Dear Cha-Wel-Dor-Sue,

On the 11th of April,1984, Pat and I flew to New Orleans to see this interesting city and the adjacent Gulf Coast area. We were using one week of our two week time share at Delray Beach, Florida, in exchange for a condominium called the Hillerest Lake Resort in Abita Springs, Louisiana. Although this place was some 60 miles north of New Orleans and actually north of Lake Pontchartrain, it served as an ideal headquarters, as we were not only interested in seeing New Orleans proper but we were also interested in going both east and west and this saved us a great deal of trouble in that we avoided traveling through the city of New Orleans itself.

While I had been in the New Orleans area on at least three previous occasions, usually while attending urological conventions, Pat, on the other hand, had never been in this interesting area and expressed a great deal of interest in seeing it.

Our condominium was lovely in that it was situated on a small man-made lake surrounding a golf course with a small country club. There were tennis courts and recreational facilities of all kinds, including fishing, a stable with horses and a pool for swimming. However, we were on the go all of the time and did not utilize any of these facilities. Were Pat and I honeymooners and wanted to see only each other for 24 hours a day for the entire week, this condominium would have been ideal.

On this trip, we used our "Eastern Air Get Up and Go Passport" to fly to New Orleans and then subsequently to fly home from Florida. As you know, we can fly anywhere in the United States on Eastern Airlines for a whole year provided we fly from Monday noon to Thursday noon and spend the week-end at our destination, prior to returning home. This summer, we plan to use this passport a great deal ; to visit the St. Louis area, the Portland area in order to visit with my brother Ken, and also to fly to San Francisco prior to leaving for China on our trip in September.

On this trip, we flew to New Orleans on Wednesday afternoon. spent the night at a nearby Days Inn, and then in the morning, were up bright and early to drive westward to Baton Rouge, which we bypassed, and then on northward to Natchez. We had rented a car from Hertz , a small Escort, which proved very satisfactory for our tours.

We had read and heard a great deal about the beautiful city of Natchez, situated on a bank overlooking the Mississippi River, and had also read something of the "Natchez Pilgrimage" which is usually held in the month of March. At one time in the history of Natchez, it was one of the wealthiest cities in the entire country and boasted of more millionaires per capita than any other city in the United States. Their wealth was derived largely from cotton, although some was the result of raising sugar cane. As a consequence of the wealth, beautiful plantations were built with large manor homes which today are referred to as antebellum or pre-Civil War homes. A great many of these beautiful homes were available for private and tour visits, and some are used for bed-and-breakfast operations. During the Natchez Pilgrimage, as many as 30 or more homes are available and I understand that people from all over the country flock to this beautiful city.. It seems that there are two competing organizations in the city, one being the Garden Club and the other being the Historical Club. During the Pilgrimage, the women are dressed in appropriate and beautiful dresses of that period and I imagine that the impression conveyed is much like that one sees when visiting Williamsburg, Virginia.

While in Natchez, we stayed at the celebrated Monmouth House and slept in a four poster bed that was four foot high! In the morning we enjoyed a traditional southern style breakfast of eggs, sausage, grits, biscuits, orange juice and coffee. In the evening, we were treated to some wine and then later in the evening, Pat and I drove down to "Natchez Under The Bridge', where we had a delightful catfish dinner in an old "cathouse". At one time in the history of the Mississippi River, the boatmen would look forward to their night over in Natchez in order to visit the beautiful girls under the bridge.

Some of the large homes that we visited were "Stanton Hall, Melrose, and Landgrove", all equally renown and interesting manor homes. Unfortunately, time did not permit us to see any more of them.

