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July 25, 2004
Riding Around America: Last Day in the Big Easy
After waking up over an hour later than I intended I had to hustle this morning to make it to the ferry dock in time for my river cruise on the Creole Queen. We cast off from the Riverwalk at 10:30 and started heading downriver. I was most fascinated by the other boats on the river. There were dozens of them, big and small. Tug boats (that don't tug but push), container ships, cargo ships, paddlewheelers. The captain gave a nice narration over the PA along the way and I learned a lifetime's worth of information about shipping which was actually quite interesting.
The whole purpose of the ride was to see the Mississippi but also to stop at Chalmette battlefield, site of Andrew Jackson's victory over the British in 1815. There, we listened to a presentation from a ranger which was very informative. The battlefield is not very large and was practically swamp during the battle, which didn't help the British as they walked across the field seeking a way to get into New Orleans. Of course Jackson wasn't about to let that happen and tore into them with muskets and cannons. A heroic tale that was told well by the park ranger, even if I disagreed with her assertion that the US victory shifted world power from Europe to America. That seemed a bit of an overstatement to me.
I just barely had time to walk around the field a bit before the deep below of the boats horn summoned us back. On the way back I sat in the A/C portion of the ship and let the cold air turn the sweat on my face into a salty crust. Gross, I know but I only mention it to help you understand how hot it is here.
After returning from the cruise I ventured west, away from the French Quarter, to the area around Lee Circle and paid the hefy $14.00 admission to the D-Day Museum on Magazine Street. Simply put, the place was phenomenal. Probably not of much interest to those who don't care about military history, but to me it was awesome. The exhibits are well written and illustrated with large, sometimes graphic, photos from the period. It's not overly patriotic and cheesy but lets the soldiers literally speak for themselves in text and video. The museum also handled the more controversial topics well. It deals with racism on both sides, mentions the Japanese internments, and frankly gives several viewpoints on the atomic bomb, an issue that has raised much controversy in the past several years. I spent a good part of my afternoon at the museum which was good because the other museum I wanted to check out, across the street and devoted to the Civil War, was closed.
Tonight I had a crawfish/shrimp pasta thing for dinner which was pretty good. Probably the most filling meal I've had since I left - for some reason I don't each much when I'm travelling, especially when it's this hot. After dinner I went down the block to Harrah's, the only casino in town, and blew about $7 on nickel slots. I'm a high roller, I know.
So my stay in New Orleans is pretty much over. I've enjoyed it immensely and I've seen pretty much everything I wanted to, which I am happy about. I have lots of photos but they're going to have to wait until I get to a more reliable internet connection. Since I start for Tucson tomorrow (a 1500 mile journey for those who are keeping track at home) and I'll be riding through no-mans land for most of the way (i.e. southern Texas), I don't think I'll be able to hook up with a wireless connection. But, you never know. I'll have some things ready to post just in case so keep reading.
Posted on July 25, 2004 at 11:30 PM