playing catch up

there is so much updating to do, and the prospect is absolutely daunting. but, i must begin if i am to finish. as for you, maybe popping a bag of popcorn, grabbing your beverage of choice, and settling in, is in order.

i arrived in mississippi on thursday (the 4th). after a slight error landing me at the neighbor's house, i made my way next door to find laura and robert on the front porch waiting for me. i was greeted with hugs, ushered in, and shown my room and bathroom for the next couple of nights. after a bit of pizza, the three of us spent time reminiscing, more like old friends reconnecting after a seperation, than a group of strangers meeting for the first time. that is the most appropriate summary i can give of my time with them, but it was only just beginning.

on friday morning, we got up and ready, and made the 90 minute or so drive to new orleans. to get there, we took the causeway. the causeway is the longest bridge in the world, at 24 miles long, and made for an interesting route!

we made a quick stop at lee circle--or i made a stop, hopping out to snap photos, while laura and robert drove around the circle--before heading on to the tomb of marie laveau, known for being a voodoo queen. it took a little longer than expected, but we eventually asked a tour guide leading a small group through the cemetery, and were pointed in the right direction.

robert, tara, and laura, at marie laveau's tomb

after the cemetery, we found parking near the french quarter and paused at jackson square to sign up for a ghost tour later in the evening, before meandering on to the flea market. we also wandered through a few of the nearby shops. at one, i picked up a charm for my bracelet, as well as a darling fish necklace. i've never been fish lover, but after coming across the current blog template, i was struck with the 'fish out of water' and 'little fish, big pond' analogies to the current life change.

the sun was hot, and it was quite humid, so we stopped for beignets--french pastries, covered in powdered sugar. the intensity of the wind meant that i ended up as covered as my beignet, but boy was it yummy!

we spent the rest of the afternoon wandering, sometimes on foot, sometimes by car.

new orleans provided the perfect opportunity to have my palm read--something i've always been interested in, but never done. the best way for me to describe it, is 'creepy'. i was very careful to give nothing away, wearing sunglasses, and providing no information unless directly asked (which only happened twice). 99% of what the woman said was already true or could be, given my circumstances. the information fairly specific, and as such, the reading was stranger than i expected. i don't put too much stock in such things, but i do find them interesting.

having my palm read in jackson square

after an early dinner, we headed to the assigned meeting place for the evening's tour. we were early, so laura and i wandered down bourbon street, during which time, the skies decided to open up and unleash a torrent of rain on us. slightly soaked, we made our way back to robert, and the three of us discussed whether or not we would proceed with the ghost tour in the rain. eventually it slowed to a stop, and our decision was made for us.

the tour guide was extremely animated--so much so that it bothered me initially. but, i adjusted. she walked us through the streets of the french quarter, telling tales as we went. among the stops was the lalaurie house--a creepy house with a dark past, and which is now owned by nicholas cage. needless to say, we didn't go in the house:)

after the tour, we immediately got in line across the street from our pickup point, at preservation hall. preservation hall is known for jazz, and i was excited that the revised schedule would allow me to see it (only open on weekend nights). while we waited for the doors to open, we heard music and cheering further down the street, and eventually we found the source . it was a new orleans style wedding, and we watched as the entire wedding party paraded by us on the street, led by their own personal jazz band.

eventually the doors opened, and everyone packed in. i found a seat on the floor up front, and laura and robert found cushy seats just outside the main hall. we stayed for about an hour, and i got to listen to some great jazz. the hall itself has a unique character that is only enhanced by the musicians who fill it with sound.

we left the hall after the first set, and wandered a bit more. during our wanderings, i picked up a new look, and a new boyfriend!













we eventually headed back--exhausted, and called it a night!

laura--feel free to add any details you wish in the comments section:)

saturday morning, i was up and making my farewells, with many a fond memory to add to my repertoire. robert and laura were wonderful hosts, and my visit to new orleans was a smashing success.

on the way to san antonio, i stopped in houston. since it was on the way, i thought it would be the perfect opportunity to see the space center. it was supposed to be open until 7, so imagine my disappointment when i arrived at 4:45pm and was told they would be closing in 15 minutes! turns out that some pretentious event planner had rented the facility for a private function. the nerve!

actually, my ire was softened when i learned that, but i am afraid that this is as far as i got.

i tried. i really tried.

so, on to san antonio i went, and my experience there could best be summed up by a t-shirt that reads "i got spoiled in san antonio."

my former co-worker, rhonda, moved to the city with her family about a year ago to work in the office there. i was excited to see the house i have been hearing about for months, and it did not disappoint. the house is situated at the top of a hill, and the layout is open and spacious. the cherry though is the back porch and pool, complete with waterfall.

