New Orleans
U3A Travel Group Meeting Thursday, 27 August 2015

Cam Fisher gave us a very interesting talk on New Orleans, famous for its Mardi Gras, Jazz Festivals etc.   It was founded by the French in 1718.

   People living there today are from many different back-grounds.   Jackson Square in the old French Quarter is one of the places to visit and also Preservation Hall to experience a jazz concert.   Jazz is also played in the pubs and in the streets as it is a way of life and evolved from the Civil War.

There are some beautiful old buildings built in 1850 which includes 2 rows of town houses, three stories high. You can pay $800 per night for accommodation in up-dated old slave quarters.

Cam spoke of the slaves before the civil war and the plantation farming.     Much of the food has a very French influence.new-orleans

Kaye Neil spoke following morning tea which was a continuation of her talk given last year on her trip across America.  She showed us some very interesting photos of Palo Dura Canyon State Park in Amarillo which is the 2nd largest canyon in the USA being 110 km long by 32 km wide.

Places visited included Galveston, in Texas, Baton Rouge in Louisiana.

She visited Oak Alley in Louisiana which has been the location for many films like Nightrider, The Long Hot Summer, Days of our Lives etc.

From Louisiana she went to Florida and Pensacola, a US naval base.   Next up was Ocala, Marion County which is known as the horse capital of the world.
Kaye also managed a visit to Ormond Beach where she lived for five years after retiring.

A very interesting morning with some beautiful photographs.