Onward, Ever Onward

Next Stop Diamondhead (No, not that one)

Featured Guests: Jon & Angela 

Length of Relationship: Jon - 40 years Angela - 15ish years

Background: Jon & Michael worked at Pepsi for several years and they bonded as they dealt with the Pepsi "culture". It was said that when you were hired at Pepsi, someone at Corporate fireda gun with a silver bullet and you don't know where and you don't know when, but one day you know you will get that silver bullet in your back. Michael left Pepsi  to become an entrepreneur by investing in a new franchise and becoming an Area Franchisee for Mail Boxes Etc. Jon left Pepsi only to come back and then leave again, but managed to exit unscathed.

We were just "passing through" Diamondhead with only an opportunity for lunch (great gumbo Angela) and a quick tour of the coast narrated by  Jon & Angela and then we were off to Mobile.

Mobile

There is nothing to say about Mobile. Well we had a dinner that lasted no more than one-half hour and was grossly overpriced. Not a fine dining experience.

Tallahassee

There is only a little more to say about Tallahassee. It is the state capital. We got there on the day that Roe vs Wade was overturned. As we drove to dinner we passed the State House and the steps were filled with demonstrators. "Michael, look!" I yelled. They're protesting! In Florida! There's hope!" When we got to the restaurant and I had a wine in front of me, Michael said to me kindly "You know dear, they might not have been protesting. They might have been celebrating. It is Florida." Well I couldn't read the signs or hear the chants, but I like to think at least some of them were protesting. The restaurant had lobbyist dive written all over it. My sorbet had large chunks of inedible pineapple protruding from it. Another in a long line of overpriced subpar meals thus far on the trip.

Savannah

At last a city with substance! Savannah is beautiful as you'll see from the photos. It was still an inferno with temps pushing 95 bolstered by that lovely Southern humidity. A saving grace is that Savannah has squares, parks and shade aplenty to help mitigate the heat. 

We spent a lovely day exploring the waterfront (touristy but interesting) and the historic area around Forsyth Park. Michael's photos will lead you through our tour.

A dock leading out to the estuary on Tybee Island.

As we were searching for restaurants on our first foray to Tybee Island, we encountered these two characters who wanted their picture taken. We promised them fame, fortune and a placement in the blog.

The Cotton Exchange on the Savannah Bluff.

Below the bluff is the river with its tourist paddle boat (which uses diesel engines, not steam) whose paddles are only for show.

We came across this Coast Guard boat with this dummy sunbathing. 

Wandering around Savannah, one of the many interesting things are the old mansions. This was the Kessler Armstrong Mansion. This is a nationally significant example of Italian Renaissance Revival architecture.

In fitting with the Italian character of the mansion, Il Porcellino, the Wild Boar of Florence graces the garden. 

The Forsyth Park fountain is iconic, is over 150 years old but is not unique. The fountain was ordered from a catalogue and similar fountains exist in New York, Peru and France.

This is one of the figures spraying water in the fountain...

and this swan is another.

The spanish moss draped trees are resplendent throughout the park.

Hodgson Hall is the home of the Georgia Historical Society. Built in 1876 it was designed by the founder of the American Institute of Architects, Detlef Lienau.

Jepson House Education Center was originally built in 1856 as a private residence for Thomas Holcombe as a grand Italianate mansion.  It has since been acquired by the Georgia Historical Society for use as its Education Center.

This is the mansion featured in the non-fiction novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

A monument to Casimir Pulaski in Monterey Square. This is a 19th century monument to Pulaski, who lost his life during the siege of Savannah during the Revolutionary War and was credited with saving the life of George Washington.

Details of the Italian marble monument.

Congregation Mickve Israel was founded in 1733, shortly after the founding of Savannah. It is the third oldest Jewish congregation in the US. The synagogue was built in 1878.

The Comer House once hosted Jefferson Davis.

This very interesting building currently house SCAD (Savannah College of Art & Design). It previously housed the Savannah Volunteer Guards.

The tree lined streets of the historic district of Savannah help to shade it from the intense sun and moderate the temperatures.

The architecture of the Savannah buildings speaks to the importance of this Southern city.

The climate is very conducive to the greenery of the city.

The Green-Meldrim mansion is an example of residential Gothic Revival architecture. The mansion was offered by Green to William Tecumseh Sherman for use as his headquarters, which Sherman used for that purpose from December 22, 1864 to February 1, 1865.

