Left New Orleans today, drove to Shreveport

I'm so sad to go, my visit to this city was far too short. I'll simply have to go back!

Driving the I10 West out of New Orleans (accompanied by joyous N-O jazz music on the local radio) is quite amazing, a good part is a raised road/bridge that traverses the stretched out bayou - wide open spaces interspersed alternately with bare swamp cypress trees and thickly wooded areas. I wish I could have explored these areas by boat, learning more about this ecosystem. It looks to me as if many of these cypress trees are dead (though I've been told they are alive):

The further I drive towards Texas, the larger the pickup trucks seem to get. Two more observations: there was very little speeding on the I10 and drivers generally kept to the "Keep Right" road rule. And, I saw no 'stimulus' roadworks on the I10W/I49W between New Orleans and Shreveport at all!

New Orleans, French Quarter

Pictures from a walk through the French Quarter today. Being Monday (and being the day after the Saints game), it was quiet and almost bucolic, a complete contrast to past Saturday (I'll upload those pictures soon).

Did I mention that I absolutely love this city?
Well, I do. I will most certainly be visiting it again.

New Orleans: Lafayette Cemetery No. 1

What an amazing place! I really need to come back to New Orleans and spend much more time here.




I'll be posting more New Orleans pictures soon.
Tomorrow I have to leave. I wish I did not have to.

Driving along the Gulf coast all day

Up up UP a high bridge, over a lot of water, down down DOWN that same high bridge. Time and again. Lots of small communities, a few of which I would feel totally at home in. Even the heat is okay.

This is the kind of country I love. Coastal communities, the influence of the sea in everything around you.

Staying the night at a truly awful KOA camp8ing, tomorrow I'll be going to the nearby State Park. The State Park I camped at last night was magical. Deer and white squirrels abounded, I woke up to a kind of Disney world. Sigh. I hope this state park will be as good. It certainly cannot be worse than this KOA...

I'm near Sopchoppy

Sitting in the Ochlockonee River State Park, tent set up, fire crackling, watching the huge sadistic deer-flies on the deer who are just wandering through my campsite a la Bambi. Squirrels are performing aerial aerobics, all one can hear are the gentle sounds of nature and the beep of wireless Internet.

Ahhh.
(in the old days I would smoke. this is a definite improvement )

I'm told they have white squirrels here, but I've not seen one yet. Just many gray ones.

i went for a lovely walk and am drenched in sweat. Geez but it's HOT out here!

Savannah

Hot hot hot hot
Spanish moss in live oaks
River street, great variety of pralines (oh my!) and divinity fudge (oh gawd)
Bonaventure cemetary.

Accents like cool syrup.

Flu

I'll be staying in washington one more day. I had a pretty bad night and grotty morning.

Oh well, so it goes.
On to Cary on Saturday instead 9f Friday.

Haaaaaaaaaaaa......CHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

This morning I said goodbye to Vangie at Niagara and drove all the way to Washington DC in one go. I have a cold so instead of doodling along, I put my foot down and went!

Lovely weather (still!) and beautiful rolling countryside along the way.
I'm listening to the Washington crickets sing right now. John and Polly went to a poetry reading, I am keeping my aching snotty head indoors tonight!

I only hit one traffic jam on the way in, around the Silver Spring turnoff.


PS a surprising amount of roadkill along the route - the biological and rubber kind!

PPS in honour of my cold, I started listening to The Stand while I drive across America. Seemed appropriate, somehow...

St. Thomas & London, Ontario

Lush. Prosperous. Busy. Green. Ordered. Artsy. Happy. Cloudy.

Pictures to follow later!

9-11

The Dutch politician Geert Wilders will be in New York today, protesting the building of a mosque close to ground zero.

He does not speak for me, or for the majority of the Dutch.
Truly, seriously, honestly, absolutely NOT.

General comments - Rest stops

Most of the states I've traveled through so far have had rest areas. These are set apart at sensible distances where a prudent driver would want to stop and stretch the legs.

I think they are a brilliant idea and so well worked out! I wish we had these in Europe, like this. Truly impressive!

Here's an impression of just one:

Flint Michigan tonight

In a slightly seedy hotel with a fish 'n chips supper growling in my stomach.
Tomorrow morning I head into Canada (again) to meet up with some new old friends.

Last sightseeing day in Chicago

I loved this city. It's bright and sparkly and big and brash and energetic and fun!


Took the L-train (red) to the city. Easy as pie and very cheap (only two dollars and 25 cents!). Walked along the Milennium Park towards the museums and visited the Field museum. Old-fashioned, solid exibits of dino fossils, evolution and tha history of the earth. As special exhibit, I chose the Climate Change exhibit. I was saddened to see 350ppm Carbon mentioned exactly nowhere, and the general tone was one of "if we choose a few methods of alternative energy and recycle a bit, bob's yer uncle! But, alll in all I was very happy that the exibit was there and that much time and attention was given to this subject.

