Driving along the coast through Biloxi, Mississippi, we came across Beauvoir, the last home of Jefferson Davis. I don’t pretend to understand the hero worship of the Confederacy, so standing in that beautiful house overlooking the Gulf was more about gaining a step back in time than putting someone like Davis on a pedestal. The last few days traveling down here, absorbing some history through museums, has been eye opening, though. It can quickly feel as if the only great southern people in history are white slave owners. Everything is named after them, and in the case of Jefferson Davis, they even give him a “Presidential” Library, which at least isn’t recognized as such by the US government, only by Mississippi’s. I’ll bet half the people who visit here walk away thinking Davis was once the President of the United States. I’ve spent a lot time over the years explaining to the kids that history is written by the victors. Davis somehow turns that on its head.
The coast road stretches for miles out of Biloxi with lots of places to pull over and hang out. Nice way to spend an afternoon and burn some energy running around in the shallows.
Fancy. A centerpiece.
Our usual spot for camping in New Orleans is a wonderful little National Park Preserve just a few miles from downtown. This year the park was flooded out, and we were left with no other option than this RV park, where, for $75 a night, we got to enjoy beautiful views of “poop hoses” and big box 5th wheels. New Orleans was going to be a very quick visit this time through.
All visits to New Orleans begin with beignets.
And end in a seedy bar.
Hang back too far and you leave the door open for sidewalk dudes to hit on your wife.
We thought a bit of voodoo on the bus couldn’t hurt. We’d be proven wrong in the days to come. Don’t mess with the voodoo.
As I was taking this picture of the lady setting up her painting puppet stand, a drunken fight broke out between a couple of the homeless guys in the background. Younger blue shirt guy gave the older bench sitting guy a whack upside the head, and everyone got an earful of colorful language. Fortunately, because I have a tendency to intervene in lopsided situations like these, this was the extent of the fight. I like how the two old ladies on the next bench over didn’t even glance up at the fracas.
Leave it to the church to try and restore order in a town like New Orleans.
Our quick visit winds down. Every time we visit New Orleans I think afterwards that it’s a place I’d like to come back and spend a few months getting to know better. Someday.
20 Comments on “Along the Gulf”
Brings back some great memories of New Orleans from my trip in 2012. Thanks.
Agree that New Orleans is a wonderful city. Our favorite parts don’t include the French Quarter. Superb parks, wonderful food, music to die for, and warm weather. It’s all good!
That Chevy’s barbed wire radiator grill!
New Orleans never disappoints. Great place to visit, but easy to get caught up in the street drama.
I was working as a Technical Recruiter when my Boss went to Nola. She brought me (us..?) back a “VooDoo Money Doll” so we could rock some placements and make some money. I hung it above my desk. I kid you not, we killed it that year and “came out of nowhere!” Everyone asked us how we were doing it, we told them the truth…..The Money Doll! š
If you like visiting old places, make sure you do the River Road. Lots of plantation houses restored back to original condition and one with the original furniture. San Francisco Plantation. Destrehan Plantation (even shows how they insulated the house- with Spanish Moss from the trees) and others. Oak Alley was my favorite. A mystery- trees planted in perfect rows a hundred years before the house was built in the late 1700s. Off the beaten path and visit at your own pace. Lots of history. Its cool to be standing behind the Mississippi River levee and see the superstructure of a ocean going ship glide by on the other side.
I agree we Southerners have a different view of the (Un) civil war (as Granny Clampett called it ” the war between the Americans and the Yankees”). There were few slave owners and it was going away naturally due to the economics. We don’t believe it was about slavery at all, but rich in the north vs the rich in the south. Its always about money and power. Side note, my 2X great grandfather capitalized on the north south trade. He owned a ship and would take raw materials from NOLA to NYC and return with finished goods. His ship and all hands went missing sometime in the 1850s in the late summer/fall of the year. Bad time of the year for that. I guess it explains my boat thing……
Ken, time to check up on your facts again.
According to the 1860 census 30.8% (almost 1 in 3) southern households owned at least one slave. In Mississippi that percentage was 49%. That’s right, very nearly half of Mississippi’s households participated in slavery. Southern apologists always say that the war was about economics, not slavery. Well, free forced labor is one heck of an economic boon.
Another indication that slavery wasn’t just dying out was the fact that in the 1850s there were calls from conventions of Southern planters to re-open the African importation of slaves which had been banned since 1808 because they wanted to bring down the price of slaves. The wealthier slave owners and slave merchants opposed this because they controlled the market for new slaves (i.e. the children of their current slaves) and liked the higher prices they commanded. Yet another “economics not slavery” reason.
This is Pat and Allie’s place and out of respect to them I chose not to correct your ignorance. Let’s agree to disagree and let this drop.
Well said! “It can quickly feel as if the only great southern people in history are white slave owners. Everything is named after them, and in the case of Jefferson Davis, they even give him a āPresidentialā Library, which at least isnāt recognized as such by the US government, only by Mississippiās. Iāll bet half the people who visit here walk away thinking Davis was once the President of the United States. Iāve spent a lot time over the years explaining to the kids that history is written by the victors. Davis somehow turns that on its head.”
New Orleans is such an interesting place. Not sure if I’ll ever make it back there.
Pat, just wondering how many miles you’re managing in a day now that the kids are a bit older? Has that changed at all over the years?
If youāre still there, head up to the Christmas in the Oaks.
City of New Orleans Covid-19 requirements sign juxtaposed with the Jello Shots sign – classic.
I like the image of you in the mirror. The body language, hands in pockets, says “whatever”.
Great photos-always enjoy tagging along with youse! Had to laugh at your $75/night “camping” with poopy views-welcome to America! Before RV’ing here, we camped for 3 years in Europe-a world of difference there. For an average $10-20/night you get a beautiful spot out in nature. Miss that. When I lived in the South 20 years ago, people still called the Civil War the “War of Northern Aggression” -Federal dominion over states’ rights. I adopted the Ted Lasso approach-“Be curious, not judgmental”. Makes life more interesting…..stay safe! Have fun! Happy Holidays.
You missed the World War Two museum. An era that should never be forgotten or repeated. Most children and even older adults no nothing about it. I was an Army medic in Viet Nam, a war that never should have been. Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.
About time you added the Blue Bird to your top of page logo?
Excellent ( and accurate) on the history. Iām as conventional as can be but your form of unschooling is providing your kids a wonderful education.
I am a little scared about the voodoo cliffhanger you left us with. lol.
Always nice to see the evolution of New Orleans. 50 years ago all the shops attached to Cafe Du Monde were open air storage for fruit/produce unloaded from freighters on the adjacent wharf. You could always tell when the Chiquita ship docked because bananas would drop to 8 cents a pound in the grocery store.
The city appears to be more wholesome now compared to the old days. I attribute part of the corruption of my youth to being your kid’s age when I lived there and being drawn to secretly explore the seedier side of life.
The irony of the two signs: The same agency approves the contents of both syringes, magical.
If you want to see the extreme of Confederate attitudes visit the museum at Vicksburg. A foreigner visiting that place would swear that the south won.