Friday, January 6, 2012
Pecan Park Campground, San Marcos, Texas
3 days stay @ $105.00
We left Corpus Christi as scheduled and drove up to San Marcos to see my old childhood friend Lori. But first we stopped for a few hours in Goliad which is the most adorable, historical town—like Mayberry. The historic section is built around the square which houses the old courthouse, and all the architecture is 18th and 19th century. The courthouses in these old towns always look like mansions or castles. I guess they built them that way back then to remind people that Lady Justice is the backbone of every town, although the old churches come a close second and we especially love the tall steeples. That must be to remind people of what’s most important.
Goliad is interesting because of the old fort there, which looks like a medieval castle keep—all stone and brickwork with high walls. We enjoyed chatting with the little old lady who runs the gift shop—her husbands’ family have owned the land next to the fort for 200 years.
Goliad also has a beautiful mission but all we did was look at the outside as we drove by and snap a photo of it.
In spite of some of the cold, rainy weather we encounter this time of year, it’s a great time to travel. Goliad was mostly deserted while we were there, so we had no trouble parking and felt we had the run of the place.
While walking around the square, visiting shops and looking around, we spied an old piano outside one of the shops, under the awning. A sign on it encouraged authentic piano players to play, but discouraged people who couldn’t play from banging on it. Dan enjoyed sitting down and playing and a few people gathered to listen and compliment. It was a sweet moment.
We wandered down to a deli, which was packed and went in to enjoy lunch. We met a couple who runs an RV park and they gave us a little history of the town and some of their own history as well. Nice people.
Beeville is as cute as it’s name and we drove through it on the way to Goliad.
We also drove through Kenedy, Texas which is also a very cute, historic town.
In San Marcos, we stayed at this great campground. It was crowded but right next to the river and it was very pretty. Dan spent the entire weekend in the trailer, sleeping and resting since he had a miserable cold. I rather think he enjoyed having me gone for the day. It’s nice for us to get a break from each other.
So, Lori picked me up both days and drove me around. We talked both days away. We started by going to coffee at a great coffee shop called Wake The Dead and then lunch at a tea house the first day, and lunch at a deli the second day. It was wonderful to get to know her as an adult and we had a great time. I don’t always hit it off with women I meet but I did with her. The second day, Sunday, she brought her 4 ½ year old granddaughter Brooke with her and she also spent the day with us. We took her to a park to play and she had a nice time. She’s very intelligent and able to entertain herself. She drew me a picture of a butterfly and I have it hanging up in the trailer.
The park was an interesting experience. Apparently, during the summer, all the kids either go to the water park or to the river to swim and play. In the winter they go to the public parks. This particular park had more young adults playing on the equipment than children. I thought it odd to see all these 12-20 year olds climbing stuff and jumping off, but Lori assured me this is normal for their town. Sunday night a rain storm moved in and it poured all night with thunder and lightning.
Monday, January 9, 2012
The weekend flew by and it was time to go on Monday morning despite the rain. It rained all day and all night with thunder and lightning. We drove all the way to Iowa, Louisiana and spent the night at a Love Travel Center and Truck stop. The leak over the shower in the ceiling is leaking terribly despite Dan’s efforts to fix it 3 previous times. It also leaked through the window next to his bed and got the carpet wet.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Jude Travel Park, New Orleans, LA
2 week stay @ $326.00
On Tuesday morning, the rain stopped and we took a “team” shower (2 people using the same shower) inside the truck stop for $10. Some truck stops charge more than that—1 place in California charged $12 for a “team” shower. We got breakfast at the Hardees in the truck stop and were on our way. Incidentally, Hardees is the same as a Carl’s Jr. back home. That was a surprise. Only the menu is slightly different.
The land next to the interstate was flooded and we drove about 3 hours to our destination, New Orleans. I enjoyed the drive. Louisiana along interstate 10 is very pretty. Because of the heavy rain the night before (6.35” where we were), everything was flooded. Most of the landscape is swamp land but it is very pretty—very green after the rain, and the trees that flank the interstate are beautiful—tall and clumped together. Most of them were bare so we could see the bird nests—several in each tree. We saw a lot of what looked like Snowy Egrets in the swamps but I’m not sure. They had long stork legs and were white. Magnificent birds.
