Biloxi Blues

I had the chance to get up to Biloxi, MS for the day with a crew. The drive is about 2hrs from New Orleans and if it is possible it seems that the destruction out that way is even more intense. The entire way there those huge light posts in the center of the highway were knocked over, debris was everywhere and roofs were MIA. One of the people in my crew had been first deployed to Biloxi and knew the areas that were the hardest hit and in need of the most assistance. it was even more of a ghost town around there than I had become accustomed to in NOLA. We stopped for gas and the cashier was chatting with a resident trying to figure out how they would locate their old neighbors; I can't imagine having that conversation- so scary!

In Biloxi, there is a long strip of casinos along the Gulf coast. Each one is wrecked and you can see casino chips blowing around the area. One casino was floating out on a barge pre-hurricane and thanks to Katrina and Rita the entire barge was lifted over a four lane highway and landed ON TOP of another hotel. So when you look at the hotel you'll notice that the lobby has been occupied by the front of this barge casino. Bizarre. I have not been taking photos of the residential areas since I feel it is disrespectful;, but it felt acceptable to take some shots of the commercial casino area.

After that long day in Biloxi, we wound our way back through the 9th Ward in NOLA and then stopped for a much needed Bloody mary near the French Quarter. I had been dreaming about this Bloody Mary forever- and the bartender did not let me down. It was spicy enough to give all my new friends over 50 indigestion issues. Just the way I like 'em!

AND tonight... I finally bellied up to 'Bawww-ayy=beeee's' bar for the acclaimed Crawfish Etouffee. Just as the menu states, it surely is a 'Cajun favorite.' Super spicy sauce over rice with crawfish and with the owner's encouragement, I added their special hot sauce to it. Oh yeah, I got my fill o' fire for this trip.