People Watching In New Orleans

I spent the day walking around the historic downtown area in New Orleans to take photographs of everything I came across.  I could spend hours and days just observing the people of the area and activities going on.  The photographs might tell you a bit about my day.

It's a wonderful place and it's almost like you've stepped back in time or stepped into a movie set.

Either way, it's people watching paradise.

For more photographs of humans in their habitat, visit my photo website at www.AlisonTurnerPhoto.com

The Florida Panhandle

Max and I left Savannah to head south towards the gulf.  We took a few South Georgia backroads to see the sights to end up in our final destination for the day of Tallahassee. The back roads can be an experience.  I always hope to find people who match the surroundings but sometimes, the people aren't out and about as much as their "treasures" are.  I found a row of old cars on the side of the road so I had to stop to take some photographs.  As I was doing so, I started feeling pain in my feet and ankles.  As it turned out, I was standing on an ant pile and they decided to feast on my feet while I was admiring the rusty cars.  I did the slap your ankles and feet dance and continued to take pictures.

From there, Max and I headed in a direct route to the water and coasted along that trail until we reached Destin.  We met up with Rich, Eleanor and their daughter, Emma at Henderson State Park in Destin for some camping. This photograph is of them at the Alumapalooza event last June.

I never really know where I will end up each day so it was nice to receive a suggestion from Rich to join them camping at the state park.  It was beautiful.  The beach water was a clear blue green, the sand was so white and fine that it squeaked under your feet and everywhere you looked, you were surrounded by beauty.  I didn't know what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised.

Lucky me, Rich and Eleanor invited me over to their Airstream for dinner and I happily accepted.  The meal was delicious.  It was nice to be inside of their trailer during the night as the sun was down.  After chatting for a few hours, I returned to my tent home for the night.

And for the record, I know this area is called the "pan handle" of Florida but what kind of pan is that anyway?  I see how Oklahoma is shaped like a pan, but Florida?  Humm....more like an insect net handle or a ladle handle?  Maybe I am missing something.  No matter what the name, the beaches are a beautiful sight.

Savannah, Georgia

I have a soft spot for Georgia.  My grandparents lived in this state for as long as I can remember so I've had many fond memories of my visits with them in Marietta.  This time around, I hit the coast and spent some time in Savannah.  I love Savannah.  It's such a beautiful city with so many charming buildings, people and the food...well, what can I say?  I basically ate the entire time I was here.

I couldn't stop in the city without a visit to Paula Deen's restaurant, Lady and her sons.  I didn't want to plan the day too much so I just hit the downtown area to see where it took me.  It just so happened to take me to Paula Deen.  In fact, I wasn't the only one who somehow gravitated towards the building.  I arrived around 2pm hungry for lunch and took a card from the host to be allowed in the building.  Once I stepped foot in the restaurant, I was then directed to the elevators to go upstairs to be seated.  What?  Upstairs?  Well, it might seem like a small restaurant but it's jammed packed with people for one good reason.

Butter.

I couldn't make up my mind so I decided to go to the "all you care to eat" buffet.  I am not a big fan of buffets and don't eat at them often but people told me it was good so I had to try.  Well, two servings later, I have to tell you that yes...it was gooood!  I dined on fried catfish, cornbread, collard greens, grits, mac n' cheese, biscuits, creamed corn and to top it all off, banana pie.  Ok, I don't usually eat this way but I just had to.  Thank you Paula Deen!

I usually run off to the next city but decided to stay a few days in Savannah.  I attended the local Moose Lodge's bingo night and toured around the town some more.  I don't know what Paula Deen put in her food but the following day, I just HAD to have it again.  After searching for a parking space for about fourty-five minutes, I finally found a spot and scrambled to find that little slice of heaven again.  I found it but arrived one minute before lunch closed.  It wasn't in the cards for me that day.  Maybe for a good reason.  Instead I toured around some more and decided to head to the famous Bonaventure Cemetary.  As luck would have it, I arrived one minute before closing time so I had a nice view from the gate.  It didn't matter.  I loved everything in Savannah.

