NORTH AMERICAN ROAD TRIP PART III

Kittens on the Porch

AirBnB in Savannah

 

Having visited all of my family, the rest of my trip was a voyage of exploration. I planned stops in cities that piqued my curiosity. My first such stop was Savannah. I had booked a room in an AirBnB located in a Victorian house decorated in a skeleton theme. I felt like I had stumbled into a Day of the Dead celebration. The owners were cool. The husband was a studio guitarist and he and I spent the evening playing music together. His wife sang a few numbers when she finally got off work. To top it off, there was even a litter of kittens on the front porch.

Catholic Church in Savannah

Riverboat in Savannah

In the morning, I got up early and went downtown to explore a bit and eat breakfast in a cafe by the river. I was charmed by the old buildings and oak trees hung with Spanish Moss (although I was warned that they were infested with ticks.) Savannah was a river port and the river was lined with old brick warehouses that had been turned into businesses and restaurants catering to tourists. It would have been fun to have spent more time there, but I had driving to do. I finished my walk along the river and then headed off towards Mobile, AL, another port city I had longed to explore.

Riverfront Warehouses in Savannah

Mossy Oak Trees in Savannah

I

Marina in Mobile

In Mobile, I stayed in a suburban home that had been converted into a three-room AirBnB. The other two lodgers were young men who were in town for work. The house was charmingly decorated and very clean. I went out to dinner at a nearby Popeye's Chicken and then went back to the house to take advantage of the internet to watch some Netflix.

Mobile Bay

It wasn't very far from Mobile to New Orleans, my next stop, so I had plenty of time to explore in the morning. I grabbed breakfast at a nearby McDonald's and then headed for the Mobile Yacht Club. I knew the club would be closed, but I figured I would find the marina nearby. I did. The marina was a somewhat ramshackle affair with old sheds for the power boats and a West Marine store that was closed on Sunday morning. I parked by the bay and wandered the docks, getting a feel for the place. It was very quiet.

Downtown Mobile

Downtown Mobile was so small that I had trouble locating it on Google Maps. There were two high-rises, a museum (closed), and a cruise ship teminal. It was very difficult to park. By the time I found a place to leave my car and walked back along the shore to the terminal, I had gotten a workout. It was very hot. I needed to stop for drinks and ice as soon as I left Mobile. Dollar General became my stop of choice in the south. They were conveniently located along the highways and stocked drinks, ice, and snacks.

The Beach in Mississippi

Gulf Islands National Seashore

From Mobile, I drove along the Gulf Coast through Biloxi and Gulfport, MS. I was surprised to discover that Biloxi was crowded with hotels and casinos. On a summer afternoon, the traffic crawled. Things improved when I got to Gulfport. There, the casinos gave way to stately homes raised on stilts and the beach became more visible. I had hoped to see more of the coast, so made a detour to visit Gulf Islands National Seashore. It turned out the park was in a swamp, so I still didn't get to see the coast. I did enjoy the scenery and the visitor's center and it was a nice spot to eat my lunch. Finally, I crossed the causeway over Lake Ponchartrain and entered New Orleans.

The House Where I Stayed in New Orleans

My Room in NOLA

I stayed in a mother-in-law unit behind a shotgun house in Mid City New Orleans. The room was comfortable enough, but the only window was in the transom above the door. It was a little claustrophobic. It was hot, but there was air conditioning. Even the street cars were air conditioned. I got there early enough to hop a street car down to check out the French Quarter. It was a bit much for me. Not being much of a drinker and being by myself, I just found it crowded and noisy. Every bar was trying to drown out the music from all the others. Even if I had found music to interest me, it would have been louder than I could stand. I was hungry, though, so I ordered a slice of pizza and a small pina colada. Small turned out to be 20 ounces and they hadn't stinted on the rum. It took me quite a while to consume it all. I ended up walking the two miles back to my lodging because I couldn't take the drink on the street car and I was too stubborn to throw it away.

The Lively French Quarter

French Quarter Architecture

The Mississippi River in New Orleans

Cafe du Monde

The next morning, I got up early and walked back downtown to start my day with coffee and beignets at Cafe du Monde. Breakfast came with a side of jazz. The musicians were out early. 

