3 PM: Luxuriating at Karen's

Harry and I driving to a Fundraiser event in Scott just a few miles west of Lafayette. Curley Taylor is playing, Joann Seaver from the Bay Area is there and so is Sarah & Lee. It is a typical Louisiana Zydeco scene, a hall of some sort, dark and well air-conditioned, concrete floor. With that a stage, a bunch of tables and chairs along the walls so that there is plenty of room to dance and then a food and beverage booth somewhere, most of them folks sitting around and only a few white ones are dancing. I'm always curious why that is, it's like they are not drunk enough or just enjoying the music without dancing. No matter what, I was out there in no time, a waltz with Joann then a zydeco two-step, I ask Sarah to dance and later some local ladies. Funny is when I ask a black women to dance, many times the response is "Ohh, I'm not sure how to dance...", wish I could write that in their accent, but then I'm dancing with them and next thing is they are shoving me around and doing just fine, later some come back and ask me to dance, there is the compliment.
Curley Taylor is awesome, I like him a lot, after his gig is over I go say hi to him and he is always real nice and has a smile I get jealous of. But now the show is over and we all have to hurry to get to the next gig that is in Baton Rouge.
Today they are celebrating Earth Day in Baton Rouge, the old Capitol of Louisiana and Geno Delafose is playing at 5:30. Harry and I are driving our soar butts across the Atchafalaya Basin on Interstate 10. I heard that that stretch of interstate is the longest bridge in the US, it is a raised deck for each direction that crosses the whole swamp and river area of the Atchafalaya, an enormous place that is. I wish to go with a kayak and explore some of these places. The swamp tour just a couple of days ago gives you a good idea what it is looking like.
We get to Baton Rouge just in time, Geno has not started yet and so we could go and sniff around a bit to see what else is going on. There are 2 stages and tons of food-vendors and thousands of people going or sitting around. And just as I walk by the stage I sight our hero, Geno Delafose, the dream of every women in the Zydeco Scene, I shake hands with him and a short bla bla bla and take a picture too so you can drool over your keyboard, should you be a women.

Geno Delafose right before going on stage...

Now lets get the dancing started because I'm dead tired and wanna go and lay down...

A few familiar faces are here too, Joann, Reggie, Evita and of corse Harry...

We're leaving this place I can barely walk, my legs and feet are made out of rubber and not holding me upright any longer, its time to find, water, coffee, beer, food, bed. The water was easy, coffee impossible. After a walk around the old part of Baton Rouge we're heading back to the car and drive to a Motel 8 along I-12 on the outskirts of the town. From there we found a great locally owned restaurant and had shrimp po-boys and Abita, the local beer of Louisiana. Unfortunately I can't come up with the name of the restaurant, I have to go and do some investigating, but not now.

The I-10 Bridge crossing the Mississippi River viewed from downtown Baton Rouge...

Finally sitting down in the motel-room, checking e-mail and stated to work on this blog again, I'm way behind, I'll pay for this in the next few days, but I had to go bed soon, I'm beat!!!

Waking-up in the morning...

I'm eating some crummy muffins and biscuits for breakfast, slurp some tea and keep on working at photos and time-line for this blog. Harry seems to be dead. Once alive again he eats some and we all pack out stuff and head out, out goal is burgers in New Orleans, and we know exactly where. But first we have to get there and it is far form lunch. We take I-12 east to I-55 south.
The interstate curves around Ponchatoula before it floats over the swamp, a beautiful area, soon Lake Maurepas is to our right and we take the exit to Manchac. From there we take the Frontage road that parallels the interstate but is not elevated and is going right at water-level through this landscape. We pass another camp, Ruddock and then slowly hit civilization again into the town of LaPlace. Before rolling into LaPlace we pass a fruit-vendor under the I-10 overpass, we buy a flat of fresh strawberries for 12 bucks, boy I can't wait to dig in and taste them. Hmm they are delish!!!
I find the River-road and we drive along the Mississippi River Levee, through the town of Gypsy to Montz. Right outside of Montz starts the Spillway Park, and since the waters are not high enough the Spillway Road is open.

Driving through the Spillway Park. Refineries are everywhere here, there is oil-fields nearby and the river to load and unload...

We continue on the River-road through Norco, Good Hope, New Sarpy, St. Rose until we hit the outskirts of New Orleans. Kenner is the first town, it hosts the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, MSY (Moisant Stock Yard).
In no time are we parked at the corner of St. Charles and South Carrollton and walk over to the Camellia Grill where our burgers are awaiting us passingly.

Our route to get from Baton Rouge to New Orleans the more adventures way...

Anyway you look at it, Camellia Grill is a place to visit during your time in New Orleans, the atmosphere is unique, the food is good, the characters of the guys working there is special. Order a piece of pie for dessert and watch it go on the same grill that your burger was made on with a blob of butter melting on top, unless you want that pie cold, which I don't recommend because it was one of my best pieces of pie. HArry and I had each a hamburger and chilly-cheese-fries, a healthy meal to get you through the rest of the day.

Inside Camellia Grill is the action, Marvin is our server...

Outside is a beautiful day and always a line of people waiting to get greased-up too...

After all that grease its time for a good cup of coffee, Rue de la Course Cafe is right there a block away on South Carrollton and Oak. Here we reenergize ourselves with great lates followed by a walk along torn-up Oak Street.

Coffee and a walk...