and depending on the street you were on, the atmosphere was trendy, dirty, artsy, yummy, cultural... it was really really cool (not too fond of the dirty part - wouldn't bring my kids there at least). I'm so glad too that we're able to go and spend some money and their tourism is able to still flourish after Katrina... because even on a Sunday night, Bourbon Street and everything else was really crowded with tourists.
So here we go.
Friday, Day 1: fly to Memphis, meet Mom & B, see Elvis memorabilia & have a southern pulled pork sandwich at the airport (mmmmm...) fly to NOLA, stay in Kenner, go to the Treasure Chest Casino for a seafood and lobster buffet, listen to some live jazz, inhale some casino smoke and ruin my lungs, go to bed.
Saturday, Day 2: Taxi to downtown NOLA, check in the hotel, got lost in the morning for about 2 hours trying to find Café Du Monde. Stupid iPhone - told us it was somewhere in the business district. Nope. Funny thing is, another group of tourists with iPhones did the exact same thing!! By the time we got to the French quarter where it actually is, it was lunchtime... so we ate at Maspero's, where I sampled sausage with red beans and rice and jambalaya... very good.
We then finally found Cafe du Monde and had delicious beignets for desserts! I used to make those with mom years ago. I think I'll make them again soon :)
What is a beignet (beh-gnay) you ask? This delicious thing of fried dough you see above with way too much powdered sugar. We then went through Jackson Square with lots of artists, and dancers/performers who want your money and make you laugh.
We did Royal Street, Bourbon Street, Canal Street, enjoyed some live music and people watching. My, oh my, the people watching!! By 3PM we had walked probably 4 miles total and were toast. We went back to the hotel, rested our feet, actually fell asleep (and I'm SO against naps!), and at night we ate at "Mulate", a cute Cajun restaurant with live music and the best bread pudding ever. I had gumbo - which wasn't that fantastic I decided. We then went to bed (or at least tried to, because the club outside the hotel room window was happenin' till at least 3am. What happened to double paned windows??)
Sunday, Day 3: B bought a "Who Dat" hat @ the Rivercenter, took the street car to the French Farmer's Market:
I tried some alligator meat (tastes like really spicy sausage), saw some cool stuff (love Farmer's markets! Anywhere, Salt Lake, LA, Le Lavandou, you name it!)
So we walked around... a LOT again. We had lunch at a restaurant, forgot the name, but this was really tasty:
During the day, we went to the Garden District and walked around. After waiting 45 minutes for the streetcar to take us back, we decided to walk the 2 miles back, strolling through the neighborhoods, and man were we toast... and that sun was brutal... and my feet were killing me. Luckily, my knee was fine!! That's a good sign, I think it's almost healed.
The garden District... beautiful Victorian homes and leftover Mardi Gras beads GALORE
At night, we walked to Bourbon Street and did balcony dining at a yummy Italian restaurant, "Tony Moran's." On a Sunday night, Bourbon Street was still crowded. We took a cab back to the hotel as we were super, super exhausted from all the walking all day long.
Monday, Day 4: last day for me. B went to the WWII Museum, Mom went to her conference and I slept in, checked email, and took care of some work items. You know, in a way, I dream of the day I don't have to worry about work while on vacation. But I just can't wait till retirement, ya know? I then met Mom at noon, we walked back to the Museum to get B, and one of my favorite parts of the trip: We ate at Emeril's restaurant! We had a 3 course lunch menu which was super, super yummy. Great experience. Then I took a cab to the airport and flew home!
Great trip, things I'm grateful for on this trip:
*Discovered a different culture and area of the country.
*Hang out with Mom & B which are always great
*Surrounded by many things with French roots
*The food. Oh my, the food!
*Walking towns. There's so much you can discover on foot.
*Oh, and did I mention that there were balconies everywhere?
I must clarify my fascination with balconies: no, I don't like them because of things I could do on them for Mardi Gras... but there's something so pleasant and satisfying in eating lunch or dinner on a balcony while taking in some sun, fresh air, and watch people below as they wish they were as happy as I look right now.
The end. Have a great day!!
