by Joni Hauck
(NOTE: Clicking on most photos will show larger view.)

Gulf Coast

Saturday April 24th

How is this for excitement? On the border of Florida and Alabama we got stuck in a traffic jam. The annual Flora-Bama Mullet Toss was in full swing. The pier was jammed with people all trying to toss dead fish. One vendors sign said "Welcome Dead Fish Chuckers". I don't get it. (Another reason for a giant party?)

The Phoenix III, where we will be residing for the next three nights, is ocean front. We are on the 7th floor with an expansive view of the beach and ocean. With the patio door open, we can hear that wonderful sound of the ocean waves gently lapping against the shore.

We went for a badly needed run on the beach. After logging 600 miles in two days, we were ready for some exercise. By the time we were finished, it was dark. We took off our shoes and socks and strolled along the edge of the ocean in our bare feet. Our 4 unplanned days on the panhandle are turning out perfect so far.

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Sunday April 25th

Tennis anyone? This morning we took advantage of the tennis courts at the Phoenix complex properties. I don't play so well but it is fun and great exercise.

Ok now how about a round of golf? As part of our package, we played today at Rock Creek. Fred's lost ball count is increasing. However, he is blaming the first 3 on the fact that we had to rush. The info supplied to us indicated the course was 30 minutes from Gulf Shores, but it took us 55 minutes to get there. And then, ever heard of a golf course running ahead of schedule? Well this course was! We had to bust butt to get to the first tee. The other twosome had already teed off and were waiting for us. The guys we played with were nice but there was no real connection between us. I played well, scoring in the 80's.

On the way back to our condo, which remember was 55 minutes away, I rounded the corner a little close and blew out our tire. Oh man! At first we thought I ripped the running board off but fortunately!?@? it was only the tire, flat as a pancake. Remember-don't sweat the small stuff. So there we are, more than a little annoyed, no clue where the spare was located, a book whose directions looked like Greek, and the last time either of us changed a tire was 15 years ago. My first thought, which I said aloud, was, "We have to call AAA or we'll be here for hours".

I immediately got out our new digital phone, purchased just for the trip, just for situations like this, and guess what? It didn't work. There was no Omnipoint connection. Great! So much for calling anywhere in the US. Those ads are a farce. As I walked away to find a phone, Fred was determined to figure out how to change that tire. I had visions of him being pinned under the Big Kahuna by the time I got back. Only his legs would be visible. I have to give Fred credit; a Big Kahuna tire is not an easy thing to change especially with no experience. By the time the AAA guy showed up, Fred had the spare already on. We were back on the road within an hour. This time Fred was driving.

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Monday April 26th

We planned to allow ourselves plenty of time to get to the golf course today, but it was not meant to be. Fred had trouble with his key this morning so before we left for golf, I went out to try my key. Not only did my key not work, we couldn't get the door open at all. Fred was locked in the condo! How funny is that?

The maintence guy could not get it open and had to call the other maintenance guy and needless to say, by the time they got the door open, we had to rush to get to the golf course. Fortunately, The Peninsula Golf Course was not busy and the pro told us to take our time and tee off whenever we were ready. The course was scenic with wetlands, lakes and lots of sand traps. Fred got off to a rough start but managed to rally on the back nine and our skins bet came down to the last two holes.

On the way back from the course, we stopped at Big 10 Tires in Foley, Alabama. Boy, did I mutilate that tire; it was all slashed up, beyond repair. We bought the Big Kahuna a brand new Michelin.

After another rousing tennis session back at the Phoenix, we had worked up a thirst. Fat Tuesday's in downtown Gulf Shores was beckoning with jello shooters. We had so much fun at the Key West Fat Tuesday's but this one was disappointing. The place was empty and the bartender looked like he was ready to close up. "Sorry, we're out of jello", he said. How can a Fat Tuesday's be out of jello? That's like the Waffle House being out of waffles. We ordered a 190 octane frozen drink to split, but it didn't taste as good as in Key West. Maybe we just need our good friends with us.

We still had to have our Alabama beer, so we walked down the beach to a place called T-bonz. Good choice. They were having a Barathelon, which we were talked into joining. T-bonz is owned by four partners, all young, and had been open for only three weeks. The food was good and everyone was so friendly. Joe, Craig, David, L.J. Melissa, and Animal all made us feel welcome.

The Barathelon consisted of three events: pool, fooseball, and darts. Fred and I, as late comers, were in the same bracket so we had to play each other. No surprise that I was eliminated from the winner's bracket on the first round on all three events. However, I managed to come out of the losers bracket to get in the pool finals. Imagine that!

Fred's event was darts. The rule was the first person to get three bulls eyes wins the match. Fred kept winning and ended up with First Place. What fun! As for fooseball, forget it. No one could beat L.J. who was some kind of fooseball wizzard. He toyed with his opponents but always had complete control of that little ball and whack, before you could blink, he scored a goal.

The partners were using the evening as a test run to see if the Barathelon should become a weekly event. We both vote yes. If you are ever in Gulf Shores, Alabama, be sure to stop at T-bonz.