This monument was erected to Sgt. William Jasper in Madison Square. Jasper was mortally wounded on September 9, 1779 fighting against the British.

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist with its twin steeples stands out in Savannah...

as does the gold dome of Savannah City Hall.

We made the mistake of going to Tybee Island on a summer weekend and trying to eat. Not doable. That lack of availability combined with lackluster, overpriced meals was definitely bumming us out. And then...

Deirdre Meets Phobia #53

I didn't even know I had this one. After our failed dinner on Tybee Island, we vowed to return. So we set out on a quiet Monday morning to return to Tybee Island and rent a kayak to explore the channels and marshes which are quite scenic. (Michael was missing his kayaking and since we rent a tandem kayak and Michael paddles while I enjoy the scenery this seemed like a great plan. The golden-haired surfer dude who was giving us the safety/trail pitch looked at us and said, "I recommend the shorter, easier paddle, especially for you guys." Here it comes again --- the "old thing". Michael fixed him with a stare and said, "I paddle 15 kilometers three times a week." That shut him up.

So, off we go. I, who know nothing and actually contribute nothing to the kayaking endeavor, suggest that if Michael gets out of the current from the receding tide by paddling closer to the reeds he can expend less energy. And this is true. Until there is a god awful, thunderous crash and water swells into the kayak while it rocks vigorously from side to side. "Hang on" exhorts Michael. A very substantial alligator had launched itself out of the reeds to about a foot from Michael. Luckily it didn't take a second shot at us and the kayak we rented was very stable. I pretty much whined and moaned until Michael dropped me off at the dock so he could continue to paddle in peace.  As we pulled in the Golden Boy said snarkily, " Well that was a short paddle. Was it fun?" "It was great until the gator attack", I replied. He was struck mute, which was pretty nice. He gathered his wits and immediately began to refute our "story". "Oh, it was probably a sea turtle...a gar... a dolphin." We did not recant. It was clear they didn't believe us or didn't want to believe us. "Fine we said, have it your way. Here's our card. Email us when it eats someone." 

Michael traded the tandem kayak for a single and kayaked into the bay where he did see a gar leap straight up out of the water (further confirming it was no gar previously) and also encountered a pod of dolphins on his return swimming around the kayak. Upon Michael's return from his solo paddle we were off to lunch.

Seated at a lovely table at a lovely restaurant on the same lovely estuary, we asked our waitress if they had gators in the water in front of the restaurant. "Oh god yes, many. You know that enclosure we have with all the gators in it. They're all local." Well somebody was fibbing earlier, eh?

When we spoke to son Alex he was somewhat reassuring, "I think it's the time of year they lay their eggs. It was probably a female alligator just protecting her nest and you just got too close." Well (fun fact) alligators do lay their eggs in the last week of June thru early July, but I'm not convinced. She seemed a tad too eager... With a sense of relief for surviving our encounter we left Savannah and made a brief stop at a plantation and then the amazing town of Beaufort, SC. (Filming location for The Big Chill.)

While it was impossible to get a photo of the gar leaping out of the water, I did manage to get photos of this dolphin...

and this dolphin swimming near the kayak.

A sign outside The Crab Shack, inviting patrons to "Feed the Gators!".

Our wonderful waitress appeared in this stylish aluminum foil headdress at one point during our meal.

The estuary by the restaurant where the gators abound.

The Crab Shack (which claims to be the oldest, original crab shack in the US) has some unique decorations...

and Jimmy Buffet songs issued forth from the loudspeakers.

Some of the gators lounging in the enclosed pool by the restaurant available to be fed.

Deirdre swears this gator mounted on the side of The Crab Shack must have been the size of the gator that went for us.

The 1.5 mile entrance to the Wormsloe Historic Site in Savannah is lined on either side by 400 stately live oak trees dripping with spanish moss.

It is impossible to get an idea of the expanse of this tree lined drive in just one photo.

This is the part of the remains of the 1745 tabby house constructed by Noble Jones, an early colonist and contemporary of James Oglethorpe. Noble was granted 500 acres on the Isle of Hope in 1736.  Tabby construction was common in the area due to the availability of the materials --- equal parts sand, oyster shells, lime and water were mixed in molds to create building blocks. The building was covered with a smooth layer of quicklime plaster.

