New Orleans, LA – Part Deux
Day 3 in NOLA: We started our day in the swamps of Jean Lafitte National Park and Preserve. It took a little bit to find the actual trail, but once we did…it was like entering Jurassic Park. The “trail” was a boardwalk over a swampy marshland. There were creatures everywhere, including ginormous spiders hovering right over our heads, crickets the size of my fist, poisonous looking snakes, little lizards, and, of course, alligators. The first time we passed under one of the spiders, I jumped back and screeched. Michael, former boy scout extraordinaire, heroically jumped in front of me and shouted “what is it?!”. He almost jumped right into the web. From then on, I had to brace myself each time we went under one of those monstrosities. My goal for the whole four mile hike was to spot an alligator. We wove through the swamp on the wooden boardwalk, eyes trained on the water beneath us. There were short boardwalks branching off the 
main trail that I would wander out on in hopes of seeing a huge gator, halfway submerged in the water, looking dangerous. However, these jaunts were fruitless. Finally, halfway through the walk, a group of other hikers pointed out a baby gator floating right off the boardwalk. We marveled at it briefly and then hightailed out of there before the mama gator came after us. The walk back to the entrance of the trail was grueling and hot. We had to pick up the pace so that we could make our afternoon steamboat cruise. We speed walked back to the car, ducking under spider webs and hopping over snake tails. We made it back to the river with just enough time for Michael to park and for me to get us two slices of pizza and a hurricane to share before we boarded the boat.
The Steamboat tour was more industrial than it was scenic. We sat near the front of the boat on chairs that were fastened to the deck, as huge barges moved 
slowly up the river past us. They churned through the water and settled next to the large docks that were scattered along the shore. The steamboat took us up the river and back down again with an unseen tour guide sharing facts about the area. The air on the river was hot and still and suffocating, so much so that we had to sit inside the boat for a portion of the cruise. The air conditioning inside revived us, and we sat back out on the deck, in the shade and marveled at the view; the city looked so beautiful from the river.
After the cruise, we ventured back to the hotel to get ready for the night. We decided to go to Felix’s for po’boys for dinner. 
Felix’s is a seafood restaurant and oyster bar right off of Bourbon Street. Michael and I both had an Abita Andygator beer and a po’boy; mine was shrimp and oyster and his was catfish. The food was heavenly and the service was great too. We stuffed our faces, and then made our way to our third tour for the day, a New Orleans Walking Ghost Tour, stopping to get a beer for the walk on our way. The tour was led by a very charismatic woman, who seemed to be friends with everyone we passed. The tour started on the steps of the Supreme Court Building and wound through the French Quarter. We passed voodoo shops, former residences of vampires, houses of torture,and alleys that were once frequented by pirates. We stopped at a bar in the middle of the tour for a bathroom/drink refill break. It was there that I proceeded to spill my beer on the tour guide while trying to tell her how interesting I thought the tour was. She gave me side eye for the duration of the tour. We called it an early night after the tour ended, and went back to the hotel to watch bad TV in bed; too much sun and booze for one day. 
The next day was our last in NOLA. There were so many things left to do, that we spent a good part of our morning trying to figure out how to fit everything in. We went to Café Du Monde for beignets and coffee and mapped out our day. We decided to get all of our souvenirs and gifts for people, go back to the hotel, and then drive out to Lake Pontchartrain, City Park and The Longue Vue House and Gardens, then come back to see the Saint Louis Cemetery, where Marie Laveau’s (NOLA’s Queen of Voodoo)
grave is. The only problem was, it was raining on and off all day AND it was Labor Day. Our first stop was Longue Vue House, which was, sadly, closed. Next we went to City Park, and briefly explored. It was absolutely gorgeous, with lush gardens and a pond busy with paddle-boaters. We walked around for a bit, and then were propelled onward with our busy schedule. We drove to Lake Pontchartrain and sat on the concrete steps that led into the lake. The lake was clear and stretched out in front of us. We soaked in the sunlight that was scarce during our trip and discussed our next move. We parked the car back at the hotel and walked over to the Saint Louis Cemetery, which was also closed. The cemeteries in New Orleans are unique because the graves are above ground (due to the water level). I was really looking forward to seeing it, but, luckily, we drove past multiple cemeteries, complete with above-ground tombs earlier in the day. It’s a haunting sight to see; all of those concrete tombs looming over the floor of the cemetery. Feeling discouraged from our unsuccessful tourist trips, we decided to sit on