French Quarter - 12/12/15 - New Orleans, LA

Saturday – December 12, 2015
French Quarter
New Orleans, Louisiana

We begin Sharon’s special day under sunny skies and pleasant temperatures in the high seventies. We will celebrate her birthday at the Pier 424 Seafood Market Restaurant on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter. We had dined at Pier 424 during a visit to New Orleans in March 2013 and so enjoyed our dining experience that it has become another one of our favorite restaurants in New Orleans.

We requested an open-air table adjacent to the sidewalk, so we could people-watch while we dined. We had the Oyster Rockefeller and Crab Cakes for appetizers. Sharon had the Shrimp Grits (her favorite menu item) and I had the Crawfish Etouffee (my favorite menu item) for our entrees. We were not disappointed… everything was delicious. We decided to forego dessert and have it later somewhere else within the French Quarter.

After lunch, we sauntered down to the corner of Royal and St. Peter streets to watch one of our favorite street musician groups: Doreen’s Jazz New Orleans band.

Doreen Ketchens is a soulful, talented, New Orleans musician, armed with a clarinet that has a mind of its own. When she wails on that clarinet her music fills the air with a celebration of musicality that draws crowds of appreciative visitors, turning the French Quarter street corner into an open-air jazz club.

Though she holds no official title, Ketchens is considered one of the city's cultural ambassadors. She and her band; tuba-playing-husband Lawrence Ketchens, trombonist Ronell Johnson, guitarist Paul Kimnetz and drummer Dorian Ketchens-Dixon provide one of the most entertaining musical street shows in the French Quarter.

Doreen’s Jazz New Orleans has represented New Orleans and the United States around the world, performing in Africa, Asia, Canada, Europe, South America, Russia and the United States. They have performed for four United States presidents, including Bill Clinton, George Bush Sr., Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. The band also boasts 23 volumes of CD’s and 3 DVD’s.

In addition to being superb performers, Doreen and her husband Lawrence are outstanding educators. They regularly perform in schools around the world, educating students of all languages, spreading the culture and music of New Orleans.

After listening to Doreen’s Jazz New Orleans Band for a while, we continued on our walking tour of the French Quarter looking for a place to have dessert. Sharon had a taste for beignets, so we headed over to New Orleans Famous Beignets and Coffee shop on the corner of Decatur and St. Peter streets. We ordered one order of beignets (a serving of 3) and two café au laits. The beignets were so delicious, we got another order to-go.

We finished off our visit to the French Quarter with a stroll along the Riverwalk. This is a scenic area bordered on one side by the French Quarter and the other by the Mississippi River. Visitors are often favored with views of ocean freighters, cruise ships and barges traversing this region of this mighty river.

During our visits to the French Quarter in previous years, we had parked in the Algiers Ferry parking lot on Morgan Street ($5.00/day weekdays and $10.00/day weekends). We would then take the ferry ($1.00 for seniors) across the Mississippi River into New Orleans. It is a short walk of about three blocks from the Ferry station to the French Quarter.

On this visit we decided to drive into New Orleans and park in one of the public parking lots located within the French Quarter. We arrived around 12:30 p.m. and departed a little after 4:00 p.m. The cost for parking was $25.00! The lot we parked in did have the parking rates posted at the entrance to the lot. I subsequently found the rates posted at another nearby parking lot.

Premium Parking (www.premiumparking.com)
0 – 2 hours: $10.00
2 – 3 hours: $15.00
3 – 5 hours: $25.00
5 – 8 hours: $30.00
8 – 24 hours: $45.00
Lost Ticket: $100.00

On our future visits to New Orleans we’ll continue to take the ferry.

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

Willie Mae's - 12/11/15 - New Orleans, LA

Friday – December 11, 2015
Willie Mae’s Restaurant
New Orleans, Louisiana

We discovered Willie Mae’s restaurant while watching a segment on the Food Network during the summer of 2015. We decided to add this interesting restaurant to our next visit to New Orleans.

Willie Mae’s Scotch House was established in 1957 as a bar in New Orleans’ Historic Treme neighborhood. After a year the bar was moved to its current location at 2401 Saint Ann Street, which consisted of a bar, a barbershop and beauty salon in the front. In the early 1970’s, the beauty saloon closed, which brought on the demand for a restaurant from Willie Mae’s bar customers. The aromas of Mississippi and Louisiana cuisine emanating from the kitchen filled the air and brought on constant demand for delicious food.

