Heading West From Florida to Arizona

Heading west on I10, I can't help but stop and spend a couple of days in New Orleans 

Famous New Orleans Landmark: Mercedes Super-dome

after living there for the better part of two years a few years ago. I was particularly hoping to see one of the female golf team members, Daria Delfino, who visited Loyola the spring of my last year there and was going to graduate this spring. I had been in touch with her throughout her college years. We had a bit of a special connection because she is also Jewish. Unfortunately she was too busy studying during my time there to see me, but on Friday I did get to visit with some of my former professors, 

Sarah Allison with her newest book.

some staff members, including some in the cafeteria who remembered me quite well. I also visited the synagogue I used to go to and some of my favorite restaurants during my three night stay.  

I stayed at the Bayou Segnette State Park Campground, which had vary reasonable rates and had free laundry, which I took advantage of immediately upon my arrival, seeing as I hadn't been able to do it in Punta Gorda. The campground offers good sized sites in a pretty natural bayou setting with lots of trees and grass.  

While I was away from the trailer on Friday I believe an electrical storm went though and did some damage to my main electrical feed. The park handy man and I tried to trouble shoot the problem and were basically unsuccessful as the problem was intermittent. It will be resolved further down the road. 

On Saturday I drove to the Algiers ferry dock and took the ferry across the Mississippi to the French Quarter and had a good walk about. 

While in The Quarter I came across this marijuana van: 

I'm wondering how long it will be until we see something similar in Ontario, now that pot has been legalized. 

I also came across my favorite zydeco band leader Waylon Thibodeaux playing an afternoon set.

The Maroon, Loyola's student run newspaper, which I wrote for both years I was there, was celebrating it's birthday and I was rightfully invited to the party, which was held at a restaurant in the quarter, not far from the ferry dock, which was convenient for my trip back. I didn't stay out too late. 

Sunday December 2nd I headed out from New Orleans on a b-line to Tucson. Unfortunately, there were a lot of Asian Lady Beatles in the campground and though I tried to keep them out several managed to get in and will be carried along on my travels. The first night I stayed at the Cracker Barrel in Houston Texas. The following afternoon I visited the Caverns of Sonora in Sonora Texas:

There were quite a few deer on the property at twilight.

Butterfly wing shaped formation.

Colorful ribbon formation.

and spent the night at their campground. It wasn't too busy there so I was able to get a private guided tour of the caves. 

Because I was such a well behaved tourist I was able to get the whole tour and because I handled the terrain well I got to see some bonus areas. That evening I had a nice visit with a couple in a Class A motor home parked next to me. We had a good chat about our respective travels. 

My last night on the road prior to reaching Tucson was at the Cracker Barrel in Las Cruces New Mexico.