Thursday is a Great Day to Start the Weekend
New Orleans, Louisiana, that vibrant city on the Mississippi, made for a great extended weekend in early spring. It is such a unique combination of cultures, and the city embraces the cuisine, music and history of each of those cultures.
After a conference I registered for in early 2020 was moved from April 2020, to September 2020, to April 2021, my friend, Tina and I decided to just go ahead and visit the city where we had changed our flight to twice. Our goals also changed during the pandemic and Tina was no longer wanting to attend the conference as her brick and mortar business has taken off.
I had been to New Orleans a few times before, to visit my brother who lived there for a few years, and for work events with a past job. This was the first time with free time to do and see whatever popped up as we went along.
In the dark early Thursday morning, John took me to meet Tina north of town and we headed to the airport for our early 6:10am flight. Security was a breeze at this time of day, so we stopped for water and headed to our gate. Our flight actually left on time too. After a short layover in Dallas, we landed in NOLA right on schedule at just after noon.
The taxi to the French Quarter was a $36 flat rate so we hopped in with a horn loving, crazy driver. We passed right by the Super-dome on the way to the New Orleans Marriott on Canal Street. Check in went smoothly with no wait at all. We saw the lines later and were glad we were able to check in early. Both our rooms were king river views and the panorama from the 34th floor was awesome.
After freshening up, we went out for a walk down Canal street to the riverside. The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas was right there, but I had been before, and Tina wasn’t interested, so we headed to Woldenberg Park. The Holocaust Memorial by the Israeli artist Yaacov Agam is located there. It is one of his kinetic sculptures made up of nine panels with designs that appear to the eye as you walk past, changing from a Star of David to a rainbow menorah. The mood changes from somber, to chaotic, to hopeful.
The Steamboat Natchez was unavailable to book online, so we walked further along the river to the ticket office to see if there were any recent cancellations. Now we know why it showed fully booked online – it was not in operation due to mechanical problems so it was taken out of operation for repairs and refurbishment. Bummed that it was not to be but at least we got to see the City of New Orleans paddlewheeler. Unfortunately, there were no vacancies on it during our visit.
It was time for an afternoon treat since we had walked far enough to work up an appetite. We enjoyed our first beignets at Cafe Beignet. Very yummy! Our plan was to compare them to the Cafe du Monde beignets.
Hint: Do not wear all black to eat a powdered sugar laden pastry! We fared pretty well since we were careful. The floors under some tables were not so fortunate.
We explored the various art galleries along Riverfront on our way to the French Market. Dutch Alley Artist’s Co-op on Peters had a lot to offer. We spotted some up-cycled domino art that was very cool, but very pricey. There was an intriguing angel rhinoceros that caught my eye. He was way too large and heavy for my luggage though. Other places drew us in as well. We popped into a couple. I bought John a t-shirt at Voodoo Harley and found the kids a Hello NOLA book.
The French Market was partially empty on this Thursday afternoon. The last time I came here, you could barely walk through, it was so crowded.
On to Jackson Square, where we entered the Saint Louis Cathedral to admire its opulence and take a few photos. The square is a great place to people watch and enjoy the street performers. We walked back to the hotel through the French Quarter.
Oceana Grill was recommended for dinner. I had Ahi with a yummy barbecue sauce of lemon butter and Worcestershire to replace their normal sauce that contained shellfish. Thank you chef! Tina enjoyed her original version. Creme Brûlée, Bread Pudding, Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie and even an Ice Cream Po’Boy were on the desert menu but ………., sadly, no room left for dessert.
We took the obligatory walk down Bourbon Street. Something you just have to do if you are in the French Quarter. Such a crazy place! Revelers poured out of the establishments and into the street. Talented musicians entertained us as we made our way toward Canal Street. It was amazing how much calmer it became in a short block away from Bourbon on Canal. We strolled on past our hotel and ducked into the Harrah’s Casino. It was fun to play a while, but we were not very lucky.
Friday morning we had a tour booked
With somewhere to be, we just grabbed a light breakfast at the hotel before walking west on Magazine Street. We were on our way to meet our guide from Take Walks for our 9:00am Garden District Tour. Our meeting time was 8:45am at the Auction House Market. Upon arrival, we met Jett and discovered we were the only two on his tour. Great! $45 plus a $10 tip each was pretty economical for a private guided tour. Jett had not led a tour since 2019 but he didn’t miss a beat. He admitted to bringing along notes in case it all didn’t come right back to him.