Jazz Band Outside Cafe du Monde

 

Beignets and Coffe at Cafe du Monde

Jackson Square

United States Court of Appeals

Lafayette Square

WWII Museum

As it promised to be another steamy day, I decided to visit the World War II Museum. I walked across town past the U.S. Court of Appeals and Lafayette Square. The museum was fascinating and took much longer to visit than I had expected. There were many multimedia exhibits that went into the details of each theater. I was very surprised to learn just how far the Nazi and Japanese influences had extended.

Immersive Exhibit

The Extent of Nazi Influence in Europe and Africa

Japanese Influence in the Pacific

Airmen Being Briefed Before a Mission

Crayfish Etouffee & Red Beans and Rice

It was mid-afternoon by the time I finished with the museum. A friend had recommended a restaurant called Mother's. It was on the way home, so I went there for lunch. I had red beans and rice and crayfish etouffee. It was very good and, on my limited budget, would turn out to be the only Cajun food I ate while in New Orleans.

Typical New Orleans Cemetery

Graves Were Often Close Together

After my late lunch, I took the street car all the way to the end of the line to visit the cemeteries. I got there just before 16:00. The cemeteries close at 16:00. I didn't get to go in, but got a pretty good idea of what they were like by looking through the fences. I was able to visit the Katrina memorial that had been constructed in Potter's Field where the unclaimed remains were interred. The street cars were few and far between at that hour, so I walked part of the way home, admiring the architecture.

Some Monuments Were Impressive

Monument to Firefighters

The Katrina Memorial

Streetcar Interior

New Orleans Architecture and Oaks

There wasn't much in the way of restaurants near my lodging, so I picked up some frozen Indian Food at Whole Foods and stayed in to enjoy the A/C and watch Netflix.

William Frantz Elementary School

On my last day in New Orleans, I had signed up for a tour of the areas most affected by hurricane Katrina. My guide was a young man from the area by the name of Hollis. He had been a teenager at the time of Katrina. He was very involved with the community. Aside from the fact that he drove like a maniac, he was a good tour guide and gave us a very local perspective.

Our first stop was at the William Frantz Elementary School where, in 1960, Ruby Bridges became one of the first black students to attend an all white school. It was such a controversial event that she was escorted by four U.S. Marshalls. The school has been closed in the wake of Katrina, but the monument to Ruby Bridges remains.

Ruby Bridges Monument

Industrial Canal Monument

The Industrial Canal Flood Wall

The 9th Ward, Today

Hollis then took us the see the Industrial Canal Flood Wall which failed in the wake of Katrina, flooding the Lower Ninth Ward. Hollis was convinced that the wall had been breached on purpose to drive out the mostly low-income, people of color who lived there. It was uncanny how the flooded areas all seemed to be inhabited by non-whites. His theory was further bolstered by the fact that almost all of the city's public housing units were condemned after Katrina, even those such as Storyville, that were largely undamanaged. They were, however, located on prime real estate near the French Quarter. The high-quality construction of the original units was replaced by lower density buildings that looked nice on the outside, but were more difficult to maintain on the inside. Most of the displaced families were forced to leave New Orleans as the new units were allocated to the elderly and single mothers.

Community Center Mural

Some of the Few Remaining Public Housing Units

Replacement Public Housing

The Lower Ninth Ward remains a wasteland after nearly twenty years. Most of the residents owned their homes outright and couldn't afford homeowner's insurance. The few that were rebuilt were done so with shoddy materials and already appear dilapidated. We visited a former community center that has never been reopened, but was the site of several murals depicting the area's history. We had trouble getting out of the Ninth Ward because the bridge over the canal was opened to let a ship pass. We detoured through East New Orleans, which had also been flooded after Katrina. Hollis ended his tour on Claiborne Ave. Once an Oak Lined boulevard that was the beating heart of black New Orleans' cultural scene, now it runs in the shadow of the 10 Fwy. Only a few of the oaks remain and a few businesses cling to life, hoping for a resurgence (or maybe redevelopment.)