In 2005, Ms. Willie Mae Seaton was honored with the prestigious James Beard Award for "America’s Classic Restaurant for the Southern Region." This award changed everything; bringing it from a local neighborhood eatery to a nationally recognized restaurant. Unfortunately, shortly after receiving the award, Hurricane Katrina hit the area and caused severe damage to the restaurant. With assistance from the Southern Foodways Alliance and many other organizations, the restaurant was able to reopen in 2007. Thus, bringing recognition from the Food Network and the Travel Channel as "America’s Best Fried Chicken." Today, Kerry Seaton Stewart, Ms. Willie Mae’s great-granddaughter now runs the operation that’s still serving up "America’s Best Fried Chicken." The restaurant is located in New Orleans’ 6^th Ward, just blocks from the historic Treme Neighborhood and the French Quarter.

We arrived at Willie Mae’s around 1:30 p.m. If it were not for the restaurants’ sign, this would be just another home in a residential neighborhood. There were a few people waiting in line outside of the restaurant.

No need to add your name to a wait list… just wait in line. As tables become available, one of the wait staff comes outside to welcome the next group in line to their table. We had a short wait of about fifteen minutes.

Parking throughout the neighborhood is free and there is a parking lot on the corner opposite from the restaurant.

Sharon and I had their famous "America’s Best Fried Chicken" with a side of Red Beans and Rice, served with a savory Corn Bread.

We followed that delicious meal with desert. Sharon had the Red Velvet Cheesecake and I had the Turtle Cheesecake.

Having now sampled their fried chicken we can see why they have received accolades for their cuisine. We will definitely be repeat visitors to this establishment!

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

Katie's Restaurant - 12/09/15 - New Orleans, LA

Wednesday – December 9, 2015
Katie’s Restaurant
New Orleans, Louisiana

We begin my special day under sunny skies and pleasant temperatures in the high sixties. We will celebrate my birthday at Katie’s Restaurant. This is one of our favorite restaurants located in a residential neighborhood in mid-city New Orleans.

Katie’s Restaurant was featured on Diners, Drive-in’s & Dives in 2011. This is our fourth visit in the past three years to this charming neighborhood restaurant. It is a small restaurant with about 15 tables plus a bar on the inside, and a few tables facing the street on the outside. It is located on the corner of Iberville and Telemachus streets in a residential neighborhood, only one block from the Canal Street Streetcar Line. It is quite far from the French Quarter and not within walking distance from there.

Drive to Katie's Restaurant

Parking throughout the neighborhood is free, but finding an open parking space can be difficult during the lunch and dinner hours. The streets are narrow, due to vehicles parked on both sides of the street, and very rough due to numerous asphalt-covered pothole repairs. Drive slowly or risk damaging your vehicle’s suspension! This area will challenge your parallel parking skills, especially if you have a large SUV or full size van. Fortunately, they now have a parking lot close by that they purchased in 2013.

Katie’s provides the diner with delicious, innovative cuisine and a friendly, attentive wait staff. We enjoyed a few of their savory menu selections:

Appetizer: Remmy Stack
Fried green tomatoes topped with Louisiana gulf shrimp and a homemade remoulade sauce. The fried green tomatoes are served with several large gulf shrimp lightly covered with the delicious remoulade sauce.

Entrees:
Cochon Beignet with Grilled Shrimp
This was my delicious selection. A tennis ball-sized beignet stuffed with grilled onion, shredded pork and mozzarella cheese, with a topping of grilled shrimp and a homemade remoulade sauce. Simply outstanding!

BBQ Shrimp / Roast Beef Poboy
Sharon ordered this delicious gem. Served on French bread, the poboy is layered with succulent roast beef followed by a topping of BBQ shrimp and a special homemade sauce.

Dessert:
We finished off our meal with a piece of their homemade strawberry cake, appropriately enough for my birthday!

Takeout:
We have never left Katie’s without ordering one of their delicious pizzas. This visit was no exception. We ordered one of our favorites... To Go: Their Boudreaux Pizza. It is a very crispy, thin crust pizza with toppings of smoked pork, spinach, whole garlic cloves and several different cheeses. This will be our lunch for tomorrow!

Birthday boy and wife arrived back at the campground very contented and well-fed. A short walk through the campground burned off a few of the many calories we had just consumed.

