After New Orleans I stayed at Bayou Segnette State park to get some nature and look for alligators. Nice and relaxing.
I also used the beach shelter that I bought to help stay cool when camping.
I bought fresh caught catfish to cook for dinner and just relaxed. From there I traveled to Vermilionville to see some Acadian history.
In this barn, they stored hay as well as dried Spanish moss from the tree. After soaking in water, the outer grey green layer fell off leaving the black inner layer which was then dried and used to stuff mattresses.
From here I knew there was going to be bad weather. I had a choice to stay here or head a few hours up north to a free campground. As a serious cold front was moving through, there was going to be strong winds and rain. I decided to go north as that forecast looked not as ominous. In the end. It was the right decision. Before the temperature dropped, I went for a dip in the water.
The next morning I stopped in Natchitoches which is the oldest Louisiana purchase settlements. It was a cute little town.
The hardware store is original as when it opened. It had so many cool things.
I also learned that this is where the movie Steel Magnolias was filmed.
From here I drove to Caddo Lakes State park. It was cold that day and the next. The weather though was good for hiking the upland and lowland trails.
I had a great two days in New Orleans taking pictures of favorite places for Becca, sampling Cajun and Creole food and taking a cooking class. Learned more about making different not roux for different recipes.
Bourbon street
French quarter
Cooking class
Cemeteries with graves above ground because of the high water table.
After finishing the Trace, I decided to stay in a hotel as there were heavy rains. It was a good chance to charge everything and to watch a few shows!
Natchez is a cool little town. I started the morning by walking the bluff overlooking the Mississippi .
This is the ar a under th bluff with some historic buildings and wonderful food.
The Forks of the Road is where the slave trades were held when they were forced to be just out of city limits for fear of cholera outbreaks.
The William Johnson house was wonderful. A former slave that was emancipated, he became a businessman with his barber shop and an upstanding citizen that was well respected even though he maintained slaves as well. What is great about his museum was that he kept extensive diaries and with that there is a great understanding of Natchez life at that time. His daughter also kept an extensive diary.
Downtown Natchez
I then stopped off at the Rosedown State Historic site which is an incredible plantation with original furnishings and gardens. There is extensive history here.
The oldest oak in Louisiana . It has a lightening rod atop of it.
The doctors house
The daughter that inherited the house during the civil war would take off the over garments until her underthings and hoops were showing. When army men came into the house, they would see her state of undress and leave as it was considered improper. This kept the building intact and precious heirlooms were not stolen to make bullets.
The tapestry was given to one of the family from Martha Washington.
The library has first edition Mark Twain books.
From there, I headed to Baton Rouge to visit the Leo’s whom I worked with in China. So excited to see them!
The Natchez Trace are a series of Native American trails that was used in the 1700’s and 1800’s for traveling between Nashville and Natchez (which is near the Mississippi). It has tremendous history and many different things have happened along this trail. I loved driving it even though I started in Tupelo and will do the northern portion on another trip.
Many of the markers were for missions, stations where people could get goods or stay, locations of the Chickasaw settlements, agencies where people were the go betweens between settlers and native Americans, and geologic information about the best places for farmland. DeSoto also crossed near the middle of the trace in 1540.
The owl Creek mounds were used from 1000 to 1500 and dwellings were built on top.
I laughed at the witch dance stop as the sign said there were stories of witches here and that you should walk around to look for places that the grass does not grow. What a great way to stretch your legs!
Bynum mounds wher woodland Indians lived.
I enjoyed the little walks on the nature trails and those that were still part of the old trace trail. I especially liked the trails through the cypress swamps.
The reservoir stop was beautiful!
Cowles Mead made a tavern along the Trace and held many government offices. He pursued Aaron Burr for treason and built a house along this road. All that is left is his grave.
I stopped a night at Rocky Springs campground. This is where a community lived that was supported by the Trace. All that is left here is a church. I built a fire which was doused an hour later by major thunderstorms. It was a peaceful night sleep though.
Grindstone Ford is a place where a water mill was located and troops who stayed here during the Burr conspiracy to allegedly secede the western states. What is left here are some graves.
The Mangum mounds were the Plaque and culture that had advanced agriculture tied to religion. Evidence from the mound shows high infant mortality and that when the chief dies, his servants were slain and buried with him.
I did get out to walk around these goats on the side road that did not want to move in order to view the mounds.
A section of the old trace that is sunken below the ground level.
Windsor ruins were built between 1859 and 1861 by plantation owner Smith Coffee Daniell II. With 25 grand Corinthian columns it was considered one of the most elaborate homes in the pre-Civil War South. It survived the Civil War as it was used by Union troops as an observation post and field hospital. In 1890, a guest accidentally started a fire and only the 23 surviving columns standing as ruins.
