Louisiana – Not Your Average Engineer

October 16, 2013October 18, 2013

Dinner in the National World War II Museum Hangar

The PHM Conference that I attended in New Orleans had their gala dinner in the National World War II Museum Hangar down the street fromt he conference hotel. The museum is a pretty amazing place. Several aircraft from World War II are suspended from the ceiling.

I have been to plenty of museums with plans sitting on the floor but this is my first time standing over top of a plane.

The B-17 was so large that it was hard to get all in one frame.

I managed to stitch together a panorama of the plane.

October 16, 2013October 18, 2013

The Mississippi River and Flood Control

New Orleans is built right on the Mississippi River. It amazes me that the city still exists considering how much of it is lower than the river’s normal water level.

Huge ocean-going ships come up and down the river.

I would suspect that one carries grain. It looks empty.

Looking at one of the flood gates that keeps the French Quarter from flooding when the river spills its banks.

The big gate swings shut and locks off the French Quarter.

Another big flood gate.

Two flood gates come together to seal off the French Quarter here.

Looking downhill (and below sea level) toward the French Quarter.

A river boat that does dinner cruises.

The river in all its glory.

October 16, 2013October 18, 2013

The French Quarter and Bourbon Street

I walked down Bourbon Street in the morning. It appears that they pressure wash the entire street from end to end every morning to get rid of the urine, vomit, and blood.

The smell was a mix of human pee, cat feces, rotting fruit, vomit, spilled alcohol, and mustiness. Basically it smells the same as every former French city that I’ve been to.