Beignet, Done That

Not just a party city - there are businesses too.

At last, on this portion of the trip I reach New Orleans and the Mississippi River, which I was viewing as the goal of all my driving. A party city on the southern coastline of the country. And I decided there was no need to explore west of the Mississippi on this trip. Opening that can of worms means I would drive through a whole lot of nothing to get anywhere interesting (Texas, Colorado, Mount Rushmore).

Montgomery

Downtown Montgomery

Montgomery's river area

Thank you for letting me sleep.
That's the real courtesy.

Getting to Montgomery, Alabama, took me into the central time zone. Sleeping overnight was finally made difficult by officials, twice! A hospital security guard woke me the first time and ushered me out. He was friendly about it and just wanted me gone. I went to a second hospital, and now a full-blown policeman woke me up. He was also friendly, but a little more serious about it, asking for ID and running my license plates. He followed me until I pulled into a hotel parking lot. Once he left, so did I for a third hospital. Really wanted to push my luck. I slept there soundly. However I woke up to find a "courtesy note" left under my wipers, written by a guard, to remind me I shouldn't leave my car windows down. I don't think he saw me lying in the backseat under my blanket, but I don't know for sure, I didn't wake up.

Montgomery is limited. I found the First White House of the Confederacy, which was Jefferson Davis' home in Montgomery for only a few months early after secession, before the capital moved to Richmond. The home was later literally picked up years later and moved from its original location to across from the Alabama State Capitol. I befriended the museum docent, Bob, as he was outgoing and exceptionally knowledgeable. He told me some of the First White House's secrets and also talked about how there are concrete plans in the works across the south to remove at least some confederate monuments, which I was happy to hear.

Quite a White House!

Inside the White House

The Relic Room

I went one block over to Montgomery's Civil Rights Memorial Center. It pales in comparison to what I just did in Atlanta, but for only two bucks, it's not bad. Montgomery played a significant role in MLK's efforts, as in the march from Selma to Montgomery. The museum addresses the lynching of Emmett Till and allows you to add your name to the waterfall on their Wall of Tolerance.

Outside the civil rights museum

I'm tolerant, see!?

I crossed the street and hurried through the capitol so I could get back to my car before the meter expires (the parking is very cheap but there's a max of two hours and "re-feeding the meter is illegal"). I didn't need much time for this capitol though. The exterior was my favorite at that point (already surpassed by Louisiana's which I'll get to below) but the interior is boring.

Didn't stay in 1st Place for long.

Mobile

Downtown Mobile

My stay here was quick at this surprisingly interesting city on the southernmost edge of Alabama, as I wanted to get to Dauphin Island before sunset and then New Orleans for dinner. There aren't that many attractions anyway, mostly touristy shops and restaurants. Still, it is livable and left an impression.

Mobile's big point of interest, by a large margin, is the USS Alabama battleship moored there. The Battleship Memorial Park also contains an aircraft hangar and submarine USS Drum. The pathways through the Drum are significantly more limited than the Alabama, plus I had been on a sub before and I think most will agree that battleships are more interesting, so the focus of the photos are on the battleship. Both ships were built for World War II and decommissioned shortly thereafter.

Her propeller, at right

A fully-equipped biology lab

Yum!

Engine room

Mobile in the distance

Looking back from the bow

Worth the 24 IPC

Can you imagine sitting in that seat, controlling that gun?

The ship is a city in itself. It supported a crew of 2,500 (versus 80 for the sub) Some unexpected features of the battleship, which you might be able to match up with pictures:

• Tool shop
• Bakery
• Tailor shop
• Barber shop
• Cobbler shop
• Photo darkroom
• Soda and ice cream parlor, aka "Gedunk stand"
• Bacteriological lab
• Operating room

Aircraft inside the hangar

Aircraft outside the hangar

Onto the USS Drum

Not roomy at all compared to the battleship.

The periscope

Control room

Dauphin Island

This island wasn't on my radar until ex-coworker Chad put it there with all his knowledge of Alabama. Every building is on stilts. Oil rigs are weirdly very visible out on the gulf's horizon. And I had a short swim in the Gulf of Mexico, which meant to me finally hitting the southern border. It was a cathartic, calming moment, even amidst screaming chads.

Got here just in time for sunset as planned.

Flood protection

Fort Gaines on the left, oil rig on the right

As close and as zoomed as I could get for the oil rig.

New Orleans

Canal Street, where Bourbon Street dumps its drunks

DISCLAIMER: My experience in New Orleans was fundamentally different than most people will have, as I was visiting by myself. Though I still had a lot of fun for a day, I do not recommend going by yourself. Alone, I felt my 24 hours there were sufficient.

And speaking of 24, I finished the new season (minor spoilers here) back in Atlanta before falling asleep at Angela's. The season was passable. I really just watch now because I've seen every other season, kinda gotta stick with it. I never got attached to the characters, so I didn't care when we got the silent clock in the finale. The biggest issue for me though is the same as my complaint for works of fantasy, like Harry Potter or Star Wars. CTU's technology is a deus ex machina when the writers want it to be, like magic or the force. In one episode for example, CTU has satellite coverage of every nook and cranny and then in the next episode villains can disappear, whatever propels the story. When they can or cannot hack into cell phones is random. Stuff like that. I don't know if I've gotten older and wiser in spotting these things since middle school, or if the writing is just lazier. It happens every episode.

Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, oldest bar in operation in America

Haunted.

Found a few sets of chess players.

Back to NOLA.