Our RV park is very nice—good, private bathrooms and very nice hosts. The grounds are typical—mostly utilitarian without any real park-like beauty. That’s fine with me. I’ve learned that most RV parks in towns are just like this. We are here to see the city anyway. The only problem is that the internet doesn’t work. Half of all the rv parks we stay at are just like this. It’s a small park but there is a working pool and Jacuzzi and laundry room. It suits us fine. I rate it a 3 star. I would give it a 4 star but for the lack of internet.
We are lucky that we arrived early enough to get a spot in this park and that it wasn’t raining although it looked like it was going to. It finally did rain for about 5 minutes and that was it. It hardly counts.
We set up camp, ate lunch, and rested a while and then went to do laundry—6 loads which cost us a total of $18.00. We had more laundry than usual because the rain forced me to put towels all over the trailer, otherwise the floor would have been wet and slick.
Thursday, 1/12/12
So, staying in for awhile this morning. I made 2 shallow pan quiches and apple cake. Plus I made burger patties with seasoning and they are now marinating. We’re planning to eat breakfast and dinner here at the trailer but lunch out most days. My friend Lori in San Marcos gave me 2 dozen organic eggs from her chickens, which I appreciate, but now have to figure out what to do with them. Hence the quiche and cake.
It’s very windy today and the sky is clouding over. It may rain. I need to listen to the weather report sometime today. Our internet isn’t working so we’ll have to catch the weather report on tv.
We spent a couple of hours down in the French Quarter yesterday to see New Orleans for the first time. It’s quite a town! Very touristy of course, but not as much as you might think. There are a lot of authentic things there as well. There is an enormous amount of history and culture—French, Cajun, Creole, etc. It is very flamboyant which is right up my alley! I wish I had unlimited funds to buy stuff. My favorite shops are the vintage clothing stores and hat shops. I love the designs and textures of the fabrics. And all the costume jewelry. There are many restaurants and there is an art district. We hope to really get out and see the town as much as we can over the next several days.
Our first stop yesterday morning was Café du Monde, the most famous café for beignets and café au lait. The beignets are, well, not as good as I hoped—very much like powdered sugar donuts and the coffee is very milky. The beignets were heavy and felt as if they weren’t completely cooked, or something. So, however nice it was to be there, I wasn’t that impressed. It’s not that clean and it’s noisy and smells like curdled milk. Of course, the milk is not curdled but that’s how it smells from all the steamed milk they brew all day. We ordered a double order of beignets (3 each) and they arrived on a plate but no plates for us to eat off of. Consequently we were covered in powdered sugar as was our table, which offends fastidious us. The waitresses are quick and no-nonsense but ours was more friendly after we gave a good tip. It doesn’t really matter because I am trying to rise above all phoniness and annoyances to behave as a guest wherever I go, and not let such minor things upset my trip.
So, I hate to admit that within 2 hours, Dan and I were both nauseated and had diarrhea. I don’t think it was food poisoning but we still don’t feel so well today either and I think we’ll forgo the beignets and milky coffee from here on out.
It’s great to be out and about seeing new things and new places. Yet, and maybe it’s our age, but sometimes the most simple things give us rest, comfort and pleasure. Like finding a good tv show on tv at night before bed. That’s something we like about this rv park—good cable channels. Or reading my book. Or talking on the phone to loved ones back home. Or listening to music while writing post cards to loved ones. Taking a walk. Enjoying a cup of fresh coffee. Tidying up our trailer so it’s neat and clean. Chatting with people in the RV park and around town. Things that a 20 year-old would find boring. Like our youngest son, Brian. His vacations include snow-boarding, jet-skiing and any number of risk-taking physical activities. He would find what we do very boring!
We admire really physically fit people, but we’re not one of them. So, you won’t find me out hiking hills, nor swimming from island to island with the sharks and dolphins, or roller-skating around the French Quarter, or wrestling alligators. We are perfectly content to just wander, drive and look and participate in things we are able to. Talk to people. That’s what you’ll find in my blog. No big adventures, just little ones, befitting a couple of old geezers like us, ha!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
It’s hard to believe that January is half over. Time flies. Our heater in the trailer went out on us during a cold front when we most needed it. It’s always something. So we called a repairman yesterday and then waited around all day for him to show up, which he never did. Today he showed up early because he told us he won’t work past 3:00pm because of the football game today. New Orleans people are serious about their games.
