The Wandering Disciple

Rising above Jackson Square in the heart of the French Quarter, St Louis Cathedral is the oldest cathedral in the United States.  There have been churches located here since 1718 but the current cathedral was finished in 1794.  Over the years, the St Louis Cathedral has grown to a parish of over 6,000 members.  (Photo: November 21, 2017)

The paddlewheeler Creole Queen sails down the mighty Mississippi River near New Orleans.  The ride down the river gives a glimpse into life along the river.  While the paddlewheel boat has given way to larger vessels, the river is still a main way to brings good and supplies into the region and beyond. But if you want to experience the river like the old days, you can board the paddlewheeler Creole Queen and take a trip into history on a cruise to the Chalmette Battlefield and back to downtown New Orleans. (Photo: November 20, 2017)

Flying high in the sky, its not a bird but a mustang.  The P-51 Mustang dominated the skies over World War II providing bomber escorts and downing Luftwaffe fighters.  Developed by North American Aviation and released in 1940, the P-51 Mustang was operated primarily by the United States Army Air Force and the Royal Air Force.  Today the P-51 continues to fly the air show circuit as well as maintained in museums around the globe like this one at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.  (Photo: November 22, 2017)

When most people think of New Orleans, the first thing they think of is Mardi Gras.  Colorful costumes, parades and beads help define the city with the heritage of the Mardi Gras carnival.  The roots of Mardi Gras are centered around the Catholic day of Shrove Tuesday.  The celebrations begin about two weeks before Shrove Tuesday and continue daily until then.  You can learn more about Mardi Gras in exhibits throughout the city including this one in the Louisiana State Museum at the Presbytere. (Photo: November 21, 2017)

New Orleans, Louisiana: Today is the final day of our New Orleans vacation.  It has been a whirlwind of a trip as we tried to experience as much of the city as we could in the time that we were in town.  But before we boarded our flight back to Florida this evening, we still had a day of exploration left. Despite the fact that we had planned to much stuff with not enough days to get it done, I was still determined to cross a couple more off the list. The day began with us boarding the St Charles Streetcar Line after breakfast for a trip to the Garden District.  One of the things that I have heard through the trip was that we needed to visit a New Orleans cemetery.  So we decided to head over to the Lafayette Cemetery in the Garden District and take a self guided walking tour.  Having seen tradition in-ground burial cemeteries my whole life, it was weird seeing them all buried above ground.  It was also creepy at some points because there were quite a fe...

New Orleans, Louisiana:  Happy Thanksgiving from the Crescent City.  It was kind of weird waking up on Thanksgiving and not be preparing a feast for family.  Instead we were over a thousand miles from home on our week long vacation to New Orleans.  Today was a lighter day of exploration because most of the attractions were closed due to the holiday.  Plus our plans had to be modified a bit since it was 44 degrees when we woke up. We had planned to exploring the French Quarter by foot but that plan was delayed a bit due to the cold weather.   Instead we decided to take a trip on the streetcar and view the city in warmth.  Yesterday we rode the historic St Charles Line so today we rode the Canal Street.  We rode the entire line from beginning to end and when it was over, it had warmed up a bit to begin exploring by foot. Before we began our exploration, we stopped at Cafe Du Monde for beignets and coffee.  Cafe Du Monde is know world...

New Orleans, Louisiana:  Our third day of the trip was a day that I was really looking forward to, a trip to the National World War II Museum.  This museum was a highlight of the trip for me.  The morning started with breakfast at the hotel followed by a mile and a half walk to the museum.  On the way there, we passed through Lee Circle.  This park made history a few weeks ago as the statue of General Lee was removed from the top of the monument by city officials.  We got to the museum a little too early, so we stopped by a corner cafe for coffee before the museum opened. The museum complex for the National World War II Museum was massive.  It was situated in five buildings spanning several city blocks and is still growing.  There is a theme to the museum which follows through the timeline of the war.  The first building houses the exhibits that showcased what lead up to the war.  It also had exhibits on the Manhattan Project and...

New Orleans, Louisiana:  The second day of our New Orleans trip began with me still struggling to adjust with the time change.  Last night I fell asleep on New Orleans time however this morning, my body woke me up at my normal Florida work schedule time which was much to early for this late rising town.  We had another full day of exploration however nothing opened until 9:30-10:00 and I woke up at 4:40. So I sat around the hotel room working on photos until the restaurant in the hotel opened.  It is pretty handy staying at a hotel that offers full breakfast and a partial dinner as part of your amenities.  After breakfast we headed out to walk around the city.  Even though nothing was open, it was still a great opportunity to enjoy the sights of the city without the crowds.  During the walk, I paid a visit to the New Orleans Fire Department Engine 29 crew that protects the French Quarter.  Once we left the station, we walked up to Jackson...

