The 75% All New Trip! - All done! Bonus Material finished, Link to new TR!

[franandaj]

I'd actually be disappointed about going down the river during the night hours though. For me, a big part of the fascination of the trip would be sitting and watching the scenery pass by.

I know. That's what I wanted to do as well!

I'm glad that you weren't made to feel uncomfortable on the cruise.

It was very nice to feel welcome, but more so, "normal" and not a couple of pariahs.

That would have been really cool to see, but definitely not scooter friendly!

Even if she parked it before getting on the ship, crawling around the small compartments would be tough. She can walk short distances, but she's not so good on stairs and bending her knees.

Baton Rouge looks like a really neat town. I look forward to seeing which parts of it were actually open so you could check them out!

You may be disappointed. We didn't actually see much of the town.

Love, love, love this one!

Just gorgeous!

I know you're having a dreamy, wonderful time already! Enjoy every minute.

Thanks, we have been having a good time, but it sure is tiring!

Beautiful sunset pics. Baton Rouge looks lovely.

Enjoy that beautiful view.

Thank you very much. Oh we have been enjoying the view!

 

[franandaj]

It's only confusing compared to a slot machine or roulette. It's actually fairly simple, but it DOES have a bit of a learning curve. What I like about it is (a) the odds are essentially even - meaning it just BARELY favors the house and (b) unlike the other game with close odds - blackjack - how you play doesn't affect the other players. I've tried blackjack, but if you aren't playing by the "rules" the other players get mad at you. Craps is also the most fun game. If the shooter goes on a roll, it is by far the funnest place in a casino to be. That said, I gamble about once every 2-3 years, so I'm not really the guy to talk to about what's "best"!

I have heard that about Craps that it is the game with the most likely odds that you will win. It's always the one in the movies when people need to win back a fortune to "save the day" that they play. That being said, we like Blackjack because it is mellow and we play the rules. We have this little card, about the size of a credit card that tells you what to do in every possible move. Since it isn't cheating, no dealer has ever said that we can't put it on the table. We don't always win and often we lose, but at least sometimes we do pretty good.

 

[franandaj]

So we left off with the bunny bus in Baton Rouge. We had just exited at the Louisiana State Museum. The first floor was full of Louisiana history, there was a lot more detail about the state which was very similar to the history of Natchez that I related earlier.



Basically the reason Napoleon was willing to give up Louisiana was that his empire in the west indies had been taken. His plan was to use the fruitful fields of Louisiana as a bread basket for his empire. With that gone he had no reason to keep the territory. So Andrew Jackson acquired it for a mere 15 million dollars. About $.04 per acre.

The museum talked about the port of New Orleans in the War of 1812. I was aware of the battles off the coast of New York City and Washington DC, but I did not know that in 1814, the final component of the British invasion was to seize the port of New Orleans and take control of the Mississippi River. The long and short of it was that Andrew Jackson was a brilliant leader and by recruiting the French, Indians and freed slaves to unite against their sworn enemy, the British, he was able to supplement his Northern army and defeat the British.

Obviously Louisiana took part in the Civil War and they covered that here. There was even this odd submarine which had been excavated out of the river bed, I believe when the army Corps of engineers were doing their work after the flood of 1927.



The next exhibit was quite disturbing considering what is going on in the US today. I'm not sure if you folks know who Huey Long is, but he was governor of Louisiana from 1928-1932. He was elected to the US Senate in 1932 and assassinated at the state capital building in Louisiana, (which he built), in 1935. That was the building picture I posted just before we entered the museum. Fran was always told by her relatives that he was a distant cousin. On the one hand he did some great things for the state highway wise, and he was the first to provide free textbooks free to all students. However, he had his own private slush fund where folks donated their hard earned money. He was flamboyant, constituents either loved him or hated him. He used certain races as scapegoats, and watching the old news reels of him gave me a weird sense of deja vu. Sound familiar to any of today’s candidates? He never fulfilled his dream of making it to the white house.



When we finished this exhibit we checked the time and we had spent almost two hours and only been through about 4 exhibits. We decided to pick up the pace and do our best to get through the remaining exhibits quickly.

