Swamps, battlefields, and a house fire...BUSY day! (NOLA day #3)

We woke up slowly - vacation mode having fully set in.  Nice to ease out of bed.

By 9:30 we'd had a quick bite and were out the door.  Heading to history that is more modern - some might say uncomfortable.  The flood ravaged blocks of the lower 9th Ward.

Nine years later, there are still obvious signs of the massive flooding.  Many houses are boarded up and graffiti adorns the exteriors.

The housing projects show a water line on the rusted metal stairs.

It is eerie. But there are other houses close by which have been restored.  And there is construction everywhere.  Note the sign.. "NEW DAY NEW ORLEANS".

After this sobering morning, we headed to the Jean Laffite National Park (Brataria Preserve).  What a great day!  We casually walked the swamp and saw bugs, birds, and even alligators!

After that, it was back through the 9th Ward to the 1812 Chalamette Battlefield and National Graveyard.  To be honest, one of the worst National Parks we've ever visited.  Dirty, unkempt, and not at all unique.  There were some cool grave stones.  "U.S.C." means United States Colored Infantry.

After getting out of this pit - we meandered through the French Quarter and then weaved the back streets to our cottage.  Amazingly, we stumbled on a house fire just as the NOFD arrived.  We jumped out and took some breaking news pics (The Times Picayune even published these).

Now we are tired!  We tried to get Willie Maes chicken (but it was closed).  Guess we'll eat in and chill out!

Night, y'all...