Could this be the one?

Went to New Orleans yesterday to get a good look. I have an idea that the Crescent City is headed for a makeover tomorrow. I hope I'm wrong.

Getting there was quite the experience. I picked up some friends in Hattiesburg and we hit 59 South. About 10 miles later, we started seeing signs that said "I-59 South closed at state line" and nothing else. The we started seeing the big flashing roadside signs with the same message. I don't know why I was so perturbed that they weren't giving us information on detours to New Orleans. But the weather was so nice and it was still at least 2 days out.

I called a friend at home and got her to check the weather for me. A few minutes later she called back and said that the Weather Channel said there was a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans. Not long after that we reached the end of the line at Exit 29 Poplarville. I decided to take hwy 26 into Bogalusa then 21 south to Covington and then hit the causeway.

It was time for a plan. I had no idea if we would run into La. National Guard troops turning everyone around like in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" or what. So in between games of Mad Libs (yes, they are always in my car) we started working on a plan to circumvent any such roadblock we might encounter. My original idea was that since there were 4 of us in my 4Runner and we couldn't really use the "going to evacuate Grandma" routine unless we were going to put her in the back with all her stuff on the roof, that we should tell them we were going to rescue some loved one's pets. I figured a couple of crying girls in the back seat would lend itself to melting the heart of some stone-faced county mounty, and after the last few hurricanes the pet issue WAS a big deal. Plus, I am an animal lover anyway.

However, we opted for the "going to the airport to pick up our friend returning to the country" caper. We had an international-student friend of ours in the car which would probably lend credence, and all of our trips to the N.O. Airport to pick up or send off are always done with at least 5 people in the car (I have done it with 8 before).

So, with our carefully crafted plan agreed upon, we set about to do some interloping.

Now I must say that if you ever get a chance, drive through Bogalusa, LA to New Orleans via the causeway. Hwy 21 is also a "Louisiana Scenic Byway" and is very pleasant. It was quite an enjoyable afternoon drive.

When we reached Covington, it looked like all of New Orleans was heading north on that little highway. I'm guessing that it was Mandeville evacuating since Lake Ponchartrain was getting ready to surge. I wouldn't think, though, that the route we were coming down would be an efficient evacuation for N.O. But it was an impressive line of cars backed up, and signal lights flashing and gas stations getting hammered. For a few seconds I had one of those "and this is a good idea why?" moments rattling around in my brain, but imprudence quickly snuffed it. We stopped at the Causeway restroom for a quick break. They were putting the plywood up. The best part was that the tolls were waived - even for south-bounders. How cool! And it was a beautiful day for a trip across the lake.

On the other side, the lakefront area seemed to be taking the weather very seriously. It was actually a ghost town. There were only a few cars on the interstate and all the stores and restaurants were closed. Only one station in the area still had gas and even though I had plenty to get us back to H'burg and then get me home, prudence (and the recent memory of several miles of northbound traffic at a standstill) dictated that I fill up. Then we struck out for the quarter, wondering if it too would be abandoned.

What the hell was I thinking?

It was business as usual. However, the parking lots were eerily devoid of cars. The public lots - normally full on a Saturday eve - were maybe at 10% capacity. The girls did some shopping and then we were going to go get some grub back at the other end of St. Charles. While wandering around, I quizzed the locals on their feeling about Katrina. Many of them were beginning to get concerned and were wishing their stores would close so they could get on the road. The younger folks, revelling in their immortality, were mostly rolling their eyes at how much everyone was over-reacting. Standing in that shop on North Peters street, I conjured up a mental image of 7 feet of water in the room and the economic beating the city was probably destined for and wanted to tell them how different their lives were going to be in 72 hours, but I knew it would be wasted breath.

On the way back to the car I made the observation that if I didn't know better, I would say that it was pre-dawn on a Sunday morning. I wish that we could have spent more time there enjoying the unprecedented elbow room, but I was getting a hunger headache. I am also sad now that I did not go have some beignets and coffee, but Cafe du Monde will survive to serve me again. I don't know about the glass and chrome retail outlets along the way, but things will be different soon.

After a nice meal and a couple of Kirin at one of our favorite sushi joints, we struck out for Hattiesburg. The rest of the evening was a non-event, however. The dreaded traffic snarl I had been trying not to think about was not there. It was just another night. But it was quite a sight seeing the interstate in contraflow mode. Granted, there was hardly any traffic, but there were about 4 or 5 cars heading north on the southbound side. I wish that I could have been on that side. My friend from Japan was commenting that it was making him homesick to see the traffic moving that way.

I hope that my favorite city is spared from the ultimate ruin that everyone is predicting. If this beast move through quick, and the pumping stations hold out, maybe it won't be the one the people there have been fearing. But everything I have seen today is not making me feel any better. But I am glad I went and said goodbye. Now we have to prepare. It looks like Hattiesburg and then finally my town are in for it. Well, by the time it gets to me it will just be a windy, wet mess. But I hope all my friends in N.O., the gulf coast and points in between heed the warnings.

Take care, everyone.