The guide on the bus told us to go directly to the 3rd floor and skip the first, but we like history so we did the first and then hit the 3rd floor. I would not have wanted to miss the material on the first floor, the 3rd was mostly pop culture and while there was a lot of fun stuff, but there wasn't a lot of substance to it.





We really don't quite understand the whole Mardi Gras scene.



I can barely wear a Halloween costume much less an outfit like these.





After we left the museum, we debated going to the top of the of the state capital building, but we were both tired and we had an early morning the next day. Plus it was time to begin packing. And most of all we were hungry. We took the bunny bus back to the ship and then Fran got this idea to walk over to the casino.



I was hungry, until I smelled the smoke in the casino and then I wasn't. Fran got a hot dog and I ate some chips. Then we went to look at the tables.

When we got there, the minimums were pretty high but I insisted we play. We both bought in with a large bill and within 15-20 minutes we were walking out without our money. Fran got a little peeved, we don't normally play tables like that, usually half that minimum, but I think I was anxious since we didn't get to play in Greenville. So we walked back to the boat.



Looking back at the Casino



As we came back to the boat, we were checking out all the debris that was caught in the dock.





Today we went on and off the boat through the gentleman’s parlor. All week I had wanted to get this shot!



When we got back to the boat Fran wanted some hot chocolate so we went up to the Front Porch Cafe. We ended up having a snack. She had some chicken and chocolate cake with Strawberry frosting.



I had some potatoes and tiramisu.



We both liked the cakes so much we had a second piece.





She had some ice cream with chocolate sauce as they were out of Caramel.



We went back to the room and I started to load up one of the suitcases with everything that we weren't going to need for the rest of the trip. Fran was asleep so I couldn't ask her about any of the clothes even though I had a clue as to what she wasn't going to wear at all.

Once I finished packing I went out to have a drink and came back just in time to wake Fran and get her to dinner. This was probably a mistake as she wasn't feeling so good.



I didn’t fancy any of the starters. She had the Smoked Salmon



From the “anytime menu” I went with Chicken broth as my soup which they brought with the starters.



She had a Manhattan seafood chowder



I had the lobster tail and she got the Veal marsala. We sort of split them but she gave me back a large chunk or lobster.





Here we are with our main server. The drink server never would take a picture with us.



She opted for no dessert while Jenny and I asked if we could get a cheese course. It wasn't really what either of us were hoping for, but it was OK. We both would have preferred more than one cheese and maybe not so much.



We went right to bed because of an early wake up.

[Continued in Next Post]

 

[jedijill]

The museum looks great. There are some disturbing flashes of history playing out right now. Sorry you didn't have better luck at the casino. Your snack and dinner looked mighty tasty!

Jill in CO

 

[franandaj]

[Continued from Previous Post]

Nottoway Plantation

This morning we had an early wake up time. We had to be on the landing at 7:45 for our swamp tour. Both of us felt like we had a bale of cotton up our noses and again we took the decongestant I just happened to have packed.









Instead of heading down to the Main dining room (which opened at 7:00AM), we decided to get breakfast from The Front Porch since it should have been faster.

I made Fran a cup of hot chocolate first and I noticed that there were no empty tables. So I bided my time stirring carefully until I saw an older gentleman stand up. Then his wife stood up, so I went and put the hot chocolate and my purse on the table. One of the workers (who was always bending over backwards to help whenever we were there), came over to clear the table. Fran was still serving herself up a plate at the buffet. Just as soon as the gal grabbed the napkins and leftover silverware, the old woman came back saying, "That's MY table! I was going to finish my coffee! What did you do with my napkin?"

Eventually she chilled out enough to graciously offer to share the table with Fran and I. Since I hadn't even started serving my breakfast, I told her to wait, but she jumped up and grabbed a third chair and pulled it to the table. Fran came back and started eating her breakfast before I could take a picture.



I went to get my breakfast and couldn't resist an egg fried over easy. I got some bacon and and English muffin. For a quick and easy breakfast, it was pretty good!



Then I went and got what I meant to have before the over easy egg tempted me.



I poured myself a to go cup of coffee and we headed back to the room to get our last minute things. Did I mention it was raining, quite a bit?



We had already decided to leave her scooter in the room. When we brought it on the Plantation Tour it never came out from under the bus, so we decided with the rain and what I knew about this excursion, I didn't think she would need it.

