Week Four: New Orleans, Louisiana; Swamps and Bayou Country

New Orleans

New Orleans, established by the French in 1718, is well known for its rich history, French Quarter district, unique architecture, jazz and Bourbon Street. My tour of New Orleans included Decatur Street, Jackson Square, Cafe Du Monde, and the French Market; a riverboat lunch cruise on the last steam-powered riverboat, a ride the St. Charles streetcar line, and a twelve block walk along the famous Bourbon Street.

Architecturally, the French Quarter is very well preserved, and spared the fate of many American cities that strove for constant modernization just for the sake of doing so. Many of the buildings had a character and "old world" feel to them that many modern buildings do not.

The French Quarter is famous for its French-Creole balconies.

Another example of French-Creole balconies and well-preserved historic buildings that line the streets of the French Quarter.

Week Three: Mobile, Alabama and Surrounding Regions

Mobile

Mobile was established a French colony and capital of French Louisiana in 1702. Since Mobile's founding, the city has also been under the control of the British, and Spanish during the 18th and early 19th centuries. As an American city from 1813 onward, Mobile has experienced periods of economic growth and stagnation, as well as the victim and beneficiary of war. Because of Mobile's ideal geographic location on the Mobile Bay, which opens up to the Gulf of Mexico, Mobile is a major port city, importing and exporting goods and raw materials around the globe.

The people of Mobile, Alabama, are very friendly, and are happy to share their local knowledge of the region. Whether I was visiting downtown Mobile, or at a "big-box" department store in the suburbs, the peoples' laid-back and personable attitude made my visit to Mobile particularly enjoyable.

During my brief tour of downtown Mobile and the waterfront, I had the chance to witness how geography and history impacted the city's development. I walked down Mobile's historic Dauphin Street to the waterfront. Along the way, I visited the impressive Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, constructed in 1839 and part of the Parish established in Mobile in 1703. By chance I met the priest, who gave me a brief tour of cathedral and provided a brief history of it that I would not otherwise have known.

Along Dauphin Street, French influence was apparent by the wrought-iron, French-Creole balconies on some of the older buildings. However, after speaking with a local shop owner, I learned that most of the balconies are post-World War II, not the originals. According to the shop owner, iron was desperately needed for the war effort, and the people of Mobile allowed most the distinctive balconies to be removed, melted down, and made into bombs and other war material.

My view of Chacaloochee Bay while driving into Mobile on highway 90 west-bound. Much of the landscape around Mobile is lowland and swamp. The body of water in this image is almost at street level.

Looking down Dauphin Street. Some of the buildings in this image have the classic French-Creole balconies. However, they were likely installed post-World War II, and not historic, due to the urgent need for iron during the war. According to one local, there is animosity toward New Orleans because while the people of Mobile sacrificed their traditional balconies to aid the war effort, the people of New Orleans chose not to do so, and now have more architectural fame because of it.

Week Two: World War II Aircraft Carrier, USS Yorktown; Charleston Tea Plantation, North America's Only Tea Plantation

 World War II Aircraft Carrier, USS Yorktown

The aircraft carrier, USS Yorktown, was constructed in less than 17 months to meet the demands of war at Newport News, Virginia in 1942-43. The USS Yorktown participated in the Pacific Offensive against Japanese targets during World War II. The carrier is also distinguished for service as an anti-submarine carrier during the Vietnam War, and retrieving the Apollo 8 astronauts and capsule in 1968.The carrier was decommissioned in 1970, and established as a museum in 1975.

The USS Yorktown. When commissioned in 1943, the carrier was 878 feet long. The carrier was extended to 888 feet in 1956 to meet the needs of jet aircraft.

Week Two: Angel Oak Tree and Cypress Gardens, SC

Located on John's Island, about 20 miles south of Charleston, the Angel Oak Tree is estimated to be around 400 to 500 years in age, and is one of the oldest living trees in the United States. The oak tree is 65 feet tall and its trunk has a circumference of over 28 feet. Its longest branch is is over 128 feet.

Standing before it, one cannot help but to be in awe of its sheer size and beauty. Angel Oak Tree is a must see for anyone visiting the Charleston, South Carolina region. A word of caution though, the dirt road leading to the tree may be closed. Visitors will have to find parking along the side of the Bohicket Road.

Angel Oak Tree, estimated to be about 400 - 500 years old, and one of the oldest living trees in the United States.

Week Two: Charleston, SC

In 1670, eight loyal friends of King Charles II of England, known as the Lords Proprietors, established the settlement of Charles Town (renamed Charleston) on the west bank of the Ashley River, just northwest of the present city. Due to the site's ideal position within the Charleston Harbor, which opens into the Atlantic Ocean, Charles Town began to grow into a important port town, and moved to its current site on the peninsula in 1680. In spite of frequent attacks from rival empires such as Spain and France, as well as from pirates and Native Americans, Charleston continued its growth as a major commercial and cultural center up to the American Civil War.

I focused on a tour of the historic French Quarter of downtown Charleston. In the early 1970s, downtown Charleston underwent a long period of restoration and revival. Those efforts have paid off. Charleston's historic French Quarter rivals that of Savannah, Georgia, in historic authenticity and attractiveness. Many homes and buildings survive intact from the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and several streets are still paved with original cobblestone.

