New Orleans Again

9 – 12 Jan 13

What we want to see most in the US are the National Parks. Most of these are out west, so we set off back along the I-10 (again) to the campsite at Lake Pontchartrain, New Orleans (we stayed at this site in October). 

The first day it poured with rain.  There was even a Tornado Watch warning issued on the Thursday. Despite the rain it had been warm all day and there was a glorious sunset that evening.

 
On Friday we decided to drive the Great River Road National Scenic Byway which follows the Mississippi River and includes a number of the Plantation Houses that have survived from the 18^th and 19^th Century.  The Scenic Drive was more a tour of the Oil Refineries with the river hidden from view by the Levees.  Again it poured with rain.  At one point when we crossed a high bridge over the Mississippi the mixture of rain and heat from the river made a thick, low fog which hid everything apart from the funnels from a couple of boats – it looked quite eerie. 

 

Slave Huts

We stopped at ‘Laura’ a Creole Plantation property and had an exceedingly interesting tour – under our umbrellas!  This property was built in 1805 and much of the historical facts obtained from the Memoirs written in 1939 by Laura about her grand-parents and family.

Inside a Slave Hut

 Saturday we went into New Orleans city centre looking very English with our rain coats and umbrella – it was warm and sunny all day!

We visited the WWII Museum.  There was an Inauguration Ceremony in the morning for a new building/exhibit to which veterans and families attended.  We talked to one or two of the families but were unable to get into the museum until after lunch.  It was well presented and factual and covered both the European and Pacific Theatre.