When we got to the "meeting point", no one wanted to leave the safety of the boat to go stand in the muddy rain. So there was a huge crowd filling the entry area of the boat. They called for passengers on Bus #1. We started walking to the bus, but at Fran's speed most people passed us quickly. The rain was pouring down. I had an umbrella but she wanted to just use her hat for shelter. Once she exited the gangway, she said that she could make across the rocks and as long as she avoided the mud, she should be OK. I went ahead to make sure that the handicapped seats were still available. I climbed on the bus to see that two people were in the front seat and one person was in each of the second row seats.

Me being the fatalist ran off the bus and approached the tour coordinator saying, "We're not going to be able to ride on this bus!" When she asked why, I told her that all the handicapped seats were full and there wasn't any room for Fran. The guide told me she would ask people to move. She did ask if I needed the handicapped seats and I told her, that I didn't. But you'll remember the day before we also mentioned that no one wants to sit next to either of our fat @$$es.

The couple in the front seat moved and Fran sat in that seat and I went to the back of the bus.

It was (as I suspected) a 45 minute drive to the tour location in the rain.



I amused myself writing up the TR, but I didn't want to wear down the battery on my phone, plus the tour guide was fairly interesting to listen to. He talked about a lot of things, but the major "takeaway" I got from his talk, and mind you he was a local born and bred in the Bayou, was that the refineries are poisoning the countryside.


I don't remember a lot of details about what he said, but there are periods of time when the water is not safe to drink in certain Parrishes. I assume Parrish in Louisiana is synonymous with County in California.

Also he talked about cancer rates and infertility in many of the towns where refineries have replaced sugar plantations. If that is really true, that is awful.





So after that cheery talk we arrived at the swamp.

Of course all the ladies made a beeline for the restroom. It was still pouring rain. And while there were additional restrooms around the corner, no one wanted to go out in the rain to find them.

After everyone finally got onto the boat we took off.





Still Raining



This is what our boat looked like. Each one had an individual name.



No Gators yet.



There’s one!



My picture is blurry, but you can tell this is a big one.



And another…



Our guide (who by the way sounded EXACTLY like Ray the Cajun Firefly in Princess and the Frog) explained that this was where the gators would go in and out of the bayou. Anytime you can see where the plants aren’t growing it’s because the gators are sliding in and out of the bayou at that location.





This cabin was already there when they bought the property, they “just fixed it up a bit.”





Sometimes your yard would be a little “smaller” than other days, they said this was common with “waterfront” property.



They had this little guy available for photo ops.



Even if we weren’t seeing many gators, the scenery was pretty.



Another gator



Then our guide brought around a crawfish. We didn’t get to hold him for a photo op.



I know they talked about this graveyard also being here when they bought the land and there was significance, but it was so hard to understand the guy speaking Cajun on the tour I couldn’t understand what he said.



This was one of the funniest moments of the tour. It stopped raining and the gators started to come out. Now some of you know we have a cat named Tesla, he’s the youngest of the lot and in addition to being my cutie-sweetie-boy, he is also a big bully. For no reason he will jump on top of another cat and wrassle them for his jollies. It has got to the point with some of the cats that they just run when they see him coming. Enter our two subjects.

Aligator number one is enjoying his new sunny spot on the log.



As soon as Aligator number 2 neared the log, the first one dived into the water.



And then it was his log.





When we docked back at the landing all the women made a beeline for the restroom. Since it wasn't raining we were able to use the extra three around back and things went a lot faster.

The bus was a fair distance away from the main area. Fran was the last one left to board and the driver sent the guide to let her know that he would be bringing the bus to her.

Also she told me that no one sat with her on the trip there so rather than go to the back of the bus, I squished into the front seat with her.

On the way back to the boat it rained on and off. The guide pointed out a Cajun houseboat, and a little later was a Cajun condo, but I couldn't get a picture of that.



The bus made a stop at Nottoway Plantation for those who wanted to get off and enjoy it. We were starving and tired so we passed on that one.

 

[cruisehopeful]

There’s one!

How cute! The alligator is smiling for the picture.

I'm planning on going to NOLA later this year. I am undecided about a Bayou tour. Do you recommend it?

 

[jedijill]

Too bad about the rain but the tour looked really interesting. You did see a lot of gators!