Our first stop was Aunt Sally’s Pralines. There was still no back of the house tours allowed but we were given a brief history by a charming lady and we could see the production room through the windows. Over 10,000 pralines are made there every day! Of course, we had to buy our favorites to take home. You can create your own variety pack which worked out well.
We boarded the streetcar on St Charles and made a surprise stop at the Walgreens. Since it had started to drizzle, Jett bought us clear plastic rain ponchos so we could look stylish for the rest of our tour.
The Garden District is a Historic National Landmark district full of huge trees and stunning mansions with amazing iron work. We saw the First mansion and the seven sisters houses and the Elms mansion. The celebrity homes of Archie Manning, Sandra Bullock and John Goodman couldn’t be missed. Nobody came out to wave to us though.
Jett pointed out Commander’s Palace on Washington Avenue with its ”Commander Blue” paint. Reservations for this restaurant need to be made far in advance.
[Fun Memory: My brother, Mark, and his wife, Judy, took us to eat at Commander’s Palace one visit. The chef was not thrilled that our waiter allowed my niece, Penny, to order a grilled cheese sandwich. She didn’t think anything on the menu suited her taste and was wasting his time. She certainly wasn’t going to order turtle soup! She loved it and ate every bite.]
Lafayette Cemetery #1 could only be viewed from outside the gate as it was closed for refurbishment. You don’t think about how different things can be when the land sits below sea level. No basements and above ground crypts. Don’t be telling us any scary stories, Jett!
We took a short break at the Still Perkin’ Coffee shop. Their Mango Iced Tea was amazing! Tina bought some pecan coffee beans and I bought mulling spices.
Since our small group walked at a pretty quick pace, we were able to see a few more mansions from the outside. I should add that the extra time was probably due to the fact that even though the tours had started back up, the inside mansion visit was still not being offered. That was a bit disappointing, as you are served a beverage while you relax on the front porch after visiting inside. Around every corner was another beautiful abode and another lush garden. I loved the sunflower girl sculpture!
We took the streetcar back to the hotel, well actually two streetcars, as one in front of ours had collided with a Jeep. It was a quick hop off, a short walk, and a quick hop back on one further down the line. Our pass is good through tomorrow so we can ride again if we wish. Wearing our lovely rain gear if needed.
Mena’s Palace was our lunch destination since Tina’s granddaughter shares the name. Oh the muffulettas! Delicious! On wonderful french bread with a delightful Italian olive salad. REAL Italian olive salad.
Jett recommended an Art Walk for the afternoon, so after leaving the restaurant we booked two spots on the 3:00pm tour. Carlos, the owner I called to set up our tour, said Jett was instrumental in helping him get the Art Walk started.
The concierge at our hotel suggested taking a specific streetcar to our meeting point. She told us to walk a couple blocks to the west to get on, but the car she said to get onto never arrived. So we hurriedly walked a little over a mile to St Coffee on Claude to meet our guide. He said the concierge should have known that line wasn’t running for quite some time due to an accident in the previous year. What?!? Oh well, we made it. And now we get to walk some more. Ha!
Our guide was Tyler, a 7 year NOLA ward 7 resident that knew his street art. No, the tour wasn’t about all the sculptures we had been seeing around the city, but about the NOLA mural project and all the street artists that had made a name for themselves because of their obvious talent. There were two other ladies on the tour, one slightly inebriated. Hmm, this could be interesting.
He would have given us time to enjoy a coffee, but since we had just eaten, we declined and he started off, at a sprint. After walking all the way from the warehouse district, we were hoping for a leisurely stroll. Thankfully, we quickly arrived at the first mural he would describe. It was of a trumpet, painted by an artist Jules Muck (@Muckrock) which he told us all about.
We took a break at St Roch Market. Tina and I grabbed an ice tea and strolled around inside. There was a brewer of flavored ice teas on the opposite side. He gave us a sample of each and every flavor, from Mint to Mango to Rose. I guess it pays to be there when it isn’t crowded and the vendors are bored.
Even though we walked for two hours, it was easy, as the art is abundant and unique. And ….. we finally made it to the Banksy “Nola” – depicting “a young girl who relies on her umbrella for protection against the rain, but discovers the umbrella is the source of the rain.” Or the the failure of the levee system to protect the city from Hurricane Katrina. Or the failure of the Super Dome as a evacuation shelter. (Carlos, who runs the tour we were on, was one of the people who saved her from the red paint tagging – of which some remains). At one point, somebody actually tried to saw the painting from the wall.
