It is spring break in Houston.  Brian has a week off and is coming to hang out with us a few days to hike and decompress.  Hooray.

Day one we are off to Blue Ridge.  Carol joins us for some nephew time before she heads back home.  Our stroll around historic downtown includes a search for a number of brightly painted trout….fishing is big around here.  Our first adventure, rail bikes.  We check in and sign the requisite waivers then the four of us fill up the lead quad rail.

We leave from downtown on an 11-mile round trip.  We pedal, of course, but have electric motor assist which we particularly appreciate on the uphill return trip!  This is just season 2 and their trailside views still need a bit of work but it is a fun way to spend a few hours outdoors.

We have some daylight and energy remaining so we head off to check out the Swinging Bridge over the Toccoa River.  At 270 feet long, it is claimed to be the longest swinging bridge east of the Mississippi River.  The final three-mile drive on a bumpy forest route takes longer than the hiking portion of this excursion, ½ mile each way.  There are a couple steep sections but they have included a nice forest seat to rest a spell.  The bridge is impressive and it does/will really swing.  It is well worth the walk.

That’ll do it for today.  We in for a quiet evening and a bit of crazy 8s.  Carol heads back to PA in the morning and the rest of us plan to just putter around home.

We are ready to venture out again for another day in the National Forest.  We twist and wind our way out the Cherohala Skyway heading for a trek up Huckelberry Bald. Mike and Hazel made this hike with us last summer.  It is lovely today as well.  We think we have another few miles in us.  Just a few miles further out the Skyway is the trail to Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest.  It is one of a few remaining tracts of old-growth hardwood forest in this area.  The trail winds along a quick moving creek with rhododendrons blanketing the banks. It is beautiful today but will be spectacular is the next few weeks when it is all in bloom.  We just reach the first of the giant tulip poplars mid-way on the figure 8 hike.   Lucky the terrain is so rugged; else, these giants would have long ago been felled.  Time to head back.

Today we take in a bit of history with a visit to the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum and Ft. Loudoun State Historic Park.  Much of the museum content is focused on Sequoyah and the development of the written Cherokee language and its importance to their culture.  Other exhibits depict way of life, customs, and interactions with white men and other tribes.  Amazingly, there is little mention of the Trail of Tears and abject mistreatment afforded the Cherokee during displacement.  This seems a place to celebrate who the Cherokee were and not to tell of what others did to them.

We trapsed around in the reconstructed Ft. Loudoun.  The original was built in 1756 as a British fortification on what was then the western frontier in hopes of strengthening the relationship with the Overhill Cherokee.  There are numerous living history programs here throughout the summer.  Hope to return for one this year.

We close out the visit with a hike to overlook Tellico Lake.

Carol and Lynn road trip to New Orleans. 2/26 – 3/5

We are off to an early start with 500+ miles ahead of us; Tellico Plains to Biloxi.

Hotel Legends is home for the night with fun Hollywood décor and a great view over Biloxi Bay and the Gulf.

Set for our first Gulf Coast Seafood dinner we head for Shaggy’s Biloxi Beach.  Red, deep water shrimp cocktail is super flavorful and as promised, a bit saltier than typical shrimp – delicious.  We have to go for the seafood platter: flounder, shrimp and crab cakes…fried of course.  A waitstaff mix-up leads to a bonus second platter. We need a to-go box! Bellies full, we head out the water side of the restaurant for a sunset stroll on the beach.

We close out the evening with live piano entertainment at Sapphire Supper Club, Hotel Legends.   No luck getting our first Sazeracs but there are other tasty choices for cocktails and it’s a lovely spot to unwind.

Another couple hours to New Orleans today.  First, we explore here.

After a lazy, easy yogurt breakfast in the room we are off to walk the beach.     Pic   We have a long stretch of sand pretty much to ourselves and make it as far as the Biloxi Schooners Maritime and Seafood Museum and learn a little about those “White Winged Queens” that were built and sailed here throughout the 1800s

Next, we are off to the Coastal Mississippi Mardi Gras Museum.   It is filled with costumes and stories of krewes based in towns all along the coast.  An enthusiastic greeter encourages their scavenger hunt and scurries about to set up videos and the movie.  She is a great ambassador for the place.  We watch the movie and stroll through every display (and complete the scavenger hunt with just one hint).  We have to try on costume of course.  It is a fun morning and well worth a couple hours if you are in the area.

On to New Orleans with a plan for Gumbo at Liuzza’s by the Tracks.  All our navigation devices fail us and we are misdirected to the Original Liuzza’s (billed as a Culinary Landmark of Mid-City New Orleans).  It is a small “dine off the kitchen” place that is pretty hectic with unorganized rather blunt waitstaff (reviews unflatteringly referred to them as feral) forewarning of long wait for a backed-up kitchen.  We take a seat anyway and the wait is actually not so long. First Sazerac! There will be more.