The outcome is that he thinks it is the circuit board and will cost a minimum of $200 to fix.
Ron, our other Canadian neighbor, gave us a good idea. He said not to even use our trailer heater because we have to buy propane, and instead buy an electric space heater since the electric is included in the price of the space we rent (unless we rent by the month, then the electric is extra). So we went to the hardware store yesterday and bought one for $25.00. We ran it half the night and part of the morning and it did the trick of keeping us warm.
Of course, the only way to keep warm when we have no hookups is to buy a Little Buddy Propane Heater and run it off those little canisters of propane. I don’t know just how safe it is to use it indoors without ventilation, but that’s the only option.
I remember when American products were of great quality. I guess those days are over.
Dan said he didn’t want to bother fixing the heater because we really don’t want to use the heater any longer. We’ll now use the electric one we bought. As much as I don’t like having things that don’t work, we’ll postpone the repair until a later date.
Our trailer is 11 years old and made of cardboard, so I’m not surprised it constantly needs repairs and maintenance. This is why we travel so slow, so we can afford these repairs. The trailer is not really designed for long-term living. If we had a spanking new motorhome the payments on it would prevent us from traveling so it’s a catch-22 situation. However, in talking with our neighbor next to us, he has a large, new 5th wheel (8 months old) and he’s constantly fixing things on it too. He has even had to right some wrongs the manufacturers did, so perhaps a new motorhome is not that much better either.
This is indicative of American made products. Most things are lemons unless you’ve got the bank to buy the very best, and sue manufacturers who rip you off. And nowadays, most products are imported. Americans don’t even produce very many products any more.
So, yesterday was mostly wasted. We finally did make it to the French Market just as they were closing. The French Market is really just a flea market and things are new, not used, and very touristy, and not cheap. We did buy a t-shirt for our son and it was about $5 cheaper than the ones we bought at a store, but everything else looked expensive to me. Then we walked around although most of the shops were closing so we decided to eat supper out. We went to Mojitos, one of the well-known restaurants and it was very good. We arrived at 5:30pm and were the only ones there. When we left at 7:00pm, the place was filling up. I hadn’t realized that people here eat late suppers and most of the restaurants have bands and music, but they don’t start until 8:00pm. Ours had a good rockabilly band playing but they were only practicing while we were there and just getting started to really play when we left. We’d like to come back and enjoy one of the bars’ bands another night and we’ll know to come later in the evening.
So naturally, this place has a whole different environment at night time.
We took a ride around afterwards before going home but what a mistake that was. We got lost, ended up in a traffic jam, ended up at the Superdome during a game, and then couldn’t find our way to the freeway. It was kind of scary. Finally, we did make it to the right freeway and were glad to go home even though the freeway was bottle-necked at a certain point and it took a long time to drive just a few miles.
Our RV park has a row of little apartments behind us and as our luck would have it, there is a dog which barks at us whenever we go outside. It’s really annoying. And the trains run behind us as well, so the trailer is always sort of vibrating. At night, to hear the approaching trains sounds and feels like the roar of the sea or of something big coming at us, like we’re under attack. Sometimes the activity of the trains behind us sounds like really stormy, windy weather. And as luck would have it, all this train activity occurs in the middle of the night. This is exactly like what I’ve written about before with RV parks and their locations.
Tuesday, January 16, 2012
I get asked by people who don’t do this kind of living & traveling how we handle being confined in a small space and how we manage being together all the time. I try to answer very simply but the truth is there are many aspects of it. For one thing, it is hard to spend 24-7 with my husband all the time. I do need time to myself but can’t get it. We only have 1 vehicle and I get nervous at the idea of being out by myself in the big cities where the streets are crowded and unfamiliar and it’s not easy maneuvering such a big truck. If I could drive a small car I would have more confidence in venturing out by myself.
As a result of constant togetherness, we do bicker at times—mostly when driving around town. He does most of the driving and I navigate with the GPS and maps, so of course there’s going to be conflict sometimes. In other ways we are good room-mates. We share the work, and we work as a team. We’ve been married for more than 30 years so we’ve learned how to get along most of the time.
