The Big Easy!

 

Hello from New Orleans, the Big Easy! While we hated that our schedule didn't allow us to be at the Inn in Tennessee for our anniversary, we enjoyed a lovely dinner downtown at Muriel's. Food was outstanding and service to match! Yummy Shrimp and Grits for me and a double pork chop for Dave. Happy 23rd Anniversary to us!

Another great city to play tourist, we did the hop on hop off bus to get the lay of the land and see some of the gorgeous architecture. Sorry the pictures aren't level, we were moving!

The famous Cafe DuMonde, which we made our first stop in town. Yummy beignets with a "light" coating of powdered sugar! 😋

 

The Jackson Square area complete with artists, psychics, musicians, and mule drawn carriages and of course a statue of Andrew Jackson. 

More architecture in the French Quarter, the Faulkner house and a double Creole cottage being renovated by the state for a museum. This cottage would have been owned by a wealthy family because it was raised up to protect from the floods. 

 

Dave's new friend. 😄

 

Monument to all the women in the military. 

Super-dome below where the 2024 Super Bowl will be held.

Lots of the buildings had "wall art". This Holiday Inn had the clarinet for the Louis Armstrong area and park. 

The Plaza Tower building below has been vacant for over 20 years. When it was built all the who's who of New Orleans had space in the building but when many of them starting getting sick they found asbestos and mold. So sad to see so much space still abandoned and not fixed when there are so many un-homed people in the area.

 

This was the monument to Katrina, built with debris left from after the storm. 

One of the many recommended restaurants from Michelle, Brennan's, is a great place for brunch. We were so full we didn't order it but the table next to us had the bananas foster created tableside...

 

We took a ride on an old street car. Make sure you get the red ones which have air conditioning!

Of course we had to go to Bourbon street (during the day!). Like the beignets, I indulged in a famous Hand Grenade.  Loved the sweet sour combination!

Just like the original one in Paris, this Joan of Arc was given to the city of New Orleans by France in 1972.

That night we took the Creole Queen for a jazz boat dinner, down the mighty Mississippi river.

The next day we did the walking tour of the Garden District homes. They were all so stately and southern.

This one brought in some interesting architectural styles with the Gingerbread accents and is the home of Sandra Bullock (that's why the privacy bushes cover the first floor of the house).

 

This is a very typical home referred to as "shotgun" style with one hallway and no doors to the rooms. While many believe it's name comes from the ability to open the front door and shoot a shotgun straight thru the house, the architecture was actually from the islands where the breeze from front to back was necessary for ventilation. The houses were also popular because they were taxed on the width of the home. When you needed more space you went up (look at the very back of the house). They were then called a camel-back shotgun.

 

Another New Orleans classic, the hurricane at Pat O'Briens. 😉

More fabulous food at the Court of Two Sisters with this "charmed" gate at the entryway.

To give you a little of the New Orleans experience...

 

...and one of my favorite pictures of this town. Such fabulous food, splendid architecture and fun. Another great city on the books!