Due to public transportation hiccups (DO NOT RIDE THE STREET CAR IF YOU ARE ON A TIMELINE!) M and I had to run for it in order to catch our ride on the paddle wheel steamer. However, I'm very glad we did as it was an unforgettable experience.
Paddle wheel steamers used to be common in the United States as both cargo and passenger ships. However, the invention of new technologies has made them all but obsolete. The Natchez, a sternwheeler, still plies the waters (as they say) around New Orleans, but it is confined to ferrying tourists. While the boat itself was built in the 1970s, it's steam boiler system was taken from a much older ship, the Clairmont.
The boat ride is an entertaining and relaxing way to get a good look at what happens along the shores of the river, and you also get an impression of just how much boat traffic there is in that area. Lunch, dinner, and drinks are also served, but I would stick with a drink and take it out onto the deck.
Pic #1: Boiler room on the boat (M became suddenly eight years old when we went in)
Pic #2: The wheel!
Pic #3: An abandoned school in the lower 9th ward.
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