June 19-26, 1999

June 19-26, 1999

 
After skipping a year, we decided to spend another week on a Gulf of Mexico beach with my relatives. This time they rented a beach house for all of us near Gulf Shores, Alabama, almost a hundred miles west of Destin. We flew into New Orleans a day early to do a little exploration. We started in the French Quarter at Jackson Square where the Louisiana Purchase was formally transferred from France to the USA. The plaza was renamed in honor of Andrew Jackson after his victory in the 1815 Battle of New Orleans over the British. Also on the square is the beautiful St Louis Cathedral. We then walked over to Bourbon Street stopping at Pat O’Briens where we had to order one of their famous Hurricane drinks. We drove around the Garden District, an area rife with antebellum mansions, and ate dinner at Emeril Lagasse’s. 

The next morning we drove the four hours to Gulf Shores, stopping in Mobile on the way. There we toured the WWII battleship USS Alabama. It is very cool. The ship is also where they filmed the 1992 Steven Seagal movie, “Under Siege”.

Later in the week we took a break from beach activities in Gulf Shores and drove the thirty miles to Pensacola Naval Air Station, home of the Blue Angels. We got the opportunity to watch these air aces practice. Also on base is the National Museum of Naval Aviation. It is well worth the visit to learn about these carrier-based warplanes. In particular I was delighted to see an original Grumman F6F Hellcat, an aircraft I have spent a lot of time flying…..on the computer.