Heading West

Time for my annual hiking/camping trip. Going to Colorado this time. 2 weeks. Can't wait.

No posts about the BP oil disaster. Just too overwhelming. Just plug the damn thing up and clean our coast and gulf up.

Keep eating Louisiana seafood please, there are still some not impacted fishing zones as of now. Keep the fishermen who can work in business.

If you want to donate money, here are a few good organizations:

These help the ecosystem:

Gulf Restoration Network: http://www.healthygulf.org/

Tri-state Bird Rescue: http://www.tristatebird.org/

Voice of the Wetlands: http://www.voiceofthewetlands.org/

These help the people impacted on the Louisiana coast:

Gulf Aid: http://www.gulfaid.org/

Second Harvest: http://no-hunger.org/

Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans: http://www.arch-no.org/

The Greater New Orleans Foundation: http://www.gnof.org/

2009 Lafitte Corridor Hike

I posted my photos from the hike to my Flickr account. There's supposed to be a way in embed a slide show on your blog and even in a post, but I haven't found any clear instruction on how-to and don't have the patience right now to figure it out. So if you want to see then here's the link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27509547@N08/

If you want to see even more photos, there's a Lafitte Corridor group on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/lafitte-corridor/

This year's hike number exceed everyone's expectations. There were guest speakers and more stops. Massey's provided lunch and amazingly I think there was just enough for everyone. Massey's also paid for a bus to shuttle everyone back to the start but we exceeded the number of seats. A small group headed over to the Bulldog at the end of the hike to cool off and enjoy some libations.

My company designed a new logo for the Friend of Lafitte Corridor, and has been very well received. Their newly redesigned website looks great. Check it out here and learn more about the Corridor and the project: http://folc-nola.org/

Quick car update: I got my car back, after a few sweaty days of riding the streetcar to work. Got a new ECM relay, battery terminals and a fuse. Everything seems to be working now *fingers crossed.*

When I worked downtown I used to ride the streetcar every day. Some people think it's just a tourist thing but it's not. I must say I'm impressed by their punctuality. I checked the times on the RTA web site and they were right on. The first day I just missed it. I was drenched in sweat by the time I got to the office. After the first day I got smart and took a change of clothes with me. Yesterday I had one of those drivers with the fun personalities. The machine didn't want to take my dollar and he was cracking jokes the whole time. "Did you print that dollar last night?" Most of them are pretty nice. I remember the one man (pre-K) who would talk to the cars. "Whooo, hold that buggy!" he'd say when a car looked like it was going to cross in front.

Last weekend we did the Lafitte Corrodor Hike (I need to post photos!) and we rode the Canal Street line back to our car downtown. A great way to ride.

One week until I leave for my road trip!

I’m bummed I’m going to miss Rising Tide III but I will go to the meet n greet at Buffa’s Friday night.

We have our route roughed out, but it isn’t hard and fast and no real time line, except we must be in Albuquerque by Sept 2. I’ve got my AAA Camp Books so we can find camp grounds and my AAA maps for GA, NC, TN, AK, OK and TX.

August 23 Dorie and I will meet in the Atlanta airport and fly into Augusta and spend the night with her sister and bro-in-law. Sunday we will drive up to visit her parents who are at their cabin in the Smokey Mountains. Because of this detour we won’t be going through Chattanooga, but heading to Nashville. From Nashville, we’ll hop onto the Natchez Trace and take that down to Tupelo and then over to Memphis. After Memphis it’s I-40 all the way, with detours of course. Hot Springs, AK is one, for a hike and a soak. We’re thinking we’ll just drive straight through Oklahoma unless someone can come up with something else besides the Cowboy Museum. The Amarillo area will be our destination, home of the Cadillac Ranch and the “Grand Canyon of Texas.” After that’s it’s the home stretch to Albuquerque. If time permits and we still want more hiking we’ll go to 3 Rivers Petroglyph Site south of Albqu. September 3 I fly back to NOLA, refreshed and relaxed (I hope). Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

Sometime earlier this week, Wall Arch at Arches National Park in Utah fell. An arch is a natural formation made by wind and Arches NP was full of them, hence the name. Some parks may have one or two arches, but Arches had them all over. It was like being in a Road Runner cartoon. The dessert really looked like the cartoons, which was a bit of a surprise for me, having grown up in Florida. I visited Arches in the summer of 2000. It was to be the first of future annual hiking trips with my friend D. We were a little over ambitious, this being our first trip and all, though we still had a blast.

I flew into Las Vegas and D and I packed up Big Red, her pick-up, and drove the 452 miles to Moab, UT. I don’t think we realized how long the drive was. I remember it being very late, like 11 pm when we rolled into town. It was too late to find a campground, but we did find a hotel, that looked like log cabin, to crash for the night. The next morning we drove the short trip to Arches. It’s a huge, sprawling park and you can see quite a bit from the comfort of your car. But not us, we wanted to hike! We picked the “Devils Garden” trail where we saw Wall Arch along with Navajo, Partition, Landscape, Double O and Private Arches. Devils Garden was a 7.2 mi hike and it was blistering hot so the name was appropriate. There were cool narrow ledges and fins to walk on and of course, lots of arches. The next day we took a rafting trip on the Colorado. It was perfect after a long hot day of hiking. We spent more time out side the raft, drifting along the gentle current (much calmer than down by the Grand Canyon). It was hot and because we had to wear life jackets, all you had to do was bob along. There were a few rapids, which made for some excitement. Next day we were back at Arches, visiting Delicate Arch. Not for the faint of heart or those afraid of heights. Our next destination was Horseshoe Canyon where the promise of spectacular petroglyphs awaited us. It’s in the next park over, Canyonlands NP, but in a remote part not accessible from the main park. It was a bit of drive, off the highway and across unmarked, unpaved washboard “roads.” We met with our first primitive campsite. There was a vault toilet and nothing else. Our previous two nights of camping was at a cozy private campground with a store, pool, showers, etc. so this was quite a change. We were the only people there in the middle of nowhere. Things were fantastic until after sunset. Then we got a little freaked. We didn’t sleep much so we were up bright and early for the hike. A ranger was supposed to be leading a hike that day but we got started before they arrived and only saw two other people the whole day. The next day we spent driving to Bryce National Park where we spent a day or two. (See what I mean about being over ambitious? We now spend each trip at one park.)

