A Fun Afternoon Exploring New Orleans - S11E3
today we're revisiting The Big Easy New Orleans Louisiana known for its culture its food its music jazz arguably the most original and unique American art form then we're driving to the West all the way to Southeast Texas because guess what the West is calling I'm riding riding riding riding in my RV my RV wherever I want to be guys I'm free in my RV we've made it to New Orleans to the French Quarter RV resort and uh well the wind just died down but it is a windy day so it's going to be a good opportunity to test out uh this new microphone I got we're just a few blocks away from French Quarter and uh and the business district so let's get under way we only have like 6 hours here even the office has a French quartery look to it and they have a pool hot tub many amenities and most importantly we are walking distance to all the French Quarter attractions so the main amenity here is location that's the back of the historic St Louis Cemetery which we visited back in 2014 10 years [Music] ago [Music] we're walking on St Louis Street crossing basing Street and after Crossing Rampart Street we are officially in the French Quarter as I mentioned with being here before we came for martyr 2014 so we're not going to see everything today we just have about 6 hours and this wasn't even part of the original plan we were going to drive straight through to Texas but decided to stop here last minute and it might be nice to see the French Quarter during a quiet day as of this filming Marty gr just happened a couple of weeks ago the only downside of being here in a Tuesday is that some of the restaurants jazz clubs and museums are closed but hey we'll find something to do I'm sure here we have some very cool looking horse hitching [Music] posts now Crossing famous Bourbon Street it is early afternoon so this town hasn't even begun to wake up yet you'll never see it this quiet at [Music] night such unique architecture with all this balconies with the iron Rod railings New Orleans school of cooking this was one of the places I had marked to visit but we made a mistake today we had a big breakfast so we're not hungry yet yeah it is such a unique place so great to be here in in French Quarter once again and check out the unique architecture and some pretty quirky stuff now on decater Street here's a statue of John Baptist lemon or leem moan I don't know an early governor of French Louisiana we're just going to walk North here on decer Street see what we stumble upon there's the old Jackson Brewery which is nowadays a shopping mall with restaurants and all kinds of cool stuff but we want to go to a real Brewery and here we have Cresent City Brew House so it may be time for our first drink of the day they have a pretty good American IPA oh here we are excellent IPA sluggish service but there you go you are in in touristy New Orleans on a on a positive note you can take your beer out and drink on the street which is uh something unique to New Orleans and I believe Q West and just a couple other places in the United States we continue roaming around going north on decer Street which along with bourbon is one of the main drags here with all these horse drone carriage tours we may take one of those next time well now approaching Jackson Square and this is where the the cathedral is so let's check it out by the way it's kind of dead today in New Orleans believe it or not this usually a lot more livel than this so this is where they have all this uh horse drown tours here in New Orleans and here we are Jackson Square dating back to 1721 and the famous St Louis Cathedral probably one of the most photographed spots in the city the equestrian statue is of General Andrew Jackson a recasting of the one in Washington DC dedicated in 1856 this is of course one of the most iconic spots in New Orleans here in the city Jackson Square and of course the St Louis Cathedral and I believe there's music in front of it as as there usually is so let's check that out this is the oldest cathedral in continuous use in the United States the original church built in 1718 although as it happens it has burned to the ground twice the current building was completed in 1850 I told you there was going to be music but let's check out this statue here first there's usually art around here you know John Paul II the Poke let's check out the music you know I love Street musicians and if they play good jazz even better so let's check it out actually the last time we were here the cathedral was closed probably because of marra but today we can go in so let's do that first [Music] k we [Music] by the way the church was damaged during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 including the organ but all that has been restored now let's check out the music [Music] my Dre [Music] home you we could stay here forever but let's see what else is going [Music] on [Music] that back there of course Cafe dumon where you can have your coffee and vignettes but being there on that so we're going to try to do something different this time around like keep on walking and maybe find some jambalaya some gumbo some po boy I don't know we'll see ah we might come back for dessert [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] that here's the MUA place here [Applause] right uh-oh hurricane damage norala sandwich at at the Central Grocery but see neus is dead today maybe it's too early I mean we're here at 2:30 p.m. maybe by by 7 p.m. or even midnight this is going to be a a lot livelier for sure oh that's that golden statue of of John dark let's check it [Music] [Applause] [Music] out [Music] cool love the live music everywhere I mean yes [Applause] you I you're okay such a musical town I just love it all right let's continue [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] and we're back in Bourbon [Music] Street laitz blacksmith's shop here is allegedly the oldest structure in the United States used as a bar so yeah the oldest baring [Music] [Music] town we were there before once so there's only so much you can drink in one day so we're picking our bottles here we're definitely trying to Pace ourselves here and we're not hungry yet