A challenge leaving New Orleans

Wed, Jan 29

This morning we awoke to overcast skies, but thankfully it had not snowed overnight - however it had been below freezing and our water line to the motor home was frozen.

Because the weather seemed good, we decided that it would be a good day to start our trip toward Florida (and South), so by 10:30 we were on the road.

In order to not have the experience we had when we came into town (driving through some less than desirable sections of town), we made sure we were headed to the 4 lane roads and Interstate highways.

Our first sense that something wasn't quite right was when we had driven about 8 miles where we were to get on the West Bank Freeway to get across the Mississippi River and into New Orleans. By the way, it is interesting that we are East of downtown on the West side of the Mississippi River and we have to go West across the Mississippi River in order to go East.

Anyway, when we got to the on ramp to the freeway, it was blocked off and we couldn't get on the road.  "Must be a major accident that has closed down this portion of the road, let's go to the next ramp."  The next ramp was closed - and the next one - and the next one.  We finally stopped a cop and asked what was happening.  "Sir, the bridge is closed because of the cold!"  "Ah what cold sir?"  "We close the bridge when there may be ice".

"But Sir, it's our only way our of town!!!!!"

THIS THE ONLY WAY TO GET OUT OF HERE!!!!  And there's nothing but bridges everywhere.

We are stuck!  We can't get on the only road across the river to get on the only road headed East!

We sat in a gas station lot for a while frantically searching for any way to get across the river, any other bridge, a ferry, anything.  Just as we thought about driving a few miles and seeing if a ferry was operating, we started seeing a few cars on the freeway, and sure enough, it was opening, so we hopped on and got across the river.

Little did we realize that this was just the beginning of the adventure.

This part of the country is called the "low country" for a reason - it is low.  Mostly swamps, rivers, and bayou.  And ALL of the roads are mostly bridges, which means pretty much every road is closed.  Basically, this historic cold weather has completely shut down New Orleans, and as we are to learn, most everything on the Gulf Coast.

After a few miles on the freeway and when we were just about to get on I-10 East, another road block on the Interstate - same problem, the temperature is low and there may be ice on the bridges.

Once again, we go back to the maps and eventually find another road that hugs the coast heading East - Highway 90, and it doesn't appear to have "many" bridges.  We immediately head for it and made good time getting out of Louisiana and into Mississippi.

Mississippi is looking pretty good by now.

We eventually have to get off Highway 90 because another bridge on it is closed "because of the cold weather.  So we are now able to get back on I-10 East.

We have had so many delays that we decide that we'll make a short day of driving and stop at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, Miss.  In order to get to Biloxi, we have to get off I-10 and onto a Interstate spur to get there - and we have to cross another high rise bridge.  And it is closed "because of the cold weather".  We had driven up to the bridge to ask the policeman who was stationed there if there was any other way to get to Biloxi.  Just as he was starting to tell us there was and was going to draw us a map, another guy pulls up and hears our plight.  He's going to have to take "the" detour to get to Biloxi and we can follow him.  Which we thankfully do.  We would never have gotten here if not.  We went through back roads and I still have no idea how we got here, but we are here, perhaps marooned, in Biloxi.

At least there is some snow here, and the bridges that we did travel across were a little icy.

There really is some snow here in Biloxi

After we settle into the RV park at Keesler, we unhitch the car and start out to find something to eat.  There are many restaurants in the area so we don't think there will be a problem.  WRONG!  After driving around about an hour and finding NO restaurants open, we finally find a Mexican restaurant that is open (although I don't think they have a heating system because it was just barely above freezing inside).  So we have supper and quickly get back to our toasty, warm motor home.

The palm trees are pretty lonely on this snow covered beach in Biloxi, Miss.

This is only the second time in our travels from California to Nova Scotia that weather has had any impact on us.  The other was last winter when we had to leave Utah earlier than planned so as to get across the Rocky Mountains in Colorado before a big snow storm closed the Interstate.

But honestly, I have to understand that this is a historic weather event in this area.  They never have snow and freezing weather for the 2-3 days of this event.  Therefore they do not have any snow plows and any salt and sand to spread on the bridges and highways.

We hear from friends that it's pretty miserable back home in NC.  They actually had snow in Beaufort - a relatively rare event.

We have no idea what tomorrow will bring.