Technically only three days but so much happens in three days on a trip like this that theres a lot to catch you up on. Wednesday morning I drove back into New Orleans to see the St.Louis Cemetery #1. The oldest cemetery in New Orleans that they know of.
Back in the day and still a little bit today, different groups would form a benevolent society where people would put in money to support other Italians, French, British, etc. And this money would go to financial help, it also paid for a group plot. Below is the Italians Society grave, it was the biggest and most ornate in the cemetery.
Also back in the day, here in Creolo country if you weren't Catholic you were a total outcast. In the back of the cemetery was a tiny separate plot for Presbyterians.
Heres the entry of the cemetery. It was really interesting to wonder through. I bought a little self guided tour and saw a lot of interesting things. Including Marie Louvre a super well known voo-doo lady. There were a ton of XXX's on her grave. Legend is you turn in circles 3 times and put 3 X's and you'll be safe from her. I didn't do it because I think I'll be just fine.
Then I went looking for Mardi Gras World and had to cross over the Mississippi and these bridges and train tracks and a dirt road. And guess what? Yep it had moved to the other side of the river.
So back to the city.
I'm glad I went. I was behind schedule with where I wanted to be but it was worth it.
I got to dress up, which was a little gross since who knows how many people have put the same stuff on.
So WAY back in the day Mardi Gras meaning Fat Tuesday started as a way to celebrate (feast) before the famine (Ash Wednesday). So they had 12 days of feasting and celebrations and it turned into parades and "throws" as they are called. Which are not just the cheap beads you see on shows, those are actually thrown back onto King Kong which goes out every year. Groups throw out stuffed animals, way more intricate beads with emblems and other things, shoes, cups, t-shirts, etc. Each krewe and that is how it is spelled comes up with their own theme every year and has their own parade with 4 to 6 parades a day. Each krewe has to have a minimum of 14 floats and no more than 32. A TON of money goes into this stuff. And Mardi Gras World makes 80% of all the floats. They also make stuff for amusement parks and restaurants (like the cow on top of Chick-fil-e). The ones only used once are styrofoam with papermache. The girl below is paper macheing what will be Cinderella's coach for next Mardi Gras.
For more permament "signature floats" ones that go every year they use fiberglass I believe. They are doing a Beauty and Beast float and already had this semi-beast fiberglass head so they added a mustache and hacked off with a chainsaw (the only way they can cut into the fiberglass) his ears and put on paper mache ears, look closely at the picture. They wanted to make this one look more friendly.
This dragon is a "signature" and goes every year and you can see it snakes back a ways. This actually reminded me of Lladro but on a MUCH larger scale. The tour guide says her friend does gold leafing and only for one of the krewe's thats all he does for a job. I would get bored. In the end Mardi Gras she informed us is not the semi porno t.v. makes it out to be, surprise, surprise. It actually is religious based (sort of) and all of the floats they do are in clean and family friendly parades. The trashy, topless stuff is only on Bourbon street.
I went looking for that shop I was told about to try crawfish and a po-boy but I couldn't find it, I was behind and hot and sticky. So I headed away from New Orleans and Louisiana and into M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I. And I can spell it backwards just as fast. I repeated it over and over as I entered the state.
I made a quick stop for what I thought was a tour of a HUGE warehouse where they supply tons of holiday and party items. They had written their description up quite nicely. It was nothing more than a small, recently expanded store. Not really that interesting. Then onto Alabama.
I decided to drive out to Dauphin Island I had heard about their white sand beaches and this way I could touch the Gulf of Mexico. Totally worth the slight detour.
The beach was BEAUTIFUL and its white sand because its finely crushed shells, it feels amazing on the feet.
The water was perfect too, not freezing like the Pacific Ocean.
And they had these really cute condos for rent. You can't tell as well but they are all different colors and really cute. We should do a family vacation here sometime. It was gorgeous and very relaxing. I wish I could have stayed longer but I had a friend waiting for me.
So I only took one picture Thursday. I got in late Wednesday night to a friend's place in Alabama we talked way late. Then I got up around 10am and got ready and we went to lunch. I finally got on the road around 1am. And got a picture as I crossed into Florida.
