New Orleans and a Barber Shop

The Radio: 

Along the trip, I’ve tried to listen to some radio stations in different states, you occasionally hear some songs that aren’t ordinarily played in your home area and I also like getting the state political scoop in each state.  In Georgia they were debating allowing alcohol to be sold on Sundays and I think Florida amended their constitution about six times while I was there (political humor ;-)  ).

New Orleans:

After being in Miami for a couple of days, I had to get this Latin Techno out of my brain, so it was sweet to hear some Jazz in the downtown streets of New Orleans.   I stayed at probably the most disgusting place I’ve ever been to in my life called the Marquette.  It was run by a couple of middle aged guys and I don’t think it had been cleaned for at least a year.  My roommate was a 45 year old guy who just got back from the Phillipines.  Apparently he’s been living off his military pension and his only valuables aside from the clothes he was wearing were the things in his backpack.  He comes back to the States, finds a small job to make some money and then he heads somewhere else again….I hope to God that I don’t get the traveling bug to that degree.

I arrived in New Orleans on the first day of Jazz fest.  It was a perfect time to be there, there were lots of people but it wasn’t as crazy as Marti Gras.  Although, I will say, people in New Orleans want it to be Marti Gras year around so I won’t speak any further on that.  I took a few photos (yes, of tasteful things only) and wondered around the French Quarter and Bourbon Street for a good part of the evening and when it got to the point where I was offered and asked if I had any cocaine about 4 times, as Michael Jackson would say, I figured it was time for me to just beat it.  I am lucky I survived that hostel. I only stayed in NO for a night, I could've gotten into some trouble there if I stayed.  The next day I went out to see some bayous and took I-10 east, back through Mississippi in order to get to I-65 north to take me through Alabama onward to Nashville, TN. 

It’s Growing In Nicely:

My beard has been growing out close to a month now, so it was more than due time for a good trimming.  What better place to stop at a barber shop than the state of Mississippi.  I got off of I-10 and went to a place call Long Beach, and was surprised to find a sign for a karate place run by some Hensley’s down there.  I stopped in at Ray’s Barber owned by father and son Ray and Jason Fountain.  It was a barber shop like no other, the conversations were awesome and it was everything that a true southern barber shop should be.  Jason trimmed my beard for me had some interesting stories.  He suffered a stroke a few years ago but that certainly didn’t stop him from talking about everything and anything from politics, the bible, weather, women and all the things that you SHOULD talk about at a barber shop.  Just a neat place I thought I’d talk about, so if you’re ever in the southern most part of Mississippi, be sure to stop by Ray’s Barber Shop!  Good guys there.