Community Center Mural

A Few Businesses Cling to Life on Claiborne Ave.

Anne Rice's Home

Garden District Mansion Under Renovation

Garden District Estate

Garden District Home

After my tour, I wanted to visit the Garden District. I took a self guided walking tour and stopped for lunch along the way. It was hot, but the Garden District was shady, so the temperature was bearable. I caught the street car back to my lodgings, only venturing out into the heat to grab a pizza at a local restaurant before hitting the hay.

The next day, I left early and drove from New Orleans, through Houston traffic, to San Antonio. I stayed in an AirBnB in a quiet, suburban neighborhood. I arrived around dinnertime, but couldn't be bothered to eat. My room was crowded with so many personal items that there was barely room for me and one bag, but the bed was comfortable and all I need to do was sleep.

San Antonio was a much bigger city than I had expected. I got up early, hoping to check out the Riverwalk before it got too busy. I was surprised to discover that the Riverwalk was basically a shopping mall in the middle of downtown. There was a lot of construction going on and no available public parking, even at 7:00 AM. I circled the area and then gave up and drove out of San Antonio before stopping for breakfast.

Approaching San Antonio

It was a long drive from San Antonio to El Paso, but the scenery was greener and more varied than I had expected. I arrived at my AirBnB in the late afternoon. I stayed in a little casita behind a suburban home in Sunland Park, NM. I was about 50 feet away from Texas and actually had to go back into Texas to get out of the subdivision. Once again, I couldn't be bothered to go out to eat and just snacked on whatever I had left over.

Driving Across Arizona

Sunset in Joshua Tree

The longest day of my whole trip was the drive from El Paso, TX, to Joshua Tree, CA. It was hot and tedious and I was very thankful that my air conditioning was working. I drove across New Mexico and Arizona and then into California, arriving at my friend Larry's place just in time to take a sunset stroll around his desert neighborhood. Larry cooked a nice dinner of lentils and barley with a big salad and then we had time to chat before retiring early, as we both needed to get going early the next day.

Larry's Tame Roadrunner

In the morning, Larry made me breakfast and I enjoyed watching his tame roadrunner dash into the house to snag bits of hotdog. He was volunteering at a charity breakfast and I had lots of driving to do, so we said our farewells and went out separate ways. I drove into Los Angeles and stopped at Marina del Rey to have lunch with my friend, Greg, on the sailing vessel Scout and collect the phone charger I had abandoned there early in my travels. Then, I hit Highway 5 for a long, slow drive back to Benicia in heavier than usual traffic.

Back in Benicia, I had a lot to do in a short time. While financially unfortunate, it was convenient that my house still was not rented. I was able to sort through the items in my storage and start the process of wrapping everything in plastic so I could load it into my truck for the possibly rainy drive back to Mexico. My first mission, however, was to prepare my car for sale. I took it to the new, fancy carwash in my neighborhood to get it cleaned inside and out. I took photos and posted it on Craigslist. I got a lot of inquiries, but I still didn't have the title in hand, as I had forgotten to return from Los Angeles via Paso Robles to pick it up. I had to wait for Midori to FedEx it to me on Monday and Tuesday was the Fourth of July, a further delay. This was frustrating because I was in a hurry to get back to Mexico to help my friends move their boat from Mazatlan to Ensenada. I was running out of time. It all felt very stressful.

Homes in Georgiana Slough

The extra days in Benicia did give me a chance to have dinner with a girlfriend and get my packing done. I was far enough along in the process to take the Fourth of July off to go boating in the Sacramento River Delta with my friend, Barbra. Barbra needed to move her boat from one slip to another and we thought we'd take the opportunity to take her little power boat out for a spin. No sooner did we get to open water and try to open up the throttle than we heard an engine alarm. Water was coming out of the motor and the temperature wasn't high. The boat operated normally at low speeds but wouldn't go faster. The RPMs increased, but the prop didn't turn any faster. Eventually, it would redline and the alarm would go off. We poked along and explored a nearby slough. Then we beached the boat on a sand bar near the marina and ate lunch. Mostly. the day was relaxing, at least for me.