More Gator Tales in Bluffton

Our next stop was to the historic town of Bluffton, which is on the mainland across from Hilton Head to visit my (Deirdre's) cousin and his wife.

Featured Guests: Scott & Joann

Known since: Scott (since birth) Joann 55ish years.

Anecdote: When we were kids, Scott would come and visit us for a week or two each summer as he and my brother were very close in age. Scott was a sort of finicky eater while my mother was an adherent of the clean plate club. The major clash involved peas. Not able to exert her full parental mojo on Scott, mom would dole out peas one by one in increasing numbers meal to meal and summer to summer. It was the food equivalent of Chinese water torture. Scott may still not eat peas...

Still not quite over the gator encounter, we were recounting the tale to Scott & Joann over cocktails. "Yeah, said Scott, "'those suckers are mean." He then regaled us with the story of a neighbor's mishap. They live in a planned community in which houses surround small ponds. One day his friend was walking on the edge of his pond which also borders a golf course. Out of nowhere this gator leaps out and grabs the guy by his ankle and starts to pull him towards the water. He's screaming and manages to lean down and pull the gators jaws apart. But the gator pulls free and then grabs his calf and is really working to drag him into the pond. The guy is still (of course) screaming and a golfing foursome hears him. One guy runs over with his club and pummels the gator until it lets go of the guy. The guy ends up needing about 160 stitches.

Scott's takeaway: "Dee, think about it. A foursome and only one guy runs over and helps. Last time I'd play with those guys." I love Scott.  After a great meal together and overnight visit we were off to Charleston.

The Sentimental Journey: Special Edition

The South - Seen or Heard or Deduced on the Road

1.  Heard on The American Family Network: "That was no insurrection. They just got carried away." "Roe vs Wade sanctified the killing of precious pre-born children."
2. Heard on Fox News (tuned by mistake): Eight out of ten red states have the highest homicide rates. Know why? Most homicides happen in big cities and they are all run by democrats."
3. Heard in a conversation with us: "You don't have crime where Republicans are in office. The Democrats just let 'em all out of jail all the time." Hmm. I wonder where they picked up that tidbit.
4. Seen throughout the South: Billboards that reveal the conflict between sainthood and sex. - First billboard: "Jesus is the Answer to All Your Problems"   Second Billboard: "Mr. Binkie's Adult Toy Shop"   Third Billboard: "There are no bad guns, just bad people"    Billboard 4: "Mom save me. Don't kill me. "   Billboard 5: "The Gentlemen's Velvet Underground Club"    Billboard 6: "Celebrate Mom. Give her a Glock."   I don't believe any commentary is needed.
5. Deduced: The labor shortage is real. When trying to book restaurants we find: 1) Many are only open Thursday to Sunday; 2) Many are closed Monday & Tuesday; and, 3) Many will say they are fully booked , but that means 50% of tables because they don't have enough wait staff. Finally your hotel room will not get cleaned until 4 pm or in many cases never.
6. More Heard on the Road:  "I hate Biden. F**** Biden. Biden lies everyday. He makes up stories and gets away with it, while all they do is fact check Trump."     "Of course life starts at conception. Why else would you have to kill it."   "Kamala Harris should be the next Pope, even though she never goes to church. She did such a good job on the border, that she thinks she can solve abortion."   "Those pro-choicers only care about the woman's body. We pro-lifers care about the baby and it doesn't matter that it happens to grow in a woman."    "I have 3 shots and I still got COVID. Those vaccines don't work." (Yeah, but you're not dead.)
7. Deduction: From the various radio broadcasts we have (usually inadvertently) heard, many hosts really have it in for the L.G.B.T. Q. community. Oh, the callers weren't nice either.

So, there you have it. Clearly, not everyone around here shares these opinions, but part of a good road trip is keeping your ears & eyes wide open. And occasionally our eyes were wide open in disbelief. Let's see what happens as we head North.

THE SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY - CHAPTER 1

Intro: Back in the fall of 2021, when Michael & I each had a brush with death (fine now, don't worry), we decided that while we still had the stamina (we'll see) we should do a road trip and visit all the people and places in the US (well mostly Mississippi River & East) that we love and miss. So hang on. We're off on a 2 month interstate (international) voyage to reconnect and see what changes have occurred in the 10 years since we became ex-pats.

