New Orleans to Galveston

Day 13 – Dec 19

We awake to a beautiful day, hook up the truck and head for Rayne, LA, a small town just east of Lafayette. The highway is a concrete washboard through the Atchfalaya swamp but this is a journey down memory lane for us. On our honeymoon we discovered Chef Roy’s, a wonderful Southern seafood restaurant and we make reservations to revisit. Chef Roy has moved on; his sous chefs have bought him out. But the name remains the same and the menu is still excellent and we indulge ourselves. (Only sour note: the crème brûlée is neither crème nor brûlée.)

We are camped at the Rayne (Frog Capital of the World) municipal campground – set up for 700 RVs! We are the only campers. Is this Katrina money?

Day 14 – Dec 20

I get up and go for a jog in very windy weather and then we head back to Lafayette to visit Vermilionvillle, a historic village of early Cajun life. They’ve done it very well and the docents are pleasant and knowledgeable.  We’re there until the early afternoon.

We haven’t quite internalized the fact that many restaurants close their doors at 2 p.m. but we get a recommendation for Don’s Seafood downtown and once again we strike lucky – more great food.

When we return to Rayne we make plans to head for Galveston tomorrow and Darlene confirms that the ferry will take our RV.

Day 15 – Dec 21

An easy run down to Galveston but the roads in Louisiana are some of the bumpiest in the world. The ferry over to the island is first-come, first served but they have a special lane for big trucks and we get on easily. As we wait to depart we are greeted by a pod of dolphins that seem to be doing tricks just for us. We seen them before in Florida but these guys are jumping in pairs!

Day 16 – Dec 22

It’s  a fine day and we set out to explore Galveston. Top of my list is an oil rig – the Ocean Star – now retired and remodeled as a museum. Way up in Canada it’s easy to overlook the fact that one quarter of America’s oil comes from the Gulf of Mexico. We have seen refineries here that are the size of small cities, the horizon is speckled with drilling rigs, and it is apparent that, despite hurricanes, offshore drilling is not going to stop – ever.

It’s a good museum, obviously set up to present the profession in a good light, (a green light) but the material is laid out well and we soon can tell the difference between fixed rigs, compliants, jack-ups, tension-legs and spars.

Between videos and actual machines the process of drilling is explained fully – always with the emphasis on safety. I keep looking for information on the Deepwater Horizon, but find very little until, tucked away in a corner, I see a memorial to the 11 crewmen who lost their lives in the blowout. Nowhere is there any specific information on the causes of the disaster, but then this is a case that is still before the courts and Louisiana highways sport billboards that read “Got a BP claim? Call 1-800- ****” The deadline for claims isn’t until August 2013; this case will drag on for decades. I’m surprised that I see so many locals filling up at BP stations but then perhaps they’re trying to ensure the company doesn’t go under before all claims are settled.

After a walk around old Galveston admiring the Victorian architecture we had a late lunch at the family–owned Shrimp ‘N Stuff where I had an excellent oyster po-boy and Darlene tried to get through a mammoth shrimp salad.

Day 17 – Dec 23

Another ridiculous drive through multiple lane changes and overexcited traffic. There is a monster flea market in Houston called Trader’s Village and it is hyped for its excellence and its abundance of antiques. We decide to run up there only to find that it is now a Mexican village selling second-hand goods and budgies and tons of lurid Chinese plastic toys.  It was fun to see but there was little to attract us besides the tacos. And then, just as I was ready to be disappointed, I found a wonderful present for a friend in a used sign shop. I left happy.

Day 18 – Dec 24

Each morning we get up and go for a walk/jog along the beach. I am pleased and can actually see some progress. Today I went the furthest and ran the longest.

After breakfast we head down Seawall Drive to pick up supplies for tomorrow. At Randall’s we buy steaks and some enormous shrimp as well as a pecan pie and some croissants. Then north to Home Depot to find a string of Christmas lights.  Nothing at HD but Target offers me a single string of solar powered lights. I’m trying them out and have them pointing westerly to charge the battery as I type.

In the afternoon Dar and I wash the truck. It was filthy and now sits sparkling in front of the rig. Tonight we’ll splurge – put on our “goin’ to town” clothes and head for Fisherman’s Wharf for a big seafood dinner.

