The great city of New Orleans. Still rebuilding 10 years after Hurricane Katrina swept through, Cynthia, Jordan and I took a 4 day road trip to the city that is known for its Jazz music and creole culture. It is the home to great music artists, including Louis Armstrong, the father of Jazz, Fats Domino, Mahalia Jackson and Aaron Neville, just to name a few. It was a very rainy week, but still enough sunshine to enjoy the sights and sounds of the city.
What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
We drove into the city on a Monday and went right to our hotel, the Omni Royal, a block away from famed Bourbon Street. We had pre-ordered a King Cake (a New Oleans specialty) and it was waiting for us in the room when we arrived. Jordan and I fought about who ate the most for the next 3 days. The hotel was beautiful. We had a 3 room suite and two balconies that gave us a great view of the streets in the quarter. It was an experience to wake up to soft street Jazz music blowing up through the windows from the streets below. Naturally, when we left the hotel, the first place we headed to was Bourbon Street. Honestly, it didn't take us long to realize that even just walking down Bourbon Street in the daytime with an 11 year old was uncomfortably inappropriate. The weird stuff you can see on that street even amazed this 62 year old man. (It was so bad that I could hardly take more than a dozen or so pictures -- none of which can be shown in this PG-rated website!) So we moved onto other city sights. Jordan posing as a statue in the grand hotel lobby ===>
These next two photos are views from the balconies attached to our suite. Unfortunately, as close as we were to one of the most famous restaurants in the Quarter, Antoine's refused to serve us. Jeans and casual dress went against their dress code. But that didn't stop us from finding a wealth of great food and creole dishes.
This included stuffed baked potatoes, shrimp pasta dishes, red beans and rice and po' boy subs.
Jackson Square is pure magic. Horse and buggy rides can be rented. The whole square is lined with quaint shops, boutiques and candy stores. Of course, the St. Louis cathedral is in the center of the square. Built in 1794, the marbled building is the oldest cathedral in the United States.. All along the way, are street performers and musicians entertaining the crowds.
Completing the short trip around Jackson Square is the long-standing Cafe du Monde serving world-famous beignets. We actually ducked into the restaurant to get out of the pouring rain and I think about 2 million people did the same. Here's Jordan getting her fill of the doughy pastry. I think she actually got some of the powdered sugar in her mouth. (Her cell phone got the rest.)
The original Pat O'Brien's, home of the Hurricane, was 1/2 block from our hotel.
We visited a couple of voodoo shops while we were there.
We tried to get a reading but the person who does the service was out that day. Too bad. I didn't get a chance to ask for the numbers to the winning lottery ticket.
Shopping the French Quarter is an experience in itself!
Jordan looked stylish in her Mardi Gras gear. And I finally found that apron I was looking for. You can really find some unusual stuff in the shops along the French Quarter!
A Walk in the Park
The day before we left, we went to the Louis Armstrong Memorial Park and the neighboring New Orleans Museum of Art sculpture garden . This was built on Congo Square in supposedly the poorest section of the city. It is historically noted that Louis Armstrong grew up in the red-light district which was the poorest of the poor section of town. Even more amazing that this street urchin learned his instrument in a juvenile detention center and became world-famous as the father of Jazz music. Jordan and I assessed the park layout. You don't want to just haphazardly run amuck in a new park, so we sat on the bench and planned our attack. You can see how well we agreed on the direction to begin our sojourn. There were some very unusual pieces to explore from Giant Spiders to ladders that didn't seem to go anywhere? Now, let's see. Where did I leave that safety pin? One of the more famous pieces is a rendition of Robert Indiana's "LOVE" sculpture, a symbol for hippies everywhere.
We also booked a boat ride on the Steamboat Natchez (pictured below). It is usually a lazy ride along the Mississippi river while eating dinner and having drinks. They also have a great Dixieland Band playing the whole time. However, as you can see in the last picture, the evening was too foggy to allow the boat to leave the dock. Visibility was too bad. We did get to enjoy an hour of drink, food and music before we left. Perhaps on the next trip.
With our trip behind us, Cynthia strapped on her backpack and started walking out of the city. She got about half way across the bridge when I shouted out to her, "What are you doing? We drove to New Orleans. Get back here and get in the car." It did set up this dramatic picture, however!
I did get a new LSU cap as a reminder of the trip. It is amazing how many people asked me if I went to LSU. It took me awhile but now when they ask, I answer, "LSU? Yes. Yes, I did graduate from there. (Heck, I figure they'll never check!)
We drove into the city on a Monday and went right to our hotel, the Omni Royal, a block away from famed Bourbon Street. We had pre-ordered a King Cake (a New Oleans specialty) and it was waiting for us in the room when we arrived. Jordan and I fought about who ate the most for the next 3 days. The hotel was beautiful. We had a 3 room suite and two balconies that gave us a great view of the streets in the quarter. It was an experience to wake up to soft street Jazz music blowing up through the windows from the streets below. Naturally, when we left the hotel, the first place we headed to was Bourbon Street. Honestly, it didn't take us long to realize that even just walking down Bourbon Street in the daytime with an 11 year old was uncomfortably inappropriate. The weird stuff you can see on that street even amazed this 62 year old man. (It was so bad that I could hardly take more than a dozen or so pictures -- none of which can be shown in this PG-rated website!) 
This included stuffed baked potatoes, shrimp pasta dishes, red beans and rice and po' boy subs. 
Completing the short trip around Jackson Square is the long-standing Cafe du Monde serving world-famous beignets. We actually ducked into the restaurant to get out of the pouring rain and I think about 2 million people did the same.
Here's Jordan getting her fill of the doughy pastry. I think she actually got some of the powdered sugar in her mouth. (Her cell phone got the rest.) 
We visited a couple of voodoo shops while we were there.
And I finally found that apron I was looking for. You can really find some unusual stuff in the shops along the French Quarter!
to ladders that didn't seem to go anywhere? Now, let's see. Where did I leave that safety pin? One of the more famous pieces is a rendition of Robert Indiana's "LOVE" sculpture, a symbol for hippies everywhere.
With our trip behind us, Cynthia strapped on her backpack and started walking out of the city. She got about half way across the bridge when I shouted out to her, "What are you doing? We drove to New Orleans. Get back here and get in the car." 