RV Travel :: Along the Way with J & J

Archive for RV Travel – Page 8

Sept. 14 – NOLA

By jayjazz · Comments (3)

Tuesday, September 15th, 2015

Ahh, New Orleans! Home of Mardi Gras, the birthplace of Jazz (not me, the music!). The Big Easy has been on my bucket list for many years, second only to Las Vegas, which we have seen several times now. I remember watching a Mardi Gras celebrations on TV when I was a kid and being fascinated by the costumes and the music…and the BEADS!

We had a few options for accommodations and we chose Pontchartrain Landing RV Park and Marina, mainly because of their shuttle service to the French Quarter. At first glance, the area around Pontchartrain Landing looks a bit sketchy. However, don’t let what you see fool you. Pontchartrain Landing is a hidden gem! The campground is situated on the corner of the Intercoastal Navigational Canal and Lake Pontchartrain and is very well cared for. We were a bit worried about leaving Lady T unattended for too long but the campground is gated and there was a New Orleans police cruiser patrolling the grounds. The worst part about the place is the road leading up to it, which is fairly rough for a motorhome.

We selected a waterfront site that overlooked the marina and got situated quickly so we could catch the last shuttle for the day. The shuttle fee was a modest $6 round trip and our driver, Bryan, was a wealth of information. Bryan is from Connecticut so we talked about home for a bit and before we knew it, we were standing on Toulouse Street!

The French Quarter is comprised of many narrow, intersecting streets. There is so much to do but I knew that there was only one place to start. We began walking backwards from where we were dropped off and I could already feel a certain energy in the air. The kind of sensation you might get if you are about to act on a dare. And then, there is was: Bourbon Street!

There were smiling people in all directions. Live horns and pianos vied for your attention (and tips). Every other business was a bar, most of which beckoned you to indulge in some strange concoction from a tall plastic container that, in most other placed, would not be drunk on a Monday night. And of course, there were beads…lots and lots of beads! In short, it was exactly how I imagined it would be.

Jay stopped to take a few pictures while I soaked in the sights and then we walked up and down Bourbon Street. There were plenty of souvenirs for us to spend our money on and we cautiously peeked into a few voodoo shops. After a little shopping, we stopped at a bar called Tropical Isle and picked up a couple of the aforementioned concoctions called a Hand Grenade.

One thing I always planned on doing if I ever made it to New Orleans was to gorge myself on Cajun and Creole delicacies. Of course, that was before I became a vegan so instead, we had a late lunch at the Hard Rock Café…our second Hard Rock in 24 hours! After a quick bite, we continued to walk around and just enjoy the mix of people and music. We stopped for a while to watch a couple of street dancers and I got my picture taken with a Minion!

Bourbon Street was even more interesting after dark. All of the store fronts lit up and there was someone on every corner trying to shine your shoes or get you to follow them somewhere for a drink. I have to admit that I was a little nervous about walking around on Bourbon Street but once we were there, we felt there was nothing to fear. There were a few police officers passively watching the festivities and everyone seemed to be having fun.

Sadly, I knew the night must come to an end so we began our walk back to Toulouse Street to wait for Bryan. On the way back to the campground, I went over the day in my mind and smiled to myself. New Orleans is not the prettiest city, nor is it the cleanest. Honestly, I’ve seen worse neighborhoods in Massachusetts which are a lot less interesting,

New Orleans has definitely been our favorite stop on the trip so far. Tomorrow, we hope to find parking somewhere and explore more of the French Quarter. Until then, “Laissez les bons temps rouler!”

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Categories : #RoadTrip2015

Tags : Louisiana, New Orleans, Road Trip, RV Travel

Sept. 12 – Pensacola Paradise

By jayjazz · Comments (0)

Monday, September 14th, 2015

When we travel, there is always a hope that we’ll discover something unique to bring home with us. Not just a souvenir or photograph, but an experience and leaves an impression on the soul.

