NOLA (New Orleans, LA) City Bark--Maggie visits an extraordinary dog park!

As were driving along Route 610 through New Orleans yesterday (the best route to the airport ), we noticed what seemed to be a large dog park just to the north of the highway—just near the Canal St. exit. As soon as we dropped our friends of for their homeward flight, we made a beeline back. We (and Maggie) had been missing the dog parks in the Florida Keys…could this be as much fun?

Turns out that the City Bark, an “off leash” dog park in New Orleans’ lovely and historic City Park (click here for the direct link), is far and away the best dog park we have ever seen. And it’s got an inspiring history. A group of local dog-lovers conceived the project after Hurricane Katrina.

They got organized and started raising funds and exploring designs in 2007. After crafting a joint venture with the city, hiring a “zoo specialist” to landscape and mold the 4.6 acres and researching dog parks across the country, they raised the several hundred thousand necessary to begin building.

It opened in March of 2010, and was chock full of dogs playing in yesterday afternoon’s toasty-warm sun!

Like all well-designed dog parks, it’s double-gated, has several watering stations and a separate yard for small or special needs dogs. It also has tons of glorious shade, restrooms (human) and even a raised dog-washing station so you can clean your pet off before heading home.

We were able to chat with a couple of board members as well as some regular City Bark members (a $35 annual fee allows up to three dogs—they were expecting to sell about 500, but are now up to 3000!). All were beyond thrilled at the result. 

Dogs were romping everywhere—Maggie was off like a shot to find some playmates. People of all ages and from all walks of life grinned and chatted. (Special thanks to board member Mary Ann Cardinale for being so gracious and sharing a bit of the history as well as her enthusiasm.)

Maggie joins her new friend, Simone--a silver Standard Poodle--in a game of chase.

A local shelter group was holding an adoption day, too. It was really, really hard to pass these guys up!

Which one could you love?










City Bark has also made news in trade magazines. Click here for the full story!

Bud and I left dreaming of having such a facility in Concord, New Hampshire--if only!!

Eco-Tours of South Mississippi--rivers, swamps, bayous and birdlife!

One of the local attractions that we wanted to experience was the Eco-Tours of South Mississippi (228 297-8687 http://www.ecotoursofsouthmississippi.com/). We were a bit worried that the tours wouldn't run in February, but a quick call settled that.  Of course they went year-round! And certainly Maggie would be welcome as long as she stayed calm and didn't bark.

We booked the 2:00, hoping that the sun would have time to warm the temp over 50 degrees, and sure enough, Capt. Kathy Wilkinson was ready with her nifty tour boat--right at the new City Park in Gautier.





The fishing pier is for fishing, crabbing...or just hanging out!




Maggie started up front in between me and Nancy.




A brown pelican swooped by....




and we happened on a large flock (?) of white pelicans.


Nancy got this great close-up!

Osprey nests were quite a presence.

We meandered though Buzzards and Whisky Bayous...swampy and fun!

Towards the end we were chilly (and very grateful for Capt. Kathy's blankets and tarps), but her knowledge of the Pascagoula River, its history and ecosystems kept our attention the entire time. We especially loved the swamp!

Do Bud and Cloyd look a little chilled?

Maggie behaved like the lady she is...not a single bark!



If you're in the area any time of year, this trip is very worthwhile!

A dog's life...neat local restaurants and lazy afternoons reading!

With friends here this week, we've slipped into a laid-back routine of getting up late, doing a bit of touring, finding fun restaurants for lunch then reading/napping in the afternoon before the evening activities.

It's a lifestyle that Maggie is loving!

Some local restaurants that we've found and enjoyed are The Buttercup on N. Second Street in Bay St. Louis (228 466-4930).  This is a wonderful sunny place with tables out on the porch as well as inside and great sandwiches/salads. The breakfast menu looks great too.

Cafe New Orleans (http://www.cafeneworleansdiberville.com/) in D'Iberville (pronounced Dee-Eyeberville) is a local place featuring Cajun/Creole and local southern food like fried pickles.  Bud enjoyed the Shrimp Creole--and the portions are immense!

 The Ole' Biloxi Fillin' Station (http://www.olebiloxifillinstation.com/) is actually an old gas station from the 30's and 40's that's been converted to a pub/restaurant. We ate there last June and loved it and found the food just as good in February. The walls are lined with old black and white photos of the place when they served gasoline--not Po Boys.  Great atmosphere!  We'll return when it's warmer next week and let Maggie join us at the outdoor tables.

Today we are off to research gator farms and eco-tours!

Kitesurfing in Mississippi Sound

Yesterday a storm blew in--nothing like other parts of the country are getting, but the wind came up.  Around here when the wind comes up the kitesurfers come out.  There were three fellows just off the beach in front of our house, so we went out to watch.