I went to Tallahassee and drove around but there wasn't anything I really cared to see, the capitol was cooler in Baton Rouge. And so I got on the road to Orlando. While driving I got a call from Eliza a niece and she wanted to know where I was and if I could come visit soon because she missed me. How sweet. Then I talked to all her siblings and her mom Tennille. I was asked what I do while I'm driving. I wish I had someone to take pictures of what I'm doing while drive. I have a head massager tool and I use that because I get headaches easily. I gps things to see where I'm at, where I want to stop, etc. I listen to the radio and sing-along. I reach for food which is spread out all over the backseat and front passenger seat. I check my itinerary. I do neck, shoulder, and arm stretches. I google sites to see and terms I read and don't know. Like on the way into Florida a sign read "do you know what a gasparilla is?" I did not so I googled it. Its a pirate version of Mardi Gras on a smaller scale. No religious significance at all, I believe somewhere south of Orlando. I daydream. Thats all I can think of. I have not thought about work or home or been lonely for those of you concerned with that. But if you have any other questions, I would be glad to answer them. So go ahead and ask anything. The comments are emailed to my phone so I can read them while I drive. Yes I read emails and texts while I drive. Oh and I talk on the phone when people call me. To finish out Thursday, I had my first mini meltdown. I'm actually surprised and impressed with myself, I thought it would have happened sooner. I got to the motel I was supposed to stay at. They didn't have rooms on the ground floor (I'm not lazy I just brought a ton of stuff so I can look hot everyday and have food, etc.), then I went to the room, it reaked of smoke in a 'non-smoking' room, the beds were SUPER wiry (worse then our old pull out couch bed) and last straw, dead bugs on the bathroom floor, not on the edge where you don't notice them but right in the middle of the floor. I was done, I wanted out NOW. First I got really mad but by the time I had loaded up my stuff and drove back around to the lobby I had gotten that under control so I could be nice and beg her not to charge me. I explained and she was apologetic and supposedly cancelled all charges I will be double checking when I get home. Then on my phone I made a new reservation and went there. On the drive I bawled. I was tired. I got to the new place made sure I didn't look like I'd been crying and went in. The guy was super friendly, recommended a great airboat tour, told me I could swim as late as I wanted as long as people didn't complain about nice and got me my room on the ground floor. Beds were awesome, I recommend Econo lodge, free interenet microwave and fridge in everyroom and the beds have always felt like they are pillowtop mattresses. I took a dip in the pool and watched some tv. Then went to bed around 1am.
Friday I got up at 8:30am and had breakfast then went back to bed till 10am. Then I got up and organized my day. I started at Gatorland. It was awesome. I also recommend Orlando for a family vacation, though it would be a bit pricey but kids would LOVE it, and so would the adults. This was right s you entered, it was totally freaky to me to see so many alligators at once.
They have other animals too, like these gorgeous parrots.
This white aligator, not an albino there is a difference is supposedly really mean and hard to feed.
The best $1 spent thus far, I bought a bird feed stick and was suddenly swarmed, the bigger bird fought off a little bird who had been there first. It was freaky feeling their little claws on my hand and arm but fun.
There were three types of birds all over the place, why? Trying to steal the alligator food. As part of my package I got alligator food (turkey dogs) to throw to them and they told me be extra careful because the birds will try to get them and they did try, unsuccessfully.
They also had a few shows, one being alligator wrestling where I learned a few interesting facts. One Floridians are known as crackers, haha, not because they're white but because of their whips. So Florida, news to me, is big into cattle herding used to be as big as Texas and when it would get dry alligators would get into mud holes and wallow out the mud making a nice water hole. Also a great feeding hole for the alligators and they would eat the calves that would come to drink and ranchers were losing too many cattle. So alligator wrestling began, the guys would have to go in and get out the alligators so then the cows could drink. True story and still done today.
So during the alligator wrestling show the guy was showing how their jaws move only the bottom not the top. Look closely his chin is on the top of the alligator's jaw while the bottom is wide open. FREAKY!
Also freaky! The alligators have very strong closing jaw muscles but have a hard time opening their jaw, any little thing can hold it closed but once open it can crush any huge thing. And I'm just chilling there like I do this every day. It was funny watching little kids do this and their varying responses. After Gatorland I went to Cyprus Lake, about an hour away to do an airboat ride.
It was absolutely gorgeous. I saw a couple Bald Eagles, a vulture, like 8 other types of birds, baby alligators, 8 or so adult alligators and tons of different types of vegetation. Also cows will wade in up to their bellies to eat the grasses and things growing in/on the water. It was super weird to me to so see them in a lake instead of a field.
These parents have two babies with them and the guide said last week there were 5 to 7 babies but the alligators have already gotten some. Below is the airboat I was on. There was a couple, me and the tour guide is all. It was really peaceful and I loved flying over the water AND land. My hair was super knotted after though. It was an hour on the water and it was great, though I did get a little burn.
Finally I got to step into the Atlantic Ocean! The sun was starting to go down and the lighting was incredible.
I love my very own footprints in the sand and catching the shot right before the water washed them away.
I went out to Cocoa Beach, supposedly one of the most famous. It was a cute little place and the beach wasn't as pretty as in Alabama but it was a shorter distance to the water and much easier to walk on, which was much appreciated by my legs.
Every street runs straight to the beach with a little parking lot and then a boardwalk to the water. I liked the angle and the light so I did some posing.
It was a very nice, relaxing, beautiful day. I could consider living in Florida.
Off to Seaworld! I'll let you know how it compares to San Diego.
