Happy Birthday Louis!

It's Satchmo's Birthday today!  Happy Birthday Louis - wish you were still with us!

As the song goes, "I know what it means to miss New Orleans".  But, I am happy to report that I will be visiting my favorite city again at the end of October.  And, for those of you who don't know - when you fly into New Orleans, you land at Louis Armstrong International Airport.  You can almost feel the welcome of his smiling face and outstretched arms.  Whoever gave his name to the airport got it right!

So, I'm planning my trip (I can barely wait!) and one of the most difficult parts of the trip is trying to fit in all those places you want to go, and also to have time for one of my favorite pastimes while there; sitting by the Mississippi just watching the ships go by. 

I grew up not far from the Welland Canal, so ships have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.  I have never been on a big ship, but my Dad used to take my brother and I down to the canal on summer Sunday mornings to watch a ship go through the one of the locks.  If you have never seen that, it is really quite interesting. 

The bridge up at Lock 1.

Sometimes my Mom used to come too but I think a lot of the times just the three of us went so that she could have a (well deserved) break from us! 

At Lock 1 of the Canal there used to be large piles of sand - probably 40 feet or more high - that was destined for the Foundry at General Motors which was further along the canal.  But in the meantime, they provided lots of fun for local families with small children.  We used to tear up those piles and then slide down over and over again, and then try to shake the sand off before getting into Dad's car.

 

Sometimes after the canal we would go downtown to Diana Sweets to share a milkshake.  I do miss that place.  It was an old style restaurant with a lunch counter where we would sit and they would make a milkshake in one of those old green milkshake machines that are now again available, but called "retro".  I know you can picture the ones I mean.  At the back of the building, past the saloon style doors, were the wooden booths with thousands of names and initials carved in them.  The floors were the black and white small tiles, and there was stained glass, and all the waitresses wore blue uniform dresses with white trim.  When I worked downtown as an adult I used to go there quite often for lunch.  The food was good old home style cooking and they had the best gravy ever!   It has been gone for quite a few years since it has closed, but I will never forget it.

The front of the shop, with homemade chocolates and the counter where we had milkshakes (just out of the picture)

The wooden booths!

But how on earth did I get from boats on the Mississippi to milkshakes at Diana Sweets?  As the saying on my Priscilla Mae tote says "My mind not only wanders - sometimes it leaves completely!"  I love that!

So, back to ships.

Many of the ships that travel the Mississippi are much larger than those that will fit into the locks of the Welland Canal.  I am in absolute awe of the size of some of them, especially the Oil tankers. 

 Back in December of 1996, a freighter coming down the Mississippi lost power to it's steering and the powerful current took the ship right into the pilings of the Riverwalk - a large Shopping, hotel and condominium development on the shore of the River. 

From WikiPedia: "On the afternoon of Saturday, December 14, 1996, the M/V Bright Field freightliner/bulk cargo vessel slammed into the Riverwalk. No one was killed in the accident, although approximately 66 were injured. Fifteen shops and 456 hotel rooms were demolished. Physical damage to the Bright Field was calculated at $1,857,952 (US). Damage to the Riverwalk, including the pier, condominium properties, shops, and hotel totaled an estimated $15 million (US). The freightliner was unable to be removed from the crash site until January 6, 1997, by which time the site had become something of a "must-see" tourist attraction.  The spot where the Bright Field collided with the Riverwalk is marked on site with a plaque."

The current of the river at this point is so strong, that ships are pushed far to the left before they can turn the "corner" to continue downstream.  This is right at a bend in the river that gave New Orleans the nickname of "Crescent City".   I am fascinated by the tugboats navigating the barges through this spot. 

Tug and Barge.

Right beside Riverwalk is the Ferry that takes pedestrians and vehicles across the river to Algiers, part of New Orleans.  The ferry is free for everyone and runs across about every 15 minutes.  I like to take the Ferry back and forth just to get a view of the city from the River and to enjoy the feeling of actually being on the Mighty Mississippi.  In Algiers there is Mardi Gras World, which is where many of the Mardi Gras floats are made and stored - but that's a story for a post on another day!

Looking at the French Quarter from the Ferry.

And then there is the Steamboat Natchez.  It is one of only two true steam powered sternwheelers plying the Mississippi today. Her 32 note steam calliope was custom crafted and modeled after the music makers of the Gilded Age.  A "calliopist"? plays a few tunes before each departure and the trilling notes can be heard throughout the French Quarter.  The cruise is a truly wonderful experience and I will save the details of this for yet another post on another day!

And, I will leave you with a link to one of Louis' best... and how right he is - "What a Wonderful World".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xotoDy5806Y