For the first part of the day, the road followed along the Gulf coastline.  We crossed some incredible bridges over the bays and inlets.  Several were so long that drivers were cautioned to check their fuel before setting out to cross.  Unlike Mississippi and Alabama, every available space of beachfront was developed into homes, condos or retail.  There were spots with public access to the beach and we did get out for a walk.  The stretch of coastline from Pensacola to Panama City is known as the Emerald Coast, and it is aptly named.  The colour of the water ranges from aquamarine to jade green.

At Apalachicola, the road leaves the coast and heads inland.  We drove through miles of dense forest.  The local information brochure described it as pine flat woods, named for the flat monotonous topography.  It was a very undeveloped area and stores and restaurants in the few, small towns along the way were all closed for Sunday.  We ended up buying a pizza at the Sopchoppy Chevron Station, the only place that was open.  The State Park where we are staying is beautiful.  Our camp spot is on the river shore.  We are surrounded by pine trees and palmettos.  There is a wide variety of wildlife in the area  and we were fortunate to catch a glimpse of a white squirrel, a rare colour variant of the Eastern gray squirrel.  

Trip Mileage:  5619 miles

Today we visited Gulf Shores, a beach resort town just south of our camp spot.  These Alabama beaches are the world's best kept secret. We haven't seen any more beautiful.  The sand is deep, fine and white and the water a beautiful azure blue.  We saw dolphins swimming just off the shore.

We are thoroughly enjoying this corner of Alabama and have decided to stay here until the weekend.  We are going to spend more time at the beach, read our books and explore some of the towns in the area.

This was a day of pleasant surprises.  The first was Mississippi.  We drove along the Gulf coast which is an uninterrupted beach of beautiful white sand from one side of the state to the other.  It was absolutely spectacular. The entire stretch is public beach.  

At the first beach we stopped there was no evidence of damage from the oil spill, however as we got further along we noticed crews out along the beaches collecting something.  We got out and had a look and spoke with them. The high water line was marked by deposits of a black granular substance like coarse black sand, and we found some pieces of what looked like bits of asphalt shingles.  The workers said that although it has improved these still keep washing ashore.  They have noticed dead fish, but birds do not seem to be affected. We saw dolphins off shore and lots of birds.  Later on at our campsite we spoke with a man who said the next step in the clean up process is to dredge up the sand to see if there are any oil deposits below the surface.

Mississippi isn't very wide where it borders the Gulf,  so it didn't take us too long to cross into Alabama.  Again, we were surprised at how beautiful the coastline is.  We drove the scenic route along the Alabama shoreline and passed through some picturesque and peaceful little towns.  

Our camp spot is on the edge of a nine-hole golf course and surrounded by giant oak trees. After our time in the cities, we noticed the quiet.  Now that it is dark, the crickets are chirping but it is still peaceful.  We are content to stay put for a few days as this is one of the nicest spots we have camped so far.  We will make forays out to explore the area.

Trip Mileage:  5346 miles

The beautiful weather continues in New Orleans.  Last night we listened to a number of groups on Bourbon Street, including the Zydeco Hell-raisers at Krazy Korner.  Absolutely awesome high energy group playing Louisiana cajun rock-blues (ie zydeco) with lead, bass, accordion, washboard, and drums,

This morning we were out for another walking tour of the French Quarter, including breakfast at Patisserie D'Or.  A quiet afternoon - this evening we plan to do another music tour ...

Tomorrow we proceed east to the Alabama gulf coast.

There is a wonderful spirit of "joie de vivre" in New Orleans; at least in the areas that we have visited.  Last night we joined the crowds on Bourbon Street to sample some cajun cooking and listen to the wide variety of live music that is offered at every turn.  We listened to Steamboat Willie;  a trio with bass, trumpet (and vocals) and banjo who played old tunes from the twenties with a jazz twist. All three were excellent musicians, but the banjo player was phenomenal.  Further down the street there was a rock group playing, then a rhythm and blues group and so on.    It was a very festive atmosphere.