We are not alone either, in what we are doing. There are thousands of people doing this kind of travel all over the U.S. We meet them all the time and share the same stories, the same thrills and the same trials. It’s a great lifter of spirits to know we are not alone out here.
We aren’t going to do this forever. One day before too long we’ll either pack it up and go home to live a normal life again with kids and grandkids around us, or we’ll settle for a few months here and there in order to have more of a routine and just travel slower. Many people who do what we do are called Snowbirds and they are home up north in the summer and stay in one place down south for the winter, year after year. Many of them can’t afford to travel as we are doing. So they basically have 2 homes and live in each one for 6 months per year.
It all feels very temporary and knowing that helps.
The best thing we keep in mind at all times is that a) we have chosen to do this, and b) it’s the only way we could really see and explore our country. We can’t afford to do it any other way. We wanted to see our country. That was and is the priority. So we put up with all the pitfalls so we can do just that. Most of the time we both agree that we actually like doing what we are doing.
In some ways I would probably enjoy this more if I had a larger RV, one more modern and prettier and less cluttered. But we couldn’t afford one so we make do with what we have and try never to allow ourselves the negative emotions of envy, jealousy or greed for those who have more or better than us. We are contented and feel no insecurity. After all, the people around us are nice to meet and chat with but we have our life and they have theirs. What they have is none of our business anyway. What difference does it make if our neighbor in the RV park has a $150,000 executive, new motorhome? We are doing the best we can and getting to see the world we want to see, so that is all that matters.
Besides, there are lots of small motorhomes, trailers and even campers on trucks and small camping vans all around us, much smaller than ours with far less living quarters. They’re doing just fine and adapting and making it work for them, just as we are. No matter how bad you think you have it, there is always someone who has it worse. No matter how little you have, someone else has even less. So, we’re right in the middle or slightly lower middle, economically speaking, and it suits us fine.
I have 3 fantasy scenarios that I play over in my mind that helps me cope with this lifestyle when I have days that are hard. I’m thankful that I have an active imagination so I can picture things clearly.
The 1st scenario is that I imagine we are traveling the world by boat, and having to cope with life in small quarters, like in a little sailboat, for example the book Dove. Every day there is work to be done, repairs, bilges to check, dials and monitors to check, maps to study, weather reports to monitor, the barren days with a never-changing landscape. People think it’s exciting and romantic to sail the ocean, but there is plenty of hard work and tedium to endure for just those sweet moments that are few and far between.
The 2nd scenario is that I imagine Dan and I are cell-mates in prison, having to endure small living quarters and keep ourselves from being bored to death from too much time on our hands or killing each other. This is where having sedentary activities we enjoy come into use. We like to play cribbage and other games, we both like the computer, and we both like tv and movies. And I like to read and write. Dan plays the guitar. He also likes to putter and tinker with things and there’s always a lot to tinker with on the truck or the trailer. It helps us think about time differently and move to a slower rhythm.
The 3rd scenario is that I imagine the world has ended, like in the Cormac McCarthy book, The Road. We’re survivors, meeting the other occasional survivor on the road, and setting about to stay alive, scavenge provisions, and keep a low profile. We have to rely on each other, and slowly come to realize that we had too much, we wasted too much, and now feel thankful for the slightest luxury. We’re vagabonds, travelers on the endless road, uncertain of what lies ahead, but compelled to keep going no matter what. Time ceases to matter. There is no tomorrow. Tomorrow is now. The day providential to itself. No more lists of honey-do’s. No lawn to mow, no real bills to pay, no more job or having to answer to someone else, no time constraints or commitments, or having to please others or meet their demands. There is just us, and life now. Time to see, to look and experience and take what comes.
Now back to reality. The really great thing is that the days of being confined to our trailer or campsite or being on the road are few. We are free most days to take off and see the sights we want to see. We have plenty of resources and the landscape changes every time we venture out or travel to the next destination. There is law and order and life goes on. Because I harbor secret fears, this helps me. There aren’t criminals lurking around every corner, waiting to rob or hurt us, not even in New Orleans where the crime rate is high. All is well most of the time.
