Day 91 - Halloween / Plantations & Pat

Headed over to the Mississippi shoreline to check out a couple of plantations.   Los Angeles hasn't a thing on the bridges, overpasses, underpasses, and interchanges in the New Orleans area.

After crossing the river we took a river road to the plantations.  It is also a Hurricane Evacuation Route.

Raised sirens every mile or so.

The mirky swamps boarder the river.

The plantation has restored most of its buildings.   We went to two plantations, one was a guided one and a half hour walking tour that really was packed with facts about plantation life and slavery.

The "cage" below would have been in a hotel.   When the slave purchases were made the buyers slept in the rooms, while the slaves were kept below in the cages awaiting the trip to their new home.

The blacksmith shop.   A very important part of the plantation buildings.  It would be within sight of the big house.  The slaves cabins were a mile from the big house and never in sight of it.

Storage barns.

We toured inside the 'big house'.   This one, the owners lived in New Orleans and only occupied this place on occasion.  It was not very fancy inside but nice for the times.

The second plantation was much nicer.   We had lunch in the plantation house.

In the front of the house, 300 year old oak trees led the way to the big house.

If these trees could talk.   They have seen a Revolution against the British, Slavery at its worst,  A Civil War with brother fighting against brother, and now Mercedes and Tour Busses pull into the parking lot full of people who have come to look at the Plantation.  The stories they could tell.

In the rear, 150 year old trees formed a path from the other buildings to the big house.

Inside it was very nice even by today's standards.

Not everything done in this house would meet with today's standards however.   Saturday night was bath night.   The tub was drawn for the master.  When he finished bathing his wife would take a turn. Then the children starting with the oldest, sometimes as many as six kids.   Finally it was the infants turn.   NO, the bath water was not changed.  By the time the baby got a turn it was usually black from all of the dirt off of the previous bathers and the baby's body would sink into the shadows.  This is where the expression came from, "Careful not to throw the baby out with the bath water."  

The chandelier over the masters table was not a light fixture.

It had a rope leading to a bully in the ceiling in the corner of the room.  A slave girl would pull on it and it would swing back and forth fanning the guests.

A look from the front porch past the old oaks.  At the end of the walkway, was the river.  Now the river sits beyond the walkway end and behind a levy wall.

We went back to the trailer after the tours and regrouped to go down to The French Quarter and check out the Halloween festivities.

  Our first stop, as recommended to us by Cathy and by Eric, Pat O'Briens.

As the sun was setting the drinks came out.  And so did the drinkers.

Ghouls text too!

The party was getting started.  Bourbon street was closed to traffic and packed with celebration.

Oh to be 22 again.  

We left and went back to the trailer by 8pm.   It was fun to witness but my time to join in has passed. 

 Tomorrow  morning we are taking a boat ride in the Bayou and Swamp.  I will not be hung over or throwing up off the side of the boat.   How will your head be tomorrow morning?  Booo!

Day 90 - French Quarter

First stop this morning, we're off to the French Quarter and Cafe Du Monde for Beignets.

Tasty little things.

The street cleaner came through washing the street with water an a hint of flowers.  Freshened the air.

This group on the sidewalk is right out of the 60's.  They were passing a quart size bottle of coke and a bottle of whiskey to each other.   A gulp from the whiskey bottle, then the coke bottle, then passed it on to the next person.   Meanwhile panhandling for $$ from every passerby.  I am not sure if that was their BMW parked on the street in front of them or not.

Going up the arched 'hallways' between the buildings would revile some really great courtyards.

We loved the balconies and the ferns.

We walked for hours taking in the people, shops, bars, and Bourbon Street among others.  The bar behind me in the picture here is pretty full.   Sitting at a bar stool was a guy wearing chaps and a leather bra.   Gotta love this area.  And this is daytime.

Martha was able to catch the 11am Mass.   The church once hosted Pope Paul II.

Beautiful inside and out.

After checking out the area for about four hours, we walked back to the square to try Muffaletas for lunch.

We got a great table.  Nice to listen to music at the proper volume.  No amps blasting away, just good music.

These things are huge.   A meat sandwich with many varieties of olives.   Served with a nice seasoned oil to sprinkle onto it.  

Then why not?  Pecan Pie and Bread Pudding.

A little more walking.  We have to walk off the dessert.

Of course, battle reminders as New Orleans is a strategic location.

That is going to be it for today.   Nap time.  "Pass the Cajun Sauce Please"

Day 89 - Vicksburg Battlefield

The National Battlefield Park in Vicksburg is amazing.   It has a nine mile drive marked with hundreds of battle information, statues, and plaques.   It is a very peaceful and beautiful drive.

It is hard to picture the sounds of war raging throughout the area.

The Union Army had quite a task ahead, open areas and long hill climbs to fortified Confederate positions.

The Union Army dug in at the base and fired uphill.

This house was restored, it is the only remaining home from the period.   The Union Army used it as a hospital.

Every State has a Monument to their fallen.

The Confederate's view of the battlefields are very different.  Up high atop the hills, very defensible. 

The Mississippi far below.

The Union Army sent their Iron Clads, nine of them down river.

This one was raised from the bottom and partially restored.

Leading the fleet of Iron Clads and Paddlewheels full of supplies, it hit a mine.

It sank in twelve minutes.

After several failed attempts to storm the Confederate hilltop positions and the loss of thousands of Union soldiers, General Grant changed his strategy.    With the Iron Clads command of the river and the hill surrounded Grant dug trenches and waited.   With their supplies cut off and constant shelling from below, the Confederate Army had little choice but to surrender.  By the time they did, the animals of Vicksburg were gone, horses, cats, dogs..... the men were sick, wounded, depressed, and down to eating their shoe leather to survive.   After surrender Grant realized feeding and caring for the then 30,000 Confederate troops and transporting them North to prison would be a huge task.  Instead, he pardoned them.   Relieved them of their weapons, and sent them on their way back home. He assumed that in their condition they would not pose a threat anymore.

17,000 gravesite line the acres here.  14,000 are marked "Unknown".   Very sad to think of the families that raised a boy to the age of 13, 14, 15, 16, to see him go off to war and never hear from him again.   To not ever know if he suffered, where he died, the circumstances surrounding his death, or where he was laid to rest.   Young, Proud, and Brave.  Men and boys alike, silently buried here.

"Unknown"

Not much to say for Downtown Vicksburg.  We did not find many buildings that even looked like they were around at Civil War time.  This classic, sports a satellite dish.

Seeing the sign for Baton Rouge got me looking for a couple with faded jeans trying to thumb a diesel down, I saw none.

The closer we got to New Orleans, the more water appeared everywhere.

So much to see and do here.   We are here until Wednesday.   Three full days.  Tonight we will formulate a plan.

For many soldiers the war was not as much about slavery as it was about preserving the Union and shaping the Country we would become.   One where all men are created equal.  Seeing the sacrifice that was made to preserve that ideology, it is hard to imagine someone shooting a cop or denigrating this Country.  With all our faults, America is still the best Country in the world.