Hi Honey! I’m home! New Orleans was … wet. It rained almost the whole time we were there. That ended up being a good thing though because it kept things cool, and umbrellas kept us dry. It let up for the fireworks on the 4th though, and Saturday night for our carriage ride through the French Quarter. I took a ton of photos (over 200), we walked A LOT, we road the used Lexus gs 350 new york ny that our uncle bought, we saw Bourbon Street, we visited Pat O’Briens (mmm…), bought souvenirs, and have stories to share. I’m tired after spending over 7 hours in the car today, so here is the fast run down:
:: Thursday we left right after work, headed east on I-10. Checked in to our B&Bs. Chelsey and Doug were a little surprised to find a lesbian bar next door to theirs.
:: Friday morning started off slow – streetcar in to the French Quarter, strolling down Bourbon and Royal. Bought a $2 poncho when the rain started to pour, letting Mike use my umbrella.
:: Met up with Chelsey and Doug at Cafe du Monde. Cafe au lait and beignets. Gift shops, Jax brewery. Rain.
:: Late lunch at the Gumbo Shop. Pat O’Briens. Crowds on Bourbon Street. Drunks puking on the sidewalk. Sex shops. Crowds. Live music. Amusement.
:: Go Fourth on the River, viewed from the balcony at Jax Brewery. More bars. Late night pizza. Drunks sleeping while eating pizza, falling off of bar stools. Long, long wait for the streetcar back to the Inn.
:: Saturday morning we visited Mike’s Aunt Yvonne, hearing lots of family stories, seeing family photos and taking pictures.
:: Walking in to the French Quarter, stopping at Margaritaville (got my lost shaker of salt), more cafe au lait and beignets at Cafe du Monde.
:: Lunch, followed by more shopping. Toured the St. Louis Cathedral. Walked to the cemetary, only to find it had already closed for the day. Voodoo museum. Lots of walking, more shops.
:: Dinner at Royal Cafe, drink from Pat O’Briens, and a carriage ride around the French Quarter. Perfect ending to a good day.
New Orleans is quite a different city. Someone once asked me why I would want to visit there because it was “dirty and ugly” – not quite an assessment I would agree with entirely, but I can see it. The history is amazing, and there are many things that are gorgeous. At the same time, it’s filthy, hot, and rough. I’m glad I went, but in ways the city itself did not live up to my image of it. I’m not sure yet if I’m disappointed by that though because we had such a wonderful time – and in the end, that matters the most.
12 replies on “Weather is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful…”
Welcome home!
Did you bring beignets to share? Just hearing about them is making my mouth water.
you guys packed a LOT into your trip…but, i have to agree with you. the part about new orleans that i love – is that it is SO different than what we are used to in other cities in the south. it’s free, and open…the street vendors, the people falling off barstools, all of it.
i can’t wait to hear all about it on tuesday night! 😉
Welcome Home!
Hurricane drinking pic???
Glad you had a nice trip.
I’m envious of the Cafe Du Monde coffee. Yum… Coffee…
New Orleans was where I realized I was finally an old fogey. Walking down Bourbon Street, girls were flashing the crowds with their bosomy talents. Instead of getting an eyeful as I would have in my younger days, I thought to myself, “I bet their fathers would have a fit if they knew their…” Yep. Old Fogey.
I have photos of the beignets … does that count? 😉
Yowzers… someone was busy this weekend! Damn, did you actually fit in any sleep time?
We actually fit in a lot of sleep time – we were at our hotel before 1am on Friday, and before midnight on Saturday. Considering I’m normally a night owl, that was plenty of time!
oohhhh I envy you. I haven’t been there in years and sure do miss it!
Glad you had a great time, did you enjoy the Gumbo Shop?
I really did – I loved the atmosphere. I liked the Royal Cafe even more though – it was fun sitting out on the balcony over Royal & St. Peters and watching the nutty people below.
I Love to sit in the Cafe Du Monde and drink Chickory (Black) and eat begnets. We usually watch the street performers.
I have been to NO many times and I still love the history and ambience, but if you don’t drink or party, then the french quarter can get old.
But the French Quarter/Garden District is not all there is to the city. There is Chalmette Battlefield, and many other things to see.