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

Bayou Segnette SP - 12/08/15 - New Orleans, LA

Tuesday – December 8, 2015
Bayou Segnette State Park
New Orleans, Louisiana

We departed Ocean Springs, Mississippi under clear, sunny skies. Our destination today is one of our favorite places to visit: New Orleans!

As we crossed the state line into Louisiana, we came upon a Flying J truck stop selling gasoline at $1.66 per gallon. I can’t remember when I last seen gasoline at these prices. It certainly is easy on our travel budget with these low gasoline prices.

We will spend six days at the Bayou Segnette State Park in Westwego, Louisiana. They have a very nice campground located within the state park.

Video Tour of Campground

A short drive from the state park is a pay-for-fee parking lot located within walking distance to the Algiers Ferry. A ferry ride across the Mississippi River deposits visitors within a short walk (about two blocks) to the French Quarter of New Orleans.

We will celebrate my birthday on the 9^th and Sharon’s birthday on the 12^th at our favorite restaurants in New Orleans.

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

Travel Details:
Departed: Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Departure Time: 9:15 A.M.
Arrived: Westwego, Louisiana
Arrival Time: 11:35 P.M.

Campground: Bayou Segnette
Type: State Park
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: N30.88540 Longitude: W090.16374
Camping Fee: $20.00 per night (no discounts for out-of-state seniors)
Campsite: 79
Campsite Hookups: Electric, Water
Campground Amenities: Flush Toilets, Free Hot Showers, Free Laundry Facilities, Dump Station
Total Campsites: 100

Cellular Service: Verizon - 4G, 3 Bars
Internet Service: Verizon Jetpack, 5 Bars
Internet Service: Free WiFi throughout campground (WiFi blocks streaming video).
Dish TV Satellite Service: Strong signal – received local networks and all satellite channels.

Total miles traveled today: 115
Route Traveled:
West on Interstate 10
US-90 S Exit 234C on left to Westwego
Merge onto Westbank Expy
Westbank Expy to Drake Street
Left on Drake to Park Entrance

Davis Bayou Area - 12/07/15 - Ocean Springs, MS

Monday – December 7, 2015
Gulf Islands National Seashore
Davis Bayou Area
Oceans Springs, Mississippi

Pleasant sunny days with temperatures in the middle sixties, with no pesky bugs or mosquitoes, provided an ideal environment for enjoying outdoor activities here at the Gulf Islands National Seashore, Davis Bayou Area, in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. We are so appreciative our continued good health and financial resources allow us to travel extensively throughout the United States, experiencing new scenic adventures.

When we arrived at the Davis Bayou Area on Thursday, December 3, 2015, we intended to stay only two days. On Friday, we decided to extend our stay another three days and depart on Tuesday.

The Gulf Islands National Seashore is a place of sparkling blue waters, magnificent white beaches, and fertile coastal marshes. There are historic forts, shaded picnic areas, trails, and campgrounds. The park includes 12 units stretching eastward 160 miles from Cat Island, Mississippi, to the Okaloosa Area east of Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

Congress established Gulf Islands National Seashore in 1971 to provide recreation and to protect the wildlife, barrier islands, salt marshes, historic structures, and archeological sites along the Gulf of Mexico. Although 80% of the park is submerged lands, the islands are the most outstanding features to most visitors. The national seashore islands are long and narrow, composed of white sand carried seaward by rivers draining the Appalachian Mountains. Dunes of snow-white sand give the islands a distinctive look. Held together by a network of stems and roots, the dunes are composed of fine quartz sand that originates in distant mountains.

Besides the islands, the national seashore includes four parcels of land on the Florida and Mississippi mainlands. Here the visitor will find fortifications built by the Spaniards and Americans. Forts here span from the Spanish colonial era in the 1700’s to World War II in the 1940’s. See the site of the first federal live oak plantation and reservation, archeological traces of American Indians, and forests and marshes with a variety of wildlife.

There is no beach within the Davis Bayou Area but public beaches are nearby in Ocean Springs.

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

Gulf Islands Nat'l Seashore - 12/03/15 - Ocean Springs, MS

Thursday – December 3, 2015
Gulf Islands National Seashore
Davis Bayou Campground
Ocean Springs, Mississippi

Wednesday was a cool, overcast, dreary day, with frequent rain showers occurring through the early afternoon. We decided we would spend part of the day at the local library in Panama City Beach, Florida. Free Wifi at the library allowed us to access the Internet to catch up on the news and some of our other favorite websites.