Road Trip!



One month from now I will be on the road with my friend D somewhere between Augusta, GA and Albuquerque, NM. D is buying a car from a family member in Augusta and she lives in Albuquerque (a.k.a. "Duke City" - betcha didn't know that?). I love me a road trip, it's been a while since I've taken one (jaunts to Houston do not count). D is my hiking/camping buddy so we are going to stop along the way to hike as well as see the sights. I turn to you, oh glorious readers, to solicit suggestions of places to go/hike/camp and stuff to see/do/eat/drink. We have the option of going through either Birmingham Al or Nashville, TN on the first leg. We then go through Memphis. D's never been to Graceland so that's a must-see. G and I went many years ago. I see now that there is a "Heartbreak Hotel" near by you can stay that looks pretty tacky (as it should. Any rug on the walls?). After Memphis, it's all I-40 through Little Rock and Oklahoma City. We are all for interesting detours. I think I'd like to hit Hot Springs AK. Oklahoma I know nothing about...

So come on people. Tell me what you know. Thanks!

UPDATE: Talked to D... we decided to take the northern route. After getting through Atlanta, we'll head up to Chattanooga and Nashville. Then we'll detour and take the Natchez Trace (we explored the southern end back in January) to Tupelo then head towards Memphis.

Lafitte Corridor - Blazing (hot) Trail


G and walked the Lafitte Corridor today. It was a lovely though hot day and there was a good turn out. We almost missed it; we were pulling up to Armstrong Park, the meeting place, at 10:01 and the group had already taken off! We drove up to the front of the group and found a parking spot and joined in. A couple of other bloggers were there: Dangerblond, Tugboat Captain, Celcus and Michael Homan. And of course Editor B was leading the show. He runs a tight ship and has a quick stride. I almost got left behind a few times because I stopped to take pictures. I finally set up a Flickr account and you can see more photos there. link


We passed the abandoned Winn-Dixie that prompted a discussion about the lack of grocery stores in this area of town. Past the Lafitte housing complex – half still standing, half gone. Inside some of the units there were still people’s possessions inside. There was that terrible post-federal flood stench of moldy, rotting stuff. We passed the traffic light graveyard, warehouses, the shuttered Mercy hospital, Bayou St. John. Stopped at the new Massey’s on S. Carrollton for blessed AC and free lunch!



After lunch, we pushed on along the still existing rails passing Delgado, Holt Cemetery (in bad need of a mow) and ending up at Canal Blvd. We made quick time and had 30 minutes to kill before the arrival of the bus Massey’s got to take us back to our cars. Some of us wandered over to the Bulldog for a pint. The last time I was there was after Ashley’s funeral.

The walk was gritty and urban, and not very pretty. It would be fantastic for it to be redeveloped as a greenway with a path and be a link from the Quarter to Mid-City. The hope is for next year’s walk, part of it will be a trail. The Friends of Lafitte Corridor’s web site says they need to only raise $3,422 more. The state will match every dollar with $4! If you support this effort, go and donate to help make this happen. And if you live in City Council Districts A, B or C, let your representative know you support it.

Brrrrr, it's cold! You know it's cold when you find the kitties snuggled up. G and I have been pinned by cats the last few nights when we are sleeping. It's going to be cold all this week and my friend Dorie is coming for a visit and we were planning on going hiking and camping. I decided on the Natchez Trace area. The town of Natchez is cute, and there's hiking all around. But camping? With freezing temps? Hmmm... we may end up in a BnB or cabin at a camp ground. I looked into camping at Homochitto National Forest but some where I read that booze is not allowed in the state park. Camping in the freezing cold with no booze?? I've had friends tell stories of canoeing in Mississippi and having to pour out beer when confronted with the law. Being discrete is key.

This thought let me to Google "dry counties" and Wikipedia came up with this map:

Three states, Kansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee, are entirely dry by default: counties specifically must authorize the sale of alcohol in order for it to be legal and subject to state liquor control laws.

Reading over this, "dry" means no sale of alcohol. Is consuming or possessing it illegal? How would you know? I question the validity of having to pour out beer - is that because my friends were "operating a vehicle" (a canoe). Or were the cops just being jerks? (Imagine that) I'll take my chances. I'm going to take beer, wine and whiskey, so there! Maybe I'll buy a 6 pack of bud to be the decoy.

Happy New Year everyone!!!

Tuesday I leave for my annual hiking/camping trip, with my new camera in tow. I'll be flying into Albuquerque Tuesday evening. Wednesday we'll pack up and head north to southern Colorado, to the Mesa Verde, Durango area. We get to go for a whole week this year because Dorie quit her job to go back to school to be an X-ray technician. Being a librarian just wasn't challenging enough for her anymore. Today's her last day as a librarian! Hurrah!

For your entertainment, I suggest you surf over to the New Orleans Levee web site "FREE Satire in the city" "We don't hold anything back." It's pretty darn funny.