New Orleans

After a week on the ship, Andrew's family headed back home and Mom and Dad got me settled in for a short stay in New Orleans, which was our port of departure and arrival.  I had never been to New Orleans before and was thrilled to finally get to see the great city in the south.

Mom, Dad, and I wandered around Lafayette Cemetery No 1, located in the Garden District.  It is the set for many movies and books, including "Interview with the Vampire".

The tombs are still in use!

A house owned by Ann Rice. 

After a walk around the Garden District, lunch, and getting settled into my Airbn, I said bye to Mom and Dad and wandered around sunny downtown.

Jackson Square, right in front of St Louis Cathedral, was the place to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Art vendors, musicians, and tarot card readers lined the square.

Music is everywhere in New Orleans, even up high on the tops of buildings!

Oysters in French Market

Frenchman Art Market

Bourbon Street is fun after dark ;o)

Actually, Bourbon street was really just a bunch of loud bars playing annoying country music and full of tourists.  

The next morning I took the first Canal streetcar heading north and it deposited me in the city park area.  Not really being one for manicured parks, I headed in the direction of the nearby art museum.  However, the park was so peaceful I decided to go for a little walk instead.

The moss is wonderful!

The park was home to a small amusement park, and one section was called "Storyland".  I wish it wasn't closed--I would have loved to soak up its strange nostalgia.

There was also a funky little sculpture garden.

I followed a little trickle of people all the way to the Morning Call cafe.  Beignets and cafe au lait, and a lady playing children songs on the accordion, of course.

After the pit stop I returned to the Canal streetcar and transferred over to the St Charles line for a second look at the Garden District. 

Mardi Gras was just two weeks earlier and the cable lines and trees were still showing off their beads.

Beads, bead, beads.

Classic New Orleans "shotgun" style homes.  The Airbnb where I was staying was also shotgun--there are no hallways and all the rooms connected like beads on a string (ie. in order to get to the bathroom one would have to walk through three living areas and the kitchen).  A fun novelty but I wouldn't want to live in one!

An icon of the Garden District

I spent the rest of the afternoon revisiting Jackson Square and the French Quarter.

Chicory cafe au lait at Cafe Dumond.  Had I known that there would be no line I would have saved my beignet splurge for here!

The cajun combo for dinner in Jackson Square

To top off my stay in New Orleans I squeezed into a ghost tour of the French Quarter.  It was worth staying up late for!  One story was about this restaurant, Muriel's, that had a ghost that was only happy when a table was set for it every night--with wine and bread, of course. 

Hmmm... do the tarot card people never leave Jackson Square?

It was a great introduction to New Orleans, but I was definitely ready to go home!