“Kosher RVing is on the Air!” Can any of you old timers remember which show that is a takeoff from?
Welcome back, readers; we have started our third adventure. We flew into Atlanta, a 23- hour trip from house to RV, flying KLM to Amsterdam and Delta to Atlanta. We have definitely decided that the designation “more leg room” is worth the extra money (just a few extra dollars) for the more spacious seating. We had a wonderful trip on Delta with an excessive amount of really good kosher food out of Belgium. Two main course meals, two snacks including a lox sandwich, and cookies with Starbucks coffee. Much better than the peanut butter sandwiches on mezonot rolls we brought with us just in case.
Going through Customs and Border Protection at the Atlanta airport had an interesting twist. After answering questions about living in Israel and traveling in the States in our RV, the young officer passed us through and said, “Thank you for what you do.” Not entirely sure what he meant, but we would like to think he appreciated what Israel stands for and what she is facing.
May 8, 9, 2018
We spent two days in the parking lot of National Indoor RV Centers, recovering from jet lag and stocking up on supplies (Walmart, Publix, and the good coffee and kosher snacks at the facility). We attach a picture of the lot; can you figure out which RV is ours?
Our first stop was Meaher State Park in Alabama, a six-hour drive from Atlanta and not far from Mobile, Alabama. It is on the shore of Mobile Bay and our campsite was about 30 yards from the water. The bay – which is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico – and the spacious campsites made for a beautiful and comfortable place to relax in after a day’s drive – and provided the first of what we hope to be many sunsets. We don’t seem to get tired of watching the sun go down in an exciting show of colors – no two are the same.
The next morning, we took a nice walk along the Alabama coastal birding trail which was connected to the park. There were “beware” signs warning of alligators and snakes, which we doubted existed in Alabama, but we were wrong. On our nature walk we saw three alligators, birds, rabbits, and an excessive amount of water-based vegetation.
May 10, 11, 12, 2018
What should have been a bit more than a two-hour drive from the state park in Alabama to New Orleans took about 3-1/2hours, mostly due to a huge traffic jam (which Waze was good enough to steer us around, when we finally decided to listen to it and not just wait it out); on the way we stopped at the state welcome centers in Mississippi and Louisiana where travelers were being greeted with free food and drink. The coffee was fairly good.
Here in New Orleans we are staying at Pontchartrain Landing, a nice, not-too-crowded RV park about 20 minutes from the French Quarter on an industrial canal which eventually leads into the Mississippi River. In August 2005 Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans – along with much of the rest of the southeast and Atlantic coast – and the city, which averages 2-1/2 feet below sea level, was heavily flooded. Our campground (which was not built yet) would have been completely under water. New Orleans has since built a levee that has kept the water on the other side, although the RV park is between the canal and the levee, so it would not have helped us much. On the other hand, so is Folgers Coffee roasting plant – the largest roasting plant in the world.
The park provides a shuttle service to and from the French Quarter three times a day, so no need to move the van.
The first evening, we managed to get tickets to see a jazz set in Preservation Hall that was totally amazing. Bill was a happy camper; crowded in a small, old, rundown room we enjoyed some of the best music we’ve heard in a long time – and he was able to check off one more item on his “to do” list.
A word about the French Quarter: Old, gritty, full of bars and restaurants. OK so more than a word. We enjoy people watching and there was a lot to see – folks in their chosen normal day costumes (can you imagine what Mardi Gras must be like), street entertainment including a marching band, and open-bar live bands. On Bourbon Street, the street which we all associate with the Quarter, the seedier parts of life were on display. A quick walk, though, to a different section of the Quarter, and we were in an environment in which we were more comfortable.
On our ride on the shuttle back to the campground there were a number of inebriated, loud, but good-natured riders. All in the fun (we guess) of enjoying the experience.
Friday May 11
But New Orleans is much more than the French Quarter.
Today we took a 1-1/2hour walk from French Quarter, which is where the shuttle lets us off, to the Garden District. Originally developed between 1832 and 1900, it is considered one of the best-preserved collections of historic mansions in the southern U.S. And they are truly beautiful. Also, in the District is the Garden District Book Shop; it was enjoyable roaming around a privately owned bookstore that wasn’t part of a chain, and where the owner was obviously really into what he did. The shop has a very large collection of author-signed books for sale, and the general ambience – for those who love books – was enchanting.
Back at the RV, though we were tired from a hot day of walking, we prepared for the peaceful rest of Shabbat. We had pre-ordered from Walmart grape juice and matzah (which we picked up near the RV facility). Along with fresh pitot which we found, and the usual salmon, rice, vegetables…our meals which we enjoy on Shabbat when we are away from home.
May 13, 2018
We decided to stay one more day in New Orleans in order to visit the National World War II Museum (America’s official museum of the war), something we were told we should not miss. It is located in the New Orleans historic Warehouse District, and we actually passed it on Friday when we walked from the French Quarter to the Garden District.
The WWII Museum is considered a top-rated museum and we were not disappointed. It tells the story of the U.S. in World War II, and houses permanent exhibits on the U.S. before the war (isolationism); the European Theater, including a very thorough exhibit on Normandy; and the Pacific Theater, which provided us with a great deal of information on the part of the war which was not as well known to us. We finished off with a 45-minute 4-D movie on the war produced by Tom Hanks, which was great.
The museum is a great educational venue; we spent the better part of the day there and we were never bored.
After walking back to the French Quarter, we stopped at the New Orleans Café Dumond for coffee and beignet, a delicious French pastry. Though none of the costumers in the very crowded restaurant noticed, or even cared, there was an OU teudat kashrut hanging on the wall next to the cash register for the beignets (the cafe serves only beignets and hot and cold drinks). In talking to the waiter, when we mentioned the kosher certification, he replied – in a very Louisiana accent – that, “the other day he saw the rabbi messing with the flour.”
Afterwards, as we had some time before we needed to meet our shuttle back to the RV park, we walked along the shore of the Mississippi River and watched the steam paddle boats on their sightseeing cruises. We then explored the Quarter once more and stopped to listen to an amazing violinist playing on a street corner.
We now say goodbye and thank you for a good visit to the city of New Orleans and all of its unique and interesting characteristics and head towards Texas, land of the Longhorn steer, the Alamo, and NASA.