NEW ORLEANS

WE HAVE RESERVATIONS AT PONCHARTRAIN  LANDING RV PARK FOR A WEEK, ANOTHER  PASSPORT AMERICA PARK.

WHEN I MADE THE RESERVATIONS THERE WERE NO PULL THRU SITES AVAILABLE, BUT THEY SAID IT WOULD BE NO TROUBLE BACKING IN TO THEIR SITES. TWO VERY NICE MEN HELPED US, IT DIDN'T TAKE TOO LONG.

WE WERE NOT IMPRESSED WITH THE RV PARK, IT HAD BEEN RAINING HERE TOO, NO GRASS, JUST MUD AND WATER.  IT WAS ONLY 15 MINUTES FROM FRENCH QUARTERS THOUGH AND THEY HAD A SHUTTLE TO FRENCH QUARTERS. IT STORMED ALL THE NEXT DAY, WE DIDN'T WANT TO BE OUT IN IT, SO WE STAYED IN THE RV PARK. WE DID WALK DOWN TO THE OFFICE AND FOUND OUT WE WERE IN THE INDUSTRIAL CANAL. THE RV PARK  IS  NEW SINCE HURRICANE KATRINA. THIS IS WHERE SOME OF THE WORST FLOODING OCCURRED.

  

THESE COLORFUL HOUSEBOATS LOOKED LIKE FUN!!

WE DECIDED THE SHUTTLE TO FRENCH QUARTERS WAS NOT GOING TO WORK FOR US, IT WOULD BE TOO LONG TO LEAVE MAGGIE AND MARLEE. SO, THE NEXT MORNING WE LEFT EARLY,  WE THOUGHT,  TO GO ON A WALKING TOUR.  IT WAS PRETTY  FOGGY THAT EARLY IN THE MORNING.

EVERYONE TOLD US THE STREETS ON THE FRENCH QUARTER WERE VERY NARROW, TOO NARROW TO TAKE THE DUALLY, BUT WE PROVED THAT THEORY WRONG!

THE ONLY THING THAT SAVED US WAS THAT IT WAS PRETTY EARLY IN THE MORNING, AND THERE WASN'T TOO MUCH TRAFFIC.

 BY THE TIME WE GOT PARKED, IT WAS TOO LATE TO GO ON THE TOUR, BUT WE  HAD OUR PLAN FOR THE NEXT MORNING.   WE FOUND A PARKING LOT CENTRALLY LOCATED AND DECIDED TO GO TO THE FRENCH MARKET.

FRENCH MARKET IS AN OPEN AIR FLEA MARKET WITH LOTS OF VENDORS!

AND  OPEN AIR RESTAURANTS!!

AND BEAUTIFUL FOUNTAINS AND SMALL PARKS.

AFTER WE WALKED THROUGH THE MARKET, WE NEEDED A REST. FRENCH MARKET IS ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. WE FOUND A BENCH AND JUST SAT AND WATCHED THE SHIPS AND THE PEOPLE.

WE WERE HUNGRY AND DECIDED TO GO TO THE BEIGNET CAFE, JUST A SHORT WALK.

LOVED THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE BUILDINGS!

WE  REACHED THE BEIGNET CAFE.......SO COOL!!

AFTER ORDERING OUR LUNCH, WE DECIDED TO SIT OUTSIDE IN THE PATIO AREA,  WITH  THE  CAT!

WE HAD A DELICIOUS LUNCH!!

AND BEIGNETS FOR DESSERT!! YUM!

MY FIRST EVER!! PRONOUNCED BAN-YEA  AND DESCRIBED AS A SQUARE DOUGHNUT OF FRENCH BREAD DOUGH WITH NO HOLE IN THE MIDDLE , DEEP FRIED AND DUSTED WITH POWDERED SUGAR. YUMMY....YUMMY....DELICIOUS!!
DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO HEAD HOME........STORM WARNINGS OUT, FLOOD WATCHES,  TORNADO WARNING....ALL FOR OUR LOCATION.  WE HADN'T BEEN HOME LONG AND THE SKIES DARKENED, IT THUNDERED AND POURED DOWN RAIN, THANK GOD NO TORNADO!! MAGGIE WAS SO SCARED.....I TOOK HER TO BED WITH ME AND COVERED HER UP. THERE WAS BAD WEATHER ALL AROUND US, BUT WE WERE OK. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL SUNSET WE HAD THAT EVENING!

WATER STANDING EVERYWHERE AND MORE RAIN PREDICTED FOR TOMORROW!!