Barbra's Boat Beached on a Sand Bar

Once we finally got the boat loaded onto its float in its proper slip and figured out how to secure the cover, it was getting dark. Satisfied, we drove back to Benicia. Unfortunately, when I went to unlock my door, I discovered that my purse was not in the trunk of Barbra's car. We didn't know where it was, so we had to drive back to the Willow Berm Marina through the post-fireworks traffic. It was a long. slow drive, but we did get to see fireworks all over the area. Fortunately, my purse was in the dock box which was the first place I looked. Someone must have put it there for safekeeping while we were working on the boat. I had just assumed it was in the trunk of the car. It was midnight by the time Barbra returned me to my home. What had started as a quick boat ride had turned into a very long day.

The title for my car finally arrived on the afternoon of the fifth. I spent that day preparing the manifest for the load of items I was taking back to Mexico. I needed to present a list of every item, with its value, in English and Spanish. The list was only eight pages long, this time. When I drove down the first time, the list had run to 22 pages.

The most promising of the potential buyers for my car came to look at it in the late afternoon. He wanted the car, but it was too late to go to the bank that day. We agreed to meet at the bank the following morning.

My Former Kia Niro

The buyer met me at the bank and we transferred the money from his account to mine without incident. With that major hurdle passed, I was free to start loading my truck. None of my friends had good enough backs to help me load the furniture. I tried enlisting help through the neighborhood Facebook page, but the moderator took so long to approve my post that I had to load it all myself. It probably wasn't good for my poor, defective spine, but I managed to wrangle a china cabinet, large cedar chest, three tables, and ten boxes into the truck without breaking anything. By the time I got everything padded, waterproofed, and tarped, it was bedtime.

I left early in the morning on the 7th, headed down Highway 5 towards my goal of my friend Chuck's house in Indio. Google thought the Grapevine was closed (I think it was just reduced to one lane.), so sent me east, over the mountains. This turned out to be a great call, as I managed to avoid all of the L.A. traffic and arrived at Chuck's place just in time for us to go out for dinner. We had another nice visit.

In the morning, Chuck drove me to find an ATM and fed me breakfast before I hit the road, again. My goal for that day was Green Valley, AZ, just north of the Mexican border crossing at Nogales. I stayed at the Best Western there, not having had any luck finding an AirBnB. I managed to back my truck up to a wall. With the plywood sides on the truck, the load was quite secure.

I crossed the border on the morning of the 9th. After paying my duty to the National Guard gentleman manning the customs station, I continued on to kilometer 21 where I checked back in at immigration and obtained a temporary import permit for my truck. Two years before, I had been given only six months and had had to renew the TIP every six months. This time, they gave me until my temporary residency expired (811 days.) I was stopped four times before I got home and the officials were all quite impressed by the length of my TIP.

Beer and Tamale Dinner

I drove all day. It was hot and humid, but didn't rain. Everything was pretty green, so it must have rained at some point. It got greener as I headed south. I stopped for the night at my favorite no-tell-motel in Guasave. They recognized me at this point and were quick to offer me beer and tamales. It was the best 70 peso dinner I could have found.

The drive from Guasave back to La Cruz didn't go so smoothly. It started out well enough. The scenery was beautiful and the Nayarit jungle was rainy season green. Google directed me around Tepic, routing me out to San Blas and then down the coast to Las Varas. I had never seen most of that coast before. The road was narrow and poorly maintained, but the scenery was stunning. It was slow going and only got slower once I rejoined Highway 200 at La Varas. The heavens opened up right overhead and so much rain fell that I couldn't see anything but the emergency flashers of the car in front of me. So much water was bouncing off my hood that the windshield wipers couldn't keep up. Eventually, the traffic stopped and we just sat there for about an hour. My load got very wet despite all the plastic and tarps. After crawling from Las Varas to Sayulita, we sat still, again, at Sayulita until the road workers went home at 18:00. What would normally have taken an hour had taken three. It was hot and wet and dark, but I was finally home!