San Antonio's Alamo and Riverwalk

Before Bonnie and I left Tavares, FL we spent a whole day giving both the BAM and the Subaru long overdue wash jobs. After months of sitting under live oak trees both vehicles needed a good scrubbing.  Little did we know we were jinxing our trip!

Just a half day down the interstate, the alternator light flickered on.  When I stopped to check it out, I discovered a fine oil mist all over what had been the spotless Subaru and a clean BAM butt.  Not only did the alternator fail, but BAM developed an engine oil leak.  Neither was serious enough to strand us so we decided to proceed down the road until we reached a capable repair center.  I ran the generator occasionally to charge the batteries and monitored the oil level.

We limped into “Freightliner”, a large truck repair center, in San Antonio last Tuesday morning, expecting to hit the road after what we thought should be a quick fix, again in a couple days. Yeah, right!  We're now calling it "Camp Freightliner".  It's really not bad...we have full hookups!!

We forgot, this is Texas....operating  on Texas time!  First the mechanics assessed repairs, handed the paperwork to the estimator who then calls our extended service contract company so they could approve repairs.  Of course, by then it's late Friday afternoon.  Nothing happens after 5pm Friday until Monday morning!  It seems the whole repair industry shuts down for the weekends, even though people break down on weekends, too.

Well, finally this morning, everything was approved - $500 in parts, but $3000 labor!  Thank God for our extended service coverage.  Of course parts still need to be ordered - and should be here tomorrow morning. So after a week of assessing, estimating, approving, ordering and shipping, mechanics should be able to actually repair BAM and get us on the road by Thursday.  One week and two days long.  Are we having fun yet?

The silver lining to our extended San Antonio stay was an opportunity to visit Bonnie’s brother Tommy and his quit southern, beautiful wife Kathy.

Remember the Alamo?”  San Antonio is best known for two features, the Alamo and the city's Riverwalk.

The Mexicans fought hard to protect and maintain Texas as part of Mexico.  The Alamo, or course, is the site where a couple hundred Texans (including Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie) attempted to hold off 2400 Mexicans for almost two weeks way back in 1836.  All but two of the Texans died or were executed.  Today it is considered a Texas shrine in honor to those who died there.  Evidence of the siege is still apparent today.  The adobe and rock walls are textured by hundreds of bullet pock marks.   In 1845, Texas became the 28th state. 

Interestingly, the Alamo and its compound sit in mid-town San Antonio, dwarfed by sky scrapers and traffic.

San Antonio’s Riverwalk must be the city’s best calling card. Envisioned and built 80 years ago as a flood-control project, the Riverwalk is a Venice-style diversion of the San Antonio River through downtown.  The several-mile long project is lined with hundreds of stately oaks and palms, crossed by numerous pedestrian and car bridges.  Many shops and restaurants provide places to pause a while.....and spend a little cash.   And it’s all 20 feet below the street level.

We strolled along the river's edge all day enjoying people watching and the ducks.

 

New Orleans - French Quarter - Mardi Gras!

Jim and I finally left Florida after almost 3 months in central Florida. We were a little disappointed we didn’t get further south in Florida, but apparently all the RV snow birds maintain a high demand on available RV parking spaces in the most southern RV parks. In short, we determined we couldn’t afford the high rent district. Our longest stay was at the Tavares, FL, Riverest park, a little over a month. As anxious as we were to leave and see other places, we were reluctant to leave the relative warmth of Florida.

On Tuesday, Feb 15, we BAM’d west across Alabama and Mississippi, our goal being New Orleans, Louisiana, down on the bayou. Our first night was spent in a Walmart parking lot off I-10, somewhere in Alabama. We like that place, mainly because it's free overnight parking and we can stock up on groceries!

We had no idea 2011 Mardi Gras was about to begin until we parked the BAM at an RV camp in Abita Springs, LA about 45 miles north of New Orleans. Jim likes Abita Springs because he discovered they have a pretty descent brew pub there - good spring water, I guess. Thursday morning we drove the car across humongous Lake Pontchartrain into New Orleans. The causeway is over 30 miles across - you cannot see land in any direction from the middle. It reminded me of Florida's causeway to Key West.

We had no idea what to expect in ‘Orleans. There is still a lot of construction on the roads and roofs from hurricane Katrina, but most places looked normal. I-10 across the mouth of Lake Pontchartrain took quite a beating from Katrina and it appears entirely rebuilt. We saw several sections of the old highway just gone! Apparently the French Quarter, where the New Orleans Mardi Gras is held, was not flooded from Katrina because the land is higher than most nearby cities and neighborhoods.

Love this photo of a cat sitting in a window reflecting the buildings across the street.

Jim and I wandered the streets of the French Quarter and checked out all the little shops and tourist attractions, eating our way through 10 square blocks, admiring the 200-year old French architecture. Lunch was enjoyable on this balcony over-looking the quiet street below. 

It was then we decided to come back for the beginning of Mardi Gras to see the crazy people and have some fun.

Off we went Sat., once again making the drive into the Quarter to find a parking place. If you look closely at the New Orleans area on a map, it is mostly bayous and islands. Strangely most the people talk like New Yorkers and are very friendly.

No, I'm not a two fisted drinker!

There were lots of silver clad people frozen in place,....and yes, that's what you think it is.

We walked the boardwalk of the Mississippi River and saw large barges and a few stern-wheelers carrying supplies and people up and down the river.

Entertainers everywhere.  Of course you should drop money in their boxes.

As the day wore on, the normally lazy French Quarter streets became more crowded and more crowded until everyone was shoulder to shoulder. Around 7:00 pm, the "adult" parade started. I've never seen so many costumes and crazy people in my life all in one place. The floats were pretty hokey (and suggestive, if you know what I mean). I believe the French Quarter could be the 2nd most sinful town, or maybe just playful, Las Vegas being #1. Of course Rio could be in the running, as well.

Everywhere we went people on the balconies were throwing beads....and no, I didn't have to lift my shirt!  :o))  I ended up with a neck full of beads!

How would you like to live on Bourbon St in the French Quarter?  This magnificent house was  privately owned and lives for weeks every year with the Mardi Gras celebration. 

That's a float?

Whoops! 



Let's go home!



Historical Dora Canal

We were previlaged to be invited for a private boat ride down the most beautiful mile of water in the world, historical Dora Canal.  This is one of those canals that meander all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.  The Riverest Park, where we stayed for several weeks, sits adjacent to Dora Canal. 

The canal is lined with towering cypress trees, some over 2,000 years old, draped with Spanish moss.  The Dora Canal is a safe haven for nesting ospreys, herons, egrets, buzzard rookeries, otters and alligators.  Floating down the canal reminded me of "Dueling Bangos" and the movie Deliverance.  :o))

Cypress tree roots grow everywhere above and below the water.  It produces 'cypress knees' , thought to help transport oxygen to the roots.

Buzzard rookery - lots of nests and many birds flying overhead. 

Osprey

Egret

Large something-or-another drying the wings so he could fly off. 

Swamp - watch out for Water Mocassins and Aligators

Another large bird soaking up the sun.  All the southerners know the names of all the creatures, but hey, we're from the northwest.  What can we say?

It was a very relaxing and warm float trip down the Historical Dora Canal!