Following Meeting Street, nicknamed "Museum Mile," I worked my way down the peninsula to the confluence of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers. I visited City Market, established in 1807 and still in operation today; the Powder Magazine, erected in 1713 and the oldest surviving building in South Carolina; the Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon, constructed in 1767 with a varied and controversial past; and The Battery (White Point Gardens), which offered great views of Charleston Harbor, and Fort Sumter. Before leaving Charleston, I stopped at Martha Lou's Kitchen to try authentic soul food. The food was delicious and I had the chance to meet the owner, Martha Lou, who has been cooking soul food for 30 years.

A church building constructed in 1848 in the neoclassical style.

Week Two: Hilton Head Island and Pinckney Island National Wildlife Preserve

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, is an island of diverse and turbulent history thanks in part to its strategic location along the Atlantic Ocean. The island was once home to archaic native tribes that constructed large shell circles, one of which is still visible today. The great empires of Spain, France, and England all fought to control the island. Under English, and later American control, the island's swampy landscape encouraged the growth of large rice plantations worked by enslaved labor.

Today, much of Hilton Head Island is a congested playground for the upper-middle class and wealthy, dominated by golf courses, gated private resorts and repetitive vacation villas. Even the so-called town of Harbor Town is not a real town, even the lighthouse is not real, rather, both are actually nothing more than a shopping complex masquerading as a harbor town. The traffic through much of the island is also highly congested, and the signage is poorly labeled throughout. Needless to say, I was not impressed with most of Hilton Head Island.

Hilton Head Island and the surrounding area is not a total loss for those looking for something more than playing golf and shopping for overpriced clothing however. Buried within one of the gated plantation resort communities is the Sea Pines Forest Preserve, a salt-marsh oasis for wildlife and plants. The preserve his home to the Indian Shell Ring, constructed by Native tribes approximately 4,000 years ago. Within the salt marshes, I had the opportunity to view crocodiles, who were also watching me just above the water line. There was also wildlife viewing opportunities in abundance.

Early in my visit I spotted this wild alligator stalking me as a I took pictures near the shore.

Week Two: Tybee Island

Tybee Island is the eastern-most island in Georgia's barrier island chain. The island consists of a sandy beach on its eastern shore, and a tidal salt marsh on its western shore. The Savannah River empties into the Atlantic Ocean to the north, which made the island an important strategic location in history. Originally occupied by the Euchee tribe, Tybee Island served as Spain's northern-most settlement in North America for a brief period, a haven for pirates, English settlement, and grounds for Union siege batteries against nearby Fort Pulaski during the American Civil War.

My visit to Tybee Island coincided with a series of thunderstorms and almost non-stop rain, resulting in a more limited itinerary. However, the dark rain clouds and drizzle against the backdrop of the the Atlantic Ocean and salt-marshes created a unique atmosphere, making my visit enjoyable. Approaching the Tybee Island from the west, the main highway cuts through the expansive salt-marshes.

The small ocean-front town of Tybee has a small cluster of shops, restaurants, and bars along 16th Street and Strand Avenue. I stopped at Fannies on the Beach, a small restaurant on Strand Avenue, and ate the best margarita pizza I have had yet. The chips and salsa tasted homemade; the chips were flaky, and fried to a golden brown. During my visit, I also noticed the consistent references to pirates, including pirate statues, and Jolly Rodger flags, including one flying above the town center. Perhaps such displays are a subtle reference to Tybee Island's history as a pirate haven?

Salt marshes surround Tybee Island's western shore.

Week Two: Savannah, Georgia

Savannah, Georgia's oldest city, was established in 1733 by the order of King George II of England, who wanted to establish a buffer against Spanish Florida and French Louisiana, in an effort to protect the more lucrative English colonies to the north. Major General James Oglethorpe chose a site along the Savannah River, approximately 20 miles upriver from the Atlantic Ocean. The site not only provided a buffer against imperial rivals, but allowed Savannah to grow into a major commercial and cultural center that persists to the present.

Savannah's Historic District is one of the most beautiful city districts I have visited in the United States. Few cities have managed or attempted to preserve their historic buildings, park squares, boulevards, stone streets to such a degree. The streets and park squares with the historic district remain largely unchanged from the original 1733 grid plan. The oak tree lined boulevards and park squares will feel like a step back into the 18th and 19th centuries, with the notable difference that unlike many other historic sites, Savannah's Historic District is very much still alive and buzzing.

My tour included River Street, paved with cobblestone and lined with historic buildings housing shops, restaurants, cafes and bars; Forsyth Park, a 31-acre park established in the 1840s with a large fountain, brick paths among large oak trees, and gardens;  the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, constructed in 1873; Colonial Cemetery, with head stones and crypts dating back to the 1750s; and tasting southern foods, including red beans and rice with Cajun seasonings, and pralines, a maple-sweet candy patty with pecans, a traditional southern favorite.

The bustling River Street, still paved with traditional cobblestone. The street is also lined with railroad track, which established Savannah's first streetcar service in 1869.