Day 19 – Dec 25 – Christmas Day

Well last night’s dinner was excellent! Restaurants in this part of the world love to fry their seafood. That usually means “deep-fry”, something we try to stay away from, but last night they showed us that it can mean light and crispy and crunchy with no oily aftertaste. I have to learn how to cook like that.

Neither of us got much of a sleep last night – very windy with lots of gusts that kept us awake. In the morning we got up, made a latte and coffee and we took to the beach with croissants for a  walk. The waves are up and thunderstorms are predicted for later. We’ll exchange gifts when we return and munch on Christmas cake (Thank you, Dulcie!) and mimosas.

Does this look safe to you?

The thunderstorms arrive but pass on by early afternoon and we head out to explore. Plenty of people out on the seawall downtown in spite of cool temperatures and big waves. We try the Seawolf Park but the whole park is closed, not just the ships.

Christmas dinner is to be surf and turf but the wind is so strong I’d never be able to keep the bbq upright, let alone lit. We settle for a shrimp dinner and both of us comment – once again – how fresh shrimp put the frozen ones to shame.  We certainly had an unusual Christmas without our family, very low key, but it was good, and we know Aaron and Danielle are enjoying skiing Whistler with her family, Alysha & Joel will have a blast in Costa Rico with their Dad.  Andrew who just returned from Australia after a month staying with his Mom while he wrote and passed his Master's exam will be spending the holidays with his girlfriend Shannon. My (Dar's) Mom and Dad are with my sister Dulcie and her kids at Kristen and Bryan's farm.  

You will notice a change of writing styles, and tenses as I (Dar) take on some of the writing.  Blogs take a lot of time to write so Ian has agreed that it makes sense to share the writing.  The letter in parentheses is a clue.

Day 20 – Dec 26
Again 55k/hr winds and now much colder so we head to Houston, 11/2hrs away, to visit some galleries.  We really enjoy the Museum of Contemporary crafts; it’s small but the work is very polished and imaginative. And then over to the Houston Museum of Fine Arts where I seem to overload on pre-Columbian gold and call it quits much sooner than usual.  Did you know that Houston is the 4th largest city in N.A.?  We were shocked that it took so much time to travel through it.

We stop on the way home at an outlet mall so that Ian can look for boots which he finds.  No such thing as boxing day sales in Texas, prices were the same as before Xmas.  The winds were better in the evening so Ian can BBQ  steaks and  we enjoy our 2nd Xmas dinner. Ian always finds me a great book for Christmas, this year it is 419 by Will Ferguson this year's Giller winner.  I am loving it and highly recommend it.   The family all seem to have had a great Christmas and not missed us. 

Day 21 - Dec. 27
More cold and rain so we snuggle inside.  I clean cupboards and the floor, as after a year of sitting the dirt does collect.  Ian works on the blog.  We catch up with family and friends and appreciate the American sim card and US phone rates.  

Day 22 - Dec. 28

We hitch up in rain, drive 5 hours to Port Aransas, an island near Corpus Christi, where we shall stay a week.  The sun has come out and it is warmer.  The park has 2 pools which I (Dar) am disappointed to discover are not heated and thus not swimmable.  Texas is not Florida even though it shares the Gulf.  We are beside the beach so we plan many walks for Dar, walk/runs for Ian.  The birding should be great.

Travellin' to Texas

Friday, Dec 7^th

We finally roll away at 11 am. It doesn’t seem to matter how much preparation we’ve done before, what time we get up, how few things remain to be done – it always takes us until 11 to get moving. I have come up with a “rule” – each of us can have no more than two items by the door on the morning we leave. (This is more for me than Darlene.

A good drive down to the Buffalo border, a momentary panic trying to find my passport which has slid down behind the front seats, and an easy trip to a Day’s Inn off the 271 in Macedonia. A good Mexican dinner accompanied by a pitcher of watery Margaritas.

Day 2-Dec 8th gets us as far as Cave City, KY, home of Mammoth Caves, which we will not explore as we’re moving on to Nashville this morning. In the afternoon we sign up with T-Mobile for an international plan and then discover down the road that it’s only good for landlines! Darlene is on the job. But last night’s meal at El Mazatlan – more Mexican – is great. A huge difference in quality and it’s packed with families.  (“The county is dry but the restaurants are moist.”[1]) And from what I can see, so are the women – in their armpits and neckfolds. We’re back in “big” country. We spent the night at a Sleep Inn, newly built, excellent value for our $47.

