In mid-February I took a tag-along trip to New Orleans, meaning my wife went to a conference, and I tagged along. Apart from a few non-consecutive weeks in Florida, I’d never spent much time in the South. I was excited to see the city still surviving the effects of Katrina, the famous (infamous?) French Quarter, historic above-ground cemetery tombs and a few surviving plantations along the mighty Mississippi. Here are the photos. Read on for the highlights.

Beads in the French Quarter

Winter Weather

Blanca Peak (14344 ft, 4372 m) in the Sangre de Christo range

The trip began well, with clear skies over much of the Western United States. Thanks to a huge storm the week before, everything East of the Rockies was covered in snow. I love looking at stuff from above, and it’s just that much better when conditions are good for photos.

Unfortunately the cold weather continued even in the Deep South, and it was only about 40 degrees our first day in New Orleans. I even saw an icicle on a drainpipe! The second and third days saw temperatures in the 50s and the sun was out, but it was still very cold. I’m very happy I brought gloves and a warm hat. Continue reading »