New Orleans

We rented a car for the weekend, and were up early this morning to head out on a road trip.  We headed west on I-10, to New Orleans.  The visitor center as we crossed into Mississippi had some samples of these amazing carvings by Florida artist Marlin Miller, so we altered our itinerary to include a drive along the shore in Biloxi to see more of them. Hurricane Katrina destroyed many oak trees along the coast here, and the artist used the remains to create images of fins and feathers.  This little side trip also gave us our first view of the Gulf of Mexico - not by water as originally planned, but by road.

Looking for a place to park so that we could take some photos, we happened upon this very old, and very crowded cemetery.  It seems that recycling is in effect here, too.  If you look closely at the photo (click on it to enlarge) you will see that the name at the top is "Golden", but the newer contents of the crypt belong to Hagan, Tierney and Cosgrove.



















Our approach to New Orleans took us across Lake Pontchartrain, which is bigger than I could have imagined.  It's no wonder that once the levees broke after Katrina, there was so much water rushing into the city.

With limited time available to us, we decided to concentrate on the French Quarter, which is steeped in history and incredibly vibrant.  There are musicians on every other corner, and just about every door you pass holds a bar, or restaurant or little shop.  

Armed with the appropriate brochure, and the iPad, we decided on a self guided walking tour - starting with Cafe du Monde, which boasts of being the oldest known coffee stand in North America.  Since 1862, they have been serving cafe au lait and beignets (french doughnuts).  And that's all they sell, 24 - 7!!  It was a must stop for us after a couple of hours in the car.

Next stop was the French Market, which houses a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, snack bars, clothing, jewelry and crafts.  Of course, Michael needed to sample the fresh oysters.   Despite the offerings of 'gator po-boys, and 'gator on a stick, I was holding out for lunch.  

We wandered the narrow streets, admiring the wrought iron balconies, shuttered windows and doors, and secluded courtyards.  One of the oldest buildings here is the Lafitte Blacksmith shop.  No records exist to say when it was built, but the oldest ownership records date back to 1772.  And yes - these Lafitte's are the famous pirate brothers and blockade runners.  Sadly, this too is now a bar.

Lunch was at the Gato Negro, a Mexican restaurant boasting the best margaritas, and a huge selection of tequilas. Of course we had to go.  After a short wait for a table, we were shown the margarita menu.   That's right - a special menu just for the margaritas.  And the most expensive one on that menu was $225 per drink!  We grazed on guacamole and tuna ceviche, both made table side.

For the afternoon, we wandered some more, this time heading to the world famous Bourbon Street.  I confess I was a little disappointed to find bad rock and roll, mixed with the occasional "gentleman's club", complete with bikini clad 'dancers' hanging out at the entrance in an effort to entice the men inside.  We found only one jazz club in several blocks of walking.  You can buy a drink anywhere, and take it out onto the street.  We even found someone selling wine smoothies.  Why bother??

As the day wound down, we circled back to Jackson Square near the cathedral, footsore and very tired, but happy that we decided to make the trip.  Another cafe au lait for the road, and we were ready for the 2 hour drive back to Mobile.  

Keep scrolling down the page - there are lots more photos.