The rain cleared the area later in the afternoon, still leaving overcast skies, and a cold front entered the area bringing temperatures down into the middle forties overnight.

We had an early morning breakfast with my son at The Egg & I in Panama City Beach, Florida. We bid farewell to him, until next year’s visit, as we depart Panama City Beach, Florida.

We had planned to spend the night at the Boomtown Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. They have free parking there for overnight RV parking, with roving security. However, as often happens during our travels, we changed our plans!

I remembered during our travels in March 2014, we had spent a few days at the Davis Bayou Campground located within the Gulf Islands National Seashores in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. We decided a return visit is in order and we will relax and spend a few days there.

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

Travel Details:
Departed: Panama City Beach, Florida
Departure Time: 10:00 A.M.
Arrived: Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Arrival Time: 2:55 P.M.

Campground: Davis Bayou
Type: Gulf Island National Seashore
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: N30.39697 Longitude: W088.79551
Camping Fee: $11.00 per night with Golden Age Passport
Campsite: 46
Campsite Hookups: Electric, Water
Campground Amenities: Flush Toilets, Free Hot Showers, Dump Station

Cellular Service: Verizon - 4G, 3 Bars
Internet Service: Verizon Jetpack, 5 Bars
Dish TV Satellite Service: Strong signal – received local networks and all satellite channels.

Total miles traveled today: 211
Route Traveled:
West on Florida Highway 98
North on Interstate 110
West on Interstate 10 to Exit 57
South on Mississippi Highway 57
Take Ocean Springs Rd & Park Rd to Campground

St. Andrews SP - 12/01/15 - Panama City Beach, FL

Tuesday – December 1, 2015
St. Andrews State Park
Panama City Beach, Florida

We spent a quiet, restful night at the Wright Lake Campground in the Apalachicola National Forest near Sumatra, Florida. Once again it is time to move on to continue our winter adventure for 2015-2016.

As we were preparing to break camp, we were entertained by several Air Force F-22 Raptor jet fighters, performing what appeared to be aerial combat maneuvers, at very high altitude. The heat from their jet engines left a signature, vapor-trail outline of their maneuvers against the backdrop of the clear blue sky. The roar from their jet engines screaming through the air space was deafening. After a few minutes had passed, they apparently had completed their mission, and disappeared from sight within seconds.

We decided we would take U.S. Highway 98 west to Panama City Beach, Florida. This is the scenic coastal route that takes the traveler through several quaint towns, bordered on one side by the Gulf of Mexico, lined with pure white sandy beaches.

A few miles east of Panama City, Florida is the home of the F-22 Raptor: Tyndall Air Force Base. As we pass by the base we look for any F-22 Raptors taking off or landing, but do not see any on this trip. In the spring of 2014 we were fortunate to see a few taking off.

We continued on our journey to St. Andrews State Park in Panama City Beach, Florida. A deer, grazing in the adjacent campsite, observed our flurry of activity as we set up our campsite.

We had prearranged with my daughter-in-law to surprise my son with our visit on his birthday today. He thought we were somewhere in southern Florida. The plan was to meet them at the Bonefish Grill in Panama City Beach.

My daughter-in-law sent me a text when they had arrived and were seated in the restaurant. My son was seated in a booth with his back to me. I tapped him on the shoulder and asked if I could join him. The surprised expression on his face was priceless. He just starred in amazement for the longest time, at a loss for words. We hugged each other and wiped away tears of joy. It was a memorable moment I will cherish for a lifetime.

The Bonefish Grill provided the perfect ambiance for my son’s surprise birthday party. The service was excellent, as well as the food preparation. We will definitely dine here again on our future visits to Panama City Beach.

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

Travel Details:
Departed: Sumatra, Florida
Departure Time: 10:15 A.M.
Arrived: Panama City Beach, Florida
Arrival Time: 1:05 P.M.

Campground: St. Andrews
Type: State Park
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: N30.13687 Longitude: W085.73644
Camping Fee: $28.00 per night (excluding taxes and service fees)
Campsite: 42
Campsite Hookups: Electric, Water
Campground Amenities: Flush Toilets, Free Hot Showers, Dump Station

Cellular Service: Verizon - 4G, 5 Bars
Internet Service: Verizon Jetpack, 5 Bars

Dish TV Satellite Service: No signal – too many trees blocking view of southern sky.

Total miles traveled today: 105
Route Traveled:
South on Florida Highway 65
West on Florida Highway 98
South on Thomas Dr. to State Park