Day 3 – Four States in a Day

Mississippi and Alabama Landscapes

Last night I woke several times in the middle of the night. My dreams were filled with travel and I could hardly contain myself. Perhaps it was the excitement of getting out of Florida finally. Or maybe it's because I know we'll be traveling through 4 states today (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana). Or it could be our destination of New Orleans.

The weather forecast for this day is scattered thunder storms with a high of 93 F and a low of 72 F. Days like this, when you know it's gonna rain, is a tough one to decide when to put on the rain gear. Too soon and you'll roast, too late and you'll be soaked. Its all about timing. For the time being I soak up the sights and see landscapes that I've never seen before, like boggy marshes. Unfortunately we also saw damage from hurricane Katrina, but it was still humbling to see such sites.

After 7.5 hours of driving we reach the French Quarter in New Orleans, LA. We're staying in a little B&B (our first ever) in the "Pirate's Attic" room at the Banana Courtyard. The name was a little misleading, but it was still a fun little place. We unpack, change shoes and were out looking for dinner. We didn't expect the lack of selection, and struggle to find a decent place to dine.

Pirate's Attic room at the Banana Courtyard in New Orleans

After an hour of walking around we're about ready to eat our shoes. I was excited to find somewhere with live music, but perhaps a bit too eager. The first place we jump into has a pretty lame act, makes us pay cover and then has no table service. I decide this is unacceptable and argue to get our money back and we head back out on the street. Thankfully, right across the street is a little place called Apple Barrel that has great, jazzy live music and a witty bar tender. Unfortunately, they have no dinner. Some beers tide us over, and once again, we are on the hunt for dinner. Finally, we find a great spot that has some traditional Southern food and we order up some fried okra, greens (no bacon please) and cornbread - delicious!

Back to the B&B to crash out and get ready to do it all again tomorrow.

Sights for September 3