From the Gulf Coast Gator Farm we drove to Slidell, LA. Matt had to fly out for a work trip for a few days, and the best airport to fly from was New Orleans. So we found a campground in Slidell to stay at for the week.
We arrived on Monday. On Tuesday we dropped Matt off at the airport and did a little Christmas shopping on the way home and got school done. Wednesday the van went in for an oil change and tire rotation, we did school, and we went for a Christmas light walk around the campground.
Wednesday night it started raining – with rain in the forecast until Sunday… We were already feeling a little cabin fever with staying in the same spot, the cooler temps, and the campground didn’t have great outdoor space, and the rain did not help. So on Thursday, after doing school in the morning, we went to a trampoline park to expend some energy – it was great. When we got back in the car, we saw waves in the flooded parking lot – it had rained a lot (not as much as Titusville, but a lot).
On Friday we did some school in the morning and then decided to go on a field trip to the end of the Mississippi River (well, as far as we could drive at least). The end of the Mississippi River is over 76 miles SE of New Orleans! I didn’t think there was that much land past New Orleans.
We started driving past New Orleans and looked to the east to see the Mississippi and all we saw was a 10-12 foot green hill behind all the houses/fields/etc, but Google maps showed the river right there. Then we realized that the hill was the levee that was keeping the Mississippi in its banks. As we continued, a levee began on the other side as well, so the highway just drove between 2 levees for a long time. There were some houses along the way (some rundown, a few massive, some on stilts, some low to the ground), some farms, also several massive refineries/ports/etc.
It was a gray and cloudy day and we weren’t really excited to keep driving another 30-40 minutes south, so we turned off the highway onto a gravel road that looked like it had houses on stilts at the end, but it turned out to be a creepy seemingly abandoned area with old boats and trash strewn about. And then we turned around when we reached a parking lot with a bunch of newer cars and trucks parked there, but no one around… A fishing operation? It was a little creepy.
So then we drove up the other side with a number of run down houses, a cemetery (with above ground graves – standard in the area), and just a weird vibe. We never saw the Mississippi down there, but we did pick up some oranges and broccoli from a road side stand on the way back.
Then we still had time to kill before picking up Matt, so we did a little Christmas shopping and then drove around looking at Christmas lights in Kenner, LA (near where the airport is). It was really enjoyable – even without snow. And Matt got in on time!
We spent Saturday celebrating Sinterklaas Day and relaxing and packing. Then Sunday we headed to the French Quarter in New Orleans. We decided to take the long route over the Pontchartrain Causeway – a 24 mile bridge over the widest point of Lake Pontchartrain (don’t worry – we listened to The Lakes of Pontchartrain (Be Good Tanyas version) as we crossed it). We had beignets and coffee at Café du Monde, walked the waterfront (Mississippi River), saw some massive ships, walked through shops, and came upon a Christmas parade! It was an impressive parade (and very family friendly)! And we got lots of beads!! My favorites were the Dolly Partons and the Chaissez Ladies. I may have a new bucket list item! All in all a great New Orleans experience!
We returned to camp to pack up. With Matt having some work trips scheduled and the kids are really craving a home for the holidays. We decided to store the camper and head to Michigan for the holidays. We’ll be back down to pick up the camper and head west in January.
We’re taking about a week to head back to MI, so there are a few more adventures before that. I’ll blog again soon.
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