NOLA and the Gulf Coast Adventure - DAY 5

Day 5 - Time to head home

We awoke to a beautiful, sunny day on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. You can see the beautiful beach and water from our breakfast table. We really enjoyed our time at the Inn at Long Beach.

Time to head West and return to NOLA to catch our mid-afternoon flight. The further west we drove, the moodier the sky. We are sad to leave this peaceful stretch of shoreline.

Just as we reach Louisiana, we stop at the Louisiana Cache Odyssey cache. This was a fun one in historic downtown Slidell involving mailboxes. Signal had a good time, and we released a trackable heading to Phoenix.

Cache Odyssey - Louisiana GCB05R5

With just a few hours to kill, we toured several Louisiana historic cemeteries...

...spent some time enjoying a drive through City Park with its sculpture garden with its 1,000 YO oaks...

... before having lunch at Toups' Meatery. That was quite the culinary experience with the Boudin Balls, Cracklin, and the most exquisite Beer Battered Redfish sandwich.

Just as we entered the terminal in NOLA to catch our flight, the skies broke and rain came down. We are sad to see us go, too.

NOLA and the Gulf Coast Adventure - DAY 4

Day 4 - Sunshine in Mississippi! 🌞

MANY years ago I sat in a movie theater and watched a pre-movie ad about vacationing along Mississippi's Gulf Coast. Amazing that years later, when we had free plane tickets to use, I remembered those ads and we booked that trip!

After 3 days in NOLA, we rented a car and headed East! First a stop in Metairie Cemetery to see the amazing Mausoleums (and Anne Rice's final resting place) before we drove over the big bridge to Mississippi.

Final resting place of Anne Rice GCAJGRW

The cemetery flooding is real!

Diberts Derriere GCK71X

This Egyptian pyramid is so reminiscent of Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit. Powerful!

The coastal road didn't disappoint! We started our adventure shopping and eating in Bay St Louis (shopping at Fleurty Girls and then fajitas at Avocado's). They gave me a free ice cream dessert for Mother's Day ❤️

This beautiful coastal road led us through Long Beach, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Ocean Springs! Stops included dipping our toes in the water and driving past Beauvoir House. Of the entire trip, we geocached the most along this shore.

Biloxi National Cemetery EarthCache GCAAMB5

The lighthouse virtual was cool because you could either take a selfie in front of the structure or use the webcam! The webcam linked to the page was down, but I found a new link to use. LOVE WEBCAMS!

Biloxi Lighthouse GC7B8V6

After dinner at a restaurant on stilts, we hung out in the parking lot to visit with our new friend!

Nice view #08 GAFNQG

We ended our day at the Inn at Long Beach. If you ever make it to the Mississippi Gulf coast, THIS is where you want to stay! It sits across the road to a beautiful but quiet beach. It's affordable, beautifully appointed, and the nicest staff you will meet!

SCORECARD

12,000+ steps walked

4 Virtuals

4 traditionals

1 Earthcache

4 cemeteries

1 new state souvenir

2 fabulous meals

NOLA and the Gulf Coast Adventure - DAY 3

 Day 3 - In the downpour of New Orleans

The storm has hit, but it hasn't dampened our adventure!

After Banana Foster French toast at the Ruby Slipper, we grabbed our first traditional on this trip at the trolley station!

Creole Cache GCBBQF2

We made our way via trolley along Canal Street to the Audubon Aquarium & Insectarium. Perfect way to while away a wet morning.

From the Aquarium/Insectarium, we walked along the riverfront to see the riverboat and log a Virtual geocache.

From Distant Shores GCD7CB

Lunch at Landry's included oysters and calamari topped off with beignets at Cafe Beignet.

Have you ever had a muffaletta? We were told the originals were at Central Grocery & Deli so we brought some back to the hotel for a rest and meal before our night adventure.

How else do you top off a Saturday night in New Orleans than taking a "Dead of Night Ghosts and Cemetery Tour"? It included walking through Masonic Cemetery 1 at night and being told ghost stories in City Park under the 1,000 YO oaks! Spectacular experience!

I would've loved to have seen more Virtuals in the cemeteries. They were amazing structures above ground and in the walls. So much history here.

SCORECARD

12,000+ steps walked

1 Virtual

1 traditional

1 aquarium

1 cemetery tour

2 fabulous meals