One of the levees that was breached during Katrina in 2005. Some 2,000 people were killed - although it was rated a Category 5 hurricane, thankfully (for small mercies) it had lost some of its ferocity and was a Category 3 when it crossed land.
Australia also had a catastrophic Cat. 5 Cyclone on 3 Feb 2011 - Cyclone Yassi packed 180 mph winds when it crossed the northern part of Queensland. NASA CloudSat Satellite captured data of the cyclone revealing its enormous size of 901 miles from end to end.
p.s. we made the mistake of leaving in the afternoon on a Friday for NO....bad move. Since we had already replaced 1 tyre, we decided to replace the other 2 on the RV (they needed replacing) before we head off. That delayed our drive - we didn't hit the road till 3.00pm. The journey to New Orleans took us through Baton Rouge-we were jostling for position with dozens and dozens of 18 wheelers plus lots of "kamikaze" drivers merging from right lanes onto the highway. It was slo mo, bumper to bumper traffic most of the way.
New Orleans has some of the most beautiful architecture we've seen.
The French Quarter, also known as the Vieux Carré, is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. When New Orleans (La Nouvelle-Orléans in French) was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city was originally centered on the French Quarter, or the Vieux Carré ("Old Square" in French) as it was known then. While the area is still referred to as the Vieux Carré by some, it is more commonly known as the French Quarter today, or simply "The Quarter."[ Although called the "French" Quarter, most of the present day buildings were built under Spanish rule and show Spanish colonial tastes. The district as a whole is a National Historic Landmark, and contains numerous individual historic buildings. It was affected relatively lightly by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, as compared to other areas of the city and the greater region.
Love the wrought iron work on the balconies.
No, they are not selling Goldfish bowls...these bowls are filled with alcohol!
Larry Flynn's Hustler joint....interesting photos on the door frames.
Musical Legends Park...a cool place to sit and relax with a drink, or two.
We took a dinner cruise on the Paddle Steamboat Natchez - live music from the Dukes of Dixieland was a treat. Food wasn't crash hot, service from our female server was abysmal....hate to say it but she definitely had a bad case of PMT!
One of the numerous freighters that ply the river.
The
Mississippi River is the chief river of the largest drainage system in North
America. Flowing entirely in the United States, it rises in northern Minnesota
and meanders slowly southwards for 2,320 miles.
Length: 2,320 miles (3,734 km)
Discharge: 593,000 ft³/s (16,790 m³/s)
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This empty ship is anchored on the river waiting for a load of cargo. When fully loaded with grain, the orange line on the side of the ship is below the water.
These amazing tugs help manoeuver ships into place.
How would you like to look out of your house and see water spilling over the levee wall?
Offshore view of quarters used by President Andrew Jackson.
Andrew Jackson 7th U.S. President
Glorious sunset as we head back towards New Orleans.
Night view of New Orleans (Nor Lerns for you Texans)!
Aha!! another "When Harry met Sally" moment - yum, yum...freshly shucked oysters at Harbor Seafood.
I had 1/2 a dozen oysters for $3.00 which was just sufficient as they were huge...oh my, wish I had more but I showed real restrain.
Yes Siree, that's a genuine alligator on this golf course. I was just about to tee off when Tom spotted him...great, I think that was part of his strategy to put me off - ha!ha!
Gosh you have been busy blogging!
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