Monday, August 2, 2010

Gulf Coast LifeStyle

While New Orleans does not really have a beach (sorry Lake Pontchartrain, but you don't count), we are a scant 3 hours from Gulf Shores, AL.  At the beach this past weekend, the topic on everyone's mind was the BP screw-up and subsequent unleashing of oil all over our coast.


We saw few signs that any oil had been dumped into the Gulf of Mexico at all, other than the smattering of tar balls along the sand.  The water itself looked and felt like normal, and there were crabs, minnows, and even dolphins cruising around as if nothing was wrong.  From a recreational beach-going perspective, the sand was as white as ever, the water as crystal clear as ever, and the relaxation as accessible as ever.


From my lay-man's understanding of the BP screw-up, the damage will be mostly unseen.  Fish populations shut down, a Gulf Coast fishing culture on the brink of extinction, coastal wetlands wiped out, etc.


Here's hoping that the damage is less than expected.

One Day Visitor - LifeStyle Condensed

Camellia Grill, streetcar, beignets, hurricanes, Uptown..... how to cram as much into one day as possible.