one of the famed balconies along Bourbon Street and get some lunch. It was starting to rain, but we were sheltered under the awning above the balcony. We ordered wings to share, and enjoyed the view. Again, New Orleans is stunning in the rain. From there, we went back to the hotel and, remembering that we were on vacation and should relax, sat in the hot tub that was on the roof. After soaking for a sufficient amount of time, we got ready to hit the town for our last night in NOLA. We walked to Pier 424 for a seafood feast. We got charbroiled oysters to start, and boiled crab legs for our entrée. I was dying for some good crab legs, and these did not disappoint. It was Michael’s first time having them, so I taught him how to crack the shell open to get at the meat. It was a superb last meal. We walked to Carousel Bar 
next, which is a hidden gem within Hotel Monteleone. The seats that surround the bar rotate as you drink, which ultimately makes you feel intoxicated even after just one drink. The décor was beautiful and the cocktails with sumptuous and strong. We wandered over to Preservation Hall, but did not want to while away our last hours waiting in line. We moved onward to Fritzel’s European Jazz Pub on Bourbon Street, which was an interesting combination of abrasive Eastern European waitresses, expensive booze and amazing jazz music. We stayed for a while, each nursing our drink and enjoying the music. We traded pricey drinks for cheap fishbowls and wandered the French Quarter, pretending to consider seeing a sex show and enjoying the last of the Southern Decadence crowd. We hopped in and out of different bars to hear the music and use the restroom, which went smoothly all times but one. We wandered into a cheesy sports bar where a Temptations cover band was on stage. While we drank our contraband fishbowl and danced, we were accosted by a tube shot wielder, who tapped us on the shoulder, put the rounded end of multiple tube shots in her mouth and proceeded to pour them into my mouth, and then did the same for Michael. Just as we were thinking, “that was weird, but whatever, free shots!” she extended her hand and said “$12” in a very no-nonsense voice. Confused, we looked at each other, and informed her we’d have to pay with card. Her smile promptly fell off her face and she escorted us to the cash register behind the bar. As soon as we paid, we moved on, assessed our funds, and bought another fishbowl. We settled into the park outside Café Beignet (right off Bourbon Street) and listened to the musicians there. We ended the night with the last of our fishbowl, eating the pizza at Mango Mango, which we clearly could not get enough of during this trip. We meandered back to the hotel and passed out, which in turn, made us start our drive home hung over. It was a bittersweet trip home, with a lot of bumps along the way (high credit card authorizations, thunderstorms, car trouble…), but we made it in one piece and looking forward to our next adventure.
wanted to explore. It looked beautiful from the outside, and I couldn’t wait to see what it had in store for us. We valeted the car, and dragged our luggage in towards the front desk. When we checked in, the front desk staff wished us a happy anniversary and informed us that we had a room upgrade, which was a wonderful surprise. We schlepped all of our luggage up to the room (working at a hotel makes me reluctant to ask for help when staying at other hotels). It was a beautiful room with a huge bed covered in cloud-like linens and a comfy arm chair in the corner. As soon as we settled in and started unpacking, there was a knock at the door. The front desk manager had brought us a bottle of complimentary champagne to help us celebrate. We toasted ourselves and got ready for dinner. The bathroom was gorgeous, covered in marble, with a huge tub and a big enough vanity so we could both primp.
water and fresh bread rolls. We both ordered local beers and decided to order spicy fried alligator and the boucherie plate, which included a daily special of charcuterie and accouterments. The food was so delicious and flavorful. For dessert, we decided on peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream and coffee to pull us up from our food coma. The peaches tasted so fresh and the coffee hit the spot; we were ready to get back out there and explore. We wandered around the warehouse district, which was an interesting mix of industrial buildings and clubs. When we passed the Harrah’s casino, we decided to go in and each gamble $5 with the hopes of doubling our vacation budget. Surprisingly, that didn’t happen, but it was definitely an experience. Smoking was allowed in the casino, which made the air cloudy and thick. The personas of the gamblers ranged from little old ladies to cigar smoking hit men. We gingerly picked our way through the dime machines and lost all of our allotted money, then snuck back out with our heads down. After that, Michael and I decided that a night cap was in order, so we picked a bar at random and sat at a high top by the window. True to form, I had a gin and tonic, and he had a Jack and coke. We discussed our plans for the rest of our trip and people watched from the window before heading back to the hotel for the night.