New Orleans, Louisiana:  Last year when we were planning our summer road trip, we had anticipated going to New Orleans.  I did all the planning but when it came down to it, I made a last minute change to go back to the mountains and we went to Asheville instead.  But the New Orleans trip was only delayed until Thanksgiving break. As with all of our trips, I had planned on doing a road trip.  We would have crossed a few new states off the list and made some stops along the way.  But the more and more I looked into driving, the more hesitant I was with the cost of parking at the hotel, the limited parking in the city, the length of the drive.  A few weeks ago, I happened to check airfare and found rates low enough on Southwest, it was cheaper to fly than drive.  So I booked us a flight and away we went. It has been a long time since I have flown, 2009 to be exact.  Being an airplane nerd, I was really happy to be flying.  Our flight to...

When Floridians think of the winter months and cooler weather, the first thought that comes to mind is the return of the winter residents commonly known as snowbirds.  But those are the only snowbirds that flock to the Sunshine State, a walk along any beach or body of water will find feathered visitors enjoying the warmth of the Florida sun.  (Photo: January 5, 2014)

Come on in, the water is fine says a trio of gators lying on the bank of the Myakka River at Myakka River State Park.  The scenic and wild Myakka River is home to hundreds of gators that can be seen sunning themselves along the riverbank.  Because alligators are cold blooded, they rely on sunning to help them digest their food as well as regulate their body temperature.  (Photo: December 31, 2013)

Each year, central Florida gets covered in Ice.  Well not really, but the convention center at the Gaylord Palms does as it transforms into an icy wonderland for the yearly Ice! exhibit.  Master ice artists turn two million pounds of solid ice into a life-sized creations that brings childhood Christmas memories like Frosty the Snowman to life.  This year's display features Christmas Around the World and opens on November 21 and runs through January 7.  (Photo: December 26, 2013)

What better way to cool down from a day of fun in the Florida sun than by taking a dip in a sparkling pool like the one here at the Gaylord Palms Resort.  The Cypress Springs area at the resort features a large pool, The Tree house water playground, Wake Zone FlowRider and the Big Cypress Slides.  Earlier this year, the Gaylord Palms put the finishing touches on a $4.2 million dollar renovation which added new slides including a 49 foot AquaDrop slide, the tallest such slide in the Sunshine State.  (Photo:  December 26, 2013)

A special thank-you goes out to the men and woman who have served our nation's armed forces.  These brave men and woman sacrificed time away from their family to ensure our nation's security and protect our freedoms and liberties.   Your service is appreciated not only on Veteran's Day but each and every day.  Thank you for your service.  (Photo: November 3, 2012)

  A short climb up the tower puts you in the in the tops of the trees at the Canopy Walk at Myakka River State Park in eastern Sarasota County.  The elevated suspension bridge rises 25 feet above the forest floor giving visitors a glimpse into life in the trees.  The bridge is modeled after suspension bridges in South America that are used to give scientists a working platform to study wildlife activity that occurs with the rain forest canopy.  (Photo: November 30, 2013)

From a typewriter on the back porch of a rustic cabin to the pages of literary classics, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings introduced the world to great classics like the Yearling. Today fans of her books can visit her Cross Creek home and be transported back in time and feel the inspiration that led Marjorie to write such great classic novels. (Photo: November 10, 2013)

These stairs lead you on a journey to the center of the Earth.  Well not really, but in the usually flat topography of Florida it sure feels that way.  Here at the Devil''s Millhopper State Park, 212 stairs descend into a 120 foot sinkhole.  Once you reach the bottom, the surface of the park seems to disappear above you, leaving you with a surreal tropical experience complete with trickling waterfalls all around.  (Photo: November 9, 2013)

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, commonly known as The Swamp, is one of the toughest college football stadiums for a visiting team to play in the nation.  Home to the Florida Gators, the Swamp can hold over 88,000 screaming Gators fans on game day. (Photo: November 10, 2013)

The beaver moon rises above Southwest Florida, illuminating the nighttime sky.  Native American tribes and early settlers used the first full moon of November as a benchmark to begin setting beaver traps so they would have enough fur to survive the harsh winters.  With the close proximity of the moon to the Earth's orbit, the 2017 beaver moon will be the second brightest moon of the year.  The brightest moon will come next month during the Full Cold Moon on December 4.  (Photo: November 3, 2017)