The Big Easy, New Orleans.

After a night on Beale Street the last thing I needed was a night on Bourbon Street and yet there I was. I stayed at the Canal Street Hotel, not a bad place, very reasonable, free high speed Internet.

Near by I saw an ATM that hadn't worked since Katrina. I saw a lot more too.

Here's a big hotel, apparently abandoned.

Here's a sky bridge that goes from one building to another, except the other building isn't there anymore. Why not demolish the sky bridge?

Then I saw the Saenger Theatre. The Grateful Dead played there in 1980 and Yonder Mountain String Band played there a few years back during Jazz Fest. Now it sits there boarded up.

The once beautiful Saenger entrance. A sign says they're going to reopen but it's been a few years now. Jeez, let's go people.

They put nice murals over destroyed buildings at street level. Look up.

The French Quarter was alive and hopping though.

Got my picture taken with a grenade. Apparently that's a type of drink.

Dog tired.

The French Quarter.

When The Saints Come Marching In. Every picture means a $1 tip.

Bourbon Street.

Worst statue person I ever saw. He would swear at tourists that wouldn't photograph him. He assumed the Heisman Trophy pose for this picture. I don't think carrying a beer and cursing potential customers helped.

Me with one of New Orleans finest. He's the only one I didn't have to tip.

Back to the room on the trolley. There's the driver.

Here's the passengers.

The next day it was onto the Amtrak Crescent to Washington DC. Th trains that run in & out of New York City are old school. Too many low bridges to run the double decker Superliners. I was getting off at DC but the Crescent continued to NYC.

It just so happened the Crescent was pulling a private car that day. If you have the money you an hook up your private car to an Amtrak train. Don't own a private car? You can rent them. Google it, there are plenty.

There was a Superliner at the New Orleans depot. That's either the City of New Orleans from Chicago or the Sunset Limited from LA.

Interior shot of the Crescent.

Lake Ponchatrain.

The dining car on the Crescent.

Me in the dining car on the Crescent. I had dinner with a Psychologist and a transplant surgeon.

Now it's on to Washington DC.