which is [Music] [Applause] odd bourbon Pub here let's check it out it is definitely too early the town is slowly starting to come alive I think we might end up at the musical Legend spark if there is Ambience I mean it is outdoors relaxing good music and the weather is so great [Music] today I came to let you know completely [Music] dead nice I'm the best pict you go get leftover beads from Marty grab perhaps here we are we're just going to use the bathroom have a drink and then go find some place to [Music] eat frozen [Music] mojito this kind of relaxed atmosphere is exactly what we needed great music and a surprisingly good [Music] drink as I was saying great music but that mojito wet our appetite so let's find food now well that was very good very relaxing here in New Orleans now let's go eat we've heard good things about this place called oana the only problem is there's no one here and there's something unsettling about eating at an empty restaur restaurant so we ended up someplace else not much livelier but at least there's some people here we're getting an appetizer it's a crawfish toast pretty good and the taste of New Orleans graish got to love Cajun food that was actually really good well after hours of of research we ended up here at the Royal House sir just because it was the one place that had you know more than one person inside we we have we have a a band coming so we we shall [Music] [Applause] wait this is so cool so impromptu so serendipitous [Applause] soorus well there you go an impromptu marching band Only in New Orleans let's keep [Music] going we're back at Jackson Square looking at some of the art on display very cool it's getting Lively hello there I said we weren't going to come here but we actually are yeah I know I said we weren't coming here but when in New Orleans you have to have Cafe o and very very messy vignettes it's a thing well yeah we ended up having the coffee and the and the vignettes at Cafe deont I mean we're in New Orleans and um that's pretty good now let's see what's going on here well and it is with this view of the Mississippi river behind us that I'm going to say so long one more time to New Orleans New Orleans however you want to pronounce it um good time it's always a good time it's a fun city it's there's some Rough Around the Edges things that we won't talk about but let me tell you the music the music here is phenomenal the food is phenomenal and uh just the history of the architecture you know right behind behind us we have the the the the cathedral there you know the St Louis Cathedral and um so much to do here and once again we didn't get to that street where all the you know the the the music venues are but we'll be back we'll be back at some point so this is it goodbye from New Orleans tomorrow we continue driving to the West pretty girl I'm sad to see night's falling in [Music] your Napoleon house looks fancy um okay so as a developed City turn it on Turners right here New Orleans is a little over [Music] 300 [Music] [Music] how [Music] our time here in New Orleans has sadly come to an end today but we'll be back now that we know about the French Quarter RV [Music] Resort there's been an accident here at the campground and they going to move us oh no well we're just a little bit flooded well what do you know we had to move as you saw there was a flood in our in our sight the person next door I guess broke the faucet and uh but you know sometimes things happen for a reason they moved us to a premium site we have our own little bar here a TV and um and luckily we hadn't really set up camp you know we just backed in plugged in the power and and went to party in in in New Orleans so um now we're going to enjoy this premium site here for a couple hours and tomorrow we continue toward towards Texas yeah I can't and and they're offering to to comp our SES you know so so I mean win-win situation we're going to come back here for sure and by the way it's as as far as RV parts go as far as City RV parks go it is nice you know it's all SES are are paved the sewer works as it is supposed to you know it passes the thread test and uh I mean there's a little bit of Highway noise that's I 10 back there but I mean it's a City RV park well what happens in New Orleans stays in New Orleans see you [Music] tomorrow [Music] driving to the West into the sunset drive to the West driving to the West into the sunset driving to the West [Music] driving well good morning New Orleans was fun as it usually is having me great food great music that's what you come to New Orleans for right the food the music I mean the culture the architecture I wish they kept the city a little cleaner and but I guess that's that's what New Orleans is about right it's a party town and you could tell in the midaf afternoon late afternoon everybody's was coming out and and it was going to get Rowdy out there so so we got it in it in its quiet State anyway now we continue driving to the west and uh we're not going to do much until we get to we might but I don't think we're going to do much until we get to Big Ben the national park I'm going to get K on 66 the mountains and the desert are my fix driving to the West in my Army is where I want to be not the smoothest of roads here in Louisiana I mean I understand this these are all bridges so yeah we we're we're going through a swamp but the seams in the concrete road are like a look little uncomfortable the the West getting into Utah Colorado high bumpsy level is my mot into the thin air I might see a bear nothing like the West do s compare driving through the West in my RV is where I want to be this is what happens on the bouncy roads of Louisiana we lost a whole bottle of uh shampoo and U and the soap and I think this broke I'm not sure but we'll try to reassemble when we get somewhere the joys of [Music] ourv well we put gas and now we're on i12 West towards baton H the capital of Louisiana and we're obviously not going to make it to to to Big Ben National Park today we're still 96 miles away but the idea is to bundock somewhere halfway through Texas halfway between Houston and San Antonio to be honest most likely it's going to be an all day drive to the w d to