**Disclaimer** – This and the next several posts are about our vacation. Like our cruise post last year, they’re long and detailed because who knows when I’ll put this in a scrapbook (I still haven’t done the cruise) and I want to record what we did while it’s still fresh. So while I understand that reading about other people’s vacations can be about as exciting as watching beige paint dry, consider yourself warned and feel free to just skim the photos.
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Day 1 – On the Road and First Impressions
Last week, Jonathan attended a conference for work in New Orleans and it worked out that I got to go too. Neither of us had ever been to the ‘Big Easy’ so we were pretty excited to not only get away for a few days together, but to experience a place that was new for both of us.
Jonathan’s parents agreed to watch our kids for the week and came up on Monday so that I could put in a long day at the church to get everything ready. We left early on Tuesday after saying goodbye to the kids and going over last minute schedule stuff with Janice and Richard.
We drove to Louisiana and it really wasn’t that bad of a drive. About 8 hours, including stops at the state borders to take pictures of Flat Sally for my niece, was all it took. We spent the first few hours chatting then popped in A Tale of Two Cities to listen to as we drove.
Our stop in Alabama
Our Mississippi stop
And finally, Louisiana. Honestly, Alabama and Mississippi went by pretty quickly since most of the drive is spent getting out of the Florida Panhandle.
When we arrived in New Orleans, we found our hotel, the Hilton Riverside, checked in, then met up with Linda, Dee, and Michael, three of Jonathan colleagues, for dinner at Poppy’s.
Now, whenever we told someone that we were heading to New Orleans, anyone who had ever been to New Orleans themselves invariably told us about either a certain place to eat or a certain food to eat. One such food item apparently is the muffuletta. Jonathan went full force into New Orleans eating and had one, or rather half of one, at that first meal. I started more simply with a chicken caesar salad. He did say that he was full at the end. If you know Jonathan, it’s rare that he gets to the point where he can’t eat anymore.
Muffuletta Sandwich
Photo: Food Network
After dinner, we decided to walk a bit in the French Quarter. We headed up Canal Street and then cut over at Bourbon. Wow. I’m pretty convinced that Bourbon Street might be the seediest place that I’ve ever been (including any of the places we were when we were in Vegas) and I quite honestly spent most of the walk down it feeling a mixture of immense disgust and utter sadness. Those who have been know what I mean. Those who haven’t, NEVER take your children down that street.
We meandered back towards the river and found ourselves at the French Market and Cafe du Monde, original home of the beignet, a French doughnut covered in powdered sugar. We stopped for dessert then all walked back to the hotel along the riverside. It was Tuesday, and we needed to get back in time for LOST. :-)
Day 2 – The Best Walking Tours Ever
We decided to take a walking tour of the French Quarter on Wednesday morning. For me, it was in hopes that it would improve my first impression of the entire city after our Bourbon Street experience.
Jonathan needed to pick up his registration materials for the conference, so we headed to the conference center then went to Cafe Beignet to meet our guide. The tour was with Historic New Orleans Tours and if anyone is planning on going to New Orleans, I would HIGHLY recommend taking a tour with this group. You’ll see why.
Jonathan in the courtyard of Cafe Beignet on Bourbon Street
We met on Bourbon Street, but actually spent very little time there. Our tour guide met us there and gave us a quick introduction to the city and some quick insights into the architecture…galleries vs. balconies, wrought iron vs. cast iron…then we crossed the street and went into one of the hotels (Royal Sonesta, I believe) where we got a quick overview of the founding of New Orleans.
From that hotel, we soon found ourselves on Royal Street, a street running parallel to Bourbon Street (and the river) and one chock full of history and interesting stops. It was on Royal that we spent most of the tour.
This is Dave, our tour guide. He was a New Orleans native.
A hotel courtyard. From the outside, you had no idea such a quiet respite was inside. It was beautiful.
Brennan’s Restaurant (the pink building) on Royal Street. Apparently, breakfast at Brennan’s is a big deal in New Orleans…and a big investment…one that would likely be about $100-$150 just for breakfast for two. We did not eat there. In fact, I’m pretty sure that morning we just ate granola bars as we walked.
I believe this was an example of about how ornate wrought iron could get, much fancier than this and it's probably cast iron. Oh, and that’s a balcony because there’s no support that touches the ground.
Another balcony with a wrought iron monogram
A look down St. Peter Street. The building with the pirate flag has a gallery, not a balcony, since there are supports all the way down.
We went by Faulkner House on Pirate Alley, where William Faulkner resided early in his writing career. It now houses a small bookstore.
Our tour concluded at Jackson Square, in front of St. Louis Cathedral.
As you can see, there were a few school buses there that day. And more than a few school groups.
