NOLA...My Favorite City

Florida is my Sunshine, Ohio is my Heart...but New Orleans is my Soul and my new FAVORITE CITY.  I spent a long weekend there with my girls (daughters Mallory and Michelle and daughter-in-law Kelly).  What a special time.  We were on the move from morning until night for three days.  I left with a longer list of things I want to do than when I arrived.  Here are pictures of Jana and Girls...on the left is when we arrive...on the right is later in the evening.

We met up at the hotel Thursday afternoon.  Despite the late start, we were able to cross a lot off our To Do List that first evening.  We walked to Jackson Square, checked out the St. Louis Cathedral, had beignets and cafe au lait at Cafe Du Monde, dinner at the Royal House, bananas foster at Brennan's.  After all of that, we still had the energy (barely) to walk the mile or so back to our hotel.

We got a slower start on Friday.  We took a streetcar to Ruby Red for brunch.  Then called for a shuttle to tour Mardi Gras World.  We learned the history of Mardi Gras, how the floats are made and saw a warehouse of decorations and floats.  Being a seasoned crafter, it was inspiring.  Before the tour I had no idea what Mardi Gras was about.  After the tour, a visit to New Orleans to see a parade is on my bucket list.

We had an early dinner at the Gumbo Shop...very good seafood...quaint outdoor courtyard seating.

More walking...taking in the sights, street musicians and performers.

And of course our daily dose of beignets.  This time at Cafe Beignet.  The beignets were better, but the staff and atmosphere was not as nice as Cafe Du Monde.  

We ended the evening with a 2 hour Haunted Ghost walking tour from 8 to 10 p.m.  Our tour guide was knowledgeable and high energy.  But honestly, I was so tired and full that I don't remember much.

Saturday was our last day and we made the most of it.  It started with a walking tour of the Garden District and Lafayette Cemetery No. 1.   The Garden District has beautiful homes showing French and Italian influence.  Also impressive were the live oak trees and the crocked sidewalks...I haven't seen such bad roads since I was living in Ohio.

The tour ended at the cemetery.  Lots of history at the cemetery.  I wondered how so many people could be buried in one tomb.  The way it works is that a casket is placed in the tomb and sealed.  The heat inside the closed tomb is a "natural crematorium".  After a "year and a day" the tomb can be opened and the remains (usually dust) swept into a bag or to the back of the tomb.  The coffin is removed and the tomb is available again.

After the tour, Meredith, a friend of Kelly's picked us up and took us to a crawfish boil put on by a couple of her friends.  And what a party it was!  The crawfish, charbroiled oysters, dirty rice and alligator sausage were the great.  But the best part was the New Orlean's hospitality of the hosts and the people we met there.

After the party, Meredith gave us a tour of areas outside the French Quarter.  She took us to a modern cemetery in Mid City.  We stopped at City Park, a beautiful park with water ways, gardens and a coffee shop.  It is larger than Central Park in New York City.  We saw a couple Katrina memorials and drove around the Lower Ninth Ward where the levy broke and most of the homes were lost.

Mallory had one more item on her list...to get a snowball...shaved ice, flavored syrup topped with sweetened condensed milk!  Meredith took us to the best snowball shop...Plum Street Snowballs.

Oh we weren't done yet!  Dinner was at Liuzza's Restaurant for some true New Orlean's dishes.  We definitely saved the best for last.  We ordered Frenchuletta (Muffuletta using french bread), fried green tomatoes with a sauteed shrimp remoulade, fried oysters and boudin.  OMG, I want to go back just to have this meal again!

Meredith took us back to our hotel (what service) where we rested for a while before heading to Frenchman Street for our last night in New Orleans.  We walked around the art booths and listened to music coming from the bars and then headed back to Cafe Du Monde to end our trip just the way we started it...with beignets and cafe au lait.

I came to New Orleans thinking three days would be enough.  But I left planning my next trip.  I want to visit some of the same places...Cafe Du Monde, Garden District, French Quarter, Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral.  I want to to spend more time listening to the street musicians, tour the art garden at City Park, stop in a Voodoo shop, learn more of the history, visit the WWII museum, take a ferry on the Mississippi, ride in a pedicab, see a Mardi Gras parade....so many things to do...so little time.

EPILOGUE

I could do a whole blog on the transportation options in New Orleans.  We rode in a taxi and a streetcar, took the city bus and used Uber.  The bus and street car was the most economical, but not always the most efficient.  I can't say if Uber was cheaper than a taxi ride...but it was fun and the drivers were great.  The three Uber drivers we had were very helpful (remember there were four of us...usually all talking at once).  Next time I want to take a horse-drawn carriage and ride in a  pedicab.  And try out some water rides (ferry on the Mississippi and canoe in City Park)....so many things to do...so little time.