Thank you Savannah for your hospitality.  I will be back.

American Pickers

I am hooked on the show, American Pickers.  It's a show about two guys, Mike and Frank that drive around America looking for junk.  At least junk that they can sell and make a profit on, since they sell the things they come across at their shop, Antique Archaeology.  At first I thought it was a little sad that they were taking things from older people for a profit, but the purpose of it is to bring the item back to life.  Most of the items they find are in homes where the owners have been collecting things and letting them rust away.  The owners have a choice weather or not they want to sell their things and sometimes, they choose not to sell.

I love old rusty things.  I can understand how people can get attached to "stuff" if it's been in the family for years or there is an emotional attachment to an item.  We live in a society attached to things.  If we didn't, there wouldn't be a show about buying and selling old items because the fact is, someone somewhere will want to have it. Aside from the things they find, I am even more fascinated with the people who own the rusty items that Mike and Frank want to buy.

As I drive around the USA, I've come across many homes that would be a target of the show by the looks of the personal "treasures" scattered around the yard.  My instinct is to stop and meet the person that owns the collection but sometimes, you never know what you will encounter.  I've done it a few times when I felt an instinct to stop but more often then not, I pass on the chance for reasons of safety.

Even though I've done it, it's a little odd that a woman driving with her little dog comes up to you to say (in the case of Andy and his yard ship), "Hi, that's a big ship in your yard...could I take your portrait?" For the most part, the people with the collections are proud owners and will gladly talk to you about their yard art.

I would love to travel alongside these two while they do their thing to talk to the owner and learn more about their story.  The real history is the story behind the item and the only person that knows the story would be the one who owns the treasure.

The Virginia Coast to Charleston, South Carolina

Last year I traveled South a few hundred miles from the shore through some national parks and then down to the gulf.  This year I decided to drive along the coast as much as possible.  As you might know, Max and I drove along the coast of Delaware then stopped in Virginia.  From there, I headed West a bit and back down South to Charleston.

I received a tip to go to Folly Beach so that's what I did.  Max and I went on the beach and took a walk after I had a nice lunch at the lost dog cafe.' Of course I had to do another photo shoot of him on the beach.  The best part of our trip is when we are able to get out and enjoy the area together.  Since he's my travel companion, it's important that he gets to do most everything I get to do.  Most beaches allow dogs on them during the winter months.  We took full advantage of that.

Charleston is a great city.  Right on the water, the city mixes culture, history and southern charm.   Here are some photographs I took the past few days in the area.

The last one is taken with my camera phone as we drove across the Charleston bridge.

The Waffle House

When I travel, I try to stick to a budget as much as possible.  I stepped into a waffle house for the first time last year on my travels and I am hooked.  They are not in California so this is all new to me.  If you want a hot breakfast any time of the day for very little money, this is the place to go.  It's a mix between a diner and a fast food place and each one I've encountered has been a good experience.  The people are friendly, the coffee is hot and there is no mystery on how they cook your meal since everything is done right in front of you.

You can get a breakfast sandwich with a fresh egg and cheese for two bucks.  For those of you who go to McDonalds, this is even cheaper then an egg "McSumthin'" but the difference is, you can actually see the egg cracking on the grill in front of you.  No microwaves.

It's a diner experience without a diner price.  They are almost on every corner here in the South.  If you've never been to one, I would give it a try.  It might not be the healthiest meal you will eat, but it will fill you up and keep your pocketbook slim.

The Coast Of Delaware

I've never been to the ocean side of Delaware so I thought I would travel along the coast see what it was like.  Since it's November, it was pretty much a ghost town.  Not many shops were open and very few people were around.  Max and I didn't mind.  We drove to Rehobeth Beach and took a short walk on the boardwalk.  From there we traveled south and stopped at what would seem to be a thriving beach front community but for now, it was empty.  We took advantage of the beach that we pretty much had to ourselves and ran around for a while then headed south across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.