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Tuesday April 27th

We stopped for lunch in Biloxi, Mississippi which was prominently mentioned in John Grisham's The Partner, one of our books on tape. As we crossed over the bridge to enter Biloxi, it loomed before us much like Atlantic City, one casino after another. Because we were starving, we stopped at the first casino the Big Kahuna spotted, the Isle of Capri. You can't beat a casino for good food, cheap. We pigged out on the lunch buffet which rivaled the Eden Resort Sunday brunch except for the price; it was only $7.00. Cornbread, black eyed peas, ham, rice with broccoli, pasta and boston creme pie were a few of the dishes that made us waddle away from the table. Of couse we had to have a beer as this was the only chance we had to have our Mississippi entry. It tasted delicious.

On the way out, we decided to try our luck at the slot machines. After perusing the choices, I bet 50 cents and on the very first pull of the handle, won $5.00. Fred, standing right behind me, shouted, "You go girl." Wow, this is easy and fun. Our most vexing decision was whether to bet 25 cents or 50 cents on each pull. We played until the machine seemed to cool off and walked away with $20.00.

We still had an hour and a half drive to get to New Orleans. Our hotel, which we had reserved on the internet, was just a block from the heart of the action. This transaction, booked on Priceline.com, was a buy one night, get one free. Good thing we are getting rebated for the second night. These big city hotels are expensive, $18.00 per day to babysit the Big Kahuna, plus tips for everyone and their brother. They won't let you do anything yourself.

Time to hit the streets. New Orleans is loud and noisy, somewhat of a shock after relaxing at Gulf Shores. We wandered up and down the streets taking in all the sights. We were a little wary of going into some of the clubs. We remembered the last time we were here and one club we went into had no cover, but each can of beer cost $5.00.

We happened upon a 3 for 1 Happy Hour. Fred ordered a bottle of Bud. The beer was $3.50 per bottle, but before we knew it, the barmaid had opened three bottles. I helped Fred drink one and then I decided to try a new rum that was advertised. The Banana Rum, which the bartender suggested mixing with orange juice and 7-up was served in a 24 oz cup and was very tasty. We each had a slice of lousy pizza and headed back to the room. We need to ease into the Bourbon Street scene.

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Wednesday April 28th

I am sitting here in the courtyard of our hotel, De La Poste, which is located in the heart of the French Quarter. The gentle drip of the three-tiered fountain exquisitely accompanies the jazz music playing in the background. Birds are chirping sweetly from the branches of the trees that offer shade as I sit and write. A gentle breeze provides relief from the hot day. Ahhh-this is the way life is meant to be. It's hard to believe as I relax here in these peaceful surroundings that only a block away Bourbon Street awaits. Only a city like New Orleans can pull off a Bourbon Street with its rowdy combination of people, music, bars, food and decadence.

We wanted to do some sightseeing and visit the Mardi Gras Museum and the Jean Laffite Museum. However, both turned out to be a disappointment. We strolled down Decatur Street, with its flea market shops and fascinating people walking the streets.

We peeked into several bars and finally our thirst and hunger outruled our trepedition. Fritz, the pony-tailed, leather vested, tatooed bartender at the Turtle Bay turned out to be a really nice guy. We had an excellent chicken garlic pizza and I tried the Abita Beer. It was a red amber, brewed about 50 miles outside of New Orleans at the site of a natural spring. The light smokey flavor was pleasing.

The Turtle Bay had a string of eccentric locals wandering in and out. A rather avant-garde looking girl came in with her skateboard- carrying handsome young friend. We heard her tell him she had called into work happy. She was so happy, she called work and took the night off. Interesting idea, I like the concept. If you wake up happy, don't waste it on work, call in and take the day off.

Next stop was Sin City and we could see it had possibilities to be just that. One beer and we were outa there.

Laffite Blacksmith Shop, located on the corner of Bourbon and St. Phillips claims to be the oldest bar in the US, operating since the early 1700's. In the 1800's, it was the hangout of Jean Lafitte, a pirate turned patriot, who helped the Americans win the Battle of New Orleans in 1812. We expected it to be filled with tourists but it turned out to be a local neighborhood hang-out.

An eclectic group of four guys was sitting at the end of the bar. It was obvious they were pals with an easy going, pick on each other relationship. Glen, an assistant district attorney, and Buckie, a handsome older man were harrassing Stu and Din. Stu had his long blonde hair pulled back into a pony tail and Din, with Mediteranian features, had thick dark hair to his shoulders.

They appeared to be an odd group to enjoy hanging out together. In the midst of the friendly banter, a lady from the neighborhood charges into the bar and shouted, "Call 911, two guys attacked another guy out here."

Glen goes out and the guys approach him asking for money. Thinking quickly, he says, "Wait right here on the corner and I'll go to my car and get you some." While they were waiting for Glen to come back with money, the police arrived.

These two kids couldn't have been any older than early 20's but wow were they angry. As first they claimed they were innocent, but as soon as they determined that this strategy was not working, they turned mean. It was quite a scene. These scruffy, long haired, bare footed guys were sitting on the corner with their hands cuffed behind their backs yelling obscenities. You could see the hate in their eyes.

