Hello from Florida!

Whew! This travel thing is exhausting! I'm supposed to be on vacation! Oh, we are having a wonderful time. I can't believe we are on the other side of the country. It seems like we just left California.

 Yesterday we started with a walk south of the French Quarter. The first stop was going to be Cafe Du Monde for beignets. They are a favorite in New Orleans. They are a bit like a doughnut. Along the was we passed Jackson Park with this statue of Andrew Jackson and the beautiful cathedral.  If I was a good blogger I would have taken down the name of the cathedral! (But I didn't)




We wandered on in search of beignets. (Sandi, I will warn you that Norma can't wait to use that word on you in Words.) (sorry Norma, let's see who gets to use it first!)  We found them and I know why Cafe Du Monde is considered the BEST!  It was time to walk off those pastries and the Mississippi River seemed like a good choice.

We walked along the bank of the river and sat for awhile watching the boats and barges working their way around the bend. A very nice man came along and offered to take our picture.

We walked back to Bourbon Street from a street outside the French Quarter.  The homes are very interesting and it feels just like Disneyland!

All this walking is making us thirsty! We found a corner bar where they have a drink they claim is their own concoction. It's a Hand Granade!  It's very refreshing and tastes a lot like a lime Slurpee.  I must say it went down very easy! Those of you that know me well know that I'm not much of a drinker. So that drink hit me like a ton of bricks! (or maybe like a hand grenade!)  It's a good thing we have lots more walking to do!  The bartender was so nice and even gave me little plastic alligators for all of the Grandkids.

Look! It even has a little granade in it!  

Moving along...we decide to take the trolley down St. Charles Street. This goes outside of the area and takes us to a beautiful neighborhood. The houses are like little southern mansions. We got off the trolley and walked back for awhile just enjoying the homes.

 Time to get back on the trolley and to the hotel.  We have a dinner reservation tonight at Commander's Palace and I don't want to be too tired to enjoy it.

The dinner was the highlight of our time in New Orleans. We both felt like it was the best meal we have ever had. The service was as good as the food. If you get to the city you really should indulge yourself. It was quite a treat.

After dinner we had the taxi driver drop us at the far end of Bourbon Street.  This way we can walk off our dinner and see it at night.  As crazy as this place seems during the day, the night really brings them out of the woodwork!  At night there are mounted police ready for just about any situation.  We found a few places to listen to music and have a drink. Then we knew we were way too old for this!  New Orleans was fun but it would have been great when we were in our 30's!  Now you know why I didn't write anything last night. I was just too tired! We needed to fall into bed and get some sleep  it was a great day.

This morning we we off early for Florida.  Thereare a few things we'd like to see and do in Florida. Each state is so different to drive through. We are enjoying the drive a lot more than expected.  After leaving Louisiana we come to Mississippi.  There are so many swamp areas and water ways to look at.

 


We went through Mississippi quickly as well as Alabama.  This is the USS Alabama at dock.

On to Florida.  There are miles and miles of beaches along the Gulf of Mexico.  We decided to chance the wether. We'd heard there was to be lots of rain and hurricane conditions in Florida.  We aren't going further South in Florida like we'd planned but still don't want to experience those conditions.  The beaches along the Gulf of Mexico are gorgeous!  White sand that is so soft, it's like sugar.  The water is warm, not like the cold waters of the Pacific.

 Jim wasn't in the mood to walk on the beach but I just had to put my feet in the water.  So I got him down there and he did too.  We were like a couple of kids playing in the ocean for the first time.  Now I can say I've been in the Pacific, the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico.


Just one night here at Destin, Florida before we go the rest of the way on Interstate 10 to the East Coast of Florida.  We are hoping to get to St. Augustine tomorrow. The World Golf Hall of Fame is high on list of things to do. We have to check out Ponte Vedre where we might catch a round of golf if they'll let us.

Thanks once again for sharing this experience with us.  I'll be back tomorrow!