Houston, TX train station

The Houston, Texas train station is perhaps the poster child of a laughably undersized station serving a major US city. It's not much larger than a 7-11 store and has similar architecture, but at least a 7-11 store sells newspapers!! Seriously, I could deal with the rest of it if they simply sold a  newspaper. When you're on the train for three days it's nice to catch up on the news. Houston is a major stop where the train sits for about an hour and most passengers step out and stretch their legs. But unlike Tucson AZ - another major stop - there is no food or newspaper to be had. I even tried walking in the 100 degree heat, and even after a policeman told me where I might find a newspaper, none materialized. So, until Houston's Amtrak stop gets a newsstand or newspaper machine, it's tempting to call it a shame station rather than a train station.

Beaumont, TX

Beaumont, TX - the way it looked from the train.

Sunset Limited revisited

I'm not sure which Amtrak route I have taken the most, but it may well be the Sunset Limited between New Orleans and Los Angeles.

bulletproof coffee

I had for some time been hearing about "bulletproof coffee". At HiVolt in New Orleans they had it under the name "shockproof coffee". It met my best expectations: coffee that tasted like half a stick of butter was melted into it, which I believe was, along with MCT (medium chain triglyceride) oil. Buttery is a desirable goal for coffee, since that is how I have described Kona and Blue Mountain - generally considered the smoothest varieties available.

HiVolt Coffee

HiVolt Coffee in New Orleans. Add this to the list of seriously pleasing coffee houses. I give it high marks in three areas: food, drinks, and interesting design.

Orange Beach part 2

From the condo, a view to remember...

Orange Beach, AL

After driving through Gulf Shores, AL we stayed at Orange Beach just to the east; east of that is the Florida border. Actually at one time all of these coastal areas as far west as Louisiana were part of the Florida panhandle. In any case we had a nice time swimming, visiting family and looking out for pirate ships.

Mobile Bay ferry

Not long after the trip to Ship Island we ventured out to the "Redneck Riviera" region of coastal Alabama. This time we took the ferry from Dauphin Island to Fort Morgan, AL. It was a beautiful ride - glassy water all around us and structures relating to oil drilling; also a barge carrying barges (below), not something you see every day. Indeed 2016 was a year of ferryboats, you might call it the Year of the Ferryboat. 

Ship Island

The beauty of Ship Island is its simplicity. There is really nothing there except for a beautiful sandy beach and Fort Massachusetts. So you go there, swim for a few hours in the warm surf and hope not to get too bad a sunburn. Fort Massachusetts was built in the mid-19th century to protect New Orleans and was later fought over during the Civil War, switching hands several times until the Union prevailed and used it to launch the successful capture of New Orleans in 1862.

Capt. Pete

It was a pleasure to take the Capt. Pete ferryboat from Gulfport, MS to West Ship Island, a barrier island about eleven miles south of the mainland and part of Gulf Islands National Seashore. I had wanted to go there for a long time. Below, Gulfport Harbor and looking back at the mainland. Also in the harbor was an unusual ship for laying oil pipeline that I wish I had gotten a picture of.

Bob Dylan's paintings

Inside the New Orleans Museum of Art they were exhibiting the paintings of singer Bob Dylan, who is now also a Nobel Prize winner.  This exhibition, held months before he was awarded the prize, was apropos since Dylan has a strong connection to New Orleans. I love seeing the paintings of famous musicians and actors and can imagine a museum dedicated exclusively to such work.

City Park train ride

It was a long time coming but we finally rode the little choo-choo train in New Orleans' City Park. Above, the New Orleans Museum of Art.

frogs of Louisiana

Louisiana: where the frogs bark and like to hang out in garbage bins.

Tammany Trace

There was the day I bicycled from Mandeville to Lacombe and back on the Tammany Trace, the  beautiful bike trail connecting the cities in St.Tammany Parish. Since Lacombe is about eight miles from Mandeville, I suppose it's possible I covered sixteen miles. 

devil's horse

I always encounter interesting insects in Louisiana. This fellow was seen on the sidewalk in Madisonville. To locals I'm told it's called a "devil's horse" - not sure of the scientific name.

Dew Drop

My first experience of the Dew Drop Jazz & Social Hall in Mandeville, LA was a good one. The hall was built in 1895 by the local African American community and has since hosted many big names in jazz, blues and related genres. We saw blues master Kenny Neal give a powerfully spirited performance (below). The small-scale, open air-venue combined with the music had a very authentic feel. During the intermission the neighboring First Free Mission Baptist Church provided a catfish dinner that fit right in with the evening.

Sacred Grinds

A coffee house at a cemetery? Yes, and it's called Sacred Grinds. This may be an "only in New Orleans" thing - you sit an sip your drink while looking out at the tombs and the tourists touring the tombs - who I guess can see you sipping your drink. Seemingly unique... Is there another such coffee house anywhere in the world?

Pagoda Cafe

The Pagoda Cafe is one of those great New Orleans food and coffee venues, tucked away on the tree-lined back streets. Colorful outdoor seating and interesting food and drinks, along with the subtle "pagoda" design, made it worth seeking out. 

Lakeview Airbnb

Our lodging in Lakeview was AirBnB at its best. Our hosts had put a lot of creativity and hard work into converting a detached building into a gem of of cozy hideaway. The design was so perfect down to the detail that the whole space seemed to exist in a dream.

black-crowned night heron

Also along the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain I had my first proper encounter with a black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax).

Lakeview

Sometimes you explore New Orleans' Lakeview district for the first time, and for a change you experience the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain. Not a lot of people there but interestingly there was a small group of swimmers!

City Putt

Given that we are miniature golf enthusiasts, it should not surprise anyone that we tried out the new City Putt miniature golf course in New Orleans's City Park. It was an experience I will never forget - not only because of the whimsical New Orleans-themed designs, and not only because I won the game 57 to 65, but because I took a spill on the Tchoupitoulas hole that ripped the knee of my pants.

A jarringly spectacular sunset...

...over Lake Pontchatrain, the way it looked in Mandeville, LA a day in early May. Below, the way it looked before the sunset.

a festival of forsythia

Meanwhile, in New York: a springtime bloom of Forsythia, a genus in the olive family, named for Scottish botanist William Forsyth.

Motel DuBeau

It was meaningful to stay at the Motel DuBeau in downtown Flagstaff as that is where I stayed prior to working at the Grand Canyon many years ago. This time we stayed in one of the nice private rooms and I must say it was a fantastic value and perfect location. The old Route 66 motel-turned-youth hostel has been greatly improved since my first visit, but still has lots of character. In the distance, the snow-capped San Francisco Peaks.