I didn’t expect Pensacola Beach to be much different from the other famous beaches we’ve visited in the last week but as soon as we crossed the Bob Sikes Bridge, I could feel that it was. The way the water glistened in the late afternoon sun. The salty smell wafting in from all directions. That special something was here, living and breathing in the sugar white sands of the Gulf.

We originally planned on staying at the campground at Fort Pickens, which is located at the end of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, but we weren’t sure how we would get around. Jay called a few car rental places while we cruised the strip but nothing was open unless we could get to the airport. That was when we saw it: Pensacola Beach RV Resort. This place was literally in the middle of everything and was situated right on the water! We decided right then to stay here instead of Fort Pickens.

Everyone we dealt with at the resort was super nice. While checking in, we discovered one of the gals at the front desk is from Bangor, Maine. Of course, I had to mention Stephen King and it just so happens she is the second cousin to Tabitha, Mr King’s wife…wicked cool! The reception area is decorated with retro decor and everything was neat and clean.

We were assigned a site in the middle of the campground and we couldn’t have been more than 500 feet from the water. Already, we were thinking about staying a second night but we still didn’t have a way to get around. After about an hour of calling more car rental places, we opted to stay local and rent a couple of beach cruisers from a place next door to the RV park called Funny Cars. We cruised the strip for a couple of hours, did some shopping, and had a frozen drink at Bamboo Willies on the boardwalk.

As the sun began to set, we returned to the campground and walked down to the beach front, where we stayed to marvel at the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen in person. After dark, we walked across the street to a small path that led directly to the Gulf of Mexico and collected seashells in the dark.
This small beach, one of many thousands of beaches in the world, was here just for us this night. It was wonderful!

We sat out in front of Lady T for a bit after returning to the park and then drifted off to sleep with the sound of the water gently lapping the shore. I wish I could tell you where we’ll be tomorrow but tomorrow is just too far away. Goodnight Pensacola!

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Categories : #RoadTrip2015

Tags : Florida, Road Trip, RV Travel, Sunset

Sept 10 – Kennesaw Mountain & Cheaha State Park

By jayjazz · Comments (0)

Friday, September 11th, 2015

Since bringing Lady T home two years ago, we have been daydreaming about taking an extended cross country trip to visit the big national parks. We didn’t really have a plan for our current trip but after picking up our national parks passports in North Carolina, we’ve decided to visit as many national parks and monuments as possible.

Today, we added another cancellation to our collection when we visited Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park in Marietta, Georgia. The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain was part of the Atlanta Campaign in the Civil War and roughly 4000 Americans lost their lives. We watched a short movie about the history of the mountain at the visitors center and then hiked a mile or so to the top.

During lunch, I searched online for a scenic area to camp and found Cheaha State Park in Delta, AL. I probably should have paid more attention to the location because Cheaha is situated on the highest point in Alabama, at 2,407 feet! Rolling up and down the steep inclines reminded us of trying to make it through the Sierra Nevada last year at 25 miles an hour. And Wyoming. And Colorado. Oh, and Kansas.

Anyway, Lady T is in the best shape ever and she made it up to the top with no problems! After checking in, we actually had to drive a few miles back down to the lower campground. The camping area wasn’t very accommodating and we decided to move to another spot because Lady T wasn’t going to fit in the site that was assigned to us. There was no one else around except the camp host and since there was no internet signal, we spent a quiet evening relaxing.

Tomorrow, we’re going to attempt to bring Lady T to the top Cheaha Mountain…stay tuned!

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Categories : #RoadTrip2015

Tags : Alabama, Georgia, National Park, Road Trip, RV Travel

Sept. 8 – Georgia on Our Minds

By jayjazz · Comments (0)

Thursday, September 10th, 2015

I’d like to begin this post by complaining about the Georgia heat but it’s currently hotter in Lowell!

