Day Nine – New Orleans Loop
Miles: 383
Elapsed Time: 12:37
Breakfast today was at a local place on US83 that is likely no longer there, but it was decent. We started down US61 and we first stopped at Wilkinson County Courthouse in the twn of Woodville. Around the courthouse is some old looking creole type housing. Next stop was St Francisville where we tried to see the Rosedown Plantation but there was a fee and it looked like it would take too long. So we went into the old part of town and saw Grace Episcopal Church and the West Feliciana Parish Courthouse. The church building dates from 1860, 33 years after the church was formed and it was heavily damaged by Union gunboats in 1863. The courthouse building was built in 1903 and replaced the beloved old courthouse heavily damaged in the War.
We moved on to Baton Rouge where we stopped on the riverfront to view the old state capitol building and also the USS Kidd. The old capitol building was constructed in 1847.
Next stop was New Orleans. It was my first visit to the city and I was looking forward to walking around and seeing the sights. We got lucky and found a spot on the street to park very near Jackson Square. We walked around and had a beer at Jackson Brewery and moved toward Napoleon House where I really to eat and visit. Rain was all around so we were kind of rushing but we also had our fill. Just when we were getting back on the bikes it started to rain and although it was no downpour it put a damper on things. We probably should have come back on the opposite side of the river and viewed the plantations but the weather to the north looked better so we decided to go across Lake Pontchartrain and go up through the lowlands. The only place we stopped at on the return was Lake Okhissa Park. Not much to see on the way back so we didn’t mess around but we had spent a lot of time getting to New Orleans and didn’t leave there until well after 2:00. We returned in time for dinner so we walked to Fat Mama’s Tamales. I guess a local tradition but I know it was also a tasty one. I’m not sure what was better, the tamales or the cornbread. All in all, a good day.
