Thursday, April 24, 2014

Fort Fisher AFB Recreational Area


Back on the beach!  
Both Matthew and I enjoyed our evening stroll.  


We only had an afternoon and evening here.  For the next couple of days, we will be driving north toward Washington D.C.  Although the daily drives are longer than I normally enjoy, our destination makes it all worthwhile.  We will be seeing friends—Marge and Sandy.  We will also be seeing Matthew’s cousins (my wonderful nieces)—Zahra and Julie.  We are both so looking forward to the visits!
Our first selfie! (Wait, can a "selfie" be with two people?)

Charleston SC

Matthew and I had some wonderful days in Charleston.  (We scuttled out of Savannah, GA after one night; it was cold and raining.)
Beautiful Spanish Moss on the Live Oaks in the campground.
First activity—Charleston Tea Plantation (The only tea plantation in the U.S.A.)
One of the fields of tea plants

The only one of its kind--tea leaf cutter
That same day, we took a carriage ride around the historic districts of Charleston.
On the right, behind the guide--Rainbow Row (brightly painted homes) 
GRAND homes!  
One of the main streets.  St. Michael's Church is in the background
The next day, Matthew and I enjoyed naval and military history. 

USS Yorktown (carrier) Nicknamed: The Fighting Lady.
The Head (sinks and mirrors only)

One of the many sleeping quarters
USS Laffey (battleship) Nicknamed: The Ship That Would Never Die.
During a battle, with over 50 kamikaze and bombers (the largest kamikaze attack in history), the Laffey was struck by 5 Kamikaze and 3 bombs.  It stayed afloat.


Clamagore Submarine

Up and out!
Fort Sumter:  Where the Civil War began!

General P.G.T. Beauregard, commander of the confederate forces in Charleston, opened fire on the Union held Fort April 13, 1861.  The Union commander, Major Robert Anderson, formally surrendered the next day, April, 14, 1861. 

Yes, I am going some place with this! (I learned this tidbit during the rangers speech at the Fort.)

Exactly 4 years to the day, April 14, 1865, the Confederate Army formally surrendered Fort Sumter.  Interestingly, not only was Major Anderson invited to attend this ceremony, so was Abraham Lincoln.  President Lincoln declined this invitation to instead attend a production at the Ford Theatre.
Interesting...how would history have been different?
Arriving to Fort Sumter by ferry

Looking back to the shore 


Some of the bombarded walls inside the fort

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Harry Potter World

Nope, I learned nothing from the French Quarter Music Festival!  SMILES!
However, even with the pushing crowd and long lines, Matthew and I had a wonderful time.  Our only goal was to enjoy Harry Potter World, and in ten hours we accomplished that.
We went on all three rides, enjoyed two performances, drank butter beer, ate in the Three Brooms Pub, Matt bought himself a wand, etc.
A good day.   A really good day.



Hogsmeade
Matt in front of Hogwarts 
Matt at the Three Brooms
Matt choosing his wand...
Matt with the performers 
Matt and his butter beer  in Hogsmeade
And yes, it was ALL about Matt!  SMILES!

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

New Orleans, The Big Easy

What a full and busy day!  
(A question has been answered—It IS possible to have “too much fun”!)
I brilliantly, but mistakenly, thought we should get a "head-start" on the day.  (I had forgotten that we were in the Big Easy.)  We got to the ferry "an easy" 45 minutes before the first crossing…we were 2 of maybe 15 passengers…at 9:15 a.m.  While waiting to embark, Matt and I wandered around one of the oldest neighborhoods.  The still quiet houses were beautiful—



We crossed the Mississippi and made our way through the French Quarter and a sea of staff people preparing for the third day of the French Quarter Music Festival.  (A very popular free event that has attracted a larger crowd every year…I think they need to charge.)
We arrived out-of-breath, but on time for the “comprehensive 3.5 hour tour of New Orleans.”  We hadn’t needed to run, our guide was a native, so the tour started "an easy" 15 minutes late.  It was a good tour and the guide’s stories, in his vernacular, entertaining.  He introduced New Orleans, “Down up here, this is the most un-American city in America.  I prove it you.”   Well, he did prove that it's unique…
Our first stop—St Louis Cemetery #3. 




Bodies are buried above ground....if buried in-ground,
the bodies/coffins rise to the surface.

The tombs can only be open a year and a day after the last body is entombed.
This is the "waiting wall"
Our second stop—the light house at Lake Pontchartrain.

After the tour, Matthew and I erroneously decided to go and “listen to some music”.  The festival was in full swing—it was now after 2:00.  
It was a full scale assault on our senses!  The intensity of the stimulation was over-the-top!  

Visually, it was a knock-out--people in feathered/brightly-colored/outlandish costumes, stores selling tables/shelves/drawers of items, music lovers dancing in swirling color, cultural diversity the norm...

Odors?  You betcha--liquor (rivers of liquor), local foods, body odor, perfumes, and...well, vomit.  (Did you know that the city has drive-through daiquiri stores?  As long as you don't take the plastic or paper end off the straw, it isn't an open container.) 

Auditory impact--wonderful!  We listened to a variety of bands and musical genre.  Some bands were on a stage, others set-up in obscure places that had a bit of elbow room.  Dang, I should have video-taped some…sorry!

As for "touch", there was never a moment I wasn't being nudged, jostled, poked, pushed, tripped, "guided" etc.  Poor Matt even had to hold my hand a few times--the swarm was thick!

We did eat some "okay" food and drink an alcoholic beverage, but our best eating was not at this event.  Plus, it was just too crowded to enjoy it.

Above the streets in the French Quarter 
Restaurant with an excellent reputation
Matt and the cool dude early afternoon
Later, this silver man had little space to "do his thing"....
I imagine, however, he left with a pocket full of silver at the end of his "shift"
Fun street band--Zydeco 
dancing to the music
Great jazz singer...cool hair-do too
My favorite group
These boys BLEW brass!
AND they were out-of-the-way of the pushing crowds!
The "pushing crowd"
We decided to leave about 5:30 p.m.  Even though it was “early” we were DONE!  Others must have felt similarly, because the ferry was packed!  After landing, Matt and I moved through the crowd and made our way to the parking lot.  
It was an exhausting, full, over-stimulating day.
So, tomorrow, I am taking Matt to Harry Potter World...guess I haven't learned.

Jean Lafitte National Preserve Swamp Tour near New Orleans, LA

Smiles!  Yes, some of you have already guessed, this was a Matt choice!  However, I too enjoyed the exploring and the alligators!
Matt in the swamp boat
Alligator on the bank
Cedar tree--note above water root system
The canal from where we started our journey



Big guy protecting his territory
Smiles--a boy and his alligator