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??