Last night, I got back home from spending an extended weekend in Destin, FL. Nick and I went there, for a "business related trip." So, all expenses were covered, except our food. I had a great time. I needed the get-a-way. We arrived at noon on Friday, and we got back home around 22:00 Monday. I have never been to Destin before, so I was excited to see anything and everything. Our condo was right near the beach. November in Destin is a little different than the summer months. There were not many people to watch. Most of the people there were of retirement age, or they were there with there families. Although, I must say, it was pleasantly quiet. About the beach, the waters were a little rough. It was windy, and at times, it was a little chilly.
The drive there was interesting for me. We passed through Mississippi, an area hit hard by Hurricane Katrina. There was not much to see from I-10, but many trees were leaning and snapped in half. There were a series of billboard in Mississippi that were touching. Billboard #1 said, "Together." Billboard #2 said, "We will rebuild." Billboard #3 said, "We will be stronger." Billboard #4 said, "Together." There were more in the series, but I cannot remember them all. It was a great thing to see.
When we arrived, the weather was beautiful.

Our condo was really nice, and in a great location. There were several heated pool, and three hot tubs. Also, we were right across the street from anything that we needed. We were literally across the street from Target, along with several fast food joints. By the way, McDonald's in Destin is serving chocolate dipped ice cream cones. They were really good. We got all the work-related stuff done in about 20 minutes, then the rest of the vacation was all for us.


While we were there, we did the typical beach thing. We walked up and down the coast looking for interesting things. We saw a bunch of sea gulls, and brown pelicans. Pelicans are so cool. Like I said before, there were not many people present. Some of the beach houses were really nice looking. The beach was in the process from rebuilding after the hurricanes, but you couldn't really tell. I saw one building along the Destin Beach with storm damage. No telling which hurricane that was from. Florida has been hit with so many this year. We went to the mall. It was an outdoor mall. It was really nice. It would be really nice to have one like that in Lafayette, but then I thought about it, and it is way too hot for that. Plus, it would really suck to go shopping in the rain.
Our way back was a little more interesting. We had to stop by the Energy Building in New Orleans. Yay! I was so excited to go back. As we travel along I-10 back to New Orleans, it is clear that Hurricane Katrina did some major damage to this area. Only one bridge was open, so there was one lane of traffic in each direction. Apartment buildings were abandoned. It was strange such a densely populated area to be so empty. We passed in front of Jazzland. It was erie to see all the landscaping, but now it is a bit overgrown. It's not an identical comparison, but I could not help but thinking it was similiar to a website that I read about Chernobyl. I could tell that something was there before, but nothing really exists now. It is not quite on the same level because life can still exist in the post Katrina aftermath. I saw a boat docked on the side of I-10. It must have been one of the rescue boats because I soon realized that the entire interstate was recently underwater. From the lines along the trees and shrubs on the side of the road, the water would have been over the SUV that we were in. We passed in front of new car dealerships, and the cars were covered in mud, and completely ruined.
In the City of New Orleans, few traffic lights were operating. In some areas, the

city appears to be almost back to normal. Many people are back to work, but still numerous buildings are out of commission, for now. Across the street from the Energy Center, were cars parked. They must have been moved after the storm because for one, they were full of mud, and they could not have been parked in that pattern. The Energy Center is about two blocks from the Super Dome and the Convention Center. There was no detectible odor in the air. Well, nothing other than the regular smell of New Orleans.
Unfortunately, I did not get to see much of the city. Nick locked his keys in the truck, and we had to wait a while for roadside assistance to arrive. I really wanted to go into the French Quarter. Seriously, what is a trip to New Orleans without going into the French Quarter. Maybe I'll get to go again sometime soon. At least, I hope so.