Jill in CO

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Enjoyed your updates complete with History of the areas. Fighting that common enemy the British lol. That must have given you ambivalent feelings with Frans relative.

I wonder if I am related to Burke from Burke and Hare they are famous here in the 19th century for body snatching!

Sorry that it rained but the tour of the swamp looked great with those gators you could handle so cool!

The menus at all meals again I am very impressed.

 

[franandaj]

The museum looks great. There are some disturbing flashes of history playing out right now. Sorry you didn't have better luck at the casino. Your snack and dinner looked mighty tasty!

Jill in CO

We enjoyed the museum, and time will only tell how this chapter in our history will play out. Lets hope it goes well!

We just need a trip to Las Vegas where we seem to do better.

Too bad about the rain but the tour looked really interesting. You did see a lot of gators!

Jill in CO

It was a fun tour, but I think it was the final straw in the sickness equation.

Enjoyed your updates complete with History of the areas. Fighting that common enemy the British lol. That must have given you ambivalent feelings with Frans relative.

I'm glad we are at peace with you Brits now! Well it's still undetermined as to the blood line and if he really is related, but evidently it always made for a fun joke in her family.

I wonder if I am related to Burke from Burke and Hare they are famous here in the 19th century for body snatching!

That's a good question. (Slowly backs up....)

Sorry that it rained but the tour of the swamp looked great with those gators you could handle so cool!

I think we would have seen even more if the weather was clear!

The menus at all meals again I am very impressed.

They did feed us very well, and I didn't even gain a ton of weight on the trip!

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

I meant to say I was very relieved that you said you did not get the madi gras thing because neither do I! What is up with that! Masks and frightful outfits it seems very strange to me.. I find those folks in masks creepy like I do not like clowns or poirot type characters.

 

[dizneeat]

Yikes, all that rain, but thankfully it didn't dampen your spririt!
I would have freaked out on that boat. That is far too close to all those gators in the water. You are one brave lady!

Love all the photo evidence of your excursion.

 

[skier_pete]

A swamp tour of Louisiana - also known as 'a tour'. Haha. Basically everything south and east of Baton Rouge is swamp, except New Orleans, which is only not swamp because of the levees.

Yes - Parish is the same as County everywhere else.

The chemical/refinery industry is very big in Louisiana. And while companies have to abide by EPA rules, I wouldn't put it past that some don't, especially with the level of graft in Louisiana.

(And yes, Huey Long was definitely the "Donald" of his time.)

 

[afwdwfan]

Obviously Louisiana took part in the Civil War and they covered that here. There was even this odd submarine which had been excavated out of the river bed, I believe when the army Corps of engineers were doing their work after the flood of 1927.

Cool!

It is fascinating that they were able to build something like that with the limited technology they had back in those days. But anyone who got inside one of those had to be extremely brave, extremely stupid, or a combination of the 2.

He was flamboyant, constituents either loved him or hated him. He used certain races as scapegoats, and watching the old news reels of him gave me a weird sense of deja vu. Sound familiar to any of today’s candidates?

Based on the flamboyant comment, I know where you're going with this.

That said, the first presidential election I was able to vote in was 2000.

I'm still waiting to see a ballot with a quality candidate on it.

When we finished this exhibit we checked the time and we had spent almost two hours and only been through about 4 exhibits.

I could see myself getting caught up in it like that too. If I find something interesting in a museum I can spend a lot of time just reading and looking at things and just lose track of time.

The guide on the bus told us to go directly to the 3rd floor and skip the first, but we like history so we did the first and then hit the 3rd floor. I would not have wanted to miss the material on the first floor, the 3rd was mostly pop culture and while there was a lot of fun stuff, but there wasn't a lot of substance to it.

Oh wow... yeah, I'd hate to miss out on some of the good historical displays!

When we got there, the minimums were pretty high but I insisted we play. We both bought in with a large bill and within 15-20 minutes we were walking out without our money. Fran got a little peeved, we don't normally play tables like that, usually half that minimum, but I think I was anxious since we didn't get to play in Greenville.

Well, at least this one wanted to take your money.

Just as soon as the gal grabbed the napkins and leftover silverware, the old woman came back saying, "That's MY table! I was going to finish my coffee! What did you do with my napkin?"

