New Orleans 3

Transportation is something I don't think about very often - in case, of course, it lets me down (missed buses, flat tires, vagaries of airline schedules, etc.), but in going over my photos from New Orleans, I noticed how many different ways there were to get around the city. So this will be the subject of today's memoir.

First, a disclaimer.  This is not my area of expertise.  So if I sound as if I know what I'm talking about, don't believe it.  If you choose to quote me, be careful either to check the veracity of my statements or be prepared to suffer ridicule when someone in your circle knows more than I do (that would be almost everyone you know).  That said -

Here is an old car.  Don't bother to ask what make it is because I have no clue.  I liked the color and the clearly elderly appearance but didn't care enough to go to the front or back to find make or model indicators.  If you know what it is, I would like to know because then I might be able to impress someone.

The ground is pretty steady under my feet on these next two.  These are boats.  The first is a steamboat, also known as a "paddle-wheeler" though I didn't hear anyone in New Orleans call it that.  The body of water on which it travels is the Mississippi River.  The river is quite impressive all by itself, by the way.  We did take a trip on a steamboat but not this one.  We traveled on the "Natchez" which is both bigger and older than this one, the "Creole Queen".

This ferry plies the Mississippi from New Orleans to Algiers which is across the river from NO many times a day.  It carries both people and cars.   Algiers is part of NO but there isn't much to see or do there, and it isn't considered safe for unwary tourists.  Especially those who tend to stand around taking numerous photographs of anything and everything. 

The next mode of transportation appears to be very popular - for tourists, again, as you probably realized.  Similar to Central Park in NYC it is a buggy pulled not by a horse but by, I think, a mule.  David's sisters will be able to verify this tidbit of information or not with a mere glance at the animal in the picture.  There may have been a couple of horses but not many.  Anyway, although expensive, this is a lovely way to get around, don't you think?

Since we were in NO when the Saints hosted the Miami Dolphins in the Dome, we caught a glimpse or two of the blimp.  Both teams were undefeated and the NO Saints won the game.  What merriment and frolicking occurred after that event!  The Saints are a REALLY big deal to their town.

Finally, the Canal Street trolley, the oldest of the trolleys in NO.  D and I took a ride from the center of town to the Garden District and back on a hot, sultry day, and it was worth the pittance we paid.  The cars are lovely with their gleaming wooden seats and windows that open wide almost all around the car (except in front of the engineer/driver).  And they are clean!  As a matter of fact, the entire town impressed us with its mostly clean streets even in the poorer sections (where we did see graffiti on abandoned houses).

There were still other forms of transportation, of course - the pedicabs, bicycles, motorcycles, flashy new cars, planes - well, far more that I have either the room or the pictures for here.  I was so stunned when we had to stop for a parade of Porsches (we saw twenty to thirty, and we weren't there for the beginning of the parade!) that I didn't take a single picture.  

Just know that you will be able to find a way to get around should you ever visit this city.