UP ROUTED - BEACHSIDE TO POOLSIDE

well, we have found the strength to get in the car and drive 500 km down the Gulf coast to a little place just north of Tampa....the white sand and emerald water of Panama City Beach have been replaced with sprawling moss draped cypress and crystal clear, clean pool water courtesy of very generous family members, Cathy and Bernie.....the neighbourhood is quiet, private and relaxing and the house is huge.......there are giant birds wandering around the various houses making Jurassic Park sounds and a big turtle has dug a hole under the fence that a kid could crawl through - - - the turtle doesn't get into the pool because she has no bathing cap or goggles - - - would you even know if a turtle had a bathing cap on? I guess if it was another colour besides green.....we have used this down time to relax (stop laughing) and collect ourselves - plan, change our plan, go back to our original plan then re-think our plan!!! The weather has gone from stinking hot (33C humid) to mid 20s mild. A little something for everyone....soon we head up to Canada - - - home in other words. The next big trip is Kiwi land....departing Dec. 12.....the gods are truly smiling on us!

I kid you not, this bird is 3 feet high and makes this kind of teradactyl sound.......... I couldn't find the eggs though!

indoor beach - - no driving required......

BEACHED - PANAMA CITY BEACH

so we spent almost 2 weeks at PCB...pretty straight forward  - walk on the beach, sit on the shore, sit on the balcony, walk on the beach....I think that pretty well covers it...oh yea, sometimes we ate and sometimes we put on sun block......total recharge.....lots of dolphins and pelicans, sand pipers, etc...beautiful clear water.......it was good......the beach is always good!

this is what you wind up looking like after sitting on the beach for a couple of weeks!!

you start seeing things fly by and aren't sure what they are??

the dolphins were really active for a couple of days....

a little snack at dusk

beautiful calm water...

sleepy time......

UP ROUTED - THE FRENCH QUARTER

…we make our way down to the riverfront….again this is a walking tour and the weather is overcast - we get some rain near the St. Louis Cathedral so we go inside to stay dry which I'm pretty certain was one of the intentions when they built it in the 1700s…..the FQ is 250 years old or older in some places…cobble stone streets, architecture from French, Spanish and British occupation and not too many tourists at this time of year…we browse in the French Market for a while then we decide to just wander…no matter where you are basically, there is something to see and marvel at….the smell from the restaurants works on your appetite….we wind up in a couple of artist co-ops…in one, the artist in attendance is born Romanian, lived in Canada for over 10 years then fell in love with NO….she steers us towards freshly delivered grilled oysters….a couple of beer and oysters later, we are ready for the afternoon…we head on up to the north end of the FQ and wander through one of the cemeteries near Treme….everyone is buried above ground which makes for some interesting viewing…..then we head for Louis Armstrong Park and take in the peaceful park that has become an homage to the great jazz musician….for me, there is nowhere that the spirit of NO is stronger…the park is a place to gather, relax under the shade of a giant cypress and celebrate the soul of a great city with the great music that has its' roots there…imagining the place 100 or 200 years ago is so easy because very little has changed…..we make our way back the the hotel and suit up for another Cajun feast - the duck is particularly succulent….tomorrow we head for the big beach at Panama City…both of us are a little sad to leave this wonderful place….

Canal Street separates the English District from the French District.....I guess their view of each other is blocked by the palm trees??..the Casino is right in the middle - custody battle anyone?

Andrew Jackson Square from the river walk...

Morning on the Mississippi.....

Linda on her way to church....

Carter just before Andy's horse sent him a message....

Joan of Arc in the French Market.....

What's a visit to New Orleans without a picture of a paddle wheeler?

This is the Corn Stalk Hotel....the rod iron posts have corn cobs on them....oh those crazy Louisiana folks!!

The Andrew Jackson Hotel - - over 200 years old....

a private courtyard in the French Quarter - some of the residents are chatting, etc....

Linda finds this crazy little door  - with a pretty crazy door knocker!!

Jean Lafite's blacksmith shop (now a bar) - - probably served a couple of beers back in the day as well!!

Down in the Treme there's me and my baby, we're all going crazy......!

Hey Carter, I think I found a place for you to sleep tonight!!

in the shade of the Cypress - music, food and fun....

The maestro himself......

One of the Chiefs.....these guys are amazing.....Hip Hop eat your heart out!

Linda leading the band!!

Carter playing triangles - hey, I'm done, I want to go eat!!

UP ROUTED DAY - NEW ORLEANS GARDEN DISTRICT

….we decide to walk over to the English side and wander throughout the Garden District…the day is hot and humid and for some reason I wear my black jeans…..there is no direct sun but we are on the verge of rain all day - humid, humid, humid….so the district is a good 20 blocks from the hotel and then you walk through it…why not cab over or take the trolley - there is something about walking in this city..... something to see everywhere…the hours fly by and we accidentally wander into Jimmy K's on Magazine Street for lunch - delicious po boys and a couple of buckets of Atabi Amber later - again reasonably priced - and we do a couple of more hours through the district then walk back to the hotel room to rest - K Paul's for dinner….yes, our chef super hero is Paul Prudhomme and we are pretty pumped to eat at his New Orleans restaurant…..blackened Louisiana drum, chicken and sausage gumbo and shrimp etouffe from Cajun heaven….a little Oregon Pinot Gris and a really great server……what a perfect place and meal!….Jess calls just as we are finishing dinner and we have a brief FaceTime scan of the restaurant then head back to the hotel to have a long talk with her -- she is in Byron Bay having a tropical hippie experience and enjoying every moment….New Orleans chats fuzzy face to fuzzy face with Byron Bay….what an amazing day!….

let's play guess what city...no cheating!!

