Blogs from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, North America

Some people keep saying this is the first day of spring ? Well, it was a lovely day! Cool enough for Jean to wear a jacket to begin with, but then down to just a top. Of course we got an early start – like 8:15, and drove south of the Mississippi River to “Village de l’est,” area and the Jean Lafitte bayou national preserve. Yes, the pirate. The first boardwalk was quiet but lovely with many bald cypress and irises just starting. Water was every where. We met a nice couple Mallory and James before moving on – gave them some of “His Coins” as a memento. Then drove maybe 5 mins on to a different path of the same preserve, and that was much more full of birdsounds and sightings. AND alligators!! Bayou coquilles. ... read more

Saturday was a beautiful day. We packed up early and took the back road back to Lake Coleman to look once again for the elusive Red Cockaded woodpecker and Red Crossbill. Using the Merlin app on our phone we could tell that these birds were nearby and David swears he saw the both birds fly. No photographs, so we face the deep philosophical question of do we count birds in this second of our “Big Year of birding” by hearing only, which evidently is a very recognized and respected way of counting your species. The other very exciting thing that’s happening is that every time we stop at a Circle K we get $.25 off a gallon and free goodies like a soda every time. This only works on the club member Circle K’s, but they ... read more

New Orleans, Louisiana is the location of the oldest continuously-operating Cathedral in North America, home to the famous Joan of Arc statue, and a sort of cesspool-Disneyland exploiting touristic appetites for tawdry ghost tours, witchcraft shops, and fortune tellers. Just the kind of place that makes you think, "Saints & Sinners". According to Google, that's even the name of a restaurant in New Orleans owned by Channing Tatum... We didn't go there, but it sure feels like we experienced the full gamut of America's moral spectrum on this trip. Are we the Heroes or the Villains? These moral quandaries started back in Seattle, on the way to the Kenyan Reggae warehouse party. On the phone with one of my Jamaican bredren, I mentioned the artist we were going to see and I got an earful. Allegedly, ... read more

I wrote this a few years ago, when I went to Super Bowl 47. It is the ultimate football game. And now, The Niners are in Super Bowl LVIII (58)!!! January, 2014 Super Bowl 47 will start this afternoon. I will be there to watch the Forty Niners. I became a fan in the Fifties, when two players from my hometown, offensive tackle Monte Clark, and future all pro defensive back, Jimmy Johnson were drafted by the Forty Niners. Back then, it would have been difficult to envision the concept of the Super Bowl, or the greatness ahead for these two players. My Dad would have truly enjoyed being here today. He introduced me to sports. He took me to my first college and professional football games. We started out on a local level, our high ... read more

From Planner at Heart (Elizabeth Ervin), a few things we can learn about ourselves when we travel solo. Sometimes, it means sleeping in, or getting an early start. I also like an early dinner, rather than late. I generally limit major activities to a maximum of two per day. Sometimes I only eat two meals a day instead of three. I enjoy hopping on public transportation and just go as far as I can, or until I find something interesting. My sense of direction-is usually pretty good. Use the sun or a landmark as your guide. Or, in the tradition of Hansel and Gretel, leave a trail of bread crumbs! In Athens, I use the Acropolis as my marker. In Bangkok, I use the Skytrain. In Hong Kong, I use the water, The afternoon nap-one of ... read more