February, 2011
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We decided to make
our visit the weekend
before Mardi Gras instead of Mardi Gras weekend itself. The parades on
the earlier weekend are second or third tier, but you don't have to
deal with
the crowds and the parking problems; it's a pleasanter experience all
around so long as you have a local guide to take care of you and the
weather is good. Our hosts and guides were John's cousin, Dick Juge,
and his wife, Nancy, and with a late Easter this year the weather was
pleasant.
Since we have both come to hate airlines, and because I had a new car (a 2011 Infiniti M37), we decided to make a relaxing drive out of it and take our time.
Back in the 1950s John used to drive up and down US 11 between home in New Orleans and school in Massachusetts. In the Shenandoah Valley, US 11 passes right over the Natural Bridge of Virginia. I always wanted to stop and view it, but I was always in a hurry so never took the time. More recently, there are signs on I-81 for the Natural Bridge, and every time I saw them I thought "I want to visit that some day." On this trip I finally did it.
After overnighting in eastern Tennessee we went west to Nashville and started down the Natchez Trace Parkway.
Since we have both come to hate airlines, and because I had a new car (a 2011 Infiniti M37), we decided to make a relaxing drive out of it and take our time.
Back in the 1950s John used to drive up and down US 11 between home in New Orleans and school in Massachusetts. In the Shenandoah Valley, US 11 passes right over the Natural Bridge of Virginia. I always wanted to stop and view it, but I was always in a hurry so never took the time. More recently, there are signs on I-81 for the Natural Bridge, and every time I saw them I thought "I want to visit that some day." On this trip I finally did it.
After overnighting in eastern Tennessee we went west to Nashville and started down the Natchez Trace Parkway.
We left the
Parkway at Tupelo and went west
to spend the night at Oxford, Mississippi. After driving past
Faulkner's house we went on down to Vicksburg. We stayed the night in a
B&B and toured the National Military Park the next morning.
At Natchez we
spent another night in a B&B and toured several southern
mansions.
Finally arrived at
New Orleans, we visited
with relatives and saw a couple of Mardi Gras parades with them.
Following is a two-minute Quicktime video of a couple of parades.
After leaving new Orleans we drove through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, passing through Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg (looked like nothing but a lot of tourist traps to us), toured "Old Salem" in Winston-Salem, and visited Durham the evening before Nina's 16th birthday. Then home.
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After leaving new Orleans we drove through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, passing through Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg (looked like nothing but a lot of tourist traps to us), toured "Old Salem" in Winston-Salem, and visited Durham the evening before Nina's 16th birthday. Then home.