Louisiana, the Pelican State
New Orleans
While planning our trip and deciding where to go we had mixed feelings about visiting New Orleans! Known as a wild party city due to its embrace of Carnival and Mardi Gras we wondered if we should bypass it.
The National World War II Museum, located in New Orleans was a deciding factor for us to put the city on our route. This Smithsonian Affiliate Museum is made up of six adjoining buildings around a central courtyard, which hosts special events, such as Veteran Family Days or Medal of Honor celebrations. Due to the size of the facility and the scope of the collections of stories and artifacts we spent two full days exploring the museum.
Below is the museum’s purpose statement.
THE NATIONAL WWII MUSEUM TELLS THE STORY OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE IN THE WAR THAT CHANGED THE WORLD-WHY IT WAS FOUGHT, HOW IT WAS WON, AND WHAT IT MEANS TODAY-SO THAT ALL GENERATIONS WILL UNDERSTAND THE PRICE OF FREEDOM AND BE INSPIRED BY WHAT THEY LEARN.
A six story hangar type of building displayed some of the types of aircraft flown during World War II. They could be viewed from below and from two catwalks. The upper walkway was at six stories high and looking down on the various planes was a glimpse into being in flight during some air battles!
We followed the story of one soldier on “the road to Berlin” to understand the war in Europe from his personal accounts. We were immersed in the war in the Pacific through the harrowing story of another soldier. We learned about the development of the Nuclear bomb and saw in pictures and film the devastation in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Walking through a recreation of the home of Ann Frank and into the barracks of Dachau, brought us firsthand into the horrors of the war.
THE COST OF VICTORY
(from a plaque in the museum)
The human cost of World War II was enormous, with at least 65 million people dead, cities demolished, and entire continents ravaged. Even after the fighting ended in 1945, suffering and violence continued to engulf the globe. Famine struck Europe and Asia, while political uprisings and civil wars shook countries only recently liberated from Axis occupation. All over the world, men, women, and children returned home to discover that familiar people and places were forever changed. In the midst of victory parades, families mourned their lost loved ones. How could anyone truly comprehend such losses?
Sadly war continues to ravage our world and much of what we learned at the World War II Museum only emphasized the adage that “History Repeats Itself”.
Chalmette National Cemetery
There are over 15,000 individuals buried in the 17.5 acre cemetery. Veterans of all major American wars and conflicts are interred here Of these 15,000, more than 6,700 are unknown.
Walking through this final resting place of our veterans caused us to be so thankful for those who have fought and died for our safety and the freedom from tyranny in all parts of the globe. This Veterans Day we pray for our service men and women who even now are on the front lines to defend innocent lives. May the Lord surround them with His protection.
French Quarter
Okay we did do the tourist things like taking a walk along the river and some of the famous streets of New Orleans, as well as taking time to get pictures of Jackson Square. The streets were narrow and busy with one way streets crowded by delivery trucks.
The nearby Canal Street was a much nicer area to walk around in. Where the street meets the river there is a new experience called Vue Orleans. A sign at the entrance to the ground floor exhibits states:
“Welcome to a fascinating, interactive immersion into the diverse cultures that converged to create the magic of New Orleans.”
The confluence of river ways and cultures lends a backdrop to the history of the city once called Nouveaux Orleans. After exploring the interactive and virtual exhibits a thirty second elevator ride whisked us to the 33rd and 34th floor observation decks. While we traveled upwards the elevator‘s walls turned into a 270 degree movie screen displaying sights and sounds of the city!
The indoor 33rd floor gives visitors a chance to walk all the way around the building. Floor to ceiling windows provide endless views in every direction. Under our feet compass points indicated which way we were looking! Virtual computerized telescopes around the windows showed us information on the sights and attractions which were in the various Parishes.
The 34th floor gave an opportunity to get outside. It was a clear but crisp day with a light breeze, so we soon headed back down one floor to the indoor area for some final views that helped us understand the layout of the city and its suburbs. Vue Orleans gave us a better understanding of the history, and culture of the city. We even saw a display that explained the levee and canal system that protects the city. We left with a better understanding of this famous city.
Plantations
Along the Great River Road between New Orleans and Baton Rouge many mansions and plantations are landmarks of a very different era. In times past it was the steamboats which brought goods and people to the area. Today visitors come by bus and car to tour these sights. Our drive from New Orleans took us to two very different homes.
Perhaps one of the most iconic and well known plantations in the area is Oak Alley. In its 200 year history this land claim has been a Sugar plantation, a rice farm, a cattle ranch and a country home. Today Oak Alley is a National Historic Landmark, dedicated to preserving and interpreting the history its inhabitants left behind.
From the grand Big House at the end of an alley of magnificent oaks to the slave cabins at the other end of the plantation, our visit gave us a comprehensive and uncensored picture of the antebellum period of the South.
From Oak Alley we took a short drive to Houmas House.
This home had many owners and the house reflects many additions and improvements from its history. At one point all of its furnishings were auctioned off and the property sold. The new owner scoured auctions and antique sales to refurnish the home with period pieces, that are on display now with a guided home tour.
The grounds contained some great gardens that were enjoyable to walk around.
Our Adventures on the Road bring us many surprises. Having traveled about 7,500 miles from California , through the South and to Louisiana, we thought we had seen every kind of roadway. Well in the swampy areas of Louisiana the roads have to be elevated over the water levels, which is understandable.
But what was unexpected was our road was built on pilons set in the course of the waterway, not on the shores but in the water! And this wasn’t like a short bridge crossing a river or lake…it went on for maybe 20 to 30 miles! Wow! Every road connecting into ours was the same design.
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