An old inn still exists in the Trace, though it was closed.
Emerald Mound was built by the Mississippians was used for temples and ceremonies as well as burials. The top of the mound would hold the place of the religious leader.
Welcome to RV life. A cracked windshield but an awesome insurance company that sets up the appointment. Lots of options in Alabama and Florida. Fixed quickly.
I was headed to Big Lagoon State Park in Florida when I heard from Patty Grayson and was going to be close to her. I decided to drive a little further and meet her for lunch. We walked Navarre beach and chatted a bunch. It was good to talk to her.
Big Lagoon State Park
I stopped in Mobile to try to find the azalea trail but construction made the parking difficult and I decided to just head to Tupelo to be able to start the Natchez Trace Parkway. I did get some pictures of azaleas in bloom.
Constructed in 1867 for the Henry’s, they had a castle like mansion, a greenhouse warmed from the heat from the house and water that even grew bananas. They were beloved by the people in the community.
His wife Margaret died unexpectedly while in Africa with the family. Before returning with her remains, a Gothic chapel with mausoleum was constructed. It contains marble columns from all 4 parts of Ireland.
After passing through another family’s hands, it was acquired by Irish Benedictine monks who were displaced during WWI. Now there is still a monastery and a girl’s school.
A copy of the Book of Kells, amazing artistry.
Cong Abbey was built in 1120. It was a major religious center in the area. The town gained international attention with John Wayne’s film “The Quiet Man”.
This is the monks fishing house which had a slit in the floor for fishing, a fireplace, and even a bell connected to the abbey to alert there will be fish for dinner!
Congs woods
The Quiet Man with John Wayne has made this a popular tourist spot.
Sights of the countryside on the way to our destinations.
From Galway I took a tour to Cliffs of Moher and the Burren. On the way there, we stopped at Dunguaire Castle in Kinvara. Built in the 16th century, it consists of a tall rectangular keep, defensive walls, and corner turrets. Its design is mostly for local power and defense.
It fell into disrepair and was revitalized in the early 20th century. Folklore gives many stories of ghostly banquets being held there. Other folklore tells of King Guaire the Generous that lived before the castle was ever constructed. He would give to everyone who asked and also ruled judiciously. His son was convicted of a serious crime and he still ruled he be beheaded even if it was his son.
Inside the walls of the castle.
We then drove through the Burren. 330 million years ago when Ireland was near the equator there were many marine organisms that formed limestone seabeds over time. During tectonic uplift, the beds were lifted and cooled at the surface, cracking in areas. Grikes are the deep vertical fissures and clints are the flat limestone blocks. Water mixing with carbon dioxide creates a weak acid which dissolved some of the limestone . The karst formations created underground streams and caves, deep fissures, etc. 2 million years ago the glaciers moved across the area removing the top layer soil, bringing some soil into the cracks and debris like rocks. The limestone was exposed. Plants grew in the cracks, and the area looks like a lunar landscape. Arctic alpine plants coexist beside Mediterranean plants. Grazing animals in winter help to stop shrubs from growing.
The Poulnabrone Dolman are 5000 year old burial structures. It is a burial monument. This one held the remains of 33 individuals with artifacts like jewelry. The well preserved bones give a good idea of what their life was like.
On the way to Doolin village, we saw this castle. Leamaneh castle was first built in 1480 for defense. It was added to in 1648 to create more of a manor house. “Red Mary” was the lady of the house, rode horses like a man. And even had people hung from the top of her house. When her beloved husband died, she had to marry another for protection from people taking over the house. It is said she killed at least one of her husbands that way. She was a powerful landholder in a very turbulent time in Ireland.
In Doolin Village we stopped at pub for lunch. I had seafood chowder at McGanns.
A parish house that has fallen into disarray over the centuries.
Thatched roof house.
The Cliffs of Moher are sandstone and shale cliffs that are eroded by waves and landslides.
Cork has much of the same history as Cobh and was a frequent target in the Irish rebellion as it was often aligned with the British crown.
The Huguenot burial ground created in 1733 and preserved by the city to honor the French Protestants and their contributions.
The National monument celebrates those who fought and died in Irish rebellions for Irish Independence.
The Elizabeth fort was named after Queen Elizabeth I and built in 1601. it was reinforced by Oliver Cromwell after attacks by Irish citizens. It is a star shaped fortification and was used as a military barracks, convict depot for women (some of which were reported to Tasmania), and police station.
The heads on poles there is a nice touch…
The English market was pretty cool.You could sample some of the things being sold and watch people shopping of buying food to eat.
