Taking it easy in The Big Easy

It felt really great to sleep in this morning after the long ride yesterday. We lucked out on the perfect time to visit New Orleans, not too humid during the day and breezy, cool evenings. The first stop today was picking up Megan at the airport. What a treat to meet up with her in The Big Easy. Megan took a red eye flight so we promised her cafe au lait and beignets at Cafe du Monde first thing. They were served piping hot with powdered sugar on top. I wouldn't exactly say the sugar was sprinkled on top, more like an avalanche was dumped on them. They were light, fluffy, chewy and yeah even tasted better than what is in the photo. After that little jaunt we strolled the riverwalk, meandered thru the streets of the French Quarter taking in the flower strewn balconies, musicians, horse drawn carriages and eccentric characters hawking every ware. We eventually made our way to Bourbon Street where daiquiris are king. Ned and Megan tasted a couple of flavors, before Ned chose a white Russian daiquiri and Megan settled on "White Girl Trouble", which she thought was only fitting. The bartender took a liking to those two, and before you knew it, they got free shots to chase down the daiquiris. Well, you can imagine how all this imbibing can make a fella hungry, so next up was a muffalleta at the Central Grocery, of course! Delish!! This is definitely one of my New Orlean's favorites and is going to be hard to beat. We figure there are about 12 different local favorite dishes we gotta taste before leaving. Our only challenge is how to fit that into 3 days! (Hope, if you are reading this blog, you know I'm counting on you to whip me back into shape after this trip! I promise to hit the gym everyday, but for now a Girl's gotta do ...) After an afternoon nap at the campground we went looking for a local place to by some hot boiled crawfish and shrimp. Oh and local it was...let's just say there was a card game going on, people hanging out on crates and lots of drinking. We took the sacks of crawfish and shrimp back to the campsite and dug in. While we were enjoying the local fare, the mosquitos were enjoying us. We are thinking about doing a swamp tour tomorrow and eating good knows what. Today's pics - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:New Orleans, LA

Louisiana, they're trying to wash us away

We had a long haul today traveling from Austin to New Orleans. Of course, we could have made it a bit shorter by going a straighter route, but I was much more interested in exploring Cajun Country. Like I'm sure all of you have been doing, we've been following the high levels of the Mississippi River and the potential flooding in the Atchafalaya Basin and the possible submersion of Morgan City. As we crossed into Louisiana at noon, we thought this song, playing on the iPod, was only fitting. (Sorry Josh for subjecting you to this song one more time! I know you heard it growing up too many times). Louisiana 1927 click here to watch We drove the swampy back roads passing sugar cane fields and crawfish pods, eventually stopping for a late lunch in New Iberia. Keeping in line with our desire to only eat local we stopped at a nondescript, windowless cinder block building that actually looked abandoned from the outside. It was recommended for one of the best ever Po'boy Sandwiches. We hadn't eaten since an early morning breakfast at 5:30, so decided to go all out. We had a combo crawfish & shrimp Po'boy with a side order of chicken sausage gumbo. Delish!! After this wonderful gastronomical fare, we then decided to further explore the Cajun region and were particularly interested in how far the bayous have risen and how well the towns have held up. After watching or listening to the media, one would think that everyone was in a panic, boarding up their homes and leaving en mass. Au contraire! Kids were playing, people were hanging out and there was a general laid back vibe everywhere. We eventually made it to Morgan City and were able to walk up on the concrete walls that were holding back the river and have a first hand look. It was pretty amazing! The water had completely swallowed up the wharf and a sign showed it was 8 ft. high. Parts of the concrete wall from 1973 were still there and if this current flood occurred back then, the city would have been under water. Interestingly enough, nothing in the town was boarded up, businesses were still open and life was going on as usual. As we continued our drive into New Orleans, we could see the high level of the bayous next to the road, but nothing was flooded. As I sit here drinking a glass of wine, I want to make an official toast to the engineers who've designed and built the levees and concrete walls. So far, job well done! We are camped in a sweet state park, close enough to the city for day trips yet still able to enjoy nature. I'm sitting here watching bunnies and armadillos running around the grounds. Mmm, a thought just occurred to me. Do you think the high bayou levels will bring alligators into the campground at night?! Kinda makes me think twice if I decide to make a midnight bathroom run. Geez, I hope Megan isn't reading this. We pick her up tomorrow morning. We have 3 days of playing in New Orleans together. It'll be good to share some time with her and be in one place for awhile! Until later..." coooh luk at da size o dat crawfish!". Click here for today's pics - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Bayou Segnette State Park, LA