While driving north from Baton Rouge, we stopped off at Rosemount, in Woodville, Mississippi, Jefferson Davis's boyhood home. He had been born in Fairview, Kentucky, less than 100 miles away from Abraham Lincoln's birthplace, and Jefferson Davis, at the age of two, was taken by his family south to Woodville, Mississippi. His father had planned to build a plantation similar to the one that his brother Joseph had developed further up the river at Vicksburg, Mississippi. Jefferson Davis' home was a small and modest one compared to those that we had seen at Natchez but it was here that his "memories began". Subsequently, Jefferson Davis went to St. Thomas Aquinas Academy in Kentucky and later, to Transylvania College in Kentucky, both famous schools of learning "West of the Appalachians". I mention these facts about Jefferson Davis at this point as we subsequently saw many beautiful monuments and museums and historical sites in which he, as President of the Confederate States of America, was prominently mentioned. Now, having read a bit about his life and the role he played in our country's history, I can now realize why he was such a great man from the point of view of the southern states. He was a man of great honor, integrity and with a profound love of his country. Like his friend, the famous general Robert E. Lee, he, too, was a graduate of West Point and had served his country as an officer in our western and Mexican campaigns. Later, he was a member of the House of Representatives of the United States and later still served as a Senator from the state of Mississippi. He was also considered as one of America's greatest Secretaries of War. He fought in the Civil War, the bloodiest in our country's history, to preserve, as he said, not slavery but for "states' rights and for the right of secession" which had been written into our own Constitution. It is conceivable that in a court of law, that he might have won his case and that secession might have been the decision of the judge trying the case, and the War might have been obviated. However, it was Lincoln's feeling that the Union must be preserved and that slavery was an abomination and should not be permitted to extend any further in the United States. After the surrender of Lee at Appomattox, Jefferson Davis was captured by Federal troops in Georgia and transferred to the fortress at Monroe, Virginia, where he languished in prison for two years. For a brief time he was actually shackled in irons. Part of this harsh treatment that was dealt to the President of the Confederacy resulted from the unfounded allegation that he was one of the conspirators for the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. This was a gross untruth and unfair to Jefferson Davis's memory. At the time of his capture, he was endeavoring to escape to Texas to set up a Confederate government in exile. His farewell address prior to the start of the Civil War, which was rendered to his Senate colleagues, was a masterpiece of tolerance and understanding, concluding that they part as friends and should war break out, being enemies would not alter the great respect and regard he shared for them in his years in Congress.

Natchez, Mississippi, is the end of the "Natchez Trace", a roadway constructed between Nashville, Tennessee, and the Mississippi river. This was essentially a trail that literally everybody used in crossing the country to the Mississippi river. Today, it is being rebuilt with Federal funds and hopefully will be a beautiful highway, much like the Skyline Drive in Virginia or the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. Along the way, one finds ancient Indian mounds or ceremonial sites, and "inns" where the travelers found refuge for the night. At the present moment, it is incomplete at various points but,nonetheless, is a beautiful road to travel and Pat and I traveled a short part of it.. There are no signs, no commercial strips and no disconcerting evidence of civilization; only nature to see and admire. Natchez is an absolute must on any tourist trip for anyone traveling to the "South", for it represents the pinnacle of southern aristocracy, its' manners, its' values, its' antebellum homes, and its' history. Unfortunately, we did not allow sufficient time to savor its' delights but our brief visit was sufficient to persuade us that we might like to return, possibly some day on the "Mississippi Queen" or "Delta Queen" for another visit to the Mississippi River.

After leaving Natchez, we drove north to Vicksburg, passing through Port Gibson, which General U.S. Grant decreed was "too beautiful to burn". Vicksburg was the "Gibraltar of the South" and Abraham Lincoln had decided it had to be taken in order to make the Mississippi River free for trade. The military battlefield contains 1,600 monuments and is a tribute to the heroism of both the "Blue and the Gray". Somewhere or another I read that heroism knows no boundaries, no colors, no flags, or no country, and Vicksburg is a supreme example. As we drove around the 16 miles of the battlefield, we were constantly reminded of the gallantry and heroism of both sides, and also told that in the evening, when shots were not being fired, that the northern and southern soldiers, sometimes brothers, cousins or relatives, would cross the lines, exchange greetings, gifts, tobacco, and even newspapers, and then agree, unfortunately, to take up arms against each other in the morning. The war was a war of "principle" and one does not lay his life on the line except for matters of principle. It is not hard for Pat and me to believe that in this "War between the States" that America lost more men, over 600,000, than in World Wars I and II combined!

Pat and I had seen the play "Shenandoah" in its premiere showing at the Goodspeed Opera House many years ago, and the thing I remember most was the division of a family whose farm was on the very border or on the Mason and Dixon Line. In this play, brother fought brother and families fought families and this has seldom happened before, except perhaps in the Spanish Civil War.

At Vicksburg, I once again had the feeling of my thesis that man is not a divine creature but that he is simply a highly evolved animal and that given no further recourse to arbitration, he recoils and fights, even to the extent of brothers fighting each other !

After leaving Vicksburg, we drove back to New Orleans via Jackson, Mississippi, the capital of Mississippi. It was the week-end and we could not enter the capitol building or the governor's mansion, both of which appeared to be very beautiful from the outside.

New Orleans is a "Fun City", a convention capital, and a focal point for tourists. While we were there, preparations were being made for the opening of the World's Fair which was to take place on May 12. The chief attraction in New Orleans is the old or so-called "French Quarter", also called the "Carre Vieux". It is a historic district and everything in it must conform architecturally to its historical background. Pat and I virtually walked along every street in it and perhaps one can say that when we finally left, after spending three days or so in the area, we began to feel more or less at home in it. Every day, we would usually park our car at the foot of "Andrew Jackson Park" and then meander about the place, having breakfast one day at Brennan's, lunch on another day at Gallatoir's, and on another occasion, dinner at Antoine 's. We also took a tour of the city via the Gray Line Tour Bus and also visited the Superdome. This is the largest man-made edifice for multi-purpose use and entertainment in the United States, with a capacity of 95,000. If I had any doubt about the role of athletics on the American scene, it was decided as I sat in the Superdome and saw what American sporting enterprises had created. The large Astrodome in Texas could be put inside the Superdome. Hanging from the center ceiling were six large television screens which provided magnified views of the game with replays, etc. There were private suites for wealthy individuals and corporations and beautiful facilities for the press and the media.

