The Wandering Disciple

A line of artillery stands in defense of New Orleans and the Mississippi River at the Chalmette Battlefield.  The Battle of New Orleans was fought on these hallowed grounds during the War of 1812.  One of the biggest battles of the war, the Battle of New Orleans could have been avoided altogether had news of the treaty reaches US and UK forces before the battle ensued.  The Treaty of Ghent which offered peace between the United Kingdom and the United States was signed on  December 24, 1814.  But news of that treaty did not reach General Andrew Jackson or Sir Edward Pakenham before they led they troops into battle on January 8, 1815. The battle which saw the American victorious was not without a price as 62 American and 2,034 British forces were killed, wounded or captured in this skirmish.  Today the sacrifices made during the battle are memorialized at the Chalmette Battlefield and National Cemetery.  (Photo: November 20, 2017)  

A cannon helps protect the rampart at the edge of the Chalmette Battlefield, the last line of defense for New Orleans during the War of 1812.  It is here on this battlefield just outside of town where the Battle of New Orleans. American General Andrew Jackson was able to hold off the British troops from conquering the city in the last major conflict of the War of 1812.  (Photo: November 20, 2017) 

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...