Feb 22-26 Braithwaite, LA

After a stressful drive through New Orleans, we arrived at St. Bernard State Park in Braithwaite LA . We had forgotten what city driving is like. Drivers east of the Mississippi can be described as “dog eat dog”.

(Seriously, they seem more aggressive and less patient.)

We set up camp on one of the nicest sites in the park.

The view from our back window

The next day we drove into the city to visit the National WWII Museum. We were in search of Ray’s father’s oral account of the landing at Utah Beach. It wasn’t there, but we did get the chance to read and hear other accounts about the landing.

On the way home we stopped at a small roadside fish market and bought our first (but not our last) Louisiana crawfish. Yumm.

Our next excursion was to Chalmette Battlefield and National Cemetery, the site of the Battle of New Orleans.

You can see the line that Andrew Jackson had his troops build.

The following day we went into New Orleans via ferry.

We crossed this bridge after the ferry.

We visited Jackson Square, people watched in the French Quarter and toured the Hurricane Katrina exhibit at the Louisiana State Musuem.

Jackson Square

A "transformer. When he knelt, he became a car.

AO One of the Katrina exhibits

Driving out of the city (through the 9th ward and Saint Bernard Parish) was another Katrina exhibit of sorts—so many ruined homes and businesses, wrecks or abandoned shells—5 years after the hurricane!




But New Orleans is bouncing back. There was evidence of thriving marine commerce. Port activities were alive and well.

One of the many cargo ships

Loading along the Mississippi River