OK, a picture of a menu - not just any menu but K-Paul's menu....just a little obsessed I'd say!

one of the few places left in the world where the name Lee commands any respect....there were a couple of guys finishing a mickey at the base of the statue......my life is perfect!

these houses are incredible...not so many do it yourselfers if you know what I mean!

verily I say unto you...a bird in the hand, etc., etc., etc.....!

what would a huge mansion be without a gargantuous tree draping over it...I mean, this is the South you know....

details,

details,

this is one of those "proof that we were here" shots....

what the hell is blackened drum??....hey, didn't I see you in a restaurant in Texas!!!

UP ROUTED - BATON ROUGE THEN N'AWLINS

 - we are excited to be heading into the Big Easy and take a little detour through the Louisiana state capitol. We aren't too sure what to expect..the road from Lafayette to Baton Rouge runs through a giant swamp area…what a gritty place!….the city is quite modern. We are able to walk the downtown corridor in a few hours and see some interesting spots. Next, we head down toward N.O. and pass by some plantations. The countryside changes - lots of cane farms and refineries…small towns along the way look like they are barely hanging on - rural poverty in the area is noticeable and pretty disturbing and whole towns look like they are slowly degenerating…..the opulent plantations sitting right next to the old crumbling trailer parks are a sight…….We make our way into the city. We arrive on a Monday afternoon when the unbeaten Saints are playing the unbeaten Dolphins….there are tailgate parties everywhere…the GPS takes us to the wrong place - we have to park the car and try to find the hotel on foot….luckily we find a lot, lock up the car…a guy tells us that our hotel is in the French Quarter on Bourbon Street…we walk there - 6 blocks - then walk into the Quarter…it's packed and crazy - remember the footballl game….Linda is pretty shocked (I've been here before) and we are both a little concerned about the hotel….turns out to a beautiful place…we check in, go back for the car and drive it through the mad crowd and head down for dinner - the restaurant is right on Bourbon Street and the meal is great and reasonably priced - barbecued shrimp, oyster platter and and Atabi IPA - good finish to a tough day (what a couple of wimps eh?)…we walk up to Maison Bourbon and listen to a jazz band…..Linda is looking pretty happy stuffing money in the tip jar with glee…I think we are going to have a good time here in the Big Easy!!

can somebody tell me what the half mile row of bleachers on the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge is for?...

this is the old State Legislative building....a bit of French architecture and 12 foot iron fencing....viva la France!!

 rows of these orange silver trees line the Spanish Boulevard....

the magnolia is as beautiful to look at as it is to smell!!

I'm really loving your photo ideas Carter...how about you come over and light this guys cigarette!!

French architecture, Louisiana vegetation and Japanese lens!!

I'm telling ya, Linda must have knocked for 10 minutes, we finally left the pamphlet under the second pillar - really, who would want to pass up a 2 for 1 pizza offer???

love these trees!

is there anything in this picture that can be done with steel but is not properly represented??

UP ROUTED - MORE LAFAYETTE, LA

we are feeling the need for less travel so we decide to snoop around Lafayette…we know little about the area but since we have such a great place to stay, we don't really care what we find, we just need a little break….like the night before, Sunday morning on the streets of Lafayette really make you wonder if anyone lives in this town…..we do a bit of walking and get a better feel for the place. Lafayette is a town full of churches, court houses, lawyers and related services from bail bonds to counsellors….we walk past a gang doing town work as part of their prison sentence - black and grey striped pants (I mean very broad stripes) and bright orange jerseys featuring the name of the institution) - I'd pay extra legal fees just to avoid wearing that outfit!…….we head out to the bird rookery to see if there are any good sightings…..the rookery is a nice term for a swamp that birds can inhabit - don't get me wrong, it has it's own unique beauty but it is a swamp…..maybe that is what makes it so interesting, I'm not sure…. then we head for the market to grab some local delectables….the food is amazing and we manage a FaceTime connection with Jarrett….Lafayette to Dawson City…..what a crazy world…..Jarrett is well, heading back to Vancouver soon, good news!….we hit the hay - tomorrow New Orleans via Baton Rouge…..

the cathedral sits in the center of town along with several other massive churches - Sunday morning and the parking lots are full - everyone is in church (except us of course)....

great sprawling trees shade grand old homes that have been converted to legal offices - this is the sheriff's office....nothing shady about the legal profession you say??

the original city hall and downtown centre..........

finally, someone willing to stand up and help the crawfish and crabs of Louisiana in their times of legal plight!

federal court in downtown Lafayette....

 remind you of the Lone Ranger anyone?? (not the guy in the grey shirt, the statue!!)

Martin Lake (Swamp)......how did the Acadians ever settle this area without bug spray??