Louisiana Vacation - Day 1

The Currys and us have started a week trip over to Louisiana to see some of the Mardi Gras and to visit Herman Ware. This is the first day of touring after our 10 hour day of driving over from Wimauma to New Orleans. Here is our mini-camper - close quarters - I go out for coffee every morning to the Curry's camper which is in the picture right behind us.

We are staying at the Fountianbleau Campground on the other side of Lake Pontchartrain (North Shore) from New Orleans.The fastest way to get to New Orleans is across the Lake Pontchartrian Causeway which is shown in this picture.

Oh, you don't see it, let me blow up a section of the picture. There now you can see it. Lake Pontchartrain is the 2nd largest salt water lake in the US (Great Salt Lake is 1st) - only 12 to 14 feet deep.

We took a drive out to Oak Ally Plantation which was a sugar cane plantation on the banks of the Mississippi River. Can you see Carol, Paul and Polly waving?

No, let me walk in a little closer.

Still can't, let me walk in even closer - you can almost hear me puffing - Oh, I took too long. Paul got tired of waiting for me.

We took the tour through the house and the tour guide was super - Creole accent and all - He described how they had big dinner parties - there was a slave over in one corner pulling a rope which made the big fan over the table move back and forth - It kept the flies away and cooled the air as it moved over bowls of ice on the table.

Here is another neat room - the bed was called a rolling pin bed  because after you slept in it, a slave would come in and roll the mattress out - it was made from Spanish Moss and got lumpy when you slept on it - the rolling pin was part of the headboard.