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[1] Carrie, Day’s Inn Night Manager

Day 3-Dec 9^th finds us at the Two Rivers campsite in Nashville, after a drive through rain that Noah would have recognized – non-stop torrential. The sky and the road the same colour of grey, tire tracks quickly filled in and the semis disappearing once they’re 15’ in front of you. And then, as soon as we arrive at the campground the skies clear and we are able to set up in the dry. Get everything working – water pump, water heater, fridge, propane, furnace, plumbing – all is good. While I’m messing with the outside stuff Darlene has the inside sorted out and suddenly we’re “home” again.

I discover that the campground has seriously upgraded their WiFi and we can actually stream Netflix so the evening is spent watching some old Bones. At night the rain revisits and it feels like it’s trying to pound its way through the roof

Day 4 – Dec 10^th

A frustrating day with success at the end. Dar’s phone can no longer access the T-Mobile server. All gone.

In the morning we head to the Lane Motor Museum which houses a collection of European cars and I take some photos. Nothing terribly exciting but I fill in a few blanks, get to see a Trabant ( a constant feature of  East European spy novels) and then we head downtown to Jack’s BBQ for lunch.

After some pulled pork and smoked turkey we were hoping to grab some honky-tonk but not a lot is happening and so it’s back to Opry Mills to see if we can do something for Dar’s phone at the T-Mobile centre. No, we cannot. So say the T-Mobile people. But they do send us to the iJunkiez  kiosk where me meet two very cool guys. Their business is fixing anything that’s an iSomething. The boss spends and hour and a half figuring out what’s wrong with the phone then re-jailbreaks it and bingo we have service again. While he’s doing this I watch his assistant disassemble an iphone, fix it, and then reassemble it with a totally custom face. And at the end he doesn’t want to charge us but I send $25 over to his assistant and everyone is happy.

By this time we’re both tired so it’s home to a movie. Thank you, Aaron!

Day 5 – Dec 11^th

Wake up to electrical problems with the overhead lights on the dining room slide and a blown breaker. The breaker is just an overload – tea kettle + heater fan – but it won’t reset and that has me checking GFIs and then going right back to basics, turning off the main breakers, disconnecting the battery, and wondering if the breaker itself could be shot.

Speak to Albert Camp next door who has the most amazing Alabama accent and after I hear the horror stories about his Class A I’m feeling better about the on-going maintenance that I seem to require. Albert also fixes the breaker in 2 seconds. It turns out that trailer breakers are not the same as house breakers – they need to be held fully down for a couple seconds to reset them. Every day, a new piece of information.

We eventually head into town to visit Fisk University where they house a portion of the Stieglitz collection. I was hoping for more of his photos but am happy with a few and get introduced to John Marin (1870-1953) and I like his abstract watercolor landscapes.

In the afternoon we head back to Opry Mills and enjoy The Life of Pi in 3D with another couple. (We didn’t know them – there were just the four of us in the theatre.) We really did not enjoy the half hour of previews though.

Day 6 – Dec 12 (12.12.12)

I spend some of the morning figuring out why VISA keeps declining payment for the new printer I bought and then we head over to the Opryland Hotel to see what all the fuss is about. This is not so much a hotel as it is a small town, complete with it’s own river, amazing gardens, multiple restaurants, tons of stores all on at least four levels. I love it when Americans go overboard! 

Opryland Hotel Panorama

In the afternoon we’re off to the Frick Gallery of Art where they have a Carrie May Weems show. Powerful images that reflect on the black experience in the USA. Then it’s dinner at Demo’s and on to Robert’s Western World for some country. The Don Kelly Band is playing. He’s really only a so-so singer but he’s got great sidemen and his guitarist, J.D. Simo, just blows us away! Anyone with children who think they’re going to make it in the music business should bring them here. See and hear the quality of musicians who make their living playing for tips.

