No trip in a car across the southern tier of the United States would be complete without a stop in New Orleans, Louisiana. Strangely, I've never pursued a trip to this part of the country before. A reminder that this entire trip was unplanned and a necessity. However, that being said; New Orleans has long been on my bucket list.
The mystique of the amazing city of New Orleans has always lured me to it. My husband and I met over 25 years ago, and I wanted to attend Mardi Gras, but he didn't think it was feasible. All these years later, we visited the famed city after Mardi Gras, during the high holy season. We didn't know what to expect, with our one day in the city being a Sunday during Lent.
We arrived in Slidell from San Antonio. Where is Slidell, you might ask? Well, it's across the lake. Lake Ponchartrain. There are many things that go with the legend of New Orleans, and one of them is a certain amount of trepidation.
New Orleans is that mystical, below sea level city, precariously awaiting hurricanes and floods a lot of the year. In recent decades, there have been such storms as Katrina and the city has had to fix levees, repair parishes, restore businesses, and reinvent itself more than once. Lake Ponchartrain is the holder of the water, and perches precariously above the city. We drove across it on one heck of a bridge to get from our hotel in Slidell to downtown New Orleans.
As we drove down from the lake, into the city, we saw the world of New Orleans unfold before us. It's a beautiful city, vibrant and full of people and businesses. They have colleges, a luxury shopping district, fancy hotels, and all sorts of places to spend money. They even have a casino. You can catch a riverboat cruise, book a swamp cruise, or visit the world famous French Quarter.
What to do with one day in this famed city? For one thing, I promise you will spend you day above ground. New Orleans sits below sea level by 20 feet or so, so there are no subways, underground passageways, or any of that. As most of you probably know, there are also above ground cemeteries. They are famous the world over.
Here's what we did.
We found a self park that had a working pay station in the French Quarter. We were advised by the lovely people at our hotel not to use any valet parking that is offered in the downtown area. Apparently, the attendants will go through your car and your things in your car. They don't even deny it. We also made sure that the pay station worked before we parked in the lot where we parked. They keep a stack of boots for cars right in the parking lot, and if you don't pay, that's your fault and your car will be booted until you pay. So make sure your pay station works. Don't leave your car in a lot unless it does.
From all of that, we walked down to the waterfront from there and took the streetcar that was earmarked for Canal Street. This was a great ride. For $1.25 we took the trolley up one of the main drags of the city. We got to see everything, and when we reached the end of the line, we were at the world famous cemeteries.
From there, we walked all around the above ground cemeteries, which are all in the same general place. We admired the artwork and enjoyed the weather, which for the first time in our trip was moderate. The rest of the trip I'd either had to or wanted to wear my parka. After a lovely walk, we went to a great place next to the streetcar station and got a coffee. We sat and relaxed until a trolley became available, and for another $1.25 we rode back to the center of the city. We rode through the college, by the casino and shopping district. It was a great city tour for $2.50. Can't beat that.
We originally arrived in the French Quarter in the late morning. I won't lie. I thought that all of my impressions of the area had been filtered for maximum impression. I looked around and saw what appeared to be a bunch of dilapidated buildings and rough narrow streets. The classic iron railings above were cute, but there was garbage around and virtually no people. At that time, they still had mandates in the city about covid, and one of those was that you had to show proof of vaccination to enter pretty much anywhere. It seemed strict and harsh and a little smelly. Won't lie.
I'd spent a lifetime dreaming of what the French Quarter would be like, and I was quite frankly heartbroken. It wasn't what I expected at all. That was when we headed for the waterfront and took off on the streetcar to look at the cemeteries. Fortunately, those things offset my disappointment at the French Quarter.
But, don't despair. We then went back to the French Quarter. It was late afternoon at that point, and suddenly there were people all over the place. There was life. Garbage had been picked up. Suddenly, this neighborhood felt laid back, comfortable and friendly. It was a completely different vibe from the morning.