How can I tell you that after a lifetime of reading about or seeing pictures or movies of these places, that I am actually here now? We walked next to the Mississippi River. We are currently in New Orleans, the setting of many books and movies I’ve read and seen. We got to see the planet Jupiter through a telescope at the University of Reno and hobnob with an astronomy professor. We got to see and photograph the beautiful mountains and hills of Nevada. We met real Native Americans in Tucson. We saw Saguaros with our own eyes. We walked where Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday walked in Tombstone. We saw the Gulf of Mexico and walked its beaches in Texas. We met people from all over the U.S. and we met Canadians and Europeans, something I had always hoped I would do one day. We saw and experienced the exquisite pastoral beauty of the state of Oregon, and drove its beautiful coastline all the way up. I got to spend a week with a beloved cousin and her family, something I had wanted to do for years. We got to pet a baby tiger, ride on a ferry, and eat insects—all firsts for us!
And all this in only 4 months. Just think what delights await us in the months to come!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Topic: Safety
In between seeing the sights, we’ve had to deal with rv stuff. I’ve been reading up on safety systems in the trailer and discovered that we’re supposed to have an LP system check once per year. Our trailer is 11 years old and we’ve owned it for 5 and we’ve never had this done before. So we have an appointment to take it to an RV service shop for the tests to be run on Tuesday when we check out. Hopefully nothing will need repair and we can be on our way to Mississippi afterwards. To add to our safety arsenal, we learned we need to replace the LP Gas Detector and install a CO detector, which we’ll buy at a hardware shop. We also bought some flares at an auto store to add to our emergency/roadside/ safety equipment kit. It’s expensive to have an RV, to keep it maintained and outfit it with everything it needs.
Regarding our LP and CO detectors, it’s strange to see combo units available at the store. How is that possible? LP gas (propane) is heavy, so the detector needs to be placed near the floor. The CO (carbon monoxide) is light, so the detector needs to be placed high up the wall or on the ceiling.
So, regarding safety, this is what our “safety” arsenal needs to include: A/C proximetry tester, smoke detector (recommend 2), 3 fire extinguishers (we have 1 in the trailer and 1 in the truck), LP gas detector, CO detector, roadside triangle, traffic cones, flares (both glow sticks and real flares), flashlight, NEED HELP sign, flashing hazard beacon, portable gas containers. Of course, a cell phone is also necessary for calling 911, but a CB radio is also helpful for that purpose.
Keep a copy of your roadside insurance coverage, a list of phone numbers and maybe even your driver’s license in your safety kit, along with any other numbers you’ll need like the make, model, year of your vehicle and RV. Sometimes, under duress, you can’t remember these things so copies are helpful.
To consider water safety I guess all you need to do for that is to bleach out your fresh water tank every couple of months.
Regarding portable gas tanks, those little red containers you use when you run out of gas, I’m not sure if they should be full of fuel at all times or kept empty and filled only when you’re about to embark on a scenic drive that may not have a gas station when you need it. That would be a question for an expert. My husband feels it’s better to keep them empty and only fill them if you think you’re going to need them that day or the next. He says he thinks they would act as a bomb or as an accelerant in the event of an auto accident and resulting fire if they were filled. Besides, gasoline breaks down over time. And if you stay on interstates, you won’t ever have to worry about running low on gas and not being able to find a gas station.
Tire safety is another issue. It’s important to get your tires checked periodically, to keep them aired up to recommended capacity, and to get them and the rig weighed now and then.
Friday, January 20, 2012
There is always the issue of how to spend our days—do we stay in and do cleaning, cooking, laundry, and maintenance on our rig and vehicle, or do we run errands (there is always non-fun places to go—Hardware or Auto store, RV store, Office Depot, Wal Mart), or do we simply take off and see the sights and be tourists—shopping, eating out, visit museums, and other venues?
Yesterday we did the tourist thing. We went to lunch at one of the recommended restaurants on our list—Willie Maes, a soul food restaurant, which is famous for their fried chicken. The food was great, and the restaurant very plain but homey and nice. There were equal numbers of black and white patrons—I even spied a man in a Sikh turban--and the walls were decorated in things pertaining to black history and black empowerment. It was actually very moving to see the linear progression of black civil rights as well as the progression into sports, the arts and politics on the walls of this unassuming restaurant. I liked the fact that this restaurant wasn’t in the tourist area but in a not-so-great neighborhood where locals dine.