We are 0 for 4 with finding a Pilot/Flying J rest area so we stayed at another Walmart last night. It was still hot and humid when we went to bed and without a fan, sleeping was very uncomfortable. This morning, we were on the road early to visit the picturesque Savannah, Georgia. Route 17 turned into Charleston Highway, which both alternate between two and four lanes, and the drive was very serene,

The Carolina Cider Company in Yemassee, SC was featured in the cookbook “Off the Eaten Path” by Morgan Murphy and sells one of the best pecan pies in the Southeast. Unfortunately, I couldn’t have any pie but we stopped and picked up several other goodies in this wonderful country store. Peach cider, glazed pecans, boiled Cajun peanuts…this is southern eating! Jay also bought me a sweetgrass basket. Sweetgrass baskets, which are a big part of Charleston culture, originate from West Africa and are mostly made along Route 17.

After leaving the store, we continued toward Savannah, eating our boiled peanuts and listening to the oldies. We arrived at the Savannah Welcome Center around 2 PM and parked at the Georgia State Railroad Museum. Inside the visitors center, a very helpful woman gave us a 10-minute overview of the city and also advised us to move Lady T into their parking lot. The lot is free for the first hour and a dollar an hour after that. We moved the rig and then set off in the blaring heat to visit The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist,

This Gothic style church serves thousands of Catholics in the Savannah area and portrays scenes from the Bible with stunning murals and stained glass. You can’t help but be moved by the images, regardless of your beliefs. I sat at the front for a short oral history of the cathedral while Jay took pictures.

According to the visitors center, Jones Street in Savannah is one of the prettiest streets in America, After the cathedral, we decided to check it out, passing through several of the city’s famous squares. Jones Street is indeed one of the prettiest streets I’ve ever seen, However, we’re not experts so you’ll have to check it out someday for yourself! Our last stop was Forsythe Park, which has a huge fountain and is also home to the Candler Oak, the oldest live oak in Savannah.

Despite the heat and intermittent rain showers, we had a nice time. As early evening set in, we bid farewell to Savannah and pointed Lady T toward Tybee Island.

Tybee Island is the easternmost point in Georgia and home to Fort Pulaski and the Tybee Island Lighthouse. Unfortunately, we arrived a little too late to tour the fort so we moved on to the lighthouse and were able to get close enough to for several good pictures. Afterward, we walked down to the beach and watched the sunset from a swinging bench built in the sand.

Leaving Tybee Island, we set the GPS for a Pilot/Flying J in Dublin, GA but when we arrived there about three hours later, we found that it was just a Diddy mirage. That made us 0 for 5 and out of gas. Luckily, we found a gas station, got some ice, and pulled into another Walmart just as the air conditioner overheated. Stay tuned tomorrow to find out if we’ll be spending the day on the road or at a mechanic!

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Categories : #RoadTrip2015

Tags : Georgia, Road Trip, RV Travel

Sept. 5 – The Outer Banks

By jayjazz · Comments (2)

Monday, September 7th, 2015

We spent the entire day today exploring the Outer Banks area in North Carolina. Consisting of 200 miles of shoreline, The Outer Banks begin in Virginia Beach and extend down most of the North Carolina coast.

After traversing a few very long bridges, we arrived at the Outer Banks Visitor Bureau in Manteo, NC around 1 PM. We took advantage of the free dump station, picked up a few brochures, then headed towards Cape Hatteras.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore was designated the first national seashore in the United States in 1937. The original Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was built in 1803. A second lighthouse was completed in 1868 after the original deteriorated beyond repair. One of the largest brick lighthouses in the world, it is truly an awesome sight! After taking several pictures, we visited the lighthouse gift shop where we each purchased a National Parks Passport and received our first cancellation!

We also visited the smaller Bodie Island Lighthouse, the second of three lighthouses in the area that were built to guide ships safely ashore after so many sailors lost their lives in the “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” Our last stop was in Nags Head, a small beach town and tourist mecca. As the sun set over Jeannette’s Pier, we ate our dinner and enjoyed the cool ocean air.
Check out the pics of the day and stay tuned tomorrow as we head to Myrtle Beach, SC and attempt to find a campground that will have an open spot for one night on Labor Day weekend!