We made the trip to New Orleans on three occasions and each time, drove over the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Bridge, 15 miles long and the longest bridge over water in the world. The depth of the lake is only 14 to 16 feet deep and so its construction was not difficult and was accomplished in 14 months. It is said that for eight of the miles of the crossing, one is out of sight of land on either side of the lake. The toll is $1 each way. By using Lake Pontchartrain, shippers can eliminate navigating the 99 miles of the Mississippi River below New Orleans and this is a treacherous part of the river, with sandbars, variable currents, and necessitating the use of three different categories of river pilots. There is a canal built at the eastern end of Lake Pontchartrain which enables the vessels to enter the Gulf Coast area. In so doing, it saves approximately 100 miles of travel. During flood times on the river, water is actually diverted into the lake and locks are necessary to accommodate the different water levels between the river and the lake proper.

One of our excursions was a drive east along the Gulf Coast to Gulf Port and Biloxi, Mississippi, using the "Scenic Route" which runs along a man-made beach area for over 30 miles. On one side of the road was a glistening white beach and on the other, there were these magnificent southern homes. The sand for the beach was apparently pumped in to support a coast wall and was created and designed to minimize any hurricane damage. The hurricane "Camille" visited this area in 1969 and caused untold damages, virtually all of which had been repaired by the time we were there. One of the beautiful homes that we visited was called Bauvoir, the final home of Jefferson Davis. It was a typical white plantation home with a broad porch, high ceilings, beautiful mirrors, and antique fixtures and furnishings. It was essentially given to this Confederate patriot. It was here that Jefferson Davis lived out his life and where he wrote his two volume history of the "Confederate States of America" in which he endeavored to justify the south's constitutional right to secession.

While we were in England several years ago, we visited Chartswell, the beautiful home given to Winston Churchill by an anonymous and grateful admirer. Neither Jefferson Davis nor Winston Churchill were men of means nor of independent wealth and neither could have afforded to live in the manner in which history entitled them to live. It was only due to the fact that they had friends of wealth who appreciated their greatness and who made it possible through their beneficence for them to live out their lives in a grand manner.

While in Biloxi, we took a one hour harbor cruise in a shrimp boat and dragged behind us a specially designed net in which we were able to catch a variety of shrimp and small fish. The large shrimp boats go out some 40 to 50 miles and later this year, should have some fine catches, as the shrimp season really gets under way in June. In the Bay of Biloxi, formerly over one million barrels of oysters were harvested each year but due to conservation measures, the catch from the beds is now kept at an average of 250,000 barrels a year.

I might add at this time that we noticed one evening in New Orleans during their "Hospitality Hour" that oysters were available at 10 cents a piece. Unfortunately, we were never there for such a giveaway and I wondered if they were limited to one a customer. Apparently, oysters are abundant all over this area and oyster shells and sea shells are used for driveways and road construction. Sand has to be brought in by barge and is used for building construction, etc., and sand is very expensive, as very little of it is found in these areas.

On another day, an interesting trip was made to Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana, where we visited the capitol building itself, a beautiful edifice some 27 stories tall, built during the administration of its' governor and one of its favorite sons, Huey Long. A view from the top affords a fine panorama of the city and of the formal gardens and governor's mansion at its base. While driving along the river, we noted that both the Mississippi Queen and the Delta Queen were both in port and stationed at the dock and we took this opportunity to board the

Mississippi Queen, the newer and larger of the two vessels. We saw something of its magnificent facilities and we now have a good idea of what it might be like to travel on this luxurious paddle wheel steamer. It was scheduled to leave at 1 P.M. to head downstream for New Orleans. Some three hours later, as we were at the Nottaway Plantation, the largest plantation house in the entire south, we saw both of these vessels pass by us as we stood on the levee. The levee, incidentally, was built under the direction of the Army Corps of Engineers, and the water level of the river is some 15 feet above the surrounding land area ! The levees extend all along the river northward to a point well above St. Louis. The amount of silt carried down the river each hour is stupendous and accounts for the remarkable fertility of the Delta area and why the land was ideal for the growth of sugar cane and cotton.

