Peace Along Lake Pontchartrain
Driving towards New Orleans, I thought about what I may find. We’ve all seen the devastation that Hurricane Katrina brought on the city. We’ve all seen the photos and heard the stories. All of those pictures don’t really prepare you for actually seeing, in person, the effects.
Just passing neighborhoods along the interstate, I saw entire apartment communities, empty. These were not slums. Picture the Windsor on the River apartments deserted, with most all of the windows shattered, and that’s a good vision of what it looked like.
There are hundreds of homes that are now mere shells of what they used to be. Homes that would sell for $300,000 in Cedar Rapids, deserted and empty. One still had HELP written in white on its rooftop.
Roads are a mess to drive on. Lightposts, twisted and broken. Many businesses boarded up. Not just a gas station or liquor store but Wal-Mart and Walgreens, empty. I even saw an entire strip mall boarded up! Suddenly, finding a place for a good run seemed a tad meaningless.
I chose City Park as a possible running spot which is located along Lake Pontchartrain. I found it but as I drove, it didn’t look promising. Then I came across the West End neighborhood which, naturally, is located in the west end of City Park and on Lakeshore Drive. It was alive with people and I even saw a runner on the sidewalk. I found my spot!
After finding a safe and secure parking spot, I started out going east on Lakeshore and about a quarter down, the road was closed to traffic for Katrina repairs. That wasn’t going to stop me, though. It just meant open road with no obstructions.
As I headed down the road, I saw dozens of people fishing along the Pontchartrain lakewall, sailboats and jet-skis enjoying the calm waters, and an occasional biker.
I went out for 12 minutes and turned around. Coming back, I was at peace. The sun was setting over the lake, hundreds of mullet fish were jumping out of the water after bugs, and the lake waters were gently lapping against the wall. I came back in 10 minutes and decided to get in 30 so added a little course around the marina, where I passed a night club who had a band playing – they were covering “Brick House” by the Commodores and doing a good job!
So ends my brief but image-driven New Orleans experience. Next stop, the “live music capital of the world” Austin, TX. Will I find some running inspiration? I think so.
If you are interested, the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund is still active and taking donations. Check it out at www.bushclintonkatrinafund.org. And if you are ever in New Orleans and are looking for some people to run with, the New Orleans Track Club has Sunday morning group training runs and more. Check them out at www.runnotc.org.
Peace
Road song of the day: “A Good Run” by Trent Tomlinson