Our adventure began with the drive from Ohio to Louisiana...

After looking at the map and with two days to spare, we packed the minivan full of goodies, the luggage all neatly placed on one side, the icebox packed with ice cold drinks, munchies and of course ice!...Off we went and right from the start, a good omen... entering Pennsylvania, a pigeon crapped right on the windshield window!... Then, as if ordered from above, the cloudy skies opened up and beautiful rays of sunshine were showing us the way (ok, the map was more accurate, but the sunshine 'effect' was more romantic for the story... so, bare with me...).

As we crossed state lines and West Virginia was on our site, we went to the closest department store (it happened to be a K-mart), and bought a sleeping bag for the trip (there's always something forgotten!), then we stopped for the night (it was about 3:30am) in the welcome center in Beckley, West Virginia, called Tamarack.

That has to be the most beautiful rest area I have ever seen!... The sleeping bag was set and I wasted no time falling asleep, just as so many weary travellers did... oh! was I comfy!...Next morning, at the crack of dawn, the smell of fresh coffee brewing coming from the general direction of Starbucks was heavenly!... and the photos I took were spectacular!... mind you, I ran to the restroom, brushed my hair and teeth, got my vanilla bean frappuccino venti and off I went shooting photos!... All the photos are in the slideshow titled "Postcards From Nola".

During the rest of that day and night, we crossed Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi until we finally saw the welcoming sign to Louisiana!... We drove all night... stopped for a shuteye every couple of hours at various rests areas until we found ourselves this a dilema... should we continue to New Orleans?... or... should we detour to Biloxi, get breakfast and pay a visit to the gulf beach and the Grand Casino?... it was a no-brainer!... we made the detour... ate in IHOP, drove to 90 east and viola!... there it was... the Harrah's Grand Casino!...

After spending a wooping $20 and no jackpot, we took to the road again... New Orleans here we come!!!!