BBQ, Bikes & Hanging Out in Austin

Last night we were expecting to camp on a lake. Well, not so much. The drought in West Texas dried up the lake until all that was left was a small puddle a good 1/2 mile from our site. However, the warm breeze and brightly lit moon more than made up for any disappointment. We even took a bike ride in the evening under the full moon and saw the most spectacular sunrise this morning. After a few hours driving, we finally left the dusty plains of West Texas and ventured into Central Texas where we were greeted by gentle rolling green hills and an abundance of spring wildflowers. What a beautiful drive! Early afternoon we arrived in Austin, headed for McKinney Falls State Park to secure a campsite then hightailed it to The Green Mesquite which been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. The place has a great relaxing chill factor, which we further enjoyed on the back patio. We had the ribs, brisket, coleslaw, beans and hush puppies. Dang, I've sure missed the South. Check out today's lunch here. We needed to work off this amazing feast so next we hit the Lady Bird Trail and biked along the tree covered path next to the river. What a great way to see Austin. The temp was about 90 deg., but dry. Just the way I like it. We also took a quick drive by the State Capital and checked out the famous 6th Street. We decided rather than doing more sightseeing we would rather return to the campground and maybe get in a swim. We took a short hike to the lower falls, but found nothing falling! Instead we were greeted by a stagnant lagoon and a couple of hot puddles in the rock. Hard to believe that Texas is having such a drought when just one state away Louisiana is drowning. Looks like a lazy night in the hammocks are in order. Tomorrow we venture into Louisiana and possibly drive thru Cajun Country on the way to New Orleans. This should be interesting. Click here for today's pics - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The Open Road

I don't know what it is about taking to the open road, but I always seem to sleep better in the Winniemobile. I woke up this morning to clear blue skies, in some Godforsaken place in New Mexico and couldn't be happier. Another long drive stretched before us, most of it thru parched land, red dirt and the robotic drinking birds of oil wells that seems to be the speciality of West Texas. When I was a kid, we had an old blue Rambler station wagon. When we'd go on long road trips Dad would strap a canvas water bag to the front radiator. You could just feel it down to your toes that you were going on an adventure and the summer seemed endless. It was that kind of day. As we drove this morning all Ned and I saw were miles and miles of foot high blackened sticks poking up from fields. We couldn't for the life of us figure out what crop this was. Ned finally surmised that it was harvested cotton fields, but nothing like the California Central Valley. (To my brother in law, Eric, are we on the right track?) We zigzagged the county roads of West Texas for most of the afternoon driving thru sleepy dusty towns that were few and far between. Occasionally we'd see a red swirling dust devil twisting its way across an open field. We had several state parks to chose from and finally decided on San Angelo State Park, not because it had anything great going for it, but because it would mean a shorter drive tomorrow to Austin. We are taking care of business tonight, which means handling incidentals on the road. I'm writing this as we sit in a laundry mat in a very interesting part of town, lots of body shops and drive thru beer barns surround us. Oh wait, I forgot we are in Texas where drive thru beer barns are considered essential; why put up with the heat when you can pop a cold one in the car? Enjoy today's bleak pics - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:San Angelo State Park, TX