This morning we did a walking tour of the French Quarter.  The streets are narrow and the architecture is 18th century Spanish colonial.  It feels like France.  Among the many interesting historic sites were:  The Old Ursuline Convent, which is the oldest structure in the Mississippi River Valley and the only remaining French building in the Quarter.  The French Market was originally a native trading post.  It is the oldest public market in the US.  We walked past the Faulkner House, where William Faulkner resided and the house where Tennessee Williams lived in 1946 - 1947 while he wrote A Streetcar Named Desire.  We discovered a wonderful patisserie and treated ourselves to a cafe au lait and croissants for breakfast.  

This afternoon we took the Canal Street Ferry across the river to Algiers, which is a very attractive and peaceful community.  The ferry is free for pedestrians, and fast. It only takes about five minutes to cross the river.

We drove through some beautiful and varied country today.  We headed south from Lake Charles along the Creole Nature Trail, which runs through a series of natural wildlife reserves along the gulf coastline. They included fresh and saltwater marshes, wooded islands, canals and lakes. At one point the road ran along a narrow dike in the middle of extensive marshlands.  It was a bird watcher's paradise. There are 312 species.  We saw mostly wading birds; herons and egrets.  We saw some rice fields, but the major crop in this area is sugar cane which is just being harvested.

Most of the time we were at sea level or below.  The houses along the southern coast were all built up on "stilts" about 8' - 12' above the ground.  One house had a sign: "Cajun High Rise".  

The Intra-coastal byway runs along the Gulf Coast.  It is a 3 000 mile waterway that extends from the Manasquan River, in New Jersey, to Brownsville, Texas.  Most of what we saw today was man made canals that provide access to the Gulf.  The waterway is used by recreational boaters, but at some points there were ports that were bustling with commercial activity.  The road crossed over the waterway several times by way of some very impressive bridges.

We arrived in New Orleans this afternoon.  Our hotel is right in the heart of the downtown area.  We are on the 41st floor and our room looks out onto the Mississippi River which is two blocks away.  We can watch the barges and other vessels as they go past.

Trip Mileage:  5159 Miles

We travelled a fair distance today and arrived in Lake Charles this afternoon.  The downtown borders on the beautiful Lake Charles.  There are some stately southern homes along the lakeshore.  Bob's Uncle Ken and Aunt Vivian lived in Lake Charles for years, so it holds some personal significance for us. This is Cajun country and we
are looking forward to sampling some of the local fare.  

For the moment, we are riveted to the T.V., watching the rescue of the Chilean miners.  

Trip Mileage:  4876 miles 

This morning we visited the University of Texas campus.  It is a beautiful.  We were impressed with the football stadium. For Canadians,  it is amazing to see such a large and impressive facility for a university team.  Football is an important sport in Texas.  We also visited the UT clocktower, which was the scene of the Texas sniper shootings in August, 1966.

We went back to 6th street this evening to take in some of the live music offerings in the many pubs.  The music spills out onto the street in a jumble of sound.  Fun.

We spent Monday exploring downtown Austin, particularly Sixth Street and the Capital area.  Sixth Street is the historic Austin main street, now a focus area for live music and unique pubs and bars.  Shops sell stickers saying "Keep Austin Weird".  

The Texas State Capital building is the largest state capital in the United States.  We were amazed at the freedom visitors are allowed to roam and explore the building as they wish.  The rotunda of the building is currently being repaired, as can be seen in the photograph above.  

We crossed the Colorado River by the Congress Avenue Bridge and walked along the Lady Bird Trail to see the Stevie Ray Vaughn tribute.  

In the afternoon we met Tony and Christine Aldrich and Tony's sister Rebecca for a few beers at the Ginger Man (known to locals as the G-Man).  It was great seeing the Aldrichs, who were in recuperation mode after a weekend spent at Austin City Limits, the annual music festival which attracted over 75,000 visitors this year.

Travel day today from San Antonio to Austin.  We'll spend three days in Austin, sampling some of the famous Austin BBQ and live music.  Today was the final day of the Austin City Limits festival.  The grand finale is tonight, with the Eagles performing.

Total mileage:  4539 miles