It's been a crazy few weeks! I've traveled to several different monuments across South Louisiana. Me and my hubby went to Lake Charles to investigate the Great Lake Charles Fire of 1910 then went on down to Cameron to check out a Hurricane Audrey and a Hurricane Rita memorial.
The next weekend I took a trip down to St. Bernard Parish to visit a BREATH TAKING memorial for Hurricane Katrina - WOW! A beautiful cross coming up out of the water. I cried. I want to share that experience with you guys now...I just can't wait.
I decided to open up the sun roof and hit the road to St. Bernard Parish. It was a beautiful day! Perfect for a Sunday drive. Driving from Baton Rouge to my destination took about an hour and a half and I had to drive through New Orleans and the 9th ward. Not a lot of traffic! Thank goodness! You never know about traffic in the big easy.
Once you make your way through New Orleans and head south east, you are heading to the toe of Louisiana. I've never driven this rout before and found it beautiful. My final destination would be Shell Beach.
As I got closer to my destination, I began noticing empty slabs, grow-over lots, and a set of stairs that were standing tall...as though they were the literal "stairway to heaven".
Katrina happened in August 2005...it was heart wrenching to see that there were so many homes still in shreds. I slowed down as I drove to really take it all in. I cried.
I finally found Shell Beach. This is a small fishing community with lots of camps. There were boats preparing to leave and some coming in from the gulf. After a few wrong turns, I found the exact location of the memorial. This memorial is VERY WELL DONE! The cross coming out of the water is beautiful. The marble slab with the names etched is wonderful.
I decided to make my way to the waters edge and just sit there....and sat...and sat. It felt like it had only been a few minutes, but when I walked back to my car it had been over an hour. What I personally experienced during Hurricane Katrina was nothing compared to what others went through. Seeing these names etched in the marble of those that died made me realise how blessed I am.
Annually, a small ceremony is held where all of the names are read and a widow/widower walk to the water's edge and places a wreath. I will make it a point of going in August.
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