Waters in Mississippi sound are shallow and winds kick up a chop--no deep rolling waves.

It turns out that the idea of kitesurfing or kiteboarding has been around since 1800, but wasn't refined to the current sport with high-tech gear and equipment until the late 1990's. Outfitting yourself can cost $3000--a notch up from boogie boarding!

Getting the equipment reeled in requires buddies, it seems.

This fellow's kite took off across the street, heading towards the huge live oaks that line Beach Rd. Stopping was a challenge, especially considering his bare feet. It was dicey for a moment--he could been pulled right out into traffic.

It all worked out in the end!



Houses (mansions?) and hurricanes...loving the Gulf Coast!

Where have I been, you might ask?  No posts since Sunday night...and here it is Wednesday morning!

Well...the sun came out, the temps warmed up and we took a day to drive east through Ocean Springs on Monday, and then west through Long Beach, Pass Christian, Bay St. Louis and a bit north yesterday. Combined with stops here and there at our favorite casinos, the days just flew by and we plopped into bed by nightfall--no time to post!

Friends Cloyd and Nancy wanted to see the Friendship Oak, which is just down the road from us. legend has it that those who walk together underneath its branches will remain friends forever. 

Here we are!

Another view of this 500-year old Live Oak gives a bit of perspective...but you really have to see it in person to get the full effect. A word about Live Oaks--they are so called because they have evergreen characteristics.  Leaves (and acorns) are much smaller than our oak trees up north and they stay green and on the trees year-round except for a short time in the spring when they drop their leaves and grow new ones right away. They give a wonderful ante-bellum feel to the whole area.

I have seen this area of the Gulf Coast referred to as the Garden District--perhaps a new term for them, but it certainly applies. One especially lovely stretch in Long Beach (a mile or two down the beach) has wonderfully restored historic homes.

Palms line the walkway...hence Les Palmiers!



Some are two-story beauties!



Some have second-level galleries overlooking Mississippi Sound

The porches are designed for outdoor living.

It's very interesting listening to residents talk about Hurricanes Camille (1969) and Katrina (2005). Camille came at night, so people could hear the destruction, but didn't get to see the extent of the damage until the next morning.  Katrina came by day, so people got to see Mother Nature in action. The subject of hurricanes is a common element of conversation--clearly these storms are a huge part of the local culture.

Route 10 is the main east-west highway, and is set quite a ways in from the coast--5 miles in most places. We saw this marker for Katrina's high-water mark at an interchange in Bay St. Louis. Our GPS set the level at about 23 ' above sea level!



 

Fort Bayou Slim at the Shed...the sun comes out and a dolphin comes to play!

Here's a clip of Fort Bayou Slim...a marvelous blues band we heard last night at The Shed BBQ and Blues Joint. The food was awesome (though be warned if if you get the Jumbo Sampler--it could feed 6 normal people!). There was a toasty bonfire, children dancing to the music in front of the stage...we loved it!

Maggie was a hit and friends Cloyd and Nancy approved of the food and the music!





But that was last night....today the sun came out and temp climbed up to 60.  We set out on a drive to Ocean Springs, and got waylayed at Ken Combs Pier in Biloxi.

We thought we would take a stroll with Maggie out to the end of the pier (a classic Gulf Coast fishing/picnic pier) but never even made it onto the first board. Next to the pier is a small boat launch area that leads out into Mississippi Sound.

Some people behind us shouted "Look...a dolphin!"  Sure enough, a large dolphin had followed some fish into the small (and very shallow) area.  Maggie watched--but not too closely. Nancy got this great shot of her keeping her distance.

The dolphin spent a good 20 minutes fishing in very shallow water.

And while Nancy and I were snapping away, Maggie decided to head down the beach at warp speed.  Luckily, Bud and Cloyd enticed her back...but not before she took a dip.

Bad Maggie!

Katrina history and my blog tops 1000 hits!

Our hosts here in Gulfport left an amazing picture book, Katrina Before & After, for their guests to look at. It was produced by the Sun Herald and illustrates Katrina's wrath by pairing before and after shots of various sites (some businesses, some homes) along the Gulf Coast.  It was published in 2006, and we are going to try and find a copy to bring home with us. It is horrifying!

At the same time, the rebuilding and restoration of the economy is progressing (not really helped by the BP oil spill, of course).  Here is a shot of a home along Beach Road--I love the color and feel--and, yes, it is another cheat shot.  I took it last June.

Who wouldn't love to live here?



A cool thing for me--last night my "stats" tracker on Travels with Chase Hit 1000 views since I started the blog a month ago! (And no, I am not tracking my own views).  Guess I'll keep going!

Another rare double post--a park, a casino and a review of The Shed BBQ and Blues Joint!

