Forty-Eight!

Mississippi!

Well, we weren't far into Mississippi, so we went back to get a daylight picture.

Then we headed toward New Orleans on U.S. 90.  First we stopped at the Davis Bayou at Ocean Springs Mississippi, part of the Gulf Island National Seashore.

 

The bugs were bad on the walk out to the bayou, but there was a nice view out there.   Then we tried to find some alligator at the one pond, but all we saw were snakes swimming around.  Even Debbie pointed out one of the snakes.

Then we stayed on US 90  across the bottom of Mississippi.  That took us through Biloxi and Gulfport.  Most of the ride was along the north shore of the Gulf of Mexico.

 

On our way to lunch, we drove past the place we decide to eat so we could hear, "Back Home Again in Indiana"  at the Indianapolis 500 performed by Straight, No Chaser!  (One our favorite Groups). We listened in on an Internet broadcast.

We stopped for lunch in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi at a place called The Blind Tiger.  It was an open-air bar and restaurant.... until it started to rain.  Debbie and Bob shared a delicious boiled shrimp meal with potatoes, sausage and corn (on the cob).  The girls has burger and fries.  The portion of fries was huge and we all shared that.

We continued on US 90 and came to a swing bridge.  Just as we crossed, we realized we were in 

State number 48!

This completed the lower 48 for Debbie, Maria and Sarah.  Bob accomplished onliy last year in Wisconsin.    

We continued on to New Orleans.  We found our hotel, tried to drive around the French Quarter.  That is very frustrating because of the narrow streets.  Then we headed out to the corner of Bordeaux and Tchoupitoulas  for a New Orleans snow ball at Hansen's Sno-Bliz.  

Delicious!  They have been in business 76 years!  Clockwise from left: Strawberry with crushed stawberrys on top, orange and cherry, cherry and lime and last, strawberry and lime.

After that we headed back to our hotel and checked in.  We are just across Canal street from Bourbon Street.  So, we walked over and down  a block.  As we were looking in the shops on Royal Street, a wedding parade came down the street!

unfortunately, the vidio is too large.... and I don't have a way to edit it....  I will add it later!

Then we saw two more !

After that Debbie checked out getting a tour and Bob checked out going to the Preservation Hall to listen to Jazz tomorrow night.  The we headed back to our hotel, because there was some bad weather coming in.