We had a wonderful stay in Alabama at the Lake Osprey RV Park. It had only just opened a few months and and had excellent facilities and very welcoming hosts. It is designed for snowbirds who want a winter residence in the South. One day while we were there we drove along the coast to Fort Morgan, that guards the entrance to the huge Mobile Bay on one side and caught a ferry over the entrance to the bay to Fort Gaines on the other side. They have a lovely estuarium highlighting the shallow water fisheries around the Mobile Bay which is over 2000 square miles.
Along the edges of the coast, there are many harbors right on the sea front, all built high up on stilts to protect against storm surges.
Then alas it was time to move on, so we drove West passing through Alabama, through Mississippi State (which is very narrow along the coast) and into Louisiana. We crossed over the longest bridge over water in the world which takes Interstate 10 over Lake Pontchartrain before shopping on the outskirts of New Orleans. We had a quiet campsite by the banks of the canal linking Lake Pontchartrain to the Mississippi River.
Next day we went for a drive along the Mississippi River, North to see some of the old plantations that were established in the days of slavery. With lovely antebellum houses (antebellum = before civil war) surrounded by sugar cane and cotton fields they were a lovely sight.
We crossed over 'Ole Muddy and came back down the other side to New Orleans.
The campground operates a cheap shuttle right into the heart of the French Quarter of New Orleans which took all the stress out of getting around. So later that day we caught the shuttle into the city and wandered around admiring the old houses, wrought iron balconies and street performers. We toured the famous French Market and had cocktails at a Jazz Bar.
We saw amazing street performers like these acrobats and even met Homer Simpson on Holiday.
In the evening we had a fantastic meal at GW Fins. The sizzling smoked oysters were to die for. Overall we were slightly disappointed with N.O. Bourbon Street the heart of the French Quarter is quite sleazy and you have to look hard to find any Jazz being played anywhere. Lots of rock music and strip clubs, but it does have an atmosphere quite different to any other US city we have been to. Very liberal. Very cosmopolitan and living up to its nick name of the 'Big Easy'.
Nest day we went in again early and admired the early sun over the Cathedral of St Louis which is majestically situated in front of Jackson Square. We ate beignets at the Cafe du Monde.
Then we had a special treat, a river cruise on one of the last steamboats on the Mississippi. It is called the Natchez and we had a Cajun lunch on board to the sounds of a Dixie Jazz Band.
After the cruise we caught the St Charles Streetcar and were taken into the Garden District past lovely antebellum homes. We saw very little after effects of Hurricane Katrina. The city seems back to normal again. The weather has been very hot - low nineties (low 30s centigrade) every day and the aircon has been a godsend. Blue skies and no rain.
We have left New Orleans now and are near Lafayette in the heart of Cajun Country. What is a Cajun I hear you asking?.... More on that next week.