He talked about a lot of things, but the major "takeaway" I got from his talk, and mind you he was a local born and bred in the Bayou, was that the refineries are poisoning the countryside.

I hate to hear that. I'm sure especially after the situation with the BP rig in the Gulf a few years ago that there is no love lost between the locals and the oil industry.

Our guide (who by the way sounded EXACTLY like Ray the Cajun Firefly in Princess and the Frog)

As soon as Aligator number 2 neared the log, the first one dived into the water.

That is probably because gator number 1 realized he was going to be lunch.

It looks like an interesting bayou tour. That would be cool to get out in the swamp and check it all out. Too bad the rain didn't clear out sooner so you could enjoy it a little more.

 

[Steppesister]

Cool!!!! A Swamp Tour! I've always wanted to do something like that! You got some good pictures of the gators too.

My favorite is that cabin though. It's almost too perfect and SOOO reminds me of the cabin in the first scene of the DLR PoTC. Enchanting!

 

[mvf-m11c]

It was a shame that it was raining like crazy during the swamp tour. The tour was very interesting and you got great shots when it was raining. But getting pictures when it is raining is great as well which you don't see that often. I enjoy taking rain shots especially during long exposures with a tripod. That is a very nice picture of you with the gator. I have been up close to gators especially in Florida when I have golf at the WDW golf courses which the gators.

Hope you are having a good trip.

 

[ACDSNY]

Gator tour looks fun as long as you keep all body parts in the boat and out of the water. The history lesson was interesting too.

 

[Flossbolna]

Wow, I guess all that rain was pretty authentic, since the water to make the swamp needs to come from somewhere... But it certainly did not make for a very pleasant touring experience!

I have to agree with Liesa about that cabin: Looks like it is straight out of PotC! Or would that be the other way around???

And I just think that if you had trouble understanding the guy, I would not have stood a chance to understand a single word! But it really looks like a very interesting tour despite all those issues.

 

[franandaj]

I meant to say I was very relieved that you said you did not get the madi gras thing because neither do I! What is up with that! Masks and frightful outfits it seems very strange to me.. I find those folks in masks creepy like I do not like clowns or poirot type characters.

I like the idea of Mardi Gras, and clowns and the like don't bother me. I just don't like the crowds and ME having to wear all those masks and clothes!

Yikes, all that rain, but thankfully it didn't dampen your spririt!
I would have freaked out on that boat. That is far too close to all those gators in the water. You are one brave lady!

Love all the photo evidence of your excursion.

I figure they can't bite through the metal of the boat. They don't lunge so we were perfectly safe, even more so than on the shore!

A swamp tour of Louisiana - also known as 'a tour'. Haha. Basically everything south and east of Baton Rouge is swamp, except New Orleans, which is only not swamp because of the levees.

Yes, you are definitely right on that one!

Yes - Parish is the same as County everywhere else.

Thank you for clarifying.

The chemical/refinery industry is very big in Louisiana. And while companies have to abide by EPA rules, I wouldn't put it past that some don't, especially with the level of graft in Louisiana.

I couldn't believe that right after he was talking about ground water pollution we saw that sign saying that the water was OK to drink now. Totally brought it home.

(And yes, Huey Long was definitely the "Donald" of his time.)

I'm glad I'm not the only one seeing it that way.

Cool!

It is fascinating that they were able to build something like that with the limited technology they had back in those days. But anyone who got inside one of those had to be extremely brave, extremely stupid, or a combination of the 2.

I'd say a combination of the two.

Based on the flamboyant comment, I know where you're going with this.

That said, the first presidential election I was able to vote in was 2000.

I'm still waiting to see a ballot with a quality candidate on it.

See there you go making me feel old and all again. My first election was Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale.

I could see myself getting caught up in it like that too. If I find something interesting in a museum I can spend a lot of time just reading and looking at things and just lose track of time.

We didn't want to get so caught up in it that we missed the boat leaving!

Oh wow... yeah, I'd hate to miss out on some of the good historical displays!

This was such an educational trip, and I didn't even expect that going in.

Well, at least this one wanted to take your money.

Well, we had that going for us then.

I hate to hear that. I'm sure especially after the situation with the BP rig in the Gulf a few years ago that there is no love lost between the locals and the oil industry.

