Day 5 - New Orleans

"Life is like jazz... it's best when you improvise"

George Gershwin

Congrats, New Orleans, you are officially my favorite city in the US (sorry Boston and Philadelphia).  I am writing tonight under the influence of New Orleans, so there might be some bias and spelling/grammar errors, but the conclusion that New Orleans is number one was made way before the Abitas and the Hurricane (those may have helped).

We arrived into the city at noon and stopped at the visitors center just outside the French Quarter.  I'm not normally one for bus tours, but on this trip, they are the best way to see as much as possible, so we got two tickets for the tour bus.  The bus took us to areas including Canal Street, the Superdome, and Mardi Gras World and the Garden District, where we caught up with a walking tour guide.  The hour long tour took us through the streets of New Orleans and checked out the old 19th century mansions that now are home to the likes of John Goodman, Sandra Bullock and the Manning family.  The style, a mix of Using my TVfoodmaps App we found Parasol Bar a local dive featured on Food Networks Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.  We had a lunch that lived up to Guy's hype and quickly got back to the bus. After that tour we were dropped off in the French Quarter and walked around enjoying the street performers, a beignet from Cafe Du Monde and the sites within the busy French Market.  

The Manning's home (neither Eli or Peyton were there.)

Around 4 we checked into our hotel, the Hotel St. Marie in the French Quarter.  We got a nice upgrade to a room with its own veranda overlooking the courtyard and pool.  Side note, this was a great hotel for a very reasonable price, so if you ever come down here check it out.  Back to the day.  We rested momentarily and then headed off to a few key places recommended by family and friends.  First was dinner at Acme Oyster House, then we got a Hurricane at Pat O'Briens, and finally stopped at the Preservation Hall for a Jazz concert.  Though the neon lights and barely dressed "waitresses" along Bourbon Street were calling our names, we ended the night early. 

Our front row, floor seat at Preservation Hall.

So what was it about this city?  It could have been the charbroiled oysters at the Acme Oyster House and the spicy shrimp Po Boy at the Parasol Bar.  Or it might have been the restored buildings and old world architecture along the live oak lined streets in the Garden District and French Quarter.  The very tall and strong Hurricane that I had while listening to dueling pianos at Pat Obriens helped.  And it definitely had something to do with the cool jazz music of the band playing, accompanied by the tattooed red-head in the white dress dancing in the hot, stuffy run down building of Preservation Hall.  In reality it was all of these things.  I once asked myself after Hurricane Katrina, why would people want to go back to a town that sits at or below sea level?  I'm not sure what everyone's personal reason was for coming back, but I'm sure glad they did.  I know I'll be coming back here again.

Stats:

Miles driven: 1535 (20% of the trip)

States: PA, MD, WV, VA, TN, NC, AL, MS, LA

Po Boys eaten: 2

Hurricanes Drank: 1 (which was more than enough)

Beads earned: 0

NOTE: unfortunately my internet at the hotel was awful, so I could not upload more pics.