New Orleans March 24-28, 2014 Day One Ginny and I arrived at the airport in NOLA about 5:30 on Monday evening. We knew Barbara’s plane was late so we hopped a cab and checked in at the Hotel Mazarin, on Bienville Street in the French Quarter. The hotel, formerly the St. Louis Hotel, is finely appointed with several central courtyards, a helpful staff, and serves a full breakfast in a room facing the courtyard. I highly recommend the hotel. Ginny and I adjourned to the 21st Amendment, the hotel bar, for our complimentary drink. I had a Sazarac, a cognac based signature drink of NOLA. Strong! After Barbara joined us we walked to Bourbon Street, half a block north,wearing half a dozen mardi gras beads around our shoulders. I had brought 7 lbs of beads from California (another story), resolved to enter into the NOLA spirit by giving them all away. Bourbon Street was a little wild for a Monday, with hundreds of men in suits outside one bar. Obviously a convention. We disposed of our beads and headed for Remoulade, the casual venue associated with Arnaud’s. We were seated immediately and enjoyed shrimp creole, jambalaya and other local dishes for about $15 a plate. Unforgettable moment: Ginny and Barbara tripping over my suitcase as they tried to move it to keep me from tripping! Day Two We had opted for the Crescent City package rate, so the first morning we set out for the city tour, which boarded at the Gray Line kiosk at Toulouse and the River. I had low expectations of a bus tour but was pleasantly surprised by the knowledge of our driver/guide, Sylvester. He was born in NOLA and his enthusiasm for its heritage and people was infectious. A highlight of the trip, as we had 15 minutes (just enough) in a historic graveyard, saw the Garden District and the City Park, and viewed the Katrina damage and restoration. After the tour we strolled Jackson Square, and on the recommendation of the tourist office, ate lunch at Antoine’s. Their lunch special for $20.14 included a choice of appetizer, entrée, and dessert. Oysters, pork loin stuffed with crab and bread pudding. Yum. After a rest at the hotel we returned to the 21st Amendment for a drink and live music, speakeasy style. Five pm found us at Café du Monde for café au lait and beignets, also on our hotel package. Dinner this night was at Bourbon, just down the block from us. A huge tourist restaurant with large parties adjacent to us. Food and service mediocre. Enthusiasm still high. Unforgettable moment: all that powdered sugar. Day Three Our second tour on the hotel package was on the steamship Natchez. It was interesting to see the river, especially after we found a warm spot for viewing. Brrr. After the cruise we adjourned to the nearest warm spot, Chartres House, for drinks and fried green tomatoes, in front of the fire. That afternoon we took the green trolley to the Garden District. In an ideal world we would have planned lunch at Commanders Palace and walked the district admiring the architecture. I an ideal world we wouldn’t have waited an hour for the street car either. But the experience in people watching and the “real New Orleans” was great. BTW, the first stop is NOT on St. Charles but around the block on Carondelet. If you find yourself near the Roosevelt Hotel (used to be Fairmont) in the same neighborhood as the street car, their signature restaurant Domenica, is wonderful esp between 3 and 6 pm when the pizza is half price. Joe and I ate there three times on our last trip, me for the octopus salad, him for the pizza and roasted cauliflower. Day Four The hotel concierge, Janet, recommended the tour company Cajun Encounters, which happened to be the one I had read good things about on the web. We took the two plantation tour, which I highly recommend, although I would have liked a bit more time to poke around. Laura was the name of the Creole Plantation, which was very interesting. Oak Alley was different, antebellum, and more what one would expect from all those movies. After the tours we shopped Royal And Chartres Streets, and arrived at Kingfish for small plates and happy hour (3 to 6 PM) I had two plates, a wonderful yellow beet salad, and some shrimp. Day Five It rained, buckets, as expected. Fortunately we brought umbrellas, and it slacked up when we walked to the LA State museum in the Presbytery (rectory) next to the cathedral on your RIGHT facing the cathedral. Downstairs there is a wonderful Katrina museum that took you through the entire event and ended on an uplifting note about the city of NOLA and its residents. Upstairs was a museum on the history of Mardi Gras, very beautiful and informative. After that we split for the airport. BTW a cab ride is $33 for up to three people. A shuttle is $20 pp but takes a long time. We found the people of New Orleans to be warm and friendly. As Sylvester pointed out on our city tour, that is one of many endearing characteristics of this resilient city.