I-10 Irish Bayou exit in Louisiana

Leaving New Orleans on I-10, driving East towards Mississippi, and before the bridge over Lake Pontchartrain, there's an exit to Irish Bayou. I decided to get off there and take some photos because of this castle house. Behind this house is I-10.

And as you're driving I-10, off to the right, you'll also see the back side of this Quonset Hut house on stilts. When I was in the Navy, we lived in Quonset Huts on the Roosevelt Roads Naval Base in Puerto Rico.

More houses on stilts.

After photographing these houses at the Irish Bayou exit I continued on I-10 and drove to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi.

Driving The French Quarter

I started the morning of Day 5 of my trip south taking video around the Manchac exit then continued on I-55 to New Orleans. I wasn't sure where I was going for the rest of the day and I saw a sign for the French Quarter Visitor Center so I went there to get directions and information. I ended up driving around the French Quarter for an hour or so after and I took more video. Here's some vidcaps. In the video (at the bottom) you'll see...

lots of cop cars

workmen

a skateboarder with a goofy hat

a guy taking a smoke break

a tour group on those two-wheel segway scooters

and a workman up in the air

Here's the video while I drove the one-way streets of the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana on the morning of Friday, January 18, 2013. You'll see workmen, delivery men supplying the shops, bars and restaurants, a couple of tour groups, many police cars and a few of the local characters.

Driving Louisiana I-55 South near the Manchac Exit

It's the morning of Day 5 of my trip from Detroit going south and finally it will be a sunny day. With a week or so off work I decided to go south and leave the overcast skies of Michigan for some sun.

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I left Hammond, Louisiana early. The night before I had driven south down I-55 to scout some photo locations. First was from the Manchac Swamp Bridge near the Manchac exit and the only exit off this 22 mile bridge.

Here are three screen captures. And the video is below.

The view out the window as I drive I-55 South in Louisiana near the Manchac exit. Music is from KLRZ 100.3 FM, the Rajun' Cajun. And you can listen online. The best time is from 6 am to 10 am Central time, Monday through Friday for the Hot Sauce Express show.

Looking back, I probably should have gotten off at the Manchac exit and driven along Old US 51 that parallels the bridge. And that's the problem with driving through. You only have one chance to capture a location.

Anyway, on to New Orleans.

Down the Mississippi Delta - Part 2

It was Day 4 (January 17) of my trip south from Detroit. I got up early as usual and processed the previous day's photos and tried to map where I would drive.

I had stayed the night in Grenada, Mississippi at the Econo Lodge and what a treat. I haven't written my review for Trip Advisor yet but I agree with the others who gave this place a top rating. And I had the pleasure of also being checked in by the friendly, Shmeeka, behind the front desk.

I said back on my description of Day 2 that for the trip "all I had planned was to take back roads and listen to local radio as I drove," which I had been doing for the most part. By the way, in Kentucky and Tennessee, it was mostly Country/Western (with no Western). But in northwestern Mississippi, the music was either christian and gospel or classic rock; as I drove further south, it was mostly classic rock.

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I drove back MS 8 and turned south on US 49W. I still wanted to drive the Delta but as far as sightseeing goes, the Mississippi delta is boring, at least in January, unless you like miles and miles of flat, flooded farm land.

So when I hit Moorhead, Mississippi, I took a short drive around.

seeing a bright, green house

Anyone bother to string a level line on this before they put the rafters up?

Moorhead, Mississippi definitely has some leveling problems or everyone tilts to the left.

there were a few untilted houses too

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I didn't do much driving or taking pictures on Day 4. But it was sunny for the first time since I left Detroit. So it was a nice day.

I stayed the night in Hammond, Louisiana but it was still early and with a couple hours more of light I got back on I-55 and drove through New Orleans.