I'm sure that whole situation didn't help either. Such a sad situation.

That is probably because gator number 1 realized he was going to be lunch.

It looks like an interesting bayou tour. That would be cool to get out in the swamp and check it all out. Too bad the rain didn't clear out sooner so you could enjoy it a little more.

I would really like to do another tour that isn't in the rain, the gators seemed much more active just in that little time after the rain let up.

 

[franandaj]

Cool!!!! A Swamp Tour! I've always wanted to do something like that! You got some good pictures of the gators too.

My favorite is that cabin though. It's almost too perfect and SOOO reminds me of the cabin in the first scene of the DLR PoTC. Enchanting!

I'm so glad we got to do it. I had wanted to from the beginning, but you would have to go far outside the city to do it, and we didn't want to rent a car to get there so this worked out perfectly.

It was a shame that it was raining like crazy during the swamp tour. The tour was very interesting and you got great shots when it was raining. But getting pictures when it is raining is great as well which you don't see that often. I enjoy taking rain shots especially during long exposures with a tripod. That is a very nice picture of you with the gator. I have been up close to gators especially in Florida when I have golf at the WDW golf courses which the gators.

Hope you are having a good trip.

On the one hand it was a shame it was raining, but on the other it added to the mood! I would rather see gators from a boat than on a gold course!

Gator tour looks fun as long as you keep all body parts in the boat and out of the water. The history lesson was interesting too.

Yeah, tell me about it. Brings a whole new meaning to "keep your arms inside the ride vehicle at all times."

Wow, I guess all that rain was pretty authentic, since the water to make the swamp needs to come from somewhere... But it certainly did not make for a very pleasant touring experience!

Well it didn't become a swamp with LA Desert like conditions!

I have to agree with Liesa about that cabin: Looks like it is straight out of PotC! Or would that be the other way around???

Yeah, life imitating Disney or the other way around....I'll have some similar comments coming up in later updates.

And I just think that if you had trouble understanding the guy, I would not have stood a chance to understand a single word! But it really looks like a very interesting tour despite all those issues.

Heck! WE couldn't hardly understand a word of what he said!

 

[franandaj]

OK, I know that I'm updating like crazy, but tomorrow night we fly home from WDW and I can't wait to start that TR! I'm sitting here looking out the windows of our Bungalow waiting for the Bellman to pick up our bags to transfer to a studio for tonight. We are splitting up with Naked Jim and Alberto which is sad. After a whole week we are still friends and speaking to each other! It has been a fantastic trip so far and I cant wait to start the TR so this one will wrap up pretty quickly and we'll get started on the next. I'll post a link here and on the other TR, plus those of you who have requested a bat signal (and some others who have been MIA) will get notification!

When we got back to the boat it was a treacherous muddy walk back to the gangway. We headed toward the main dining room and they were serving an Easter Brunch buffet. We went directly to lunch without stopping by the room and that was a good choice because they started wrapping up the buffet shortly after we got our food.

We were seated with four folks who were from outside of DC. I started off with the leek and potato soup as did Fran.



One of our tablemates came back to the table with a plate of fresh pasta, when I asked where he found that, he said that the omelet bar location was making pasta to order. I knew exactly what my lunch was going to be!



Fran chose an assortment from the buffet.



It was with this meal that I could tell the cruise was coming to an end. No one asked if we needed a refill on our drinks and before I was done with my pasta I jumped up to grab desserts. I could tell they were getting ready to shut down the buffet. Lucky we made it in before they went into full shut down mode! Sorry we dug into it before I realized I hadn’t taken a picture.



Another of our tablemates rushed off to catch the bus for the 1:45 tour of the Plantation and we thought about whether or not we needed to do that. We would need to go by the room and with how slowly Fran walks it would be 2:30 at the earliest before we were on a bus. Then the tour would take an hour which would put us coming back very close to the 4:30 all aboard. Plus the weather apps were predicting more rain. So we decided against it. Fran said that when we did our driving plantation tour, we could stay at the hotel there.