Out of Mexico 0 km to 1032 km

We loaded up the Subaru Outback Clampett style ("Michael do we really need the kettle bell?") and hit the road. It is a long and boring slog out of Mexico. Sand, cactus, shanties, cactus. But then we hit the Sierra Madre Orientales. There are 3 Sierra Madre ranges that run like fingers North to South from the border to ... well I don't know... but far. We had driven across the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre del Sur ranges, but never the Occidental range. Magnificent! Awesome! Terrifying! Here's how many Mexican roads work. they consist of a right lane and a left lane and each has a copious breakdown lane. Whenever you see someone in your rearview mirror who wants to pass, you straddle the breakdown lane. As does the car, if there is one, in the opposite lane. Then the 3rd car passes down the middle. If there is an incoming car 4, life gets dicey. This is not so bad on a level, straight road. In the Sierra Madres with steep grades and hairpin turns it becomes one giant panic attack for Deirdre. But, we survived and marvelled at the beauty of the mountains.

After two military checkpoints and two fruit police (really) checkpoints we reached the border. This can be easy ("Y'all have a good trip") or hard ("Y'all pull over and take everything out of the car"). We lucked out and after a cursory check of our cooler ("Any fruit in there?"), we had a lovely conversation with the agent about the joys of Mexican retirement and we were off.

Notes from America: Texas and Louisiana 1032 km to 1838 km

Right off we noticed two things. In Mexico everyone wore masks, Texas no. Gas in Mexico was $3.596 per gallon (after converting from liters to gallons and pesos to dollars) and in the US it was $4.479 per gallon (no conversion necessary). Our first night was spent in McAllen, TX. It is everything a border town should be: strip malls, pawn shops, payday loan outlets and "gentlemen's clubs", oh, and evangelical churches the size of Rhode Island.

We were psyched to sink our teeth into real Texas BBQ and pulled into a promising looking place. We should have been leery when we read the Bible passage on the sign out front. Generally BBQ and religion are not closely linked. We entered, were seated and were treated to Fox (at least it was Fox Business) on multiple TVs. We ordered and I asked for a beer. "Oh, we don't serve spirits." No beer? No beer with BBQ? Good God! Upon leaving the restroom the proprietor asked Michael how he was. "Excellent", Michael answered, "And you?". "Blessed" the owner replied. things sure had changed since we lived in Texas. We headed back out into the Sahara Dust Storm (passing over Texas at this time) and 100 degree + temperatures. Not a good start.

Featured City #1: Galveston

The next day, with visions of Glen Campbell crooning, we drove to Galveston. Despite living in San Antonio for 5 years, we'd never been there. That is because I have a thing (phobia 47) about swimming in brown water. It's not Galveston's fault its water looks like sludge. It's just the silt washed from the Mississippi. Sure, Florida gets the nice crystal, clear water and Texas gets effluvia. Life is not fair. 

However, what Galveston does have is beautiful architecture - despite all the hurricanes. We stayed in a very sweet little house that survived the 1900 Galveston hurricane. I don't know how since the house is wood and only 2-3 blocks from the Gulf.  If you didn't know about the Galveston hurricane of 1900, click this link:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1900_Galveston_hurricane. It was really something. This post is copy heavy, so I'll ket Michael's photos take you on a tour of Galveston and then we're off to Houston.

These were the stairway leading up to the second floor in the Bishop's Palace.

Originally built between 1887 & 1893 by Walter Gresham for his wife. The house was designed by Nicholas J. Clayton, architect for the cost of $250,000.

Even though the house was built by the Gresham's, this became known as the Bishop's pulpit when the house was acquired by the Catholic Diocese of Galveston in 1923 for Bishop Byrne.

Some of the furnishings kept by the Bishop seemed a little out of place.

The house was ornately designed and would be worth $5.5 million today.

The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Houses.

Another item which appears to be out of place in the Bishop's Palace.

Thankfully air conditioning has been added since it was over 100 degrees while we were in Galveston.

This stained glass was added when the Bishop moved into the house.

Other portions of the house retained the original stained glass.

The Bishop's bed was narrower and more modest than Mrs. Gresham's bed shown below.

.

The Bishop added his own private chapel in the house with stained glass windows of the four authors of the gospels and on either side (not shown in the photo) Peter & Paul.

The bed of Mrs. Gresham with photos of her husband on the left & her photo on the right.

The fireplace in Mrs. Gresham's bedroom.

