I loved the title of this one. I want to go frogging!
And also these:
I cancelled my original plans for today because the bus trip to the Whitney Plantation and back was just too long. So I opted for my favorite activity - wandering.
I walked down to the Mississippi - my first real glimpse of the mighty river and the Crescent City Connection Bridge.
Next I headed for the French Market, which was slightly interesting, but not the flea market experience advertised.
Lots of interesting "cast-iron lace" and "galleries" (a prominent overhanging structure supported by columns that extends over the sidewalk rather than a balcony, which is typically smaller and unsupported by ground pillars) as I wandered.
The specific building style that heavily features these multi-story, wrap-around iron porches is known as a Creole Townhouse.
Nearby was Jackson Square, formerly the Place d'Armes or Plaza de Armas, a historic park in the French Quarter.
After all that walking, I needed a break, so I followed the music (and the crowd) to the obligatory stop at ... well, you know:
Alert Transportation picked me up at the hotel, and we were off to the swamps. The trip there was about an hour since the bus also picked up others at various NOLA hotels. It was interesting to see the surrounding area of Jefferson Parish since I've never been to Louisiana.
Soon we arrived at the Swamp Tour office. Gran Gran's was supposed to have premade sandwiches for sale (I had called ahead - maybe discontinued after the main tourist season?), so I fortified myself with a bag of peanuts and some fruit.
The tour boats were were docked in an area prolific with swamp grass. There were many benches, and the wide windows provided room for taking photos. The route was mostly through the Intercoastal Waterway, a 3,000-mile inland waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts, but some homeowners allow the boat to veer off the Waterway and pass through waters they owned.
Captain Eddie, a 10th generation Louisianian, was in charge of the boat and the tour. He had a huge amount of information which he delivered in a folksy way along with the habit of substituting "they" for "their," as in "They house flooded." Thanks to John Campbell's linguistics course at Etown, I'm fascinated by regionalisms. The word, bayou, according to Captain Eddie is from the Native Americans but also from the fact that the bayou passes you by. 😁
The majority of homes are one story, built without stilts and very vulnerable to floods with water everywhere. Property insurance which was around $700 soared to $3,000+ after Ida (much worse for those on the bayou than Katrina) with many carriers dropping their clients. Now many rebuilt homes are on stilts. And some owners brought in dirt to build a hill on which to rebuild. Land here is a mere is 6.5' above sea level, forcing burials to be above ground.
The house below had an elevator installed to simplify going up and down the steps.
I loved seeing the vegetation, birds, and of course - gators.
We saw a few brown pelicans.
I've never seen a shrimp boat with the high-up nets.
We shared the waterway with air boats - quite noisy and smelled of the gas they're propelled by.
In some instances, the gators were hard to spot. Can you find one in these two photos below?
There were lots more, if you kept your eye out:
Here a smaller gator is about to go head to head (or jaw to jaw) with a larger gator. Eventually the young-in retreated. Males gators can be spotted by their battle scars obtained from fighting other males. They also devour babies that aren't theirs so all babies will have their genes.
Mothers protect their eggs for roughly 65-70 days until they hatch and will carry newborns in their mouths to water. They also allow them to ride on their heads or backs. Moms stay with their babies in protective pods and defend them from predators like raccoons, birds, otters and other gators for one to two years.
I'm happy to report that after more than a year of not traveling, I have my groove back!
I slept great (minor hiccup with a Keurig machine which was soon fixed) and set out to look for a non-hotel breakfast. I found Daisy Dukes Cafe, a stone's throw from the hotel. It's touted as the best breakfast in the French Quarter and my egg white veggie omelet plus melt-in-your-mouth biscuit were terrific. Angie, the waitress, took wonderful care of me.
Afterward, I stopped to have a chat with the concierge, George, who helped me navigate my route tomorrow to the Grey Line pick-up spot for a tour of the Whitney Plantation.
This morning, I'm headed for a swamp tour, which includes a hotel pick-up. Hope to see some gators up close!
All went well with the flights and Uber. I arrived around 3:30 PM and after getting checked in and unpacked, I set off for a swim in the rooftop pool.
As many of you know, I am always very, very warm. The pool was FREEZING. I almost couldn't dip in my foot. So, plan B was to go early to Hotel Monteleone where I had made a reservation at their restaurant, Criollo, a quick 8 minute walk away.
Crossing Canal Street.
Hotel Monteleone. Their Carousel Bar is famous for rotating. Apparently, it completes a full 360-degree rotation every 15 minutes.
I sat by a window overlooking Royal Street and ordered one of their craft cocktails, Brandon's Bramble, while I indulged in people watching. The window was slightly elevated giving me a great view of various happenings. I did not see/sense the bar rotating, as the same people sitting at the bar did not move. Maybe a second Brandon's Bramble would have made it happen? I may need to return for some intel...
Across the street was Mr. B's, an eatery recommended by Gates. I'll try them tomorrow night. There was a huge crowd outside waiting for it to open - always a good sign.
Soon it was time for my reservation at Criollo. Their Caprese salad was the best I've ever had. Tomatoes rested on a bed of balsamic and pesto, making the flavors pop. The trout almondine was also delicious. Forgot to take a photo - I'm rusty. 😄
I'm super excited to be traveling again! Soon, I'll board American Cruise Lines' American Melody and cruise up the Mississippi River from New Orleans to Memphis with frequent stops along the way.
I'll arrive three days early in NOLA to explore on my own before meeting up with Road Scholar.
Stay tuned!
