While Dan and I enjoy moving around the country as we do, there's a danger that we'll sometimes long for a place we've just vacated or, in the case of New Orleans this spring, skipped altogether. Although northern Michigan is absolutely beautiful right now, we can't help but long for southern Louisiana, where we'd normally be right now, wandering the historic streets of the French Quarter, munching on raw oysters, visiting with my mom and grandma in Baton Rouge, or fishing with my dad in the waters south of New Orleans. Of course, with the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, fishing might not be a possibility for a while anyway – not that that's much consolation. I'd much rather be missing a good fishing season right now than wondering about the negative effects that this spill is bound to have on Louisiana's fisheries and tourism industry – only four and a half years after Hurricane Katrina and the Army Corps of Engineers caused their own share of problems.
13 hours ago
10 comments:
Yeah, Louisiana's had a shed load of hurt these last couple of years, one can't help but feel for the people living there. Let's hope it's sorted out as soon as possible.
No kidding, R.R. It's such a unique place, too - crime and poverty in New Orleans notwithstanding.
I'll just keep hoping for the best - thanks for doing the same.
P.S. Boy, humans really know how to mess up nature, don't they?
I've never been to New Orleans (I think I've told you this before), but I really want to go!
This spill makes me so sad. It's tragic.
Oh, Dawn, you should definitely see New Orleans at least once - there's just no place like it. And I know, just as it did with Katrina, the city will rebound from any troubles the oil spill causes... but it's the ecological damage that really has me worried. And how sad, too, for the poor missing oil workers.
It is such a tragedy, for Louisiana and the whole Gulf Coast. Imagine, if you can, not being able to get gulf seafood, here, not to mention the environmental fall-out! And now, quite possibly, The Keys, and the Atlantic coast? I am praying that they will be able to cap that well. It's all so unreal!
It IS all so unreal, Marguerite. And I hate to sound selfish, but sometimes I think I have some uber bad luck. I wrote a travel guide to Baja California, and right after it was published, the drug-related crime got really bad down there, and my sales fell through the floor. Then, I wrote a travel guide to Michigan, and just after it was released, the state experienced one of the worst summers on record, which naturally affected tourism. Now, I'm just finishing up my guide to the Keys, a place also dependent on fresh seafood, and a freakin' oil spill happens.
Of course, I realize there's a much bigger picture here - like how the spill will affect a whole mess of OTHER people, not to mention the wildlife and ecosystem - but still, a girl can start to get a complex over this stuff. Perhaps the cosmos is telling me to get out of the travel guide business altogether - or else, the whole world is simply imploding, no matter what I write about next.
:-O
Hmmmm..... I must admit,I'm a big believer in "signs" too, but I wouldn't take it too seriously.
It still amazes me, though, how much Michigan and Louisiana, New Orleans, and Detroit have in common.... 2 big music towns/states, 2 towns/states with tons of crime and who've experienced mass exoduses, 2 places with lots of amazing history...
My heart just aches for my native state right now. I feel similar anxiety as I did with Katrina. Just stinks! Wish I could be there in N. MI to talk over a Talley burger with you (and Dan). BTW, I hear there's no smoking there in restaurants FINALLY!!!!
As always, you 2 have an open invite here in Oregon :-).
Just had to add that I know first hand how incredibly strong and resilient the good people of Louisiana are, and I have total faith that they'll rise above all of this and figure out a way to "stem the tide". Let's hope that they keep it all off shore.... ((((hugs))))
Laura--I'll send some good karma your way! Voilà, bad luck erased.
Becky - Oh, I'm not really a believer in "signs" - I just find such coincidences a bit curious. Anyway, I'm not sure how similar Detroit and New Orleans are, but I see your point! ;-) I wish I could be munching on a Talley burger with you, too. And, one of these days, I'm going to take you up on your Oregon offer. :-)
Steph - Thanks! I sure do miss you and the rest of my blog buddies. Can't wait to rejoin the blogosphere!
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