Trip USA (Part Three)

It took me a year.......... but here is finally part three:

On our way back to SC.

An odd saguaro cactus along the road.

Bridge on Interstate 210 near Lake Charles, Louisiana

Here we are on the Interstate 10 between Lafayette and Baton Rouge. It's an elevated highway i.e. bridge. This stretch of 18.2 miles (29.3 km) is known as the Atchafalaya Swamp Freeway. It goes over the Atchafalaya River and the adjacent swamps.

A stop in New Orleans at the Saint Patrick Cemetery Number two. More information about these cemeteries can be found here.

From New Orleans we drove to Eglin AFB in Florida,  where we stayed in lodging for some  days. We didn't feel like camping because the weather was cool and rainy here. When these pictures were taken it had warmed up a bit.

 

This lady was looking for crabs in the Choctawhatchee Bay

So was this lady 

Walking sea shells?  No there is a crab inside. 

A walk in Fred Gannon Rock Bayou State Park

From the state park's web page: U.S. Air Force Colonel Fred Gannon was instrumental in preserving this site with beautiful old-growth longleaf pine trees, several more than 300 years old. Rocky Bayou, the main feature of the park, is the trailing arm of Choctawhatchee Bay and is popular for boating and fishing.

Lots of Deer Moss  (Cladina Evansii) was growing under the pine trees. 

Puddin 'Head Lake

Along the shore of  the Rocky Bayou

We left Eglin AFB for our last destination: Jacksonville, Florida

Entering Jacksonville.

Since it had warmed up again we decided to tent camp at the Fam Camp Pelican Roost on Mayport Naval Station

We had a nice place under the palm trees.

With a view over the St. Johns River

There was a basketball game scheduled to celebrate Veterans Day. USS Bataan  served as the platform for the 2012 Navy-Marine Corps Classic men’s college basketball game presented by Florida Blue. University of Florida and Georgetown University were playing that evening.

Here the finished stadium on top of USS Bataan.

There were no more tickets left but the game was showed on a big screen.

Sunset over the festivities.

Before the game started there was a performance by the group "Little Big Town". Not my favorite music but we had a good evening.

 Mayport has a private beach. 

A couple enjoying the view over the Atlantic Ocean. 

A dead stingray and......

..... a dead blowfish

 St. John's River flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

Take a  dive into the ocean.....

 A tour on the USS Mesa Verde.

Osprey aircraft.

 On the bridge aboard the Mesa Verde.

A daytrip to the nation's oldest city: St. Augustine 

with a visit to Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest masonry fort in the United States

 The old city gate from St. Augustine. Inside the city gates one finds lots of stores and restaurants. We didn't stay long: too touristy

Then, in Georgia, on our way back to SC, we noticed that fall had arrived........

Another great trip through USA.