We enjoyed our tour so much and when learned that our guide would be doing a tour later in the day in the Garden District, we decided to take another walking tour after lunch. We asked Dave about a good restaurant en-route and he recommended Serio’s, along St. Charles Avenue and right beside the streetcar stop that we would need to get out to the Garden District.
Serio’s was a little like a sports bar. Mike, the owner who we met while we were there, is a HUGE LSU fan. When we mentioned we were from Gainesville, he went back to his office and came out with two Gator football helmets that the Gators wore last season. He tailgates with someone who handles the Gator equipment.
We ordered roast beef po-boys (another New Orleans ‘must-have’ apparently) then found a table under one of the older Gator helmets. The sandwich was amazing. I’ve never had a roast beef sandwich quite like this one. Before heading out, we braved probably the most frightening restrooms of the entire trip, got a Barq’s so we would have change for the ride, then headed out to the streetcar.
Enjoying lunch…and the Gator paraphernalia
Looks like Mike’s got a good Muffuletta too. He beat Bobby Flay.
The streetcar ride was pretty nice. I’d never ridden on a streetcar before.
We made it to the next tour with a few minutes to spare so we looked around a book shop then met up with our group for the Garden District tour. New Orleans basically has two main tourist areas: the French Quarter and the Garden District. The French Quarter is the older area with more of an European feel, the Garden District is all-American and the ritzy part where famous people have their homes.
First stop on this tour was one of the above ground cemeteries.
At the risk of creeping anyone out, here’s how these tombs work. The top and bottom ‘shelves’ hold coffins (the newest on the top, oldest on the bottom) and there’s a stone that covers the opening. As time passes, since the remains are more exposed to the elements as they’re not buried underground, they decompose faster. When the next person in the family dies, the oldest coffin is opened, the remains gathered, placed in the very bottom of the tomb, and the other coffin is moved to the bottom shelf. The ‘new’ coffin then is placed in the tomb and resealed. As a result of this practice, these tombs can hold upwards of 30 people.
Here Dave is explaining all sorts of interesting things about the cemetery.
We walked by Commander’s Palace. Apparently, this is THE place to eat in New Orleans. We didn’t eat here either. I guess we’ll have to go back.
Here’s the Benjamin Button house.
This was Dave’s favorite house on the tour. We stood outside for awhile as he told us about the people who lived here and their renovation woes and eventual success. Then Dave saw his friend who was the caretaker of the property and they exchanged a few pleasantries. Next thing we knew, the caretaker was opening up the gates so we could come up and look around! Pretty exciting to be invited to walk the grounds of a private property.
The fountain by the driveway.
Mardi Gras tree through the window.
The swimming pool. Pretty nice, eh?
Dave explaining something about the doors.
Outside the house.
Everyone on the tour was pretty excited about being invited up to walk around the house as we made our way on.
Soon we were going by Archie and Olivia Manning’s home. Did you know they lived in New Orleans? I didn’t. Anyway, one of the women in our tour group grew up with Olivia and Olivia just happened to be outside! So they chatted a bit. Olivia didn’t invite us in, but it was still pretty cool.
I hadn’t realized so many famous people had homes in New Orleans, so it was interesting to learn about their connection to the city. One such person was Nicholas Cage, whose former home was on the tour.
Nicholas Cage, we learned, has recently filed for bankruptcy. As a result, his previous residence was taken over by the bank and quite recently purchased by a local man. While our group was outside listening to Dave tell us the history of the said house, the new owner happened to come out on the porch, come down the steps, open the gate, and join our group so that he could hear what Dave was telling us.
After chatting for a bit, Peter (the new owner) invited the group inside!! Apparently, when Nicholas Cage left either (a) Cage took anything that wasn’t nailed down and put it in storage or (b) the bank took everything that wasn’t nailed down as payment so the house was pretty empty and white but still, pretty incredible.
The exterior of the house.
Inside. This staircase isn’t original. It was added when Cage bought the house.
One of the fireplaces.
Beautiful plasterwork, even if it is just white.
We just walked around the first floor (although one rather bold woman ventured upstairs) and oh’d and ah’d at each detail. I think even Dave was amazed at this turn of events, although it sounded as though there were other owners along the tour who would occasionally invite groups on the property, but it was pretty special to have it happen twice.
By the time the tour ended (it was an hour longer than expected), Jonathan and I needed to hightail it back to the hotel so that Jonathan could change for the first session of the conference.
When he was done, we headed to the French Quarter for dinner at Royal House and sat in one of the open doors and watched all of the people walk by. 
Jonathan had fried oysters, though he had attempted to order two other dishes that the server either talked him out of or just put in his order incorrectly. I had a crawfish and clam ravioli. Pretty good stuff.
Afterwards, we walked back to the hotel after an amazingly full day. My impression of New Orleans had changed pretty drastically…it really was a pretty enchanting place.
The girls.
