Distance: 2000 mi
It's pretty hard to believe that I was here only four days ago. Everything just looks so much different from the car I guess.
So no update yesterday as the faithful readers I'm sure noticed so despite the fact I need to sleep badly I'll try to make up for it here. The Internet in the econolodge was more reliable then my wireless is right now but we'll hope for the best.
Thursday morning we left the five star Masters Inn and made our way to New Orleans. With only one quick stop somewhere in Missouri we got to the city right around one where we met with up and old buddy of TJ and Dan's and promptly indulged in New Orleans Po Boys. The shrimp was most definitely as good as I hoped it would be.
From there we rode the streetcar down into the French Quarter where we spent the rest of the day/night checking out the city. Somebody made a remark yesterday that New Orleans "is a different kind of south" and even after only half a day there, I can't think of a better way to describe the place. It's really a one of a kind city that combines the music and atmosphere of a place like Chicago with a distinct southern twist and an offbeat uniqueness that I have never experienced anywhere else.
There is just such a dichotomy in the city even in the relatively small radius that we spent our time in. On one hand you have Bourbon St. an overwhelming touristy but at the same time almost sleazy area that manages to be filled with everything associated with the city while at the same time seeming so phony. Just a few blocks down the road though you have the riverwalk - an equally touristy - but much more legitimate feeling location. It might just be the hopeless romantic in me that would rather sit at the mouth of the Mississippi River at dusk then hang out on Bourbon St. but I felt much more like I was in a place distinctly New Orleans at the former.
During the day we also hit up the famous Cafe du Monde where we had some tremendous donuts and coffee and made the first casino stop of the trip at Harrah's right across from the river (running casino total: +3). We took another trip down Bourbon St. to see what it was like at night and found it to be about the same as it was during the day only with more people and more annoying bouncer type guys yelling at you in hopes that their threats will entice you to go into their strip clubs. Luckily, we knew a local and he gave us some great spots to go to check out real N.O. music.
We ended up in a little club called "The Spotted Cat" out of the real touristy area of the West end and saw some genuinely awesome jazz. It was the highlight of the trip for me so far and represented everything that I ever heard was great about the city. People of all ages (21 +) and races were packed into the tiny place just taking in the music and having a good time. It was really a beautiful thing to see. We finished off the night at a small diner outside the downtown area where we got a nice bite to eat before we crashed for the night.
Overall, N.O. was everything I was hoping for and a lot of that was because we had the inside track on where to go and where to avoid in the city. If we tried to explore the place with only the books we had we never would have ended up in the places we ended up in. The other thing that was obvious was that effects of Katrina continue to be felt across the city. From the shredded rooftops to the "save NOLA" t-shirts to the locals on the streets talking in "before and after" terms nearly three years after the tragedy, the Hurricane continues to be an unshakable reality for the city - even in the parts that appear to still be somewhat thriving. It's just amazing how quickly the general conscience forgets how devastating something like that truly is. For the people of the city the pain of what happened never goes away, the best they can do is try and move on. I think that's why I loved watching that jazz band so much. They were truly keeping it real.
Today or Yesterday I guess now consisted almost entirely of driving. We stopped briefly in Houston and checked out Minute Maid Park before heading to my house in D/FW for the night. The traffic out of Houston was terrible and slowed us down big time so didn't end up getting here until almost 10:30 after leaving N.O. at 9 in the morning.
Tomorrow we head out early again and hopefully check out Austin and San Antonio before venturing off into the 500 miles of West Texas desert between San Antonio and El Paso. The next couple of days are kind of up in the air as we try and figure out the best way to get across TX so the blogs might be scarce. Hopefully, we will be able to get some Internet access somewhere but especially in that area it's impossible to know. If we even have cell phone service I'll be happy. Nonetheless, I am kind of excited about going through No Country For Old Men territory. Sure the drive is probably going to be rough at times but we're road trippin' so we might as well see it all.
All in all the first four days of this trip have been tremendous and I can't wait to see what happens next. Until we meet again.....I am out.
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