We already had some loose plans coming together (before we went on this trip) to fly in and out of New Orleans, get a car and drive up to visit the Plantations at our leisure. We had already put Vicksburg on the list to see the battlefield. Natchez for pilgrimage, Oak Alley (which we missed entirely on this trip) and now Nottoway, where we would stay for a night or two. However until the state of Mississippi gets their act together, Vicksburg and Natchez are off the list.

Instead we went back to the room and I packed up our suitcases leaving out those things that we planned on wearing that night and the next day.

As we were leaving there was eerie fog on the river, it was kind of cool.





Once I had most of our stuff packed up I went down to the Engine Room bar and had a drink. I had been in there a couple times during the week and the bartender and I had developed a nice rapport.



When I got back to the room, Fran asked if I would be upset at her if she skipped dinner. She wasn't feeling good at all and had no desire to eat. So I went to dinner by myself and everyone was sad that she wasn't feeling well.



I had the Fettucine Alla Carbonara for my starter



I also had the Minnesota Wild Rice Soup



I didn't really fancy any of the choices for the main entrées so I chose off the available every day menu and got the petit steak. It sure didn't look petit to me!



For dessert I went with the raspberry sorbet. Nigel and Jenny had ordered to wine program, which means that they prepurchased 5 bottles of wine for a certain fee. Then they got 20% off any additional bottles.



I guess they had extra bottles to use up and shared on of them with me during the main. It was a 2006 Zinfandel and was so much tastier than the complimentary wine! And with that we said goodnight. I came back to the room, removed my dinner clothes and stuffed them in the suitcase. Then I put the robe on and placed all four suitcases outside the door.



New Orleans.


When we woke up in the morning the suitcases were gone. We had set the alarm fairly early as the disembarking process was fairly early. Breakfast was served from 6:00-8:00AM, we had to vacate the room by 8:00AM and be completely off the boat by 8:45AM.

We were all packed up and down to breakfast by 7:00AM and if you thought the last breakfast on a Disney ship was bad, this one took the cake. There was no menu service, strictly buffet. As they ran out of things, the plates disappeared and never returned. I had hoped for some strawberries but it was empty when I got there. The blueberries, raspberries and blackberries were refilled and I realized that they were only refilling things that didn't require prep. So I grabbed some cantaloupe before that plate disappeared.



It was like pulling teeth to get coffee and juice, but we finally managed. At least on Disney they know their job is to get you out of there as quick as possible so they bring what you ask for right away.





Eventually we went back to the room to gather our carry ons and the scooter. And then we disembarked.

Our luggage was waiting on the dock as promised. There was a guy there whom I had seen on occasion throughout the week. I think he worked in sanitation of some sort, and he asked us if we needed help to get out bags to a taxi. I was glad for the help, especially since it was quite aways to the Hilton Riverside where one would catch the taxi. There was a full on mall in between the dock and the Hilton. I never would have found our way without him. He admitted to us that he liked to help guests with their bags because any excuse to get him off the ship was a bonus. Otherwise they might ask him to clean toilets or something!

It took a little bit to get a cab because the vehicle that would have been perfect for us, a Chevy Suburban, was taken by our lunch tablemates of the day before. They each had one suitcase and it seemed like such a waste. That vehicle would have fit us easily as its the Chevy version of the Ford expedition. Next up was a prius, uh no.

Finally a Toyota Van showed up and that worked for us.

When we got off the boat my phone started exploding with sounds indicating text messages, emails, all sorts of other alerts that I couldn't get due to poor WiFi on the boat. Most were inconsequential, except for one from Naked Jim. It was rather long, but the gist was that one of our cats, Samantha, had gone out Sunday morning and didn't come home. Also Olga, who had been somewhat lethargic before we left had deteriorated to listless and no longer wanting to eat. We had anticipated this day and left all the pertinent vet information in case it came down to it. It was still only 6:30 in California so we just waited on any action.

We had called ahead to the hotel before we left our stateroom and the room was ready, so check in was easy and soon we were in our new home for the next three nights. I didn't realize how cozy it was going to become.













Neither of us felt very good, but I knew I needed to get us some mucinex as that stuff is like a shop vac for your sinuses. There was a CVS about two blocks away, so I went there as soon as Fran was settled in the room. They didn't have the 12 hour version, so I got one that you take every four hours. I dosed us both when I got back to the room and then we both laid down for a nap. It was barely 9AM and we both slept for about three hours.