Fireworks Over the Mississippi

This is the way we concluded our Independence Day, 18 floors above New Orleans, gazing out of our many windows at the dueling barges putting on a spectacular fireworks show from the river below.

We had started the day with breakfast at a classic diner, followed by our not quite 4 hour swamp and bayou tour.  While it was certainly fun, it was not the journey into the bayou I was expecting.  I had images of Mickey Rourke and Angel Heart, and I got Captain Joe and a baby gator with his mouth taped shut.  Still, it was an interesting glimpse into another part of New Orleans and Louisiana.  Our captain was grandson to two Cajun grandmothers, both of whom lived in a cabin in the bayou much like the one (now nothing but a prop) we saw on our trip through a combination of natural and man made canals (dredged by the government in order to search for oil in these waters).  Captain Joe's stories were entertaining, the scenery pleasant, and the music festive, so this was a fun way to spend part of July 4th, even if, as Dana pointed out more than once, we have "better" swamps in our own backyard that we've yet to visit.  Coming soon... a blog post from the Everglades! ;)

After the tour, a visit to Cafe du Monde for one last beignet for the kids and me (and a first one for Dana), music in Jackson Square and a final walk through the Quarter.  We decided to dine in one of the newer restaurants of famed chef John Besh (who now is up to six restaurants in New Orleans, and his first one outside of this, the city in which he was born and raised, which is in San Antonio).  Named  The American Sector and situated adjacent to the World War II Museum, it somehow seemed the patriotic thing to do.   It wound up being the kids' favorite restaurant on the whole trip, so I think we made the right choice for our last evening in New Orleans.

This morning we will check out and head to Jackson, Mississippi, following the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez to Jackson, which is just a small section of this scenic drive, but we figured a small section is better than no section at all.  With a full day of driving and stopping ahead (Baton Rouge and Natchez will get at least a cursory nod on our way to Jackson), I will wrap up today's post and add a few more photos from the swamp and the American Sector.

Tell Fiona that I'm sorry we never found Tiana, but I still think she'd love New Orleans!