The Wyoming Cowgurl was going to a conference in New Orleans and asked if I'd like to tag along. Never being one to turn down a trip I immediately bought a plane ticket and managed to get a seat right next to her! We were off before sunrise and next to the Old Muddy by afternoon.
We went to a restaurant called Mother's for lunch. A New Orleans standard, this restaurant opened in 1938. Mother's is known for their ham. So for lunch I had baked ham, red beans, green bean salad, and potato salad. Very good but more of a dinner than a lunch, in fact we finished our meals in our hotel room at the end of the day!
We then got on a trolley and rode it to the French Market.
We bargained for leather purses and gauze tops.
It was an early night, The Wyoming Cowgurl had been up since 2:30am and I'd been up since 4:30, but we did walk up Royal and Bourbon Streets before heading back to our hotel room.
Mornings began with Cafe au lait and beignets.
The Wyoming Gurl had meetings all day Saturday and so off I went on the trolley. I rode down Canal Street to the end of the line where the cemeteries are. A little unsure of myself I was invited to join two couples from Florida and we did a quick tour of a cemetery. I noticed the well kept tombs were families still using the vaults, and sadly the others having not been used for a 100 years were showing disrepair.
I was told several different ways the plots are used and am not sure which, if any, are true and so I will leave it for you to research.
A quick transfer in the French Quarter to the St Charles trolley and I was off on a new adventure. Many beautiful and expensive homes are along this street. The Auduban Zoo, and Tulane University are in this area as well.
I enjoyed looking at the many shotgun homes along the trolley ride.
For dinner on Saturday, we went to Luke's in the French Quarter. I ordered shrimp and jalapeno cheese grits. (American Pharaoh won the triple crown while we were eating. We almost missed the event but those watching the race on TV at the bar woke us up to the historic event!)
We took a short two block walk on Bourbon Street in the dark, on Saturday night, looking at the sights, including an antlered lady with a shawl and red roses strategically placed. The Wyoming Cowgurl and I ended up arm in arm deciding this wasn't for us!
On my own again Sunday morning, I had a quick Cafe au Lait with beignets and was on the trolley once again. The night before we had found a yarn shop - The Quarter Stitch - near the St. Louis Cathedral and I wanted to get some yarn as a souvenir. Unfortunately, there wasn't any local yarn in the shop and surprisingly they had a very nice stash of Mountain Colors! (a Montana yarn company)
While waiting for the yarn shop to open I went to Jackson Square and enjoyed the warm morning.
The cathedral was built 1789 and Presbytere built in 1813. The Presbytere served as the courthouse until 1913. Jackson Square has long been a place for the locals to meet, military to drill, and criminals to be punished. In 1850 the square was landscaped and the statue of Jackson was placed in the center.
I took this picture from Jackson Square. It is Pontalba Apartments. The Lower floors have shops and the upper floors are apartments. These apartments were built in 1848 and had such modern features as private bathrooms and walk in closets.
The Cowgurl was free after lunch so we hopped on the trolley and rode out to the Museum of Art.
We enjoyed the sculpture garden and was even a bit a bit surprised to recognize the work of Deborah Butterfield.
That evening, not particularly hungry, we settled on appetizers of hush puppies and coconut shrimp with a drink called a category one hurricane (I don't want to live through that again!)
Once I got home I looked up just what was in a Hurricane, wow! Light rum, dark rum, proofed rum and passion fruit syrup. (OH, MY!)
Monday we went to the Ruby Slipper (At the reopening after Katrina it's said they sat around the cafe saying, "There's no place like home, there's no place like home" resulting in the name.) I had a salad with candied pecans, red onion, bacon, and goat cheese hush puppies with a vinaigrette dressing. The best meal while I was there, I think!
We had reserved a sunset dinner/jazz cruise on the Natchez for our last night in New Orleans.
Steamboats have been bringing people up and down the Mississippi since the 19th century. (My father's German family came to America in 1852(?), landing at the mouth of the Mississippi and traveling up the Mississippi to Golden, Illinois. I can easily envision them on a steamboat much like the Natchez)
The Chalmette Battlefield and 100 foot monument that honors the troops in the Battle of New Orleans. This battle in 1814 was the last battle between the United Stated and Great Britain and was the last great battle of the War of 1812. This is the site where Andrew Jackson and his men defended New Orleans from the British.
The Malus-Beauregard House built in 1830 was never used as a plantation house.
Dinner was a buffet: catfish, strip loin of beef, pork loin with creole mustard sauce, creamed spinach, potatoes, penne quattro formaggi, and bread pudding.
It was an early night, The Wyoming Cowgurl had been up since 2:30am and I'd been up since 4:30, but we did walk up Royal and Bourbon Streets before heading back to our hotel room.
A quick transfer in the French Quarter to the St Charles trolley and I was off on a new adventure. Many beautiful and expensive homes are along this street. The Auduban Zoo, and Tulane University are in this area as well.
While waiting for the yarn shop to open I went to Jackson Square and enjoyed the warm morning.
The Cowgurl was free after lunch so we hopped on the trolley and rode out to the Museum of Art.
Monday we went to the Ruby Slipper (At the reopening after Katrina it's said they sat around the cafe saying, "There's no place like home, there's no place like home" resulting in the name.) I had a salad with candied pecans, red onion, bacon, and goat cheese hush puppies with a vinaigrette dressing. The best meal while I was there, I think!
The Dukes of Dixieland are Natchez standards.
The New Orleans Skyline.
Some local folk enjoying the evening cruise.
At one time this factory produced 800,000 tons of sugar a year.
An old cotton mill.
A lovely evening and a lovely trip!
On the way to the airport the next day I took a quick picture of the Super Dome for The Tiger, cause he's a super kid!
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