Leg 7 - Alabama and New Orleans

i really hate to leave the South. It took me 66 years to get here so it seems just down right wrong to leave after only two weeks moving among several states. I find myself trying out Southern sounds - not out loud, mind you. And I promise I will not start dropping Southern expressions or a poor attempt at a drawl. I leave that to the experts. But I have loved it.

This is actually from the piazza at the Palmer Home B&B but it
remains my favorite "Southernism" so added it here.

Alabama was wonderful. Gina met me outside my gate as soon as I stepped off the plane. Such a surprise. Here was my clue that Huntsville is not a huge airport. Gina was a college friend of my sister's. She brought Gina to Thanksgiving dinner way back when and she soon became part of the family. When you love someone, you hope you will love her spouse as well - and she chose well. Jay is equally charming, interesting and fun.

As always on this trip, we had many long conversations over scrumptious meals. I also added to my collection of Southern foods. I liked the contrasts. One lunch was at an outdoor table in a restaurant in the historic section of downtown Huntsville. It was new South cuisine, a Southern twist on paella. And then the next day, at a restaurant in the historic section of Fayetteville, Tennessee, I had my first taste of fried catfish and fried okra. I thought they were both fabulous and Jay and Gina, who have had both many times, agreed. That great combination of succulent and crispy was exquisite.

We were busy (well, outings were nicely balanced with conversations over wine). We saw a performance of the Westminster choir from London (23 darling little boys and 12 adults), toured the space museum in Huntsville (where I crashed landed two space shuttles in the simulator. Oh dear. My grandsons need to visit and maybe attend space camp?), visited a recreation of the early Huntsville settlement where Alabama's constitution was written, did a fascinating tour of the Jack Daniel's distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee and enjoyed drives through the countryside of northern Alabama and a bit of Tennessee.

Gina snapped this photo just when I realized I had crashed the second shuttle.

The tour of Jack Daniels was one of the best tours I have ever taken - it was well managed, you saw
every step in the process, not overly complicated.  Great tour.
When you are next in Lynchburg, Tennessee - go.
Oh, and it's free - both the tour and the incredible scents associated with the process.

Jay and Gina were troopers, driving me 2 hours to Birmingham to catch the Amtrak train. It would have been far easier to take me to their nearby airport but this was the start of my cross-country train trip and the nearest station was 100 miles away in Birmingham. 

The train station had many passengers joining me for the trip to New Orleans and quite a few were already in their Halloween costumes. My favorite was the tall woman dressed as Dorothy with 6-inch glittery red platform shoes. She minced around the station. 

Loved the 7- hour trip through Alabama and Mississippi. The route was mainly rural where the train station is part of the small downtowns. All too soon we were suddenly surrounded by the water of Lake Pontchartrain. I knew it was big on maps but didnt realize quite how HUGE it actually is. Sunset over the lake was spectacular. 

New Orleans on Halloween is doubly full of interesting characters and they surrounded me while I sauntered through the French Quarter, right near my hotel. The iron balconies, charming buildings - you have all seen the photos. I veered a bit to walk along the Mississippi on the way back. 

I am now waiting for my train to LA.  44 hours of train travel through Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona await me. I have never driven through these states so am looking forward to it. I have a wee roomette which will be a new experience. 

And so farewell to the first half of my trip, exploring states from Cape Cod down to New Orleans. What fun it has been. Now onwards and upwards to the second half in California.