By Sam Strait – October 26, 2022 Left Lafayette, Louisiana bright and early for the even brighter lights of New Orleans. Two hours later we had checked in to our hotel and are on our way to walk the French Quarter. First things first after winding our way through narrow streets to Jackson Square and the prospect of finding a spot to park. Seems that Crescent City is missing the boat on how to gouge the tourists even more by hitting them up for exorbitant parking fees. The City could take part of the Beach Front Park extravaganza and turn it into $4.00/hour parking for visitors. What a money maker. $50 to park in the French Quarter for the half day. Strolled through the French Quarter for several hours before stopping for lunch at the "Coronet" for some down home southern cooking and street watching from the second floor balcony of the restaurant. Po'Boys and shrimp creole to start the culinary odyssey. It seems that people who come to satisfy their palette can do no wrong in this City, plenty to choose from and a variety that clearly will appeal to most tastes. Down to the river to chill and watch the stern-wheeler "Natchez" head up river on the Mississippi for a dinner cruise before returning to New Orleans later today. Lots more window shopping inter spaced with sitting on the park bench listening to musician "wanna to be's" trying out their musical skills on the tourists in Jackson Square. Plenty to do even in the light of day, but after the sun sets the party begins. We didn't get very far on our adventure to the Atlantic Coast, a mere hundred miles or so, but decided a bit of down time was in order. Day seven actually sort of merged into day eight with plenty of music to be had. I will leave that one to your imagination. Late night was had before returning to the hotel to get a few hours before returning to the French Quarter for a few powdered sugar coated beignets, a signature treat at Cafe Du Monde, and hot chocolate, then on to the Confederate War Museum a bit west of the Quarter. Oops, too early for a 10:00 am opening but the massive World War II Museum is right next door and opened at 9:00 am. Three hours later and on "museum over load" we brave one of the South's famous fall thunder storms, with a suitably thunderous down pour en-route to our parked car. Four hours later and a parking bill of $16 we are on our way north to Huntsville Alabama, where the US's Johnson's Space Center is Located. A stop on the bridge over Lake Pontchartrain for photos then north to Mississippi, our ninth state. Roads are great, gas is still hovering at $3.00 per gallon. Some how these "economically poor" states can keep their infrastructure together without dipping too deep in the state's taxpayer pockets, maybe our local leadership can come out for lessons on financial responsibility. Faint hope. A quick hop across Mississippi, lunch at Meridian, a fill up at $3.05 per gallon, Egads! Inflation, maybe the local County government should think about tacking on another one percent to inflate the local economy even more. I jest. Tuscaloosa, home of University of Alabama, a beautiful town, before on to the capital of "Civil Rights", Birmingham and all things Martin Luther King. We have elected to stay nearby and hit another aviation museum in the morning before heading up to Huntsville and the Johnson Space Center. Seems our visit of a former student in the outskirt's of Atlanta is in jeopardy due to illness. Any way, Texas barbecue was on tap for dinner and surprise of surprises, better than Texas barbecue in Texas. So it was with that, we staggered back to the hotel to get this account of our wanderings in front of readers in the morning. Day nine, and onward.