All that walking worked up an appetite. Back on Canal St, the treats from inside Amorino Gelato beckoned. Tina had a chocolate hazelnut gelato cone made into a rose and I had a stracciatella gelato in a cup topped with a gelato pistachio macaron. Delish!
Saturday started off a bit more relaxed
From the window of the hotel, we could see the Ruby Slipper Cafe which sounded like a good place for breakfast. I had the One Tomato, Two Tomato Eggs Benedict which as over the top. Tina had the BBQ Shrimp & Grits and you can see the smile it put on her face. A latte was the perfect compliment to our meals, which we couldn’t quite finish.
It was rainy out so we went shopping to stay dry. I purchased a better umbrella with a map of New Orleans on it. Something to remind me of this rainy day each time I use it from now on. Tina found bows of every color for her granddaughter and some cute souvenirs for the boys. I found a “Good Night New Orleans” book, after all, even though I had been told it didn’t exist when I bought the “Hello New Orleans” book. Anything to make the sale.
The rain continued to prove the forecasters wrong. At least I have an umbrella to keep me dry.
We dined at Creole House for lunch thankful it wasn’t as crowded as we had seen it last night at dinnertime. Unforgettable French Onion soup and caramel bread pudding for me. Tina had a “Taste of New Orleans” sampler with jambalaya, gumbo and étouffée and the chocolate mousse cake.
Intermittent drizzle greeted us in the afternoon but didn’t deter us from walking around. French Quarter Carriage Tours carriages were lined up near Jackson Square and they didn’t appear busy, so we arranged for a ride. Our mule was O’Reilly and our driver was Matt. Yes, a mule, which is all that can be used since they tolerate the heat and humidity so much better than either parent while working.
The tour left from Jackson Square near the St Louis Cathedral which Matt said is the oldest cathedral in the country. On past the Cabildo where Louisiana Purchase took place. So much history here. Joan of Arc, Maid of Orleans sits high above the traffic in the Place de France near the French Market. O’Reilly and Matt took us on past a few wooden shotgun houses designed narrow and deep which was more economical and more people could afford them. At Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar, people were milling about as the rain was letting up. St Mary’s Church and the Cornstalk Fence Hotel rounded out the tour.
On our way back we stopped to admire some galleries full of sculptures. The Carousel Bar had a line so we just checked it out and left. Such a unique idea. I’ll have to stop in for a drink next time I am here. Back at the hotel, we enjoyed an amazing sunset over the Mississippi.
Sunday was a time to squeeze the last of it all in
The morning weather was wonderful and we walked on Canal toward the river in search of our morning meal. PJ’s Coffee in the DoubleTree was our first stop. They didn’t have croissant sandwiches as we had expected so we grabbed a coffee to enjoy on our stroll. I felt the need to stop there since my friends opened the first franchise of PJ’s Coffee in Colorado and they always have a yummy breakfast selection.
We decided to eat at Cafe Maspero. There was a short wait outside before being seated but the people watching was all the entertainment we needed. We had omelets and cheese grits with some oh so delicious coffee.
After a stroll along the river, we went back to Jackson Square and perused the arts and crafts at the many kiosks set up around the area.
Our other beignet still needed to be taste tested. At Cafe du Monde, we stood in line for a while but it barely moved. There are two lines, and even though we stepped around back to the lesser known, it was super slow. At least, there were some cute little sculptures and some cute little kids to enjoy while we waited. We waited to try them, and even though they were still fresh and hot, I think I prefer the fluffier ones at Cafe Beignet.
Strolling through the French Quarter and down Bourbon Street is so entertaining, even on a Sunday. There were quite a few people out. So many people, that when we called for a pedicab to meet us at Conti and Bourbon, we saw it get commandeered by some people on the street and had to request another.
Anna ”Biotics”, our replacement pedaler, showed up quickly. Not having seen the whole area, we opted for a tour in Marilyn district and on to Frenchman’s street. She told us all about the music scene and restaurants to be enjoyed. Then Anna took us to Washington Square Park, which was smaller than I expected, before taking us back to the hotel via Royal.
Check out was quick and we were off to the airport with Arif, the same speedy driver we had coming. The only things we had tried to fit in but couldn’t make happen were a plantation/swamp tour and of course a riverboat cruise. We’ll save it for next time.
All in all, a pretty great experience. Tina says she needs to rest her legs.
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