There was so much more to see at this museum, but I only had a few hours... one could spend a few days there and still have not seen everything.




Chicago. I would love to come back here one day!

Chicago!

We are having glorious weather!
Bump and I lost our Segway virginity today, we are both totally sold!

I lost my Starbucks virginity this morning too: mocha frappuccino with whipped cream. I almost died.

It should be illegal to have so much fun!

Sunday 5 September: Driving to Albert Lea KOA

This was the first morning since when I arrived in Nevada, that I did not wake up with a headache. Either the elevation has changed or I've adapted. Wheeeee!!!

Broke camp early in the morning and drove off through the pretty farmland of Ohio and Minnesota to the KOA camping at Albert Lea. Jkay was on my mind all the time, driving through this part of the world. Big blue skies, wide fields alternating with rolling green hills and everywhere, pretty vista's of wholesome countryside. For all this beauty, it was a melancholy drive.

Many butterflies

It looked very bucolic and prosperous but whenever I took a detour off the highway and past the inevitable Food Chain/Gas stations and drove onwards to the small towns just a few miles down the road, all I came across were closed off buildings, and very little or no local businesses. I found it rather disturbing, the disconnect between the noisy bright gleaming plastic right there on the exit ramps of the highways, and the rather bleak looking world further on. I hope this is not an accurate picture of these local communities, that I just happened on the exceptions, not the rule.

Today I experienced the first (heavy) rain of my stay -with some thunder- so I pulled off the road at a rest stop and waited it out. By the time I reached the campground, it had cleared up again.

Once set up at the campground of Albert Lea, I went off to explore the town of Albert Lea - I had all the time in the world today. See, I had at first thought to drive straight through to Brenda's from Des Moines and spend the night there, so we could spend the entire Labor day together in her home community. But because of the sale of her house she was rather overwhelmed, so this was not a good idea. I really wanted to meet up with Brenda and the kids, so I decided on a slow route instead: I'll be arriving on Labor day in the afternoon, spending the night and leaving early next morning for Chicago. Lightning visit!

As with almost all the places I visited, I found the shopping mall of Albert Lea on the outskirts of the town. Many shops, a lot on sale. I bought several items there and wandered around, taking my time. Not many people were shopping, the place was rather deserted. It was striking to me that almost all of the people I saw there, of all ages, were extremely overweight, I wonder why that is.

Tonight I really needed my DEET, I was being eaten alive by mosquitoes. I first noticed them when I was setting up the tent, but later in the evening I felt as if I was under attack and would be carried off at any moment! I now fully understand why people call the mosquito the state bird of Minnesota.

Saturday 4 September: Omaha to Des Moines

We stayed up till 2 in the morning, I slept in till 10!!!!
In the morning busy Peg found the time to give me and Gina a lightning tour of Omaha.

No Dorothy, that's not a cowboy...

Omaha is a sort of artsy place, at least the part I saw. Peg did a little shopping and we then ate a delicious lunch and drank some locally brewed root beer. DEE.vine. I bought a keg bottle of this root beer but to my greatest sadness had to leave it behind because it was not closed off hermetically. Peg will be serving this at her party. It is what it is.

This afternoon I dropped Gina off at the airport, she's on her way back home to her family. I drove on, silent and folorn. 

From Omaha, I drove onwards for two hours to the Des Moines West KOA. A short drive but it was late and there was no way I could get further without having to drive in the dark. Long golden hills, many wind turbines between Omaha and Des Moines - this is simply lovely country! I set up my brand new tent (easier than the first one) and built a roaring fire, cooked my supper and made a strong cuppa coffee. 

It is cosy sitting here watching the sun go down sitting right next to the golden summer cornfields. Please don't disillusion me with tales of horrific snowbound winters, I'm enjoying this paradise as the fire softly crackles and the crickets gently sing along in the background. And, tonight I heard the yip, yip, whoooooooooooooooooo chorus of coyotes for the first time. It was absolute magic.

So far, I'm loving the trip. It's been a nonstop riot since day one. These two days I'll be sorting out some stuff and writing some things down so I don't forget.

Friday 3 September: Driving to Omaha

In the morning Punk came by to say goodbye before we left for Omaha.
We had a rather fancy breakfast in the restaurant, it was fun! Shades of Dirty Dancing indeed!

Today was a long drive with very few stops.
One of the places we stopped for a breather, was absolutely riddled with spiders that gave Gina the creeps:

The landscape along the way was nondescript and did not invite further exploration. I'm sure there's more than enough to see if you'd take the time to explore, but we did not tarry here. We drove into Omaha after sunset but found Peg's house almost immediately. Peg has a gorgeous home, a lovely husband Tim (who makes a mean steak, or as Peg says, Mastodon!) and Seamus, the heart-stealing dog!

We went with Peg when she took the dog for a walk through the neighbourhood - it really is very lovely there. Hilly, many trees, large gardens, a lovely laid-back atmosphere.