Sacred Heart Church is located across the street from the Bishop's Palace. The original church designed by Nicholas J. Clayton as well was destroyed in the 1900 hurricane. The current church was rebuilt in 1903 - 1904. 

The church features octagonal towers, flying buttresses, elaborate ornamentation and a variety of arches. The design reflects elements of Moorish, Byzantine, Gothic and Romanesque styles.

The original dome was destroyed in the 1915 hurricane and was subsequently replaced by this one.

This is the entrance to the Moody Mansion, W. L Moody, Jr. built about 1894,...

with views of the right exterior...

and left exterior...

and side of the mansion.

Details of the family crest over the entrance door.

The garage contained three antique cars used by the Moody's, including this Cadillac.

The ceiling of the parlor...

and the fireplace in the parlor.

Looking from the parlor into the library.

The dining room of the mansion...

with its elaborate coffered ceiling.

This was the ballroom, which accounts for its lack of furniture.

This stained glass window was off the stairway leading to the upstairs.

This was the original master bath of W.L. Moody, Jr. The tank on the wall is 129 years old.

These were all clothes worn by Mary Moody Northen (1892-1986) who was groomed to take over the leadership of the family businesses after the 1936 death of her brother.

Mary rescued these doors from the home of Col. William Lewis Moody (her grandfather). The Moody family's financial success dates to the years following the Civil War, when Virginia native Col. William Lewis Moody (1828-1920) established a cotton, wool and mercantile business on Galveston Island.

The interior entrance door to the mansion.

Mary built this serpentine wall which was copied from Thomas Jefferson's serpentine wall. The back and forth serpentine pattern gave the wall more strength and allowed it to be only one brick thick.

This was a sign posted in the diner where we ate lunch, demonstrating that not all of Texas follows the conservative dictates of Governor Greg Abbott.

KM 1838 to km 2055 Featured Guest # 1 - Beverly

Relation: Co-worker and Friend from San Antonio Days

Time Known: 44 years

Anecdote: Beverly & I worked at an Ad & PR firm owned by 2 lecherous brothers well before the #me too movement was a thing. Spent our time promoting crazy Texas politicians, disreputable car dealers and other unpromotable entities while watching each others backs to ward off the relentless advances of the Pitluk boys.

We spent Father's Day/ Juneteenth (It's a National Holiday - who knew!?!) at Weights & Measures restaurant a protracted & highly wonderful lunch with Beverly and then on to Kingswood.

Deirdre & Beverly

Featured Guests # 2: Laura & Daryl & Family

Relations: Ex Au Pair (definitely) & Cousin (sort of)

Time known: Daryl - 45ish years. Laura - 32 years.

Anecdote: Laura was 18 years old when she came to us as our au pair to Justin (2 years old) & Alex (newborn). She came to Michael's family reunion (you will too next month), Daryl & Laura met and the rest is history.

We spent the evening and stayed overnight with them. We met Keith, Natasha's (Daryl & Laura's daughter) fiancee who will soon be thrown to the wolves, --- sorry, introduced to the extended family at the reunion. Fell in love with their pets (one cat & one dog). Missed Cameron - the son. Onward to New Orleans.

From left to right - Michael, Keith, Natasha, Rosie, Laura, Deirdre and Daryl

Riding to the City of New Orleans: 2055 kms to 2597 kms

Once more settled into our car we tuned in NPR and began drifting over the bayous towards New Orleans. We lost NPR mid Bayou and found it replaced by the American Family News network - a broadcast medium designed to inundate us with MAGA based thinking. You can refer to our upcoming Special Edition: Heard & Seen On The Road to fully appreciate the "wisdom" dispensed by AFN.

New Orleans is a filthy, gritty wonder of a city. We set off early to beat the heat (impossible) and started at Jackson Square. Jackson seems to be everywhere in the South. He was a truly terrible person who: 1) initiated the "Trail of Tears" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_of_Tears), 2) abused his Presidential powers, and 3) was Donald Trump's favorite president. Three strikes and you're out - but not in the South.

We then went to the St. Louis Cathedral (the oldest operating Catholic Cathedral in the United States), named after King Louis IX (the crusading King who was canonized by the Catholic Church). After this we went to the two museums abutting the Cathedral on the Square. The best part was the museum dedicated to Mardi Gras. Michael's photos will do the work here. However, I would note that almost no mention was made of Black Mardi Gras. Anyone who watched Treme would know that this was a BIG mistake because their costumes were very, very cool. Michael will include some self explanatory photos on an exhibit of New Orleans culture. There was some brief mention of The Battle of New Orleans (Jackson again & an annoyingly memorable song - "In 1814 we took a little trip ..."). Enough. The 1850 House and the Carousel Bar rounded out the six hours we could withstand the heat and humidity.

