ABANDONED: Aerojet Rocket Facility | Part I

The Aerojet Rocket Facility is an interesting relic of the space race days. This location operated from 1963 to 1969, testing rockets using solid fuel. By 1969, NASA decided to utilize liquid fuel for the Apollo's Saturn V rockets, effectively putting any employees of this facility out of work. Through it's operation, two rocket silos were built into the ground - one of which still houses a rocket. The remaining rocket has since been covered with cement, leaving it inaccessible to casual explorers.

By now, much of the remaining facility is a concrete skeleton covered in graffiti, surrounded by the Everglades swamp.

This facility is huge - so expect more posts about it to follow! 

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Our New Orleans Must-See List

We are heading to New Orleans, LA this March! We'll have only a few days there but we are determined to see as much as we can. And, oh, there is SO much to see. The more we research the city, the more we're falling in love with it. It's so perfectly suited for our travel style and interests. We'll be staying in a haunted airbnb and exploring the city by foot. Below is a list of places that we are planning on visiting, if time allows.

Culture, History, Museums & Oddities

• St. Louis Cemetery #1 and other nearby cemeteries. There is so much history, and so many gorgeous grave sites in this city. While we could probably spend an entire day visiting the past in this way, we want to choose a select few. Have you visited? Which ones are a "must see"?

• Faulkner House Books. We always make it a point to visit an indie bookstore when traveling. We are both avid readers and books make a good "keepsake" from a trip that will get a good amount of use. Faulkner House Books is a historic home and bookshop all in one.

• LaLaurie Mansion. New Orleans is full of dark history. While the story of LaLaurie is horrifying and heart breaking, it's important to revisit these places and remember the past. 
• Museum of Death.  In a similarly morbid vein, we're planning on visiting the Museum of Death. While these locations are probably not everyone's cup of tea, we are drawn to these types of locations and find them endlessly fascinating. 
• Voodoo Museum. Voodoo is a large part of New Orleans history. We would love to learn more about this aspect of the city here.

• Pharmacy Museum. Medical history is also hugely fascinating. We are really excited to visit this spot.
• Preservation Hall . This is another one of those "must-see" spots everyone talks about! Jazz is yet another crucial element in the history of New Orleans. We'll have to catch some live music!

Food & Drink

• Cafe Du Monde - a must see stop for anyone visiting New Orleans. I hear this place is actually worth the hype! We'll have to do our little tourist-y thing by stopping here for a coffee and beignet at some point during our visit.

• District Donuts - who can resist gourmet donuts? We'll be stopping here for desert at some point for sure. 

• Old Absinthe House. We'll have to grab a cocktail here if we have the time.

Have you visited New Orleans? Are there any places that we should add to our list? 

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CALIFORNIA: A Gang of Elk

Did you know that the proper terms for a group of elk are a "herd" or a "gang"? I love animal group names. We spotted this group of Roosevelt Elk on our way to a hike in North California. It was such a stunning view with the mystical NorCal fog passing in the background.

Everyone's looking so majestic. And then, there's this guy up here.

Babies!

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CALIFORNIA: Hiking Above the Redwood Forest

Muir Woods National Monument is a must-see for anyone visiting San Francisco. Having briefly visited the forest in previous travels, we planned to spend a bit more time exploring one of the hiking trails in the area. We took on The Sun Trail - a 4.7 mile loop that provides views from within redwood canyons and above the canopies. This was an excellent way to spend our morning after a long plane ride, and we would highly recommend it!

The path that we took included a somewhat steep incline at the onset, which was bearable but definitely a workout for us Floridians (very accustomed to flat land). What we loved about this trail is that it offers variety, which keeps things interesting.

A couple tips: 

• Dress in layers! The ground of the redwood forest is very cool, but up above it is super sunny (at least during August - when we visited). We ended up going from sweaters to t-shirts within a few hours. 
• Bring sunscreen. Up top there is no shade and therefore no protection from the sun. 
• Get there early. It is nearly impossible to find any parking near the woods by 10am due to the popularity of the park. 

We've started a tradition of taking goofy photos at pretty places.

These little guys were in the sunny spots!

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