Peg has a party tomorrow, so Gina and I helped her prepare food etc for the feast (well ok, I mostly just stood around and yakked while Peg fixed the food). We all sampled some of that almost 100% proof booze Punk gave Gina, almost took the top off my head! I will be sleeping on the very comfortable couch tonight.

Thursday 2 September: Driving to Cheyenne

This morning, got in the car and left Salt Lake City behind. Drove up a mountain pass and into the dreaded land that Gina swears, sucks the life right out of ye. Pulled off the highway into a small town (Gina, do you remember the name?) where we found the cutest little restaurant place where the entire farming community seems to come for coffee and food. Through the window I saw a cowboy on a horse slowly go by, heading into the sunset (well okay, into the mid-morning!). This was the only cowboy on a horse that I saw in my entire trip!

Saw lots of black Angus cattle (that meat definitely tastes better than the meat we have in Europe!), very handsome animals.

It was a long drive through Wyoming.

Lots of bare hills and little vegetation, even less population. The further we went, the more all colour seemed to leach from the world.

Lots of wind...

Gina thinks they could turn the entire state into a wind-farm. Well, yes. That might be a plan... ;-)

We upgraded tonight, instead of camping we are overnighting at Little America, an old-fashioned kind of place that makes me think of the movie Dirty Dancing. We met up with punkinsoul this evening: I put Hugh's pig on the car so she would recognise it, this made her laugh.

Punkinsoul brought us some gifts, including a strong liqueur for Gina that was -surprise!!!- made in the Netherlands!! This coincidence made me laugh. Punk gave me a really cool cowgirl hat!

We went into town and had a delicious supper: I had a buffalo burger with a blue cheese sauce that was perfection. Gina had a hot beef dinner that sent her into raptures of delight. I think Punkinsoul also had a buffalo burger, but I don't know for sure (punk?). We followed this by a visit to a hole-in-the-wall local heavy metal cowboy bar (yes, a very strange place). We were in luck, it was ladies night, that meant our booze was dirt cheap!  I had a virgin bloody mary, punk had some kind of cocktail which she did not finish, Gina did not really drink anything either. It was a sort of .... interesting, but still no cute cowboy for me!

A non-drunken group, photographed by a very soused volunteer.

This is the bar we were at

Wednesday 1 September: Salt Lake City Visit, Arches & Zion recap

I'm EXHAUSTED!!! Went tripping all over mountains and rocks and miles & miles of rough country.
Warm, windy, amazingly out-of-this-world, the entire southern Utah.

Again, some pictures of Zion:



and some pictures of Arches National park:



Today I'm spending time in Salt Lake City - went on a death-march up a mountain in the morning with Weasel and Gina (oh yes it takes some time before I learn my lesson...).

The hill that killed my pants!

 The last steep part, I slithered down on my bum. It was fun :-)

Weasel and Gina then drove me around and showed me their favourite cycle routes (all I can say, is hello Iron Man competition!). Later we were in a restaurant, having lunch, when I felt unwell, as if I was going to be sick & faint at the same time. Altitude catching up with me, I had not given my body enough time to acclimatise to the altitude and level of activity. The rest of the day, physical activity was kept at a much lower key - the mind may have been willing, but the body not able. The last visit was to a very eccentric little garden where Gina spent a lot of her naughty youth.

I had planned to exchange the Kia for another car at the Airport National this afternoon but it was dark by the time Gina and I got there. They advised me to fill up the car at a nearby gas station, their own rates were prohibitive. That's what we did, drove off to find a nearby gas station to fill up the car. The attendant was very flirty with me, and once I got back to the car I understood why: Gina was cracking up, my right arse cheek was half hanging out of my pants!!! This morning's mountain descent had destroyed the seat of my pants!

Back at the airport, Gina shielded my bum from lecherous eyes while I filled out the paperwork and signed for the new car - a Chevrolet Hybrid.

This was a much bigger car than the Kia, but drove easy as pie. On the way back to the Weasel home I gave Gina a near heart attack: she had been chiding me that I would not turn right on red, and that I was not staying in my lane at right turns. At a stoplight near her home, I saw the light was red, I needed to go right so I smartly swung into the right-hand lane. I heard a small squeak from next to me and saw Gina with eyes as big as saucers... another car had also turned into the same street, on the left lane, together with me in the right lane. I had seen that car but assumed this would be okay. It was, but apparently, it's best to let such a car go ahead in such a situation - at least, if one wants Gina to keep breathing!! That's when I decided I really did not like the American "turn right on red" rule (and by the end of the trip, I still didn't).

That night, I tossed the poor abused black pants into the garbage.
(there's a picture of those pants floating around somewhere, once I find it I will post it here)

Gina has nerves of steel, tomorrow we drive to Cheyenne and then all the way to Omaha, she in the co-pilot seat!