Our gator hunt!

That's right.  Our intrepid travelers went after the big game! Gator pics at the end, but first a few facts. Cheryl took us to an innocuous looking preserve. It looked like a wide place in the road but turned out to be a beautiful peaceful nature walk. The photos do NOT do it justice.

We were amazed and delighted with the birds we saw.  They'd filled the mulberry trees that had ripe berries - a delicious meal for the flocks!  These, believe it or not, are pictures of beautiful, blue, crimson, bright yellow and white marsh birds. The birds were amazing ... Our photos are not.  So sorry. My iPad doesn't come with a telephoto lens. I will only torture you with two so you can see that they are an utter failure and know I am not keeping beautiful bird photos from you.

 

 

 

First the walking tour, only a few big ones but thankfully very far away.

BUT, Cheryl took us to a drive-through preserve where we saw 30 or 40 of all sizes, from the babies, to the Mommas to the Big Daddies.

 

I think he's smiling at me

Taking cool lessons at Camelia Grill.

When you get to New Orleans take the St. Charles trolley to the end, jump on the bus all the way to the end of St. Charles at the Levee (only til they finish repairing the trolley. Only about 10 blocks). Cross Carrollton Street and go about a half block down to the Camellia Grill for the most delicious and distracting breakfast in town.  You will probably have to stand in line with the locals, but that is not a bad thing.
Relax, watch your fellow humans and enjoy your breakfast.

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If you are lucky Ray or Marvin will give you a few cool lessons, too.

First stop, beautiful Jan's beautiful garden.

Jan is Cheryl's cousin, beautiful in every way!  She served us a little snack and cool, refreshing raspberry lemonade.  She's got the greenest thumb we've ever seen.  She gave us a tour of her gardens - each spot was lovely!  She's saving some cuttings for us to pick up on the way back.

Lovely shaded patio

Fountain surrounded by beauty

Bright spot of color

 

 

Lady Bug, Lady Bug, Fly Away Home...

 

2nd menopause!

As we leave Houston Veronica (our tech director) is struggling with the A/C. I am in the back experiencing my second menopause in a super-heated back seat.  Cheryl is freezing in the front.  We WILL learn to love this high tech van!

...and love it we did, even though we never learned to work the radio!  It was roomy and comfortable.  We drove a little over 1,000 miles on the backroads of Louisiana beginning the morning of Thursday, April 25, in Seabrook Texas. 

First stop, Louisiana State Line

 

 

This stop is always a must as we enter Louisiana!  The welcome center boasts a beautiful wooden walkway through the swamp to provide visitors with a taste of the beauty of this wonderful state.  As we meandered through, we were on the lookout for alligators, but instead only saw a couple of snakes and lots of beautiful purple irises. 

Next stop, Cheryl's cousin Jan, who lives in Sulphur.