Of course, I had to try the Murphy’s ice cream that was recommended. I tried the espresso martini (on top before I had started eating it) and Brown bread underneath. the brown br ad was toasted so it was crunchy in the ice cream.
The university of Cork is also beautiful and has a free art gallery. On the first floor is natural history of Ireland. The other floors were displays of a local sculptor.
Blarney castle dates back to the 1200’s as a residence and fortification. The current structure was built in 1446 and later added more stories. The blarney stone is said to give the person who kisses it the gift of the gab or more eloquent speaking.
The murder hole was a way for defenders to drop objects like arrows, boiling substances, heavy rocks on invaders entering the castle. It was a defensive point if the entrance had just been breached.
The Blarney stone is above the top window at the bottom of the hole.
The blarney house was built in the 1870’s by those that acquired the castle and surroundings.
The Blarney gardens.
The seven sisters are prehistoric stones that are 3000 years old. There are several stories connected to it. One is that there were seven sisters that conducted rituals and were turned to stone. The one the castle tells is that a king had daughters and sons and these druid stones that had been there representing his offspring. In a battle, the two sons were killed and the king had two of them pushed over to honor his fallen sons.
The Ring of Kerry is a circular driving route that is 179 km around the Iveragh peninsula. It weaves through many different landscapes and seaside towns. There are some awesome mountains and valleys carved out from glacial activity with filling of some of these areas to form inlets and bays. I took a bus tour from Cork.
Killarney National Park we used a horse drawn carriage as it was raining at the time.
Red deer.
Japanese Sika deer were brought to Killarney for hunting and for a new breed in the park.
In Killorglin, a wild male goat is captured in the mountains and held on a raised platform to reign over the the Puck Fair that is held in August. This festival is one of the oldest in Europe and has been occurring since the 4th century.
The Kerry Big Village is a little place that has ancient remnants from old Ireland (18th/19th century). It reconstructed the ways people lived and what they did to survive. There are remnants of old houses, and many antiques and (my highlight) the Irish wolfhounds they let run around with us.
Charlie Chaplin sculpture. He lived here for some time and some of his relatives are still here in Waterville.
Monument era dyed to explorers and travelers. It is a large sundial.
Traveling through Beenarourke.
Sneem. Unfortunately a lot of places are closed for the winter but the beauty of the off season is there are not a lot of people!
Sculptures created for a best town competition.
Pictures while stopping along the ring of Kerry.
The Torc waterfall. I love how everyone r where we went the moss covered the rocks and trees making it very fairy-like.
I took a day trip to Cobh, who after Queen Victoria visited and loved so much, renamed it to Queenstown in 1849. Later, the town changed the name back in 1923. Cork harbour, which is located there, is one of the largest and safest natural harbours in the world. It is a naturally deep harbour so large ships can enter. The Vikings used it in the 9th century as well as the Normans later. From the 17th century, it was a strategic port for the British empire. Fortifications where created in the barrier islands. One of them was Spike Island, which coincidentally is where the Titanic was moored and passengers where refried from the harbour to the ship. This cut down on sailing time later (bur perhaps that might have changed the course of events.) In the 20th century it was no longer a military port and is known for tourism and transport.
The harbour was a major port of emigration for people headed to America, especially after the great famine. The first person processed at Ellis Island left from this port. Her name was Annie Moore.
Queenstown was the last port of call for the RMS Titanic in 1912.
I booked a tour at the Titanic Experience. When you enter you are given a card with the name of a person who was on the Titanic. You learn whether the person traveled 1st, 2nd, or 3rd class, and in the end whether the person loved or died in the sinking.
Spoiler alert: my person survived but even with hard times in the new world, died in 1968.
We were able to see the difference in the types of accomodations and what people would be taking the Titanic and whether they were emigrating or going on business.
The dock and in the distance where the Titanic was anchored waiting for ferried passengers.
3rd class accomodations and meeting/eating room.
2nd class accomodations. 1st class would be a suite that included a bathroom and veranda.
The sinking of the Titanic was outlined by the minute and included the actions of the owners of the White Star line and the crew.
The museum at the end had facts about the boats, icebergs, the effects of hypothermia, and stories from people aboard and those that eventually could dive and find the wreckage.
This is the information about my person and then what happened to her after she reached America.
I walked around the town. Very quiet as most of the places where closed.
The Titanic Memorial Garden.
Memorial of the owner of the White Star line who jumped into a lifeboat ahead of the women and children. He was fired and even his wife left him.
Deck of cards houses.
St. Colman’s cathedral.
The Lusitania memorial which sunk off the coast in the first world war.
Views from around town.
On the way back, pure Irish weather happened. Cold, rainy….. Made some food at the hostel and warmed up!