Taking it Easy on Route 66

There was a hubbub of activity this morning as both camps reconnoitered and planned their strategy for tackling today's road trips. Sadly, we left our buddies, as we journeyed eastward, and the Cohen's headed north toward Monument Valley. How fun to share the first week of our road trip with such good friends. Ned and I hit the road pretty early, for us, at around 7. We had a long day ahead of us and a lot of distance to cover. Megan has some time off before she starts her new job at Google and has decided to join us in New Orleans. How fun!! In order to time it right, Ned and I will be speeding up the next couple of days instead of our usual slower pace. Thus, today's destination is Roswell, New Mexico a mere 525 miles away! Oh don't worry we still planned in lots of arbitrary stops for wacky roadside attractions and even some history. We back tracked thru Sedona and the mountains into Flagstaff and made a right turn. It sure felt good knowing I would be reading signs that said "East" for the next several weeks. It was a cool, clear morning and it felt great to have the windows down and the music blasting to The Eagles which only seemed fitting since our first stop was Winslow, Arizona. We had a hoot "standing on the corner, in Winslow, Arizona I was a mighty fine sight to see." There was even a flatbed Ford on the corner! Listening to The Eagles reminded me of my older brother and how I'd be holding on tight as I caught a ride on the back of his motorcycle when we were teenagers. Sending him a postcard from Winslow seemed the right thing to do. Next up was a visit to the Petrified Forest National Park. We didn't spend a lot of time in the park, but did get a chance to stop by the Visitor's Center, peruse some displays and catch the movie. We took several more detours visiting the forgotten towns along Route 66. It sure is fun to see the old motels, novelty shops, and kitschy tourist attraction such as the Wig Wam Motel and the El Rancho, where movie stars stayed. And by movie stars I'm talking W.C. Fields, John Wayne and The Marx Brothers. After a long drive we finally arrived in Roswell about 7ish. Since it was a Sunday night the town was really deserted, which made it feel a little creepy, especially with all the tacky aliens staring at us. We've settled in at Bottomless Lakes State Park a typical New Mexico campground, scrubby and desertlike, but with a gorgeous sunset over the lake. See today's pics - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Bottomless Lake State Park, New Mexico

Viva la vortex, a day in Sedona

Everyone woke up early this morning raring to go. After a quick breakfast and hot showers we decided to spend some time at the Visitor's Center taking in the exhibits and watching the movie. Patty and I got "tsk tsk" by a French couple who were not amused by our giggling and cutting up. What me acting juvenile? Next in order was a scenic drive out of the park and over another 8000 ft. pass to Flagstaff. Today's eating adventure includes a stop at Salsa Brava. Ned and I found this on a Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives episode. To see what we ate click here. After this amazing meal we had fun poking around a Farmer's Market and finding fresh veggies to grill for dinner...among other things:) Next stop Sedona. None of us are into the upscale shopping scene so instead we did what any self-respecting psychic wacko would do, we went in search of a psychic reading and a vortex. The boys didn't want anything to do with the readings so they hung out while Patty and I ventured into the unknown. All my questions were about the 3 kids, who may be mortified by reading this. (Kids call me for details). Our quest for the perfect vortex didn't really pan out, it either cost too much money (which was spent on psychic readings) or you needed a parking permit - lame. Patty said it really didn't matter since she was a vortex. Love that girl! We did however see Frank Lloyd Wright's Chapel of the Holy Cross and a phenomenal view from the top of a Mesa. We were all looking forward to getting to the campsite and spending our last night together. Tonight's activities included a Part-A at the Russell campsite. Wahoo let the good times roll. See today's pics here - Post using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Dead Horse Campground, Cottonwood, Az

Bike riding the rim of the Grand Canyon

We had a wonderful breakfast together then parted ways, with Patty and Alan headed for a photo-taking day, and Ned and I ready to bike the rim of the Grand Canyon. We did a quick lap of the Visitor's Center, asked the ranger some questions and then headed out for our adventure. We decided to take the bus to the first stop on the Hermit Road rather than tackling the 6% grade. It was an absolutely gorgeous day in the mid 70s and perfect for a bike ride. To say that it was amazing is quite simply an understatement. It was hard for me to wrap my brain around the endless expanse and deep chasms. To continuously bike alongside this view for over 10 miles is an experience I'll never forget. In addition to the over the top views, we also really enjoyed meeting all the international visitors along the way. One of our favorite families was this sweet young couple from Quebec with their 9 month old baby. We had so much fun exchanging stories of how much we enjoyed visiting their city and hearing about their time experiencing the wild west. At every stop along the ride we were greeted with Italian, French, German and Chinese. How wonderful to share this common experience regardless of our nationality. It's days like these that you really do feel like we are all one sharing in nature's beauty. We met up with Alan and Patty at Bright Angel Lodge in the late afternoon and decided to have an upscale dinner at one of the myriad of lodges. We settled upon El Tovar, the grand old lodge on the rim. We wanted to make sure to have dinner over in time for the sunset over the canyon. I'm whipping off this quick blog waiting for the sun to set, with my belly full of salmon, exhausted from a good bike and fully appreciating how blessed I am. Click here for pics Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:The Grand Canyon, Az