Back to our VRBO rental where we met our hosts who were really interesting. Jeanne (female) had lived with her first husband and kids on a converted barge (it ended up about 2,000 sq. ft.) in a bayou for twenty years. She said it was marvelous while admitting she had to keep a close eye on her kids and dogs since the gators were very hungry most times. Interestingly, the hubby had tagged (I believe this means killed) over 900 gators. We always meet interesting folk when we rent VRBO.

Mike, our other host, graciously offered to take us to the World War II museum on his pass. That place is huge and truly fascinating. Michael's Dad fought in the Pacific, so following "The Route to Tokyo" exhibit was particularly interesting for him.  (His mother also served in the WAVES during the war.)

The iconic St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square behind the flowering crape myrtle trees...

and a full view of the front facade. The cathedral was completed in 1851 and is the oldest active cathedral in the US.

On the left side of the cathedral is the Cabildo, which is now a Louisiana State Museum...

and on the right side bookending the cathedral is the Presbytere (now also a Louisiana State Museum).

These interior photos of the cathedral will give you some idea of the opulent, ornateness of the cathedral.

The Presbytere contained a history of Mardi Gras in New Orleans which was started in 1872 by some civic minded citizens. This is the Rex krewe (the oldest and original krewe from the founding) with its moto "Pro Bono Publico" ("For the Public Good" for you non-Latin scholars). The three primary colors of purple (for Justice), green (for Faith) and gold (for Power) chosen to represent the official colors of Mardi Gras are all present here.

Many of the original Mardi Gras costumes for Rex...

his court...

and his queen are on display at the museum. There have been 143 kings with the youngest at 31 and the oldest at 75.

The first unmarried queen was chosen in 1874 and all queens since have been unmarried.

This is a costume of the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club which was formed in 1909 and incorporated in 1916. It wasn't until 1969 that the club was allowed to parade on Canal Street. This was on display in the Cabildo and was not on display in the Mardi Gras museum.

This painting in the Cabildo museum was commissioned to celebrate the tricentennial of New Orleans.

The Cabildo museum contained costumes recognizing the contribution of New Orleans to the musical world.

The Cabildo museum also contained this headpiece worn by Leroy "Whistle Monsta" which contained a whistle generating 23 decibels. This was signed by all of the New Orleans Saints players after winnign Super Bowl XLIV.

This poster explains the three main styles of houses found in New Orleans.

Only in New Orleans would you find the death mask of Napoleon Bonaparte...

and one of the portraits commissioned by Napoleon of himself.

Another colorful costume from the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club.

The quintessential French Quarter building with the balcony & iron railing.

Our son Justin insisted we should check out the Carousel Bar at the Monteleone Hotel...

and since we needed to escape from the heat we headed there for some liquid refreshment. The bar slowly rotates, so you better not have too many libations while seated at the bar.

New Orleans, like Mexico, is not afraid to put on a colorful display, whether at Mardi Gras, or on its buildings.



The Commander's Palace Restaurant in the Garden District of New Orleans is a notable spot for refined Creole fare --- just make sure to make your reservation months in advance. We found as we progressed on our journey, the most popular restaurants are "sold out". 

We did a tour of the Garden District looking at some of the magnificent houses. You might recognize this house from the movie, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", which was filmed here.

This was Colonel Short's Villa, built in 1859 for Colonel Robert H. Short of Kentucky.

The Sully Mansion was built in 1891 in the Queen Anne style with Colonial Revival details.

This house caught our eye initially because of the two characters on the porch...

which upon closer inspection were just two mannequins.

This same house had this whimsical sculpture in the yard as well.

This Greek Revival was built in 1859 by William A. Freret, architect. It was donated in 1965 to the Women's Guild of New Orleans Opera.

This statue designed to "celebrate women of the opera on stage and in the guild".

Sometimes it is nature that demonstrates the most magnificent design.

Time to move on to Diamondhead, MS; Mobile, AL; Tallahassee, FL and Savannah, GA and then head up the Eastern seaboard. More soon.