University of New Orleans Aquatic Center. Have Goggles, Will Travel Pool #76

50m pool hidden below NOLA lake side arena

A second pool in Louisiana! I did attempt this pool yesterday but found it was closed on arrival; I wonder if I misread the timetable or if there was an event on, but I made double sure today that the pool was indeed open!

The UNO Aquatic Center is a 50m, eight-lane pool; it’s located underneath the University’s lakeside arena and at first, takes some finding from the car park!

I do like a US university pool; they’re all about competitive swimming and do away with the fancy features to focus on the swim training quality; plenty of pace clocks, training accessories and always music playing! It’s a 50m pool with a floating boom, which today is centred in the pool to make two 25-yard pools. Jump in a make my way through a 1,200-yard swim.

Decide I’ve earnt a Mcdonald’s strawberry milkshake; best not tell the kids as I’m always telling them how unhealthy they are! I’m heading straight from here to Mobile, Alabama, along the stunning Route 90, which runs literally along the beach for miles from Pass Christian through Biloxi to Gulfport.