rhonda and i, along with her husband george, and daughte michelle, spent the majority of the evening sitting on the back porch, chatting, and enjoying the san antonio night.

on sunday morning, we all overslept, and no one minded.

then it was time to head in to town. we loaded up in rhonda's new 2008 windveil blue mustang convertible, and she is a beauty! in the back seat though, the wind wreaked a little havoc.

slightly windblown

we stopped for a delicious breakfast, then continued on. we parked, and began our wanderings.

first stop--the alamo. i knew that the alamo was in the middle of the city, so i wasn't expecting much. ah, the beauty of low expectations! it was gorgeous...both the buildings and the grounds-- which were more expansive than i had previously thought. we enjoyed the architecture, the history, and the garden.

last stand

after the alamo, george and rhonda did a little shopping, and we decided to stop at pat o'brien's for a snack. though i had not had the opportunity to visit the bar/restaurant in new orleans, i came away with a similar experience, sipping my virgin hurricane on the patio, eating gumbo, and listening to jazz. i was even given beads! i think san antonio might have an identity crisis, but i wasn't complaining.

my own personal hurricane

after the mid-day break, we headed down to riverwalk, and i fell a little in love with the city. we decided that the first order of business was to take one of the river boat tours. it was a perfect way for me to see the entire length of the river, and to learn some fun facts while enjoying the breeze and the scenery.

the river ride

as we floated the river, we saw that there was a crafts festival taking place, so after we departed the barge, we wandered around, stopping at various stalls, with rhonda making several purchases along the way. it was an absolutely beautiful day, and the wandering was lovely.

eventually it was time for dinner, and we stopped at saltgrass--a favorite steakhouse of the host couple. after enjoying my pepper encrusted sirloin, i could understand why! apparently you are required by law to have steak when you visit texas, and i'm no rule breaker;)

after dinner, we headed back to the house. i did some laundry, some uploading, and some catching up on email, and capped off the evening by taking a relaxing dip in the pool.

on monday morning, i was up bright and early to make it to carlsbad caverns with plenty of time to spare. i said my goodbyes and thank yous, and got on my way.

i made it to carlsbad at 3pm or so, and though i had missed the tour i hoped to take, i got my ticket for entrance to the big room. i wasn't expecting much, but the 'big room' took me over an hour to wander through. 'big room' is an understatement.

don't let the ceiling height fool you--the place was ginormous!

as i wandered through the caverns, a volunteer stopped to chat with me. if there is one thing i learned on this trip, it's that being alone makes you far more approachable. in some cases that could be bad, or even dangerous, but fortunately in this case, it was nothing but frosting. the volunteer asked me if i would be staying for the bat flight. i was clueless, as i guess is bound to happen once in every lifetime.

the bat flight is a nightly ritual that takes place may through early october, when the 500,000+ bats living in the cave, leave it to find dinner. when the volunteer told me this, i knew i would be staying.

i made my way to the ampitheater (yes they have an amphitheater for a bat flight) at 4:30pm or so, based on the expected flight time. but as nature will, the 'schedule' was not adhered to. while waiting, and waiting, and waiting, i met and talked with a woman who was traveling cross country, round trip, with her son. she was also from virginia and had taken the northern route. she had looped around and was on her way back. i asked both her and her son what some of their favorite stops were, and of the many she mentioned, i had been to every single one.

in that moment, i realized more powerfully than ever before how blessed i have been, and how grateful i am to have had parents who were excited to show me (us) so many incredible places. what wonderful lessons i have learned as i have been exposed to the interesting, the bizarre, the magnificent, and the unparalleled places that exist both within the borders of this country, and beyond.

we continued to wait for the bats, and i reflected on how perfectly the trip had gone so far. had i been with a traveling companion, i never would have waited. and it seemed that in each place i had been alone, i had been grateful for the flexibility. yet, in each place i visited with friends, i had been grateful for the company.

my solo status here gave me the freedom to just sit and wait. and wait i did.

waiting

at about 6:15, we started to see movement. photos were not allowed, so i had to wait until i had left the ampitheater to sneak in a few. nonetheless, the photos do not do it justice.

bats at sunset

the bats are small, and as they exited the cave, first creating a vortex of movement, then expanding across the horizon, they looked more like birds than creepy bats. the sun was setting, and the scene was absolutely magical. not a word i ever expected to pair with 'bats', but magical nonetheless.

well, i think that is enough recapping for one night! i'll pick up again tomorrow with my el paso experience.

just a reminder that ALL the photos are here.