Most parts of town smell of wet paint and cigarettes, and I have never driven through such poorly maintained streets. Street after street. I am amazed I left the city with the same set of tires as I went in with. The homeless and prosti-tots are aggressive: you can't talk to anybody because they are all trying to bum a buck off you. And they share the same unoriginal "I bet I can tell you where you got your shoes" riddle ("You got 'em on your feet!"). Being alone, even I felt nervous walking down the darker streets betwixt the main passages (probably not bad when walking with at least one other). Lots of saxophone players. The streets are a cacophony of mediocre bands and musicians. And the taxis' color scheme confuse me for police cars.

OK, right after I take this picture.

Monument to the Immigrants along the waterfront

Not much of that sounds like a compliment, but it all comes together for a unique experience that you will love as the night goes on. Any city that with a country bar that does karaoke to Greece a couple songs in a row is alright in my book. New Orleans parties all days of the week, all night, with all ages. In the middle of day, most clubs along Bourbon street have vanished, boarding up their entrances and windows with shutters that blend right in with the street. It's witch doctor voodoo magic how they disappear.

Mercedez-Benz Superdome, home of the Saints

Cinderella Castle?

The bartenders shuck oysters ad nauseum.

I got fat here, eating out for every meal. The Vietnam fusion at MOPHO was a phenomenal dinner, even if not typical of Louisiana - turns out you can trust New Orleans-native chefs that you meet in North Carolina for what to eat in New Orleans. Breakfast at Willa Jean was good. I'm not much of a breakfast food guy, so take "good" as a high compliment in this context. And then the best food was the famous and touristy Acme Oyster House. You must go, and you must get their chargrilled oysters, coated in cheese. Doesn't matter if you don't like oysters. I've never tasted something like that before. I also got their crawfish po-boy. While a po-boy is still just a sandwich, even in New Orleans, they do it really well somehow. More voodoo magic. Or I just really like crawfish.

Beignets were the letdown of the city, even from Cafe du Monde. They are literally just fried dough with powder, fluffy yet dense. Worse than a funnel cake and flavored fried doughs for sure. Unless you absolutely must have fried dough, I wouldn't bother getting a "big net" - you aren't missing anything. They are typically sold in sets of three. I ate one and then made a homeless guy's day by donating the other two.

Grape with crushed pineapple

My other treat was a snow cone from Hansen's Sno-Bliz. This dessert was worthwhile, even with the hour wait. There are many snow cone parlors around the city, but reportedly Hansen's has a unique ice shavings machine that the owners made themselves, plus secret syrup recipes. You are undoubtedly getting a snow cone, but borders on water ice with its creamy ice texture. I don't think I would wait another hour for one, but it's definitely delicious.

Filming for the Travel Channel outside of Hansen's.
They should have picked me for an interview.

City Park is a park which is actually deserving of being measured against Central Park, being comparable in size and scope. Larger in acreage, it has every imaginable amenity, from equestrian fields, to a gold course, to an amusement park, to two stadia, to a little train for giving families rides. The downside of the park is that unless you are in a section of it which has purpose, it is poorly landscaped. Walking most of City Park put a blister on my foot. Ow.

A good part of City Park.

And the not-so-good.

Baton Rouge

Looking back on downtown from the capitol.

Louisiana's capital has my favorite capitol building. Clear from the image, it is totally unique from any other I've ever seen (no dome). The grounds reminded me of Lara Croft's mansion. The tower looms ominously above the whole city. I saw the capitol from the highway driving in but didn't expect the skyscraper to be the capitol. It is Gothic - not strictly in the architectural sense but in the dark and scary sense.

Louisiana's capitol

I love this building!

Close-up of one capitol statue and the main entrance.

Arriving in the evening with most sites were closed for the night, I didn't stay long. But I wouldn't find much to do here even in daylight. I snapped a few photos and ran off to write this post and get to my gym. Gotta work off New Orleans and shower. The humidity gets to you.

Old State Capitol, now a museum

USS Kidd, destroyer class, ho-hum after what I saw in Mobile.

LSU's Mike the Tiger

Wrap Up

The focus of my New Orleans essay above looks at it as a city to live in, which I probably wouldn't want but the prospect of living there deserves a second thought at a later day when I reflect. There actually is a city here beyond Bourbon Street and Frenchmen Street. It was incredibly fun for a day and a fitting climax to my trip. And let's not totally forget about Mobile. Now to flip around and work up the Appalachians.

Up next: Jackson, Birmingham, Chattanooga, Knoxville

On deck: Should be able to find camping spots again. I may seem rushed overall, not taking many detours. That's true at times. But also there just isn't that much in the south to tour. Sometimes an uninteresting state park forest. I should try to fit a plantation into my trip though; we'll see.

Root Beers

Frostop

Abita

Abita (Covington, LA) - I found it! The 10! Just kidding. That would have been pretty cool if the southwestern-most point of my trip was the location of the perfect root beer. Abita has a decently wide distribution. Unlike Virgil's, I don't understand this one's fame. It has the right amount of sharpness but is way, way too minty. Almost mouthwash. 3 stars.

Frostop (Baton Rouge, LA) - Out of a roadside stand that looks like it's about to go out of business, I found a decent root beer. It tastes of cherry I think, as in Cherry Pepsi. Creamy and made me burp a lot. 5 stars.

On Repeat

Album: Sleigh Bells - Treats, probably too "noisy" for most people but if you like that kind of music, give them a try. You might have heard Crown on the Ground or Rill Rill before.

Song: The Fratellis - Baby Don't You Lie to Me!, The Fratellis stormed my college music scene with their freshman album, but then the next two albums disappointed me and professional critics alike. I haven't listened yet to the whole fourth album, from which this song comes, but hopefully the quality of this song is a positive indication for the rest of it.

If I had a favorite art store, I think this would be it.