Day 7 – Dec 13

We leave Nashville and head for the Natchez Trace, stopping first at The Loveless Café for a late breakfast. The Trace proves to be a lovely two-lane road through countryside that goes up & down and back & forth constantly. There is no way we are going to do 400 miles on this road and we leave it at Fly, happy to have seen a bit but ready for a drive down the I-65.

We stop at Cullman, Mississippi for the night – a quiet campground. Friendly people, happy to announce their Christianity but not pushy about it.

Day 8 – Dec 14

Still heading down the I-65, we pick up some groceries in Hattiesburg, MI and then later head off the road a few miles to Little Black Creek Waterpark. (This is not one with slides, rather a state park on a lake.) Due to a conflict between different levels of government, they can’t afford to open fully. There are over 100 sites closed and we are the only people staying there.

Day 9 – Dec 15

We make it to Ponchartrain Landing, our RV site in New Orleans by early afternoon. After setting up we head into the French Quarter, manage to find a parking spot on the street and go for an explore. In the late afternoon we duck into Maison for some Cajun and zydeco. Have a great time dancing among people who follow these bands from bar to bar, just to dance! Again I’m impressed with the Cajuns – there are no restrictions; 90 year-olds dance with 20 somethings, mothers with sons, and friends change partners easily. It’s all about the dance!

We later have a forgettable dinner at The Praline Connection – don’t bother – and then make our way home.

Day 10 – Dec 16

A day in New Orleans starts with a visit to the NO Museum of Art where we see an excellent show entitled “Life” featuring works from Warhol to Ai Weiwei. We then head for The Gumbo Shop where Darlene is not impressed but Ian is. This is followed by a visit to A Gallery For Fine Photography, possibly the best private photo gallery in North America where we see a huge range of images – from Julia Margaret Cameron and Fox Talbot to Salgado and Adams and Uelsmann. For me, this is a highlight of our stay.

Cafe au lait & beignets

We then walk down Canal St where I stop and ask a woman on the street what the fare is on the trolleys. She tells me she’s not from NO and I recognize that to be true; I tell her I should have figured out her name by now and she fills in with “Marcia Gay Harden”.  I wish her a good day and stop pestering her.

Bayou Teche

We visit Riverwalk, which has lost a lot of life since we were last here and then duck into the Café du Monde just as it starts to pour. After beignets and café au lait we make our way through the French Quarter back to the truck.

Day 11 – Dec 17

Darlene agrees to a (far too long) side trip to New Iberia, the haunt of Dave Robicheau and the place where James Lee Burke grew up. It has changed, of course, since he was a boy but Bayou Teche still cuts its way through the town, there are some beautiful homes, and we do a walking tour through the town checking out the places that Dave visits in the books. Sadly, Victor’s Cafeteria, one of Dave’s lunch spots, closes at 2 but the sushi place across the street lets us in and we have a good late lunch of sushi and sashimi.

The drive back becomes a little harrowing when night falls. There are few street lights even at highway intersections and at one point we’re convinced that our GPS is telling us to make a left turn across the lanes of a 65 mph highway. It all works out but I’m glad when we’re home.

Day 12 – Dec 18

Our last day in NO.  We putter around the camp site in the morning tending to little fix-its and then in the early afternoon we head into town. We begin by driving back and forth through Tremé. There are a lot of new buildings and still a lot of empty shells but on the whole this is a vibrant lively community. Some of the architecture is gorgeous but the streets are very skinny and already full of parked cars, and I don’t stop for photos.

Our next stop is the Ogden Museum of Art which is now closed on Tuesdays. This is a pain but a receptionist at the NO Contemporary Museum across the street puts us onto a whole line of private galleries and we walk and talk our way through several. I really can’t get over how open and friendly people are here. There’s no gallery snobbishness at all. I eventually buy a photo I’ve seen in other galleries.

We follow that with an early evening walk through the French Quarter – mostly down Bourbon St – and I get out the tripod and we do a number of night shots. (One fellow finds this exciting enough to expose his genitals for us and bounce up and down. Apparently he didn’t quite grasp the concept when I explained that a 5 second exposure wasn’t going to show anything at all. And it didn’t)

Dinner was at Oceana on Capri St. TVs on the ceiling but the food was fantastic! I’m getting lots of ideas for preparing oysters.