We woke up the next morning to rain streaming down the windows. Michael made some coffee and we decided to venture out anyways. We huddled close under the umbrella and hurried from awning to awning. New Orleans looks so romantic in the rain, so it was an enjoyable stroll despite the weather. We walked over to Bourbon Street and marveled over the long-standing architecture that contrasted beautifully with the bright neon signs that marked each bar and club. Along the way, we realized that this particular weekend was Southern Decadence, a festival widely known as the “Gay Mardi Gras”. The banners, which hung from balconies everywhere, promised an exciting weekend. We took a lap around the French Quarter and stopped in many a voodoo shop. The oddities in the shops were all the same, but each one drew us in anyways. Once we had come back to Bourbon Street, we stopped in an unremarkable restaurant with delicious gumbo and crawfish beignets. Once we had refueled we were ready to explore more.
complete with blue strobe light pulsing underneath. Because of the open container laws in NOLA we were able to take our drinks to go and walk towards the river. In the rain, the Mighty Mississippi looked brown and depressing. We turned around to walk back inland and ended up in Jackson Square, where a statue of Andrew Jackson stood in the middle, while the St. Louis Cathedral loomed behind it. The scene was truly stunning. A cobble stone alley ran adjacent to the cathedral; walking down it was like strolling through history. On the opposite side of the alley was William Faulkner’s House, where he wrote his first novel. The first level of the house now contains a quaint book store full of the classics.
Michael got us two hurricanes (add an extra shot for $1, why not??) and we continued our jaunt. The streets of The French Quarter are lined with beautifully colored houses and buildings that made for a beautiful back drop to our boozy walk. We soon found ourselves in Louis Armstrong Park, named, of course, for Mr. Jazz himself. The park was gorgeous, with a stream running through it and statues of great musicians scattered throughout. We played “Only You” on my phone as we took in the loveliness of the park.
On the way back to our hotel (we decided we needed a nap before we went out for the night), we stopped at a corner store/mecca of delicious drunk food called Verti Marte. I had heard about this place from a local, which almost guarantees its five star status. We had the Jazz Sandwich, which was topped with shrimp, ham, turkey and veggies and it was heavenly. We ate it as we walked back to the hotel to nap, rally and head back out into the madness.
along with dollar bills and small samples of personal lubricant and the costumes ranged from creative and cute to one lone leather strap. We went to Maison Bourbon first, to hear some live jazz. The music was excellent and 100% worth the pricey and boring drinks. After a while, we moved on to the next bar, which featured “Huge Ass Beers”, a 32oz domestic beer of your choosing. We took to the streets, huge beers in hand, and wordlessly people watched. It was quite the spectacle. We ended the night at Mango Mango, the slushy/pizza joint, and I have never had a better tasting slice of pizza at 3:00 AM.
weekend. We took a lap around the French Quarter and stopped in many a voodoo shop. The oddities in the shops were all the same, but each one drew us in anyways. Once we had come back to Bourbon Street, we stopped in an unremarkable restaurant with delicious gumbo and crawfish beignets. Once we had refueled we were ready to explore more. It was still raining when we left the restaurant. We continued our wandering, peeking into the alleys that stood perpendicular to the main streets. They contained a number of things, including petite restaurants and art galleries. We stopped in the “famous” Spirits on Bourbon and tried their resurrection cocktail, served in a plastic skull complete with blue strobe light pulsing underneath. Because of the open container laws in NOLA we were able to take our drinks to go and walk towards the river. In the rain, 
the Mighty Mississippi looked brown and depressing. We turned around to walk back inland and ended up in Jackson Square, where a statue of Andrew Jackson stood in the middle, while the St. Louis Cathedral loomed behind it. The scene was truly stunning. A cobble stone alley ran adjacent to the cathedral; walking down it was like strolling through history. On the opposite side of the alley was William Faulkner’s House, where he wrote his first novel. The first level of the house now contains a quaint book store full of the classics. Throughout Bourbon Street and The French Quarter are small restaurants that solely serve alcoholic slushies, jello shots and pizza; aka the only things you will ever need. Michael got us two hurricanes (add an extra shot for $1, why not??) and we continued our jaunt. The streets of The French Quarter are lined with beautifully colored houses and buildings that made for a beautiful back drop to our boozy walk. We soon found ourselves in Louis Armstrong Park, named, of course, for Mr. Jazz himself. The park was gorgeous, with a stream running through it and statues of great musicians scattered throughout. We played “Only You” on my phone as we took in the loveliness of the park.
rebeccawanderlusting 