They had two dogs with them and in New Orleans the police can't take pet owners away until the SPCA arrives to take care of the animals. A small crowd had gathered before they were finally put into the police car. We couldn't help but wonder what happened to turn them into such angry young men. Maybe if they would have had Big Brothers when they were younger, things might have turned out differently for them.

Rather than spend the rest of the night in bars, we decided to take the night time ghost tour. Our guide told stories about murders and pointed out some different houses including the House of the Rising Sun (from the song). We thought it would be a little more scary, but it was interesting.

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Thursday April 29th

We waved good-bye to Bourbon Street and headed through Louisiana on Route 10. Route 10 has the distinction of being one of the most expensive highways ever built. It was easy to see why. A good portion of the highway had to be built on bridges to get over the swamp land. It was scenic, mostly trees; but at one point both sides opened up to reveal an unending view of swamp.

Baton Rouge, the state capital, was our next stop. Their capital building, the tallest in the country at 34 stories high, was impressive. Unfortunately, today was school field trip day so the lobby was filled with hundreds of elementary school kids. I insisted we go up to the observation tower on the 27th floor even though there were only two elevators. What we didn't realize is that you could only take the first elevator to the 24th floor and then all the people that came up in the two elevators had to funnel into one elevator to get to the observation tower. Fred was not exactly happy, but we made it. The view of Baton Rouge was different on all sides. Looking to the south, the LSU campus was laid out before us, to the north all the industry and refineries (Louisiana's #1 industry is petro chemicals) and to the west, the Mississippi River. Quite spectacular.

Louisiana State University boasted a period art museum so we stopped to take a look. Sometimes I don't get art. Some of the pieces hanging in there could have been painted by a 6 year old. An example of one we saw was entitled "Fish on Crinkled Paper" Darla, you would have loved this one. (Darla is our friend, who on a trip to the Wyeth museum with Carol and I, told us that the reason early paintings are so dark is because they didn't have lights back then.)

We needed a place to stay for the night so perusing the AAA book we decided on Natchitoches. Natchitoches (Nak-a-tish) is the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase and the sight of the movie Steel Magnolias. It was a pretty little town. Main Street was brick with interesting little shops on one side and black cast iron benches lining the other side with the lake in the background. Tante Huppe Inn was full of history. We stayed in the original slaves quarters of the plantation which was attached to the back of the house. It had the original brick wall and was one of the more unique rooms we will probably be staying in. Our host, Bobby DeBlieux, had been the one-time mayor of Natchitoches. "Worst job I ever had" he stated, "took me two hours to get through the market every week."

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Friday April 30th

Our gracious host, Bobby, created a sumptuous Creole breakfast starting with a warm, delightful peach compote. The eggs, cooked with just the right combination of spices, were the perfect companion to the strawberry, blackberry, banana fruit crepe. He has 16 different breakfast menus he prepares for his guests. Breakfast was served by candlelight in the dining room of the main house.

After breakfast, Bobby gave us a tour of the house, which had been built in 1830. Bobby, a descendant of the original owner, bought the Tante Huppe house in 1960 with most everything intact, even down to the dishes and silverware. Original paintings of Huppe's mother and father hang in the dining room. On the floor in the front bedroom, a rug that had been brought from France has been on that floor since the house was built. What stories that rug could surely tell! The library contained original books that belonged to Bobby's ancestors. Some were written in French. There were books all over the house, beautiful old volumes carefully treasured.

Bobby has quite a life. In September he will be in Paris visiting relatives and in January Bobby is heading to South America to hike and white water raft. Tante Huppe Inn is being featured in Victoria magazine in the December issues. We can't wait to see it.

After saying good-bye to Bobby, we went downtown to sit by the lake. A friendly visitor came over to sit with us. Tank, the 7-month old rotweiler, laid right down at our feet and would not heed the calls of his owner to come back. He definitely had a mind of his own.

Just outside of Shreveport, Louisiana is The Gardens of the American Rose Center. I really wanted to stop there so Fred amicably agreed. I signed us up for the guided tour which I thought would be a walk through the gardens, but turned out to be riding in an extended golf cart. There were 5 rose-crazed ladies, me and Fred. I owe him for that one. The area was laid out in 65 separate garden areas. We got lots of ideas for our own yard.

Those of you at home that worry about Fred, will be glad to know that he can deviate from his carefully made plans with no emotional side effects. We decided to do our Arkansas Oklahoma loop today and tomorrow instead of next week. We stayed the night in Texarkana, Arkansas or maybe we were in Texas who knows. Texarkana is on the border with half the town in Texas and the other half in Arkansas.

Of course the first order of business was to find a suitable place for our Arkansas beer. The area just seemed to yell out Mexican for some reason. we found what lookes like a typical local Mexican joint, La Carreta, with very little searching. For our Arkansas beer, I had Shiner Bock and Fred had Dos Equis at Casa de Something. The beers were served ice cold in heavy glass snifters that took two hands to lift. Tonight, Fred expanded his horizons; we ate Mexican and he liked it. However, do puffy tacos count? Only Fred would order puffy tacos. I had fajitas; they sound so appetizing and delicious and they were.

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