Lourdine and Jim's 1998 Vacation Page
Day 1 (Saturday):
Left Hoopeston.
Didn't see anything very interesting so far. Did have thoughts of Deliverance as we passed through parts of Kentucky.
452 miles down the road. staying at a motel outside of Stanton, TN.
About 30 miles outside of Memphis on I-40.
Day 2 (Sunday):
We stopped in Memphis on the way to New Orleans, check out the pictures from our visit to Graceland.
Interesting things while on the road: Almost hit a man walking in the middle of Interstate 55 at 75 mph. Would have been a hell of a mess. It's nice for your highways if the Vice President of the United States is from your state, Gore is from Tennessee. The next VP should be from Mississippi, the Interstate was like a roller coaster.
440 miles farther.
Sleeping in a LaQuinta Inn, New Orleans.
Day 3 (Monday): Visiting The French Quarter. Streets are very narrow and not fun to drive on. Went to eat at the Hard Rock for lunch but they said it would be at least 30 minutes. Stopped in a place down the street instead. Landry's Seafood House is a nice place to eat. Jazz is piped in and the food is good, not very crowded.
where we wanted to eat:
where we did eat:
More Pictures from New Orleans.
Tip for the day: Don't come to Louisiana unless it is winter.
Commit of Day: Should have gone North.
This is Lourdine writing now...
New Orleans is highly overrated. Oh, the people were friendly. We had one waitress who told us all about herself: how she's one of 22 kids and how her mom brought the first Meals on Wheels program to Louisiana. But the geography stinks.
First of all, there are many bridges, including some very high ones. I hate bridges. I especially hated the Huey P. Long Bridge, a two-lane, narrow, curvy thing that we had to take because we went the wrong way. It looked like it was designed by Huey, Dewey and Louie. It was frightening...I actually cried. Once we got off the HLB, I felt a lot better.
We got back on I 10 to 90 to Gulfport and Biloxi. We are currently in Biloxi at a motel called "La Linda's." It has character and is reasonably inexpensive. There are several casinos here and the beach is beautiful. It is least tern nesting season here so some areas of the beach are off limits to tourists.
The beaches are kind of dirty, at least from what we've seen so far. Jim said the water is as warm as bath water. I don't know because I haven't been in it. Maybe tomorrow.
Pictures of the Gulf of Mexico.
Day 4 (Tuesday): Still in Biloxi. Decided we liked it enough to stay another night. Will start heading home tomorrow. Will be passing through: Birmingham, Montgomery, Nashville and Louisville. Not sure which towns we will stay in and which ones will be just driven through. Any suggestions of things we should see in these towns?
Went in the Gulf today. Water was warm but I had to walk aout 200 yards to get the water to my shoulders. Lourdine just stepped in and out. Oh well. Many casinos in Biloxi, might try my luck later today. also looking for a place to eat steamed crabs. more later....
So much for my luck. Left the Treasure Bay Casino some what poorer than I walked in. Also coudn't find steamed crabs. So after leaving 2 resterants, I settled for soft shell crab broiled. The soft shell crab was ok. After dinner we went driving to take pictures of boats and birds but instead......
No injuries were reported in an accident at approximately 7:40 p.m. Tuesday on Beach Blvd., Gulfport, MS.
Police said some idiot from Louisiana in a 1991 Plymouth Acclaim struck a 1993 Plymouth Acclaim driven by James Eyrich of Hoopeston. According to reports, the Louisiana driver crossed two lanes before striking the Eyrich vehicle, then left the scene. Eyrich reported seeing the vehicle enter a gas station where Gulfport police happened to be stopped. Eyrich followed the vehicle, which left the gas station. Dennis Wellington of the Gulfport police radioed license information; Biloxi police later stopped the vehicle before it entered the freeway.
Eyrich's vehicle sustained damage to the right front quarter panel, but neither he nor his passenger, Lourdine Florek, were injured.
Gulfport police were expected to ticket the unknown driver.
So ended Day 4.
Mississippi police made comments about Louisiana drivers similar to those made by Illinoisans about Hoosier drivers.
The only shot Lourdine has let me keep of her: 
Day 5 (Wednesday): The Longest Day
We first had to wait until around noon to pick up the accident report from the Gulfport Police Department (no tickets were issued). Then we drove 515 miles to Gallatin, TN. My Uncle Joe lives there. Here is a picture of his family.
After leaving Joe's we had thought about driving
farther north. But after a couple of miles we came across the Shoney's Inn. We
stayed there. It was to late to get a picture of the motel sign, sorry.
Day 6 (Thursday):
Stopped by Mammoth Caves (pictures here) on the way to Louisville, KY. Went to the Galt House first. After talking to the Front Desk decicded not to stay there, used the bathrooms though. Picked a Travel Lodge downtown to stay in. What a dive! more later....
Had dinner at Joe's Crab Shack. Finally ended my quest for whole steamed crabs. I'm glad that the quest is over, wasn't worth it. Too much damn work. I'll stick with crab legs from now on. We had to change rooms at the motel after eating. Found ants in the bathroom. Luckily we only had to move our stuff 3 rooms down.
End day 6.
Day 7 (Friday). The Last Day.
Spent part of the Day wondering around Louisville. (pictures here). Then headed home. Not a bad drive around 230 miles from Louisville to Hoopeston.
Until next time...
email: eyrich@hoopeston.k12.il.us, florek@hoopeston.k12.il.us
Jim's Home Page: www.eyrich.net/people/eyrichjf