Soul food has been explained to us as being country food, comfort food, the kind of food my farming grandparents cooked and ate—fried chicken, seafood, rice, red beans and gravy, greens, biscuits, ham hocks, and stuff like that. It’s really tasty.
Next on the list was back to the French Quarter where we spent the afternoon on the Riverwalk, a long expanse of park and walking/bike path that borders the Mississippi River and the town. It ends at the ferry, on Canal Street, where pedestrians can ride for free but the autos have to pay. The Audubon Aquarium is there and just up the street is the Audubon Insectarium, which we opted to go to. And now I can say that I saw the Mississippi River, albeit in Louisiana, not Mississippi, and
made famous for the Lewis & Clark expeditions and the adventures of Huck Finn and other Mark Twain stories.
Along the Riverwalk are artworks—mostly sculpture and the Holocaust Memorial is there. I’ve found that most big cities have a Holocaust Memorial, usually paid for by the Jewish citizens of the city. It serves as a good reminder that despite the beauty and culture all around, that humans are capable of tearing down those things for others who are different from themselves. That loss of rights comes because of prejudice, which leads to government decree and military might which adheres to the madness of a few. It’s like an ominous warning while one is out enjoying the sights.
Going to either the Aquarium or Insectarium means that we got our parking pass validated for $5 off, so when we left we only paid $7 instead of the $12 we would have paid. Of course, for 2 of us to go to the Insectarium, it cost $29 with Dan’s senior discount.
We live on the coast and have been to our Aquarium in Monterey in California, so going to aquariums when we are traveling isn’t something we normally do. However, we may go to one when we go to Florida just to see the difference in sea-life on the Atlantic from the Pacific.
The Insectarium is mostly designed for kids but I loved it. Unfortunately, we went at closing time so we only had less than an hour and we had to rush through it, but still it was very interesting. I was amazed to see whole collections of beetles mounted from around the world and see how beautiful some of them are. No wonder they were made into jewelry in the ancient world. We also enjoyed the aquarium of baby alligators. The tech came out and talked to us about them and he fed them some crickets. We even visited the gift shop and bought a unisex baby outfit for our upcoming new grandchild, as we don’t know the sex of it yet. And in the culinary kitchen, we ate taco-seasoned mealworms, cinnamon-coated crickets, and chocolate chip cookies with crickets on top. Delicious! A first for us!
We ate supper at an Arby’s—something Dan wanted to do even though I would have preferred a real restaurant. And then we walked back to our car at dusk and came home with aching feet and hips, a result of being so out-of-shape and having to walk so much.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
What a nice day yesterday was! First on the list was to go to the local McDonalds just up the street so we could use their free wifi. While there we met a very nice, handsome young man, very blond and blue-eyed, who drives a truck for a business all over the country (he told us he’s been to 48 states) and is from Oklahoma. His work partner was ugly, tattooed and weighed about 400 lbs, and told us how he used to be in both the meth and moonshine business. They were funny together—like a Mutt & Jeff team. The young man later jokingly asked us if we would take his partner with us, as all he does is sleep and make him do all the work. We got a nice laugh out of that. Then we got to chatting to another traveling couple about our age, who told us all about Florida where they live. They were a wealth of good information. We so enjoy talking to others and having some social interaction with other travelers.
After this we drove over to Chalmette, a community hit hard by Hurricane Katrina which is only partially recovered. We saw the squalor of the homes, and how many were still boarded up and decaying. And next to these homes were lovely little homes, rebuilt by FEMA or movie stars like Brad Pitt and Angie Jolie.
Then the next destination was the Garden District which turned out to be a most lovely surprise in all of the Quarter. The Garden District is the rich residential neighborhood with all the Victorian Mansions west of the downtown Quarter, and they have these beautiful little yards, or gardens, as they call them here. The trolley’s and tour buses come through here regularly. On Magazine Street we spied just the kind of town I like—antique shops, high-end thrift stores, espresso bars, cafes, bookstores, the kind of streets with shops that don’t exist anymore except in affluent neighborhoods. We found a great café, The New Orleans Coffee and Beignet Company. We enjoyed a plate of amazingly delicious beignets, so unlike the awful ones we ate at Café du Monde the week before, and coffee just the way we like it—hot and fresh and we got to add our own cream. We found that we really don’t like café’ au lait very much—it’s too milky for us. We chatted with a couple of neighborhood moms who came in for a bit of afternoon refreshment and we played a game of cribbage. The place was clean, especially the bathrooms. The bathrooms in the downtown Quarter leave much to be desired.
We’d like to go back to this neighborhood and see the cemetery there. The cemeteries in New Orleans are a great tourist stop. They are unlike cemeteries from anywhere else that I know of.
It was great to find this little oasis where one can find parking fairly easily (even though the streets are narrow like all New Orleans streets are), and get out and walk amongst all this beauty. And there were fewer tourists here. The streets are shaded so not so hot to walk. It reminded me of Santa Barbara, one of my favorite cities back home.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
We had the most delicious lunch yesterday. We went to a place in Bywater called The Joint, where you get the best BBQ ribs and other meat items. It’s a local honkey-tonk peopled by locals and decorated very much like if you were in someones’ patio and backyard. A bunch of guys run the place, and the restaurant is hopping all the time with customers. It was the first time I had ever eaten ribs, really. When I was a child my mother used to bake them with BBQ sauce, but they never had any meat on them, and what strings of meat were clinging to the bone were dried out wisps. So I never liked ribs and never ate them again. But these ribs opened my eyes to what ribs are supposed to be. Yum.
The décor was fun. There’s a picture of Bob Marley, the epitome of cool. There’s a funny bumper-sticker at the counter which reads, “Brad Pitt for Mayor!” The plaque on the wall reads, “Carnivores Cuisine!”
I love eating at restaurants the locals go to.
‘Bywater, the neighborhood the Joint is in, is a mix of Creole cottages and Victorian shotgun homes in a working-class neighborhood, which is currently undergoing gentrification.’ (New Orleans Where magazine quote).
Then we drove around down Magazine Street again and visited the coffee shop we liked so well the day before. We brought our laptops (we haven’t been able to get internet in our park). We arrived at the height of the supper hour and so it was very quiet in there with few people. A family came in and took the table next to us and they had the most beautiful blonde, blue-eyed daughters all dressed in rather old-fashioned clothes. There were very quiet as the other customers were. After they left our evening was ruined. An ethnic family of 4 came in and sat at the same table the quiet family sat at, but what a rowdy bunch of loudmouths they were. The parents were worse than the children and kept the kids riled up. The mother was the loudest of all. We finally couldn’t take it any longer and left. No one confronted them. I could tell the mother probably had a personality disorder and would have been angry if they were told they need to be quieter and the kids needed to behave better. They should have gone to McDonalds where people can be as noisy as they want to be.
The streets in this town are horrible— broken up and bumpy and worse than any wash-board, dirt road I’ve ever driven, especially in the residential neighborhoods. There is road work going on here and there throughout the town, but it’s not enough. We have found road-work going on like this in every state we’ve been in. Part of the problem here is the trees. There are so many majestic oaks which canopy the garden district, and the roots of these ancient trees add to the problem. Heat, humidity and a water table which lies only 2-3 feet underground is mostly to blame for the poor roads. Maintenance is ongoing and very problematic as a result.
The weather turned the past 3 or 4 days and is very gray and ominous-looking and very, very humid. It’s hot too, even though the temperatures aren’t that high. We feel wet all the time. The weather reports have been threatening rain and thunderstorms for the past few days but so far, there hasn’t been any. I kind of wish it would rain and break the weather or just clear up and cool down. No such luck yet.
Today is our last chance to do anything since tomorrow we’ll have to do laundry and get the trailer hitched up by afternoon so we can leave early on Tuesday to make that appointment to have our LP system checked. Then off we go eastward.
Some interesting facts about Louisiana--it has Parishes instead of Counties, and neighborhoods are named such as Bywater, French Quarter, Garden District, Warehouse District, Downtown, Irish Channel, Gentilly, Marigny, Tremé, etc. The French Quarter or Vieux Carré (translation is Old Square) is the original French settlement. The Garden District is where the later Americans, Germans and British settled. The Tremé is where the original black slaves and freedmen settled and is still predominately black. This area is where Jazz began.
The French Quarters’ architecture is mostly Spanish, not French. This is because 2 disastrous fires in 1788 and 1794 destroyed most of the Quarter and it was rebuilt in Spanish architecture, since the city was owned by Spain after the French sold it to them years before. Only a handful of original French structures remain today. Street names were originally French, then Spanish, then changed back to French again.
Another aspect of the French Quarter is the presence of the sacred and the profane, pagan and Christian. For instance, the great Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau, not only attended services at the cathedral, but she did many good deeds, including a ministry at the local parish prison where she comforted the condemned.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Last night was the last chance we had to do any last minute stuff we wanted to do before we le ave. We really wanted a chance to go to a Jazz Club or venue. But first in the late afternoon we went to Home Depot and Walmart. We bought a CO detector, some shampoo, and we bought one of those 1 burner LP pot cookers which I have been wanting. It will allow us to cook pots of things like beans with ham hocks outdoors. We also bought a new cable cord. The one on the tv has a loose connection.
Then we drove back to the Garden District to our favorite coffee bar, the one we’ve been going to the past few days. We took our computers and ended up having a wonderful time there. The loudmouth family was gone and the place was quiet again. I loved our server/cashier. What a nice young woman, and beautiful too. She gave us a free coffee refill because we had to wait for our beignets, which we assured her we didn’t mind. Another couple in the café gave us half their order of beignets because they ordered too much. Of course, we didn’t need a second order either, but we wanted to be gracious and so we indulged. We got to talking to them for awhile. After we left the café we stopped at a very high end restaurant/bar called Houston’s to catch their jazz band. We sat at the bar and schmoozed with the bartenders, one of which gave us a map and clued us in on how to visit the jazz clubs on Frenchmen Street in the Quarter. Their jazz trio consisted of 3 older white guys who were playing old standards, the type Dan’s dad used to play, the type Dan grew up playing, so that was nice. The trio were playing piano, bass, and drums and it was a great little combo and easy listening.
After this we went to Frenchmen Street to find these clubs and were surprised to discover that it is the same place off Decatur that we have walked through a couple of times. It’s a short street and very homey with different kinds of music playing. We were looking for jazz. It’s easy to do. You just walk up the street and stop at the doors of these clubs to listen to the music spill out before you decide if it’s what you want to hear. If not, you keep on walking. If it is, then you go inside and try to find a seat. Sometimes there is a cover charge and sometimes a drink minimum. And always, the requisite tip jar the band has on top of the piano or nearby.
We really wanted to go to the Spotted Cat, but it’s very small inside and very popular, so of course when we walked by the place was rocking with jazz and there was standing room only. So we moved on. We finally came to a place that has only just opened recently and I can’t remember the name of it—it is modeled after the Prohibition Speakeasy. What a treat too. It is a restaurant and we chatted with the hostess who was standing outside, enticing people to come in. She assured us we wouldn’t have to order dinner if we didn’t want to. She encouraged us to order the Smoked Duck Quesadilla appetizer and a drink to keep expenses low, and that the music was in keeping with the kind of jazz/folk that was performed at the traditional Speakeasy. The performers were also a trio with a female singer, guitarist and sax player and they were really good. The place wasn’t crowded at all so we got a good seat and stayed for a couple of hours. Towards the end, the bar filled up and part of the restaurant which made me happy for them, as no new restaurant wants empty tables and no performer wants an empty audience either.
So, now we can say we went to our first jazz club.
I had been filled with fears that we wouldn’t know how to fit in or that we weren’t dressed well enough but I needn’t have worried. People run the gamut, from blue jeans and flip-flops to fancy, glittery costumes and feathered hats. We were fine. And I was grateful the bartender at Houston’s gave us the heads-up on cover charges, drink orders and customary tipping. So we were confident we knew what to do.
And now at the end of our stay in New Orleans, I am convinced there is no other city like it and I think I could live here for a year and be happy. It would take that long to see everything and do everything and soak up all the history and culture. I’ll have to be content with what we were able to do. While I don’t care for the winter weather here—gray overcast and rain and humidity for days upon days, and the poverty and squalor and crime is a downer, still, this is an alive city with flamboyant scenes and colorful people. Just my kind of town!
Today we will pretty much stay in and clean, do laundry and get ready to leave early tomorrow. We’ll hitch up the trailer and batten everything down and unhook the utilities before dark. That will save time trying to do it tomorrow.