the West driving to the West driving to the West driving to the West driving through the West driving to the West driving to the West driving to the West now crossing the Great River the mighty in Mississippi at least symbolically Crossing into the west where radio and TV station call letters start with a k instead of a w yeah fun [Music] fact soon after we're entering the acha falaya the largest swamp and wetland in the United States The Bridge Run 180 Mi long it is the second longest in the inner state highway [Music] system eventually we reach Lake Charles so soon we'll be in [Music] Texas it is an industrial dystopia on West [Music] Lake crossing the Sabine River we are now in Texas and we're going to be here for a while we're going to take a break here at the Welcome Center and then continue it is a long road [Music] ahead well we're in Texas y'all now for the fun part well the fun part in about an hour and a half Crossing Houston hopefully we will be rush hour traffic [Music] hopefully here's the Baytown bies the first one I ever saw the sanin monument yeah pretty soon we're going to be Crossing [Music] Houston oh no we were doing so [Music] well I can already see downtown in the distance and this is not really [Music] moving it must have been a big wreck this was about an hour delay which means we're not going to be able to beat rush hour traffic anymore [Music] we continue on The Road to El Paso but we're not going all the way to El Paso not today anyway we're going to stop at kti towards the Western end of the Houston Metro for lunch [Music] that was the the the Houston Crossing from hell but right now we are at bies I love Texas bies because they feel normal not the touristy mad house as they have become in other areas I guess here the novelty has worn [Music] off well we got the brisket as usual and we got something new today it's a saus saus sausage on a stick with tortilla for 748 it better be good and this is where we're going to do it at the silly Walmart here just uh west of Katy Texas lots of semi- trucks but it's fairly quiet see you tomorrow well good morning yeah I'm in the passenger seat for the section of the trip El is going to drive us all the way to San Antonio and I want to try to get some work done let's see how this works [Music] it is mostly an uneventful drive until we get to the outskirts of San Antonio I'm sure it is going to be great by the time they are done but right now it is not a fun [Music] drive [Music] yep great construction projects happening around here here we're going to take us90 which will get us closer to the Mexican [Music] border [Music] now it is really starting to look like the West [Music] we're going to spend the night at Fort Clark Springs RV Park a very historic site that we found by chance actually it is nowadays a gated community with the third largest pool in Texas but the fort itself was established in 1852 perhaps most famous as the home of the seminol Negro Indian Scouts maybe we'll revisit someday and learn a little more about the history but today it is just a quick overnight with full hookups before we enter Big Bend because at Big Bend we're going to be mostly dry camping so one last night with full hookups long shower yeah that's exactly what we need I'm not entirely sure about the history of this place so we'll we'll talk about it later but uh it's a very nice RV park here and not very expensive at all I think it was like 28 with my Good Sam but um it's been pretty utilitarian as you know tomorrow probably know tomorrow we're going to Big Bend National Park and we're going to spend six days there mostly dry camping so I wanted one night with full hookups you know like to recoup you know we did laundry and I'm want to make sure like the batter is fully charged that the jackary is fully charged Everything is Everything is charged fresh tank full gray tank empty and uh yeah I wonder what this is It's like a chimney but yeah laundry back there we shall return here one day because even tomorrow they're having some kind of festivity here like a I don't know if it's going to be like a reenactment so we didn't know all right I think this is is all we're going to do today and we're like 4 hours away from from chesus Bas in Campground which is where we staying for the first uh 2 and a half nights well good morning beautiful morning here at uh Fort uh Fort Clark ah did you see the deer yeah I wish we could stay here longer but we're about four and a half hours from Big Bend National Park and that's where we're going it's 8:00 a.m. we're an hour behind schedule let's hit the road hope we don't forget anything here check out all the deer good morning no don't walk away well anyway let's continue well not very cynic yet but I'm pretty sure it gets better of course we are now entering what is known as the underpopulated belt which goes from the Mexican border to the Canadian border rough 12% of the total mass of the United States yet less than 1% of the population lives here mostly concentrated in a handful of small cities like amarelo Texas Rapid City South Dakota bismar North Dakota none of which are near here so we are really going into one of the most remote and underpopulated parts of the country this is Del Rio Texas population 34,000 the last town of any significant size we're going to see see in a [Music] while anytime you get close to the Mexican border you'll encounter one of these Border Patrol checkpoints and Del Rio is a Border Town so this was to be expected in my experience 99% of the time they just let you through but sometimes they'll stop and ask you whether you're a US citizen you know stop like that never more than a few seconds at least in my experience now the plan for the next couple of days is to get even closer to Mexico in fact we might even cross South of the Border you see that sign next service is 88 mies so we're going remote here luckily we have 183 Mi of range as of right now starting to look more and more like the Chihuahuan Desert on the next one we're finally visiting big band national park it will be epic I promise until then thank you so much for watching and see you on the [Music] road I'm writing writing in my RV
2024-04-02 12:00
