn’t see much of the exterior.

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Inside was much smaller than I expected and there were plenty of people waiting for trains. As we checked our luggage I joked with the clerk who assured me that they had a better track record than the airlines for getting our luggage where it was supposed to be.

He told us the conductor would come in to announce our train so we could have a seat and relax. Time passed and I watched the clock progress toward our departure time and still no “All Aboard” announcement. Finally I got concerned and started asking other passengers. One said our train was boarding right now and that we’d better get out there. So much for the conductor!

Outside we were immediately given our “room” assignment. By having upgraded to a “sleeper” all meals were included and we had a little bit of privacy. The room was tiny and if we wanted to sleep one of us would have to climb to the upper bunk. It was adequate but I think the full size sleeper would have been nicer. Next time.

One of the nicest amenities was the lounge car, a windowed dome car with tables and more comfortable seats.

Amtrak’s lounge car feature windows that reach into the ceiling which makes it the best place to soak up the scenery on a long trip. (Photo by Josh Noel/Chicago Tribune/MCT via Getty Images)

Meals were served in the dining car. The conductor came around with a form for us to sign and choose the time we wanted to eat. You don’t just wander down anytime you get hungry. Snacks are in the the Lounge Car. Anyway, when they call your seating you go to the dining car where seating is 4 to a table. We had lunch with a French couple and dinner with a German couple. The food was excellent which amazed me considering the size of the galley and the wait staff was top notch. I was quite impressed.

The views along the corridor from Texas to New Orleans weren’t the most scenic that I’ve ever seen. One of the most interesting to my mind was refineries we passed, at least one was burning off gas which was quite something to see. Up until now, I’d only seen it on TV.

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We passed cotton fields but I seem to have missed them. The German couple told us they had seen several.

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We wondered what the grassy crop was that we were seeing. It was clearly cultivated so we asked the dining car staff. They told us that was sugar cane.

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I never would have given Sugar cane a thought. I think of Sugar cane as an island crop not something on the mainland US. Its wonderful what you learn when you travel!

Before we arrived in New Orleans the sun had set and we were back in the dark. Once in New Orleans we retrieved our luggage, hailed a cab and soon were checked into our hotel in the French Quarter, Wyndham New Orleans.

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Our Final Hours in San Antonio

Posted on November 23, 2015November 23, 2015 by Dusty Roads

Usually my vacations are go , go , go while I try to cram in every possible attraction and sight because who knows when I will get to return. So the first day in San Antonio with the City tour filling the hours was right in style with the way most of my vacations go.

Day two was much more laid back. Being on our own with no car limited the amount of running around we could do. The rain was another deterrent. In the end once we returned from the botanical garden and got dried off, we had lunch and retired to the back veranda of the hotel. There they had tables and chairs which overlooked the River walk.

I confess I embraced the Southwestern tradition of siesta and snored my way through the afternoon comfortably ensconced in the cushioned chairs.

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Dinner was with our travel voucher at the Hard Rock Cafe on the River Walk. Sandy had Salmon and I had the only Bar-B-Que of the whole visit. It was so good and in true Texas fashion, way too much food!

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While we were at the Alamo I was pleased to learn that they have an Alamo Cat. We spotted one large, fluffy, orange and white cat while we were at the Alamo but it didn’t look like C.C., the official Alamo Cat.

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We missed out on the San Fernando Cathedral thanks to the rain. Founded in 1731, it is the oldest, continuously functioning religious community in the State of Texas. The Cathedral building has the added distinction of being the oldest standing church building in Texas.

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The Cathedral of San Fernando is said to be the resting place of the remains of the heroes of the Alamo. At night there is a light show that is projected on the sides of the structure.

We also missed visiting the Tower of the America’s. Maybe next trip.

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