The Manchac Swamp

Manchac Swamp is located a short distance from Mandeville; a very enjoyable motorcycle ride by the way Highway 22 that passes through Madisonville and Ponchatoula before connecting to I-55.
Madisonville small resort town located on the scenic Tchefuncte River, and is well worth a visit.  It features waterside restaurants with evening entertainment where you can have a pleasant meal and enjoy live entertainment while watch the boats idle leisurely up the Tchefuncte River.

The Annual Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival just finished up last week (wouldn't you know it); but, there other claim to fame - their numerous antique shops were still going strong, were just too inviting to pass up.

A few miles removed from the faster paced life of Mandeville and New Orleans, Ponchatoula's laid back life style is a relaxing change of pace and its many antique shops are just plane fun to browse.

As you head south on I-55 you pass along Manchac Swamp Bridge which is purported to be the world's third longest bridge (a mere 1800 and some feet less than the Pontchartrain Causeway).

The Manchac Swamp separates Lake Pontchartrain from Lake Maurepas (although the lakes are interconnected via the Manchac Pass).

Surprisingly for most of its length the bridge parallels a two lane highway which is built over the marshy swamp lands.  One has to wonder why existing highway was not just widened rather than building the, seemingly, more costly elevated interstate highway that was built in the 1970's (I'm sure I'll never know the answer).

Manchac itself is small fishing village where most of the villagers are said to make their living shrimping and fishing.

The Manchac Swamp is touted as being one of "The Twelve Eeriest Places on Earth".  The story is that in 1915, one Julie Brown was being buried when huge hurricane swept through and virtually destroyed the entire town of Frenier - the hurricane end up being the final resting place for all 50 attendees of the funeral of Julie Brown.  Still today, the depths of the swamp hold the mass graves of the hurricanes victims of that fateful day.  The victims of that disaster are said to, "Still haunt the Manchac Swamp".

Getting Back on Track

Did you ever notice how things have a way going awry?  Murphy's Law, "If anything can go wrong, it will!"

I'm not usually so pessimistic, but it seems that since leaving Michigan that my blogging routine has gone - anything but good!

All of my blogs' are first written on Notepad and edited for errors using Microsoft Works Word Processor (before adding pictures and posting).

The other day, after writing a new blog, I inadvertently open a second Notepad (bad move) and saved the second Notepad after having saved the first (are you following me?)  Of course, the second Notepad did not contain the new post; hence, the new post was lost for all time!  To compound the problem, I had delayed posting the blog in an effort to take one more photo (deemed critical to the blog) and did not realize that the blog was lost until another day had past.  In short, I "screwed up!"    

Now, to resurrect things becomes harder with each passing day.

Let's digress.  I left Michigan on the 16th of April, bound for New Orleans with the intended purpose of picking up my motorcycle and embarking for "parts unknown."

It was the 16th of December when I left New Orleans after having first stored my motorcycle in Mandeville (located on the north side of Lake Pontchartrain across the causeway - the world's longest bridge - from New Orleans) at the home of my friends' Bernard and Carrie Smith.

In addition to storing my motorcycle and giving me a place to stay while in New Orleans, and on top of his job as the Assistant Prosecuting Attorney to St. Tammany Parrish, building a new home and caring for his invalid mother Bernie has been assisting with my sordid legal issues.  He is an amazing man and a true friend - blessed with intelligence and wit that compliment his vibrant personality.  

Four months after having first left New Orleans, and I'm am only now just getting started; and the "plans" are in a state of flux.  Bernie has helped to convince me take in some of the sights in and around New Orleans before heading west; and therefore, that is my immediate mission.

Tomorrow - exploring the Honey Island and Manchac Swamps.

Our Nations Capital

It was a short trip (only three days), and not what I expected. The cherry blossoms were still there to be seen, but the full splendor had past (the report was that the season came earlier than normal).

For me the major fascination of Washington is two fold; first, the "people watching" is fantastic - the excitement of the people in and around the Washington Mall jogging, throwing footballs or Frisbees or softballs, flying kites with kids following excitedly behind; and second the architectural spectacle of the monuments, statues and the magnificent building that make up Washington D. C.

However, this year something seems to be missing; some of the excitement was still there, but the total spark was diminished. All of the afore mentioned items were present, but I saw no musicians playing clarinets, trumpets or saxophones; there were no street side magicians, jugglers or mimes; perhaps all of this just a quirk, an anomaly; but it was even more than this.

Sadly, this same administration that chooses to freely spend our tax dollars unrestrained, fails to tend to the grasses of our nations capital. Make no mistake, the Washington Mall is still a beautiful area, but gone are thick lush green grasses - replaced by splotches and vast areas bare ground. This Is the Capital Mall of Washington D.C., our Nations Capital, it is our image to the entire the world, and surely we can afford to uphold our image.

In addition, the spectacularly beautiful building of American Indian Museum (completed in 2005) is a "spectacular" disappointment on the inside. There are some strong points: the Mesoamerican and Inca statuary are truly impressive and the Inuit "Ice Sleds" share equally in that regard; even so, I left the building feeling that - "too much was missing when all is considered!"

On the other hand, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden was a real treat which have somehow missed in the past.

I have no regret for having made the visit, but something seems to be slipping away, slipping away, slipping....

Cleared to Go!

It has been over three weeks since I returned from MichCanSka's "Iditarod of Snowmobiling," but at last, all the obstacles that were preventing me from leaving have been removed and now I am - cleared to go!

Even so, it was Wednesday before I was able to book the flight back to New Orleans, but now the flight is booked for the 16th of April.

In the meantime (believing that I would not be able to even book a flight before the 16th), I booked an extended weekend trip to see the cherry blossoms and other sites of Washington D.C.; and yesterday morning I arrived in to begin this quest.

Therefore, to avoid wasting the limited time available (return flight on Tuesday the 13th), I'll close this blog and return for another day of exploring the grandeur of Washington D.C.