February 18, 2014

We drove into New Orleans at night while the NBA All-Stars were getting ready to strut their stuff.  The  Jam was at the Super Dome and the cars were flying past us trying to get there.  It was a bit hellacious.  Cathy was the hero driver this time.  She kept saying, "Please, don't let us end up in the French Quarter!" Having never been there I did not know what she was talking about until we visited the next day.  An RV and the French Quarter would not have mixed.  Plus we have the word, "Love", plastered on the side of the RV and that may have led to some assumptions (David, we are getting the mace!).  Thankfully, our B&B was in the Garden District,

It was about eight o'clock when we turned onto Prytania St., one block off St. Charles.  Neither of us could see the numbers on the houses so after two times around the block (these streets are somewhat bigger than in the French Quarter but not that much!) I ended up walking and Cathy was driving slowly.  We actually managed to park on the street right in front of the B&B.

Our lodging, the Henry Howard House, was built in  the late 1800's with beautiful large rooms with high ceilings and furnished in the style of the period. Fellow Immaculatans, there was a lot about it that reminded us of IC (never will say IU!).  High ceilings of the Green Room and the rooms in Villa Maria and Lourdes' suites, the tile work on the floor, and the chandeliers are but a few examples. The saintