Day (30) Fort Pickens and another Beach Day

 

Still hot and humid so another good beach day for us. We’re not doing any touring in the area because we saturated the area on our last visit. We’re basically relaxing and sitting by the ocean to enjoy the gulf breeze.

 

Not much to report just relaxing. Ron will be planning the next leg of our trip. We think we’ll be going to Stone Mountain, Georgia to catch the laser light show we missed on our last visit there.

 

 

 

 

 

THE IDIOTS

We did use sunblock , wore shirts and stayed out of sun as much as possible  on our second day at the beach. DUH!!!!!!!!

 

 

     Jewel is Smarter then Us

Day (29) Fort Pickens National Park–At the Beach

 

We woke to bright sunshine and unrelenting heat. Our plan for the day - head to the beach, jump in the water and enjoy. By the time we finally got out of the MH is was around noon.

LINK:

Beach LINK

I had packed a lunch while Ron put all the beach gear in the Jeep.

Ron was forbidden to take pictures of me in my bathing suit. I’m always self – conscious about my weight but as it turned out I was pretty much the thinnest woman on the beach!!!!!! LOL – Still – NO pictures-Ron!!!!

 

 

Ron, before he took his shirt off and turned into a red lobster.

 

 

 

 

Ron enjoying the water. It was really beautiful and the waves pushed us into shore.

While we were on the beach we noticed fins in the water just past the sandbar. There was a school of dolphins feeding. It was difficult to get a picture because they were in and out of the water so fast. It was cool to watch.

We stayed on the beach for almost four hours – a record for us. Between the sun and the wind we were pretty burned. Not to bright on our part but a good afternoon anyway.

The fresh air and salt water got to us and Ron was in bed by 9 pm and I hit the sack at 9:30pm. It was a very relaxing day and a GREAT beach day. The plan is to hit the beach again on Thursday, this time with shorts on and  lots of sunscreen.

 

Day (28) Drive to Fort Pickens, Gulf Breeze, Florida

 

Ron wasn’t feeling too well when we got up in the morning. He wasn’t sure if he really wanted to drive so contemplated staying in New Orleans another day. By mid- rnorning  he was OK so we packed up and headed out around 11 am.

The heat and humidity have not broken and with no dash AC makes riding very uncomfortable. We stopped at a rest area at the half-way point turned on the generator and got the coach AC’s running. That brought at least some temporary relief.

We have tried every trick in the book to stay cool including  as suggested by the “experts” to drive down the road with the generator running and coach AC’s at full blast. NOPE - did no work  so we kept the windows open to at least get some air flow.

 

 

Foolishly we kept thinking that the weather would cool to a balmy 80 or so degrees but so far no luck. When we arrived at Fort Pickens it was 98 degrees – a new record for them at this time of the year.

We have been to Fort Pickens in the past and really like it a lot. It is  out on the peninsula between Pensacola Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The water is a pretty aqua –blue and sunsets generally spectacular.

We are usually here in January or February with very few people in the CG. This is high season so the pace was packed but we were able to secure three nights. After that all the big camp sites are booked.

Once set up and cooled down I made a light dinner and we relaxed. Later we took Jewel for a 45 minute walk. It was still very hot  (90 degrees) but there was a very nice sea-breeze blowing so made it bearable.

We did not go out to the beach but Ron got some sunset pictures before the thunderstorm and rain rolled in.

 

 

 

 

It started to sprinkle  off and on during our walk and we could hear thunder in the distance.  Shortly after retuning to the MH we were bombarded by a whopper of a storm with lightening flashes that were on the ground and thunder so very loud that poor Jewel hopped up on the chair with me and didn’t leave until the storm was over.

We hoped that the storm would bring some heat relief but when we were ready for  bed it was still 88 degrees.

Day (27) National World War II Museum, Ride through Ward 9 and Brad Pitt Recovery Houses

 

We have been dealing with a heat wave that has caused some unbearable weather. The local residents are even complaining that it is too hot for this time of year.

LINK:

WWII Museum LINK

We visited the National World War II Museum and couldn’t have picked a better day. Since it is Memorial Day there were several celebrations being held in honor of the military at the museum.

Upon entering the museum we encountered an enormous pavilion with the C-47 plane #096 hanging from the rafters. This plane  dropped paratroopers into Normandy on D-Day and saw action in the “Battle of the Bulge” and the “Rhine Jump” in 1945.

Also included is a replica of the  famous Higgins Landing Craft. More than 20,000 boats were designed and built in  New Orleans and used as amphibious landings during WWII. Dwight Eisenhower once told historian and museum founder Steven Ambrose that Andy Higgins, a New Orleans resident, won the war for the Allies. Higgins made boats,  including the Higgins Boat, PT boats and other military landing craft.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                    We never knew that Ford made Jeeps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We arrived in time to take a tour in the building across the street and view the process of restoration of an original Higgins PT Boat. One of only six remaining in the world.

LINK:

Higgins Boat LINK

The restoration project is being done by volunteers so all the labor is free. Despite the free labor the restoration will cost four million dollars. It will be exactly as the original was but the guns will be dummies. Once done it will be brought to Ponchatrain Lake and be on display for one month . Not sure what they will do after that but they may offer rides if ok’d by the insurance company or just move it back into the museum. Our tour guide is very excited because as a volunteer he will get to take a ride on  the Higgins PT 305. Amazingly they have the original blueprints dating back to 1945.

 

 

What a huge undertaking and dedication by the volunteer craftsmen.

 

 

An old section of the boat and old parts displayed – dates back to 1948.

Back at the museum  we toured the halls and viewed a pictorial history and video clips of WWII. On the second floor we were taken through the Prelude to War explaining how the US did not want to ever enter combat  again and chose to stand as an independent nation.  Pre-war the United States Army was only the 18th largest in the world and that we had more horses then military vehicles.

We were thrown into the war after the attack on Pearl Harbor and the battles that ensued were horrific as war is. In one year after war was declared our military budget soared from 1.8 billion to over 180 billion dollars.

The battles fought brought success for the free world. It was interesting to learn of some of the tactics that were used to fool the enemy and help to win  major battles.

An example of the covert actions or our military.

 

 

RUPERT!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we proceeded through the museum we were impressed by how well it was put together. There is no other way to view war but as horrible and hopefully we will never face another World War.

LINK:

D-Day LINK

My father  was a medic on the front line the entire war and I can recall some of the stories he told us. Not pretty at all. Talk about experiencing PTSD.

The museum was fantastic and  a great place to visit if in the area. There is an expansion of the museum being done and  completed it will double its’ size.

 

LINK:

D-Day Mem LINK

While at the museum we went to a specially prepared presentation in the Victory Theater – Beyond All Boundaries  in 4-D narrated in part  by Tom Hanks.  The presentation was five years in the making and quite spectacular. We spent over four hours at the museum and closed the place feeling like we could have stayed longer. A definite return to for us.

Leaving the museum we drove through a different part of the city area.

 

 

Yes, This is the VOODO Mart!!!

 

 

 

 

 

We had planned on visiting some of the local older cemeteries but much to our surprise the gates are locked at 3 pm  - so no gravestone peeping for us.

Next we took a ride to the lower 9th Ward in St. Bernard’s Parish – the hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina.  When on the bus tour we skirted the outside of the neighborhoods so were unable to get a really clear picture of the damages.

This area is where many people did not or could not rebuild because of finances or because many of the homes were rentals.

LINK:

Katrina LINK

 

Just a few of the many homes  abandoned that remain standing. Many have been demolished.

 

 

 

One of many businesses left in ruin.

 

 

 

 

Thousands of  people were displaced to other states and did not return. On the bus tour,  the driver told us that  FEMA was paying $3500 to have contractors place blue tarp on ruined roofs but would not pay to have roof repaired most likely at the same cost. Also, that FEMA paid $75000 to $100,000 to have temporary FEMA trailers put in place to house those who lost heir homes.

I’m not sure who makes those rules but know for sure that those FEMA trailers cost no more then $20,000 to buy privately and some even cheaper. Once again a fine example of good money being thrown away on temporary patches  - tarps-  $3500 – really!!!

Bard Pitt had jumped on the disaster relief bandwagon and poured five million dollars of his own money into helping rebuild the lower 9th Ward.  The houses are green and stand on stilts in case of future flooding. In order to qualify for one of his houses you had to prove that you could pay the mortgage and get financing. 

His plan was to build 150 houses and so far there are about 75 completed. Despite the money he has invested, more it needed. The houses are very unusual and some are ugly but they are green and serve the intended purposes – get people back into homes and out of trailers.

 

 

LINK:

Make it Right LINK

 

Just an example of the homes built by Brad Pitt.

 

 

 

 

 

We enjoyed our time in New Orleans despite the heat and humidity. It is definitively a place we would return to – in cooler weather of course.We will be leaving on Tuesday hoping to find some cooler weather and less humidity. LOL

Day (26) Mardi Gras World, Hurricane Katrina Bus Tour, French Quarter and Bourbon Street

 

The night temps did not really cool off all that much. At 2 am it was still 88 degrees and seven in the morning a cool 81 degrees.

We left the CG around 9:45 am and as soon as you walked out the door the heat hit you in the face. The projected temp for the day is 96 degrees.

Our first stop for the day was at Mardi Gras World where they make all the floats for the Mardi Gras. When we arrived it was a guess as to where to park. There was a huge parking area for the convention center but super expensive. We did find a spot in the cruise terminal area for free – so we parked.

A Carnival Cruise ship was in dock and disembarking passengers so the traffic was brutal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The entrance to Mardi Gras World was around the corner and we were pleasantly surprised as  we entered the front door. We were greeted by two Jesters and a large head of another Jester.

LINK:

Mardi Gras World LINK

 

 

 

 

We were not sure what to expect  once inside but again were taken aback by the size of the place and the volume of  heads and other props that greeted us.

 

 

 

 

All of the props had at one time or another had been part of  a float

 

 

We got tickets for the tour  - or should I say beads for the tour and watched a video explaining the operation of Mardi Gras World and what Mardi Gras means to the people of New Orleans.

Our tour guide made a point to let the general public know that the Mardi Gras parade does NOT travel down  Bourbon Street and the happenings on Bourbon Street do not reflect what Mardi Gras is all about. In fact, she made a point to tell us that Bourbon Street is not a place for small children because of the risqué behavior that occurs there. That Mardi Gras is a family event  and should not be confused with the media coverage of Bourbon Street.

As we moved through the work spaces and warehouse we were able to experience the work involved in making the materials for the beautiful floats presented at Mardi Gras. Our guide told us that every year is a new theme and no two years are ever alike. There are organizations and groups that request certain themes and they pay to have this company prepare the props and put the float together. The organizations Krews  pay for all of the materials but do not own the floats. In addition, the beads and trinkets thrown from the floats into the crowds are bought at the expense of the people within the private organizations representing the floats. In Orleans County a private business cannot be represented  in the parade.

Once the tour was over we were able to walk around the building at our leisure and take as many photos as we wanted. Below is a small representation of those photos.

 

 

 

 

One of the themes for a float for 2013  will be Easter Island and Stonehenge. How weird is that –we will be in Easter Island in August.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This company makes the cows for the billboards for Chix Filet. They are really funny and the cows are obviously three-dimensional hanging off the billboards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

         Is This Jewel???

 

               Follow the Yellow Brick Road – RON!

There were so many floats and props our minds were in overload. Ron now feels that we should attend Mardi Gras and partake in the festivities! Did he really say that?????

After leaving Mardi Gras World it was off to catch a tour that will show us around New Orleans and discuss Hurricane Katrina, the damage and recovery to the area.

It was almost impossible to get a parking place and after going into one parking area and exiting within 5 minutes  (no spaces) we did find an open lot. It was 12:30 PM and the sun was high in the sky and the temp was up there too. I cannot tolerate the heat and humidity so proceeded to sweat like crazy – but only my head. Cannot figure out why that happens but its like I took a shower and the sweat drips  from my head. Not a pretty sight  at all.   Not to mention embarrassing. 

Once on the bus in the AC I cooled down nicely and was able to get my soaked hair dry and looking half-way decent.  Ron – was not sweating at all – UGH!!!!

The three hour tour was very informative and cleared up some questions we had and I’m sure a lot of people had at the time. The biggest issue related to Katrina was that it was not suppose to hit New Orleans so no immediate evacuation was issued.

The school buses and other buses were not used to evacuate the people when the order to leave was finally issued because that order was never issued either. By the time the  the severity of the hurricane was realized it was too late to get out. Once the hurricane passed everything appeared normal and everyone was happy that despite it being a category 4 storm New Orleans didn’t suffer as much damage as they had predicted.

Then the unthinkable happened an the levee broke sending a 30 foot wave of water from the gulf into New Orleans causing massive destruction and over 1500 deaths.

One of the many homes being raised off the ground in an effort to avoid water damage in case of another flood.

Below is Fats Dominoes'  home that has been repaired. The floodwater was up to his roof and he was rescued for the rooftop. He has not returned to his home and is now living in a Rest Home.

 

 

 

The writing on the plywood indicates that the exterior  house was searched on 9/22 by the Missouri National Guard (MO) and no one was found either dead or alive. Many of the vacant homes had markings on them. It was difficult to get pictures from the moving bus so Ron and I plan to take a ride on Monday and look around ourselves.

Since the nightmare of Katrina New Orleans has a disaster and evacuation plan in place and the citizens have all been informed of the plan. The levees have been reinforced and new pumping stations  at the levees have been installed. They are in the process of building a barrier to prevent the waters from the Gulf of Mexico from breaching the Mississippi again.

The unfortunate part of the entire story is that money was earmarked to fix the levees long before hurricane Katrina, but a huge portion was funneled away and poured into the Big Dig in Boston. OMG!!! What were they thinking???????? All those lives and properties lost  that was so preventable.

New Orleans is still in the recovery process but the 9th Ward was badly hit and many homes have been left abandoned. Many of those people had been left homes by parents or grandparents and never possessed  a clear title. Because the houses were small and in a poor neighborhood those that were insured did not have enough coverage to rebuild. Other homes were rentals and the landlords chose not to rebuild.

The National Guard Building was under 20 feet of water and is still in the process of being repaired.

The tour was excellent but because the bus kept on moving made it difficult to get good pictures.

Once back in the city we decided to head to Bourbon Street. So far the locals have mentioned that Bourbon Street is the pits. The bus driver described it as stinky , dirty, hot and a noisy tourist trap. Well, we are in New Orleans and I plan to see Bourbon Street stinky or not.

The French Quarter was fairly nice overall and the streets narrow and interesting.  Lots of cool architecture and music spilling into the street from the local bars.

             Below are some of the pretty buildings and venues in the French Quarter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So far so good,  the French Quarter was turning out to be quite nice. Then we turned down Bourbon Street. WOW, the local residents and Ron were right. It is dirty, noisy and really really stinks. Not sure what made it smell so bad – like a combination of mold, sweat and body fluids combined into one gross odor. There were lots of bars and little pubs to eat in but none looked very clean or appetizing.

 

 

The corner of Bourbon Street

 

 

 

 

Bourbon Street looks and smells much better in pictures. LOL

This guy was painted with gold paint  and stood in that position in the middle of the street for over an hour without moving a muscle. Did I mention it was 103 degrees in the sun and the humidity was enough to drown you!!!!!!

Even though it was still early the crazies were out. People walking and drinking – a little out of control. And like the bus driver stated anything goes up to and including a stripper showing her wares in the doorway of one of the clubs and she was NOT wearing a thong!!!!

 

That didn’t top the two young ladies that were wearing nothing from the waist up but body paint – and to think the evening was still young. Definitely not a place to bring young children.

It was really hot and contrary to what one would think there were not any really good restaurants on Bourbon Street just barrooms and strip joints. We didn’t plan on hanging around to see what the rest of the evening would bring so we headed back to the car. It was a relief to have the AC cooling us off. We had left some water in the car but it was too hot to drink!!!!! At 7 pm it was still in the 90’s.

We had a light dinner back at the MH and I had to admit to Ron that although I had been really excited about going to Bourbon Street it was a disappointment.

We plan to visit the National World War II Museum on Memorial Day and take a ride back to the 9th Ward to try to locate the homes that Brad Pitt built for those who lost their houses when the levee collapsed.