June 25, 2004

Day 15 of 16

We started this day like yesterday, in the rain. It rained and rained and rained almost all day. Early in the morning (before 6 am) it was really hard. I was afraid we wouldn't be able to take the Ferry to head west, which would have added another 60 miles to our trip. But the rain let up some and we finally left Galveston around 11 am and headed for New Orleans.

 

The rain let up as we boarded the Ferry so Heather and I stood on the front of the Ferry with a group of kids from San Antonio. We saw a couple of dolphins, but the water was rough, so not much sightseeing.

 

After getting off the Ferry we drove to I-10 and stopped in Winnie at Sonic for a Lemon-Berry Creme-Slushy. This was the first Sonic we went to 3+ years ago when we lived in Galveston. Our second stop was at the Boiling Point near Lake Charles for lunch, another favorite of ours from years ago.

 

Our final stop for the day was at the Tiger truck stop. Unfortunately there was only one tiger left. They said they gave the other 2 to a game preserve and were planning to trade the one for 2 cubs. We took some pictures but he seemed lonely. Hopefully he will find a new home soon.

 

We took the long way to New Orleans, crossing Lake Pontchartrain on the long bridge which was over 22 miles long. It would have been nicer if the weather hadn't been so bad, but the rain held off almost. We arrived at the Le Pavillon hotel which I had booked with Expedia for a great price. When we checked in they decided to upgrade us to a 2 bedroom suite, 2 baths, 3 TVs, fax, marble entry, high speed internet access. What a great room for the last night of our trip at a very cheap price.

 

We walked the 4 blocks to Bourbon Street for some shopping and dinner. We ate at one of the places that allowed us to sit on the second floor balcony and overlook the street. The food was great and Heather really enjoyed looking down on the street.

 

We returned to our hotel for PBJ and hot chocolate snacks in the lobby and then turned in for the night.