The Nottaway Plantation at White Castle, Louisiana, was built in the mid 1800's by a Mr. Randolph, a wealthy Virginian, who came here to grow sugar cane. His mansion has 64 rooms and he had built a separate bedroom for each of his eight daughters ! The smoking room was for men only and was well-designed for smokes and the drinking of juleps. The music room with its harp and clavichord was provided with specially designed furniture creations by master cabinet makers. It represents an era long since gone but fortunately due to the tourist dollars and the income derived from bed-and-breakfast arrangements, the present owners are able to maintain it in good condition. Who would not be more than willing to spend $75 to $100 per night to live for a day and an evening in the opulence of the plantation barons ? One of the interesting features of all of the plantation homes was its garconaire, a separate building where the sons who had reached the age of 14 were made to live. We were told that the "belles" lived in the sheltered main house, whereas the boys were free to live on their own and sew their wild oats as they saw fit. The girls, being in the main house, were constantly chaperoned.

We drove back to our condominium through the countryside with its bayous and small farms, and stopped at one place for some cooked crawfish. They look like a tiny lobsters and one only eats the tail. They are boiled in a pepper spice mixture and are delicious. Apparently, they are a fresh water creature and are unlike shrimp, crab or lobster in that they have a distinct taste all of their own. They are a staple all over this area and the price was usually 59 cents a pound live or 79 cents a pound cooked ! We each had a pound upon returning home and they proved a worthy companion to a long cool glass of beer. They provided an "undisturbed joy to our palate" which was one of the comments that I read in Antoine's brochure.

Our last day in the New Orleans area was spent driving south along the Mississippi River, first on the west side of the river and later returning on the east side of the river. Initially, we crossed the Huey Long Bridge and drove south some 40 miles along the levee, passing innumerable petro-chemical plants and oil refineries, grain storage elevators, and shipping activities of all kinds. It is certainly strange to drive along the river road and look up at large ocean-going freighters loaded with cargo, as we were about 15 to 20 feet below the river level most of the time. We crossed the river on one of the FF's (Free Ferry). Apparently, it was decided long ago that to build bridges across the river would be far more expensive than to provide free ferry service and so at several points, one is able to cross the river in this manner. Driving north on the east side of the river, we passed huge coal hauling, storing and transshipping facilities, and also saw some of the native Blacks fishing for catfish along the levees. I stopped and chatted with one of them, who had just pulled in a 5 pound catfish. He added that he had caught them with a worm that came from Alaska. He showed it to me and it looked like a very, very large blood worm and showed me the package, which indicated that he had paid $2.60 for two and a half dozen of these worms. I took a picture of the man who had just caught the fish and he told me that he had caught fish that varied in weight from one to 35 pounds.

We enjoyed catfish on several occasions but I must say that I dislike their way of deep-frying it with a super-abundance of batter. This seemed to encase the sweet white meat in a suit or coat of armor !

As we reentered the greater New Orleans area, we passed through Chalmette, the site of the Battle of New Orleans, where Andrew Jackson led a small polyglot army of some 2,000 against the British Navy and 10,000 of its regular troops and defeated them ! It was reported that Jackson lost but seven men killed and 13 injured but during the campaign, over 1,000 of his men died from "swamp fever" by which they mean malaria and yellow fever. Because of this victory and his prominence, he was later elected President of the United States.

As the sun began to set on our last day in New Orleans, we took the elevator to the 31st floor of the International Trade Mart Building and enjoyed a drink as the restaurant rotated a full 360° in one and one half hours, affording us a beautiful panorama of the city as its lights came on. We looked down on the site and preparations being made for the World's Fair and saw one of the shuttles that had been used in our orbit flights. After viewing the city, we walked up Canal Street to Bourbon Street and Pat, with a "hurricane" in hand, and me with a tall glass of beer, wandered along the street, watching individual artists perform. There were musicians, mimes, jugglers, tap dancers, etc., all performing for whatever contributions one might choose to make. The streets were thronged with tourists, as it was a perfect evening to visit the city. There were topless and perhaps bottomless shows, male-female impersonators, and all sorts of girlie shows were honking their wares, and seats were available for the price of a drink. It was indeed a strange activity for Pat to be doing on Good Friday, but I suppose a perfectly natural one for an aging hedonist like me. Finally, we stopped at the Gumbo Shop, where Pat had a Jambolaya and I had a bowl of okra-shrimp-seafood gumbo soup. After I was assured that Pat had had her fill of the city's night life, we drove the 65 miles back home to our time share condo at Abita Springs. On the following morning, we leisurely drove back to the airport, stopping en route to see the Seven Sisters Oak Tree, the largest in the area, and consisting of seven huge oak trunks which apparently grew up together and had a common base.

Our flight took us to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where we picked up a car and then drove to our condominium in Delray Beach, Florida.

While in Florida, we had an opportunity to revisit friends and to see Ted and Linda and my grandsons, Chucky and Mark. It was, all in all, a very delightful vacation.

Love,

Dad