3535 miles later

We made it! We had a great ride from Houston. The weather was perfect with blue skies and the wind at our back. The miles just flew by, making me think that after all the Motorcycle Maintenance we've done, a little Zen was in order.

It's interesting to note that since we hit West Texas, whenever we've asked how far it is to some location, everyone answers in terms of time rather than miles. Even today, near Baton Rouge, Hal specifically asked a local how many miles it was to New Orleans, the person replied, "45 minutes to an hour, depending on how fast you drive."

First impressions of New Orleans are better than I expected. Last February when I drove through here in my car (with my broken ankle), blue tarps covering roofs were everywhere along I10. Today, I didn't see any. I'll do a lot more exploring before I'm out of here, and will report back, complete with photos.

We went out for dinner tonight at the Parkway Bakery and Tavern. We had poorboys and a couple of beer, and were entertained by an all-girls brass band. Great place! Later tonight, we'll go see Walter Wolfman Washington at the Banks Tavern (which fortunately is walking distance from where we're staying). Any "Walter" can't be all bad, and besides, all Walters are at least honorary members of the Walternative Universe.

Tomorrow the Jazz Fest starts. My only must-see tomorrow is Van Morrison. He'll be competing against Lucinda Williams on another stage, but I've seen Lucinda several times, and have never seen Van Morrison.

Stay tuned for more food, music, and venue reviews. I'll also do some exploring and report back on the state of New Orleans.