And those dilapidated buildings? There's a lot of historical society requirements about those. They do what they can without breaking the rules. We finally decided to go inside some places, and they were awesome. The inside is meticulously maintained and sometimes quite modern. Little did I know from my first impression that the French Quarter was kept up beautifully. It became welcoming in the afternoon. Suddenly, it all reminded me of Las Vegas. The world sleeps during the day and comes out at night.
We began to stop and get something to drink here and there. No, not alcohol in the afternoon, but most people were. By late afternoon, we were beginning to think about dinner. We'd been trying to eat the local specialties as we visited different areas, so in New Orleans; I wanted to try Crawfish or crawdads.
I wanted to try a boil with the in shell crawfish and do it up right. So, we began our journey. What we came to discover was that most people didn't want to work that hard, and Crawfish Etouffee was the preferred dish. It was a soup or stew made with the famed Cajun crustacean. Once we determined what we wanted to order for dinner, it was time for dinner.
We followed the sound to find a place to eat dinner. We walked toward the music. We noticed the drumming. We followed the people. At last, after 25 years, we found ourselves standing in the odyssey of Bourbon Street.
We found a lovely restaurant with the dishes that we yearned to try. With a little southern hospitality, some local decor, and some hot sauce; we had a great dinner and got to sample crawfish. It was delicious, and a tip of the hat to the locals. It was kind of cool not to have to figure out how to get them out of the shells.
We hung out at the restaurant and watched a few people celebrating bachelorette parties and birthdays. It was fun to see them in groups going crazy. I like to live vicariously through young people.
When we left the restaurant, we stepped out into the Bourbon Street of legend that I've heard about my entire life. Lights, people, music, drums, street performers, bands in bars, dancing, and everything you've ever heard about Bourbon Street. The balconies were filling up, the booze was flowing from stands in the street. it was the world's biggest party, and for the first time ever; I was attending that party.
We had a lot of fun that night. Now, I'm not much of a drinker, so I had a couple of beers. But, I sang, I danced, and I had a great time. I met people from all over on Bourbon Street. I heard all kinds of music, saw all kinds of performances, and truly relaxed for the first time in weeks. That night, after all I'd been through in recent weeks; I felt like I deserved that night out.
The one thing that did not happen on Bourbon Street was meeting the locals. Save for I presume a few waitstaff and bartenders, there were no locals. Everyone I met, even the performers, were not from New Orleans. Most people I met were from Colorado, New York, Florida, and Texas. The French Quarter is not a place for locals. It's an entire section of town nearly %100 visited by tourists. Know that before you go. You are hanging out with an entire group of people who have no reputation to protect in New Orleans.
That being said, when the horses start to come to Bourbon Street, it's time to go. I don't know what happened after we left. I'm going to take a wild guess that I don't want to know.
New Orleans. I had a great time. I'm old, so my great time may not be as intense as someone half my age. Was I stunned that the trees were still filled with Mardi Gras beads? A little. Was I shocked that Bourbon Street was crazy on a Sunday during high holy season? Somewhat. Was it everything that I always imagined it would be? Absolutely. Am I glad I went? Without a doubt.
New Orleans is a city that lives in extremes. It's below sea level and always waiting for the next disaster. It's a diminished city after Katrina hit and a lot of people have trouble getting by still today. There's a definite element of minor crime, so watch your stuff. It's a one of a kind place with one of a kind sights to see, one of a kind experiences to have, and one of a kind food to eat. It's almost like a trip to another country. It's a city with some of the most amazing history anywhere in the country. It's a casual city with friendly people, if you see them. You won't find locals on Bourbon Street.
All I can say is that I'm so excited that I finally got to visit this bucket list spot. I wasn't disappointed in any way at the end of the day. So, pack your bags, and a lot of money, and your vaccine card. Come to New Orleans and experience the mystique, the legend; enjoy!
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