Day 18 - Tuesday, July 15, 2003

Crestview, FL to New Orleans, LA

273 miles for the day,  6,965 miles traveled so far.

4:26 in the saddle, 6:30 total time check-out to check-in.

Average speed while riding was 61.6 mph.

Parks visited this day:

Stamps:

Daily Journal:

     Since I was right next to Pensacola, I could again sleep in.  I left Darien at 8:30, made my way through Pensacola to Pensacola NAS.  Fort Barrancas is on the base.  Since it was misting outside, I had put on my rain cover, but I kept my wallet handy, knowing I would have to show ID to get onto the base.  I made it through the checkpoint, and found my way to Fort Barrancas, part of the Gulf Islands NS.  The fort was interesting.  Built as a mound of dirt, with a dry moat surrounding it.  The picture on the left shows the moat and the entrance bridge.  This bridge can be lifted up in case of attack.  The defenders can shoot through the "windows" which were more like narrow slits.  The also was a tunnel going under the moat to the outer wall of the moat where more defenders were stationed.  The other picture shows were the guns would be that protected the harbor.  The soldiers stationed here would sleep in barracks outside of the fort, only those on duty would be inside.  Alas, just like Fort Pulaski, and Fort Point (in San Francisco, see an earlier trip in May), these forts made of brick became useless with the invention of rifled cannon at the beginning of the Civil War.

    Back to I-10 and across Alabama and into Mississippi.  I stopped at the VC for the Gulf Islands NS near Ocean Springs, Mississippi.  Back to I-10 and then into Louisiana.  Just after crossing into Louisiana, I-12 cuts across Lake Ponchatrain, and I-10 cuts south to New Orleans.  The freeway does cut across part of the lake on a long 8 or so mile causeway.  Think 2 parallel two lane bridges only a few feet above the water for a long ways.  Better not run out of gas.  The road surface of I-10 was just crappy after the I-12 split.  It would not get better until after I-12 rejoins I-10.

    I got off and went into the French Quarter.  Traffic sucked.  Hot, humid weather did not help.  The electric radiator fan was constantly going.  Unlike most of the parks, there were no signs for the stop(s) in the French Quarter.  It was 1:30 in the afternoon.  After pondering what to do and where to park, I saw the Sheraton and decided to treat myself to a room.  It would be worth it to be able to hang out late in the French Quarter and party without worrying about how to get to the motel for the night.  No rooms were available there, so I tried the Hilton.  I scored a room for the night.  $89!  Well worth it.  I parking in the parking structure, made my way to my room.  I even had a bit of a river view, so I took a picture of a passing barge.

    I freshened up and hit the French Quarter.  I still couldn't find the VC, so I asked at an information booth.  They directed me to the VC for the Jean Lafitte NHP & Pres.  This was in the wrong direction from where I thought I needed to go.  Turned out alright, it seemed that my earlier intelligence was wrong and the VC had moved.  It was on N. Peters, but southwest of Jackson Square.  The stamp for the New Orleans Jazz NHP was now in the old VC, again on N. Peters, but northeast of Jackson Square.  After getting the stamps, I hung out in Jackson Square.  I called and talked to Ariana (my daughter) for a bit.  I also called mom and dad from there.  Reception was great, so I took advantage of it.  I had some blacked catfish in the restaurant in the building next to Jackson Square that is in the photo at right.  I then wandered a few blocks up and walked Bourbon Street.  The many bars were advertising happy hour - from 2 until 8!  Also 3 or 4 beers (Bud, Miller or Coors) for the price of 1.  I took the remaining picture on Bourbon Street.  It still was early, around 5:30, so I made my way to a brewery that I saw earlier and sampled 2 large glasses of a porter and a hefewiesen, along with some oysters.  I then went to the mall that was under the hotel and found an internet cafe to catch up on email and other news.

    After that I went to the room, made my journal notes for the day, and then hit Bourbon street again........

Map: 

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