Our primary mission this morning was a scouting mission to the The Shed BBQ and Blues Joint. They have been written up on the Food Network and won numerous awards for their BBQ.  They also are known for their weekend blues bands--so we wanted to see if they are worth a Saturday night trip.

Well!  The story goes that the Shed was started by dumpster-diving Brad Orrison--a trash collector and lover of BBQ. He decided to build a BBQ joint out of all the trash he had collected.  Family members were impressed and joined in the venture--developing award-winning BBQ and adding the stage and music as time went on.

We found the place, though we were a bit tentative walking in the front door.

It turns out that the Shed is actually a real shed (expanded a zillion times, for sure). It is built out of real junk and trash--not faux decorations like in some national restaurant chains. This is slap-your-knee-by-gosh-and-golly....junk!

We sat at the bar for lunch, got the pulled pork (a "speciality") and were wowed. The beans are great and the coleslaw is too.  That's as far as we got. Our server, Sara, told us that this Saturday a blues/funk band called Fort Bayou Slim would be playing--and said thay are consistently great. When I asked about reservations, she looked amused. Silly me to think that the Shed would have reservations! We'll plan to be there when the band starts at 7.

We also stopped in at the IP Casino in Biloxi and won a very nice jackpot.  We had forgotten about the banks of keno and video poker machines on the second floor.

A couple of days ago (in balmier weather) Bud was walking Maggie and ran into some other dog owners out for a stroll.  They recommended a park just a block away--it's not a dog park, per se, but is fenced and has lovely sitting areas and even a tennis court.  We took Maggie there for some serious play--all based on chasing her favorite green ball, weird-looking though it is.

Go Maggie!



Notes on the weather....cold!

A morning note about the weather: it is 37 degrees! It reminds us a bit of the New England seashore in the early spring--water a silvery gray and a very nippy wind. For the first time since we left New Hampshire on January 3, I am wearing my winter vest and scarf!

The temp is at least 30 degrees below normal for February, and it's making news.  Last night the local TV station weatherman did a lengthy segment explaining what sleet is--complete with film showing what it looks like and how it bounces off the hood of your car. He had a black raincoat on so he could give a live demonstration, but the sleet stopped. Too funny!

But the weather is giving us time to research and plan what we'd like to do.  One thing that's high on my list is an excursion on the Biloxi Shrimping Trip tour.  You go out for 70 minutes on a shrimp boat and learn all about it.  They operate Feb-Nov. and if I can't talk Bud into it, perhaps I can persuade friends Nancy and Cloyd who arrive from NH on Saturday.

Meantime, here's what the water looks like in this weather pattern.  See the resemblance to to the Atlantic on a calm day in early spring?

But the good news is that by Saturday the weather will return to more normal...mid 60's.  Wahoo!

The Friendship Oak, shrimp boats and an excursion to Pass Christian.

Today's primary mission was to locate the Friendship Oak on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi in Long Beach (the next town towards New Orleans). It's right off Beach Rd, or US 90, and was so worth the trip.

It is a Live Oak (as are all the other magnificent trees the grace the lawns and line the beach boulevard), and is 500 years old--imagine! It's now 50' high with a spread of 156 feet and provides 16,000 sf of shelter. It's a favorite place to get married, and legend has it it that those who walk under the limbs will be friends forever.

A signpost puts everything in perspective.

The stairs are no longer there (washed away by Katrina?), but it still is something to behold.

Next on our list was to find Pass Christian Harbor, and a restaurant called Shaggy's . Since there is really only one road along the beach, it was easy to spot.

Rumor has it they have great food, great music and also allow dogs.  We'll see! On the other side of the harbor, shrimp boats sat idle--we will have to find out more about the shrimping season.  We hear there's a shrimp boat in Biloxi that takes on passengers for day trips--that would be very cool!



Just at the end of the harbor there is a an extensive fishing pier, complete with benches, shaded canopies and containers for fishing line and other used fishing gear. Maggie enjoyed exploring.

Just beyond the pier there was all kinds of activity...fellows in shallow boats with rakes and another fellow who seemed to be collecting or processing the catch.  Bud's guess is oysters...but we will have to find out.

The drive along Beach Road is interesting. Parts are still lined with the Live Oaks, but often you see empty lots with forlorn-looking foundations--houses destroyed by Katrina and never rebuilt.  But some houses  (clearly many which have been around for many decades) are beautifully maintained--what we would call southern mansions.  Very Tara-esque.  I stopped to take a photo of one and was greeted by an immense  Great Dane.  I took my shot and hopped back in the car!

From there we stopped into the Hollywood Casino in Bay St. Louis, just beyond Pass Christian click here for link (great keno machines and an $800 win for me).  Another stop at the Sliver Slipper Casino click here for link netted Bud $100.

Fun!!