Carol goes for the gumbo, actually Cajun Gumbo.  Tasty and very seafood forward with spices other than the classic Creole flavors we both expected.  For me it is Eggplant  Napolean, a great looking layered dish over pasta.  It is fantastic.

A short drive and we arrive at our base of operations for the next 5 days, The Barnett on Carondelet St, New Orleans.  Kudos to Carol for finding this location. It is easy walking to parade viewing, to Canal to catch the trolley, and to lots of restaurants.  The comfy room even has a bit of a view of the St. Charles parade route.  Perfect to monitor for viewing times.

We drop our stuff and relax a bit then dive right into the parades.  There are three this evening – Babylon, Chaos, Muses (shoes).  Just a block from our hotel we claim a great viewing spot just off Lafayette Square one row back from the barrier. Awesome.  The locals in front of us are old hands at this parade thing and kind enough to teach us the ropes AND collect a big bag of throws for us…perfect partners for getting into the spirit of Mardi Gras.   They introduced us to a parade App Carol loaded on her phone.  It tracks the exact location of each parade’s lead car helping reduce the stand and wait time before and during parades…there is a lot of that!

We wave and cheer for throws with everyone else as fun dance troupes (esp 610 stompers), bands (Many great sounding. All very enthusiastic), and floats (fancy lighted themed creations to repurposed wagons and truck floats) pass by.   Some floats are even pulled by mules. Our feet and backs gave out before the last parade finished.  What a fun day!

Today we head to the waterfront for a cruise on the Natchez.  Our timing is perfect.  We find a dockside bench to chill for a bit and catch the pre-sail calliope concert while taking in the view.  We loved it.  We muse about how much Mom enjoyed it too, back in the day.

We are in the early lunch seating.  It works out perfectly leaving us lots of time to explore and gaze at views later.  Bloody Marys toast to our trip and Mom.  Nicely spicy, she would have liked it. Lunch is delicious and the jazz band a great addition. Out on deck we watch the sights and take in the history talk then tour the engine room, check out the gift shop, and finish out our sail with Sazeracs and more music.  Another fine adventure.

Dinner at Luke on St. Charles Ave. It is a busy evening but even without reservations we manage to get seated.  Awesome.  We start with a smokey raspberry craft cocktail and local beer.  Next, smoked trout dip with bacon fat saltines.  Oh, so yummy.   Then it is Louisianna Shrimp and grits for me and Gumbo for Carol (she’s on a mission to sample as many gumbo versions as possible).  It is all delicious.

Beignets and coffee

We are off to explore the Quarter.  It’s a walk to Canal then the Trolley to French Market.  First stop, Café Du Monde.  There is a line of course but it moves quickly as waitstaff and greeters coordinate to keep folks moving.  We go for the classic, three beignets heaped with powdered sugar and coffee to balance out the sweet. The bustle, the flavors, the tiny table for two; just like I anticipated.  Perfect.

We stroll Jackson Square along the seemingly endless row of tarot card readers and fortune tellers.  Next, we make a loop out Royal and back Bourbon St. taking time to window shop and enjoy the street corner musicians. Check out the extra security barriers and armed reservists all prompted by the New Years attack. We dally a moment too long and find ourselves captured by very slick cosmetic sales guy.  He even manages to entice us to come in for a demo of his wrinkle defying potion.  It actually does get rid of many fine wrinkles around the eyes; but you’d have to be willing to tolerate the weird tight feeling on your face and willing to part with $300 (even after discount and his own special 35% off).    Sorry guy, not for us!

We enjoy a street-side cocktail at Café Lafitte in Exile on Bourbon and a bit more people watching then it’s off to Central Grocery for a Muffaletta to go.

We catch the trolley to Canal then on foot back to the hotel.  Enroute, we come across the IRIS parade and just have to watch a bit as we walk. More throws are added to our collection.

Can’t resist! We head back down to watch the Endymion parade.  Lynn caught a lighted cowboy hat and together still more beads and plunder.

We crash for the night.  Dinner is leftovers and cheese and crackers in the room.

Happy Birthday Carol

Our big plan for the day, dinner at Commanders Palace out in the Garden District.

We get a lazy start with breakfast in the room then morning shows and a bit of Food Network Tournament of Champions.

Time for lunch with a hankering for a shrimp po’boy.  There are cafes not far on Girod.  We choose Luzianne Café and the shrimp po’boy does not disappoint. It’s not far to Bittersweet Confections, the bakery of choice for our must have king cake.  We check it out.  Sweets all look amazing and we actually place our order for pick-up…we are taking it home to share with Kent and Brian (he’s coming to TN for a few days of break).

We chill back at the room for a bit then get dressed up for the big Birthday dinner out.  Commanders Palace has a dress code.  We know the trolley isn’t running on St. Charles Ave (it is the actual parade route) but have been assured that a bus is running its route.  No problem but we leave early just in case there are related delays plus for us to walk to the trolley stop we have to go around the parade route.  No problem, we head out by 4.  There at Magazine and Canal where the supposed trolley to bus transfer is to happen. We chat up the trolley driver who is very helpful but full of disappointing news.  No, the bus transfer isn’t going to happen here it is way back Canal and no the bus won’t stop at or even near any of the actual stops of the St. Charles trolley.  It would add many blocks of walking to get to Commanders Palace.  Taxis and uber would have difficulty getting any closer because of the parade route and related traffic. We take a seat in the shade and consider our options.    New plan.  Carol cancels at CP (they completely understand the issue with access) and we opt for dinner here on Canal.  The place?  Zesty Creole.  But it’s early.  We stroll a bit and find the Ritz, time for celebratory Sazeracs.  It is a cool relaxing space separate from the press of boisterous crowds.  A perfect place for Happy Birthday cheers.

Now it is on to Zesty Creole.  They have pretty good Sazeracs as well!  Dinner includes boudin balls, Etouffee, and Gumbo.  Service is great and even though they have diners waiting on the street no pressure to move us on.   We make a dessert stop at Kilwin’s.  Great ice cream in a perfect crunchy waffle cone.  We even grab a seat for a few to enjoy it and watch the world go by.   They are pretty proud of that ice cream but it is still a perfect way to end the day.

Our last full day

We pick up our king cake from Bittersweet on Magazine.  Or course we have to try a breakfast sweet and a cup of coffee.  We deliver the cake back to the hotel then it’s off to Sazerac House, home of Sazerac rye and herbsaint (essential sazerac ingredients) plus a number of other tasty sips.  We tour, read and taste our way through. We are heading on to Lundi Gras on the riverfront so we resist buying all manner of fun cocktail ingredients!

It is Fat Monday and time for the Zulu Lundi Gras Festival along the Mississippi River.  The park is jamb-packed when we get there with folks in lawn chairs all around a half dozen or so performance stages and snaked through by a long line for food vender tents.  We make a big loop through the crowd scoping out possible lunch options.  Lines are pretty long but we find a possible option.  Some 15 minutes later the line has barely moved and a woman leaving informs us they are out of food.  Bummers.  We stroll a bit more but conclude that lunch would be easier found elsewhere and wander on our way.  That meant we missed the big events, the arrivals of King Zulu and King Rex by boat.   Guess we need to save something for another year.

Back on Carondelet we find Daisy Dukes for one more taste of N.O. creole.  It’s been a pretty full day already but there is a parade tonight, Orpheus.  It is scheduled for 6PM but around 9 before it reaches us.  The theme is music and the floats are certainly the most beautiful we have seen so far.  Crowds are bigger than previous nights and we pooh out before the parade finishes.  Still, we drag home too many new throws to add to our collection.

Mardi Gras final day – threatening weather

There has been a mad scurry as organizers frantically work to get the two big parades in before high winds hit the area.  Zulu and Rex are THE Mardi Gras Parades.  Both Krewes modify their routes and look to drop marching and walking units and what they call truck floats to shorten their respective parades.  Step off for both is moved from 9:00AM to 6:30AM.  Rex will no longer pass our viewing area but Zulu still plans to do so.  Here they come.   Crowds are huge and loud.  Floats are significantly less ornate (kind of look repurposed). Riders are a bit more obviously inebriated (it’s 8AM).  Throws come nearly continuously and by the handful.  That is what it must take to get rid of that much stuff on the shortened route.  It is a fun raucous end to our New Orleans Mardi Gras vacation. We have a bit of Memorabilia

Homeward bound

Check out is at 11AM and it is another hour or so until the valet gets the car to us. We are back in Biloxi by mid-afternoon just in time to catch the end of their parade.  That’s good and bad.  It is fun to see one more parade but the town is grid locked.  It takes some creative alley maneuvering to make a required wine stop and even more to get to the hotel.  We watch the end of the parade and unwinding of the post-parade traffic from our window.  Parade barriers are still up so we opt to walk to dinner, pizza at Pie Five at Hard Rock.  It is a short but challenging walk.  The blustery winds we left in NO have now reached Biloxi. It is pizza and TV at the hotel before we turn in for the night.

Back in TN.

9 hours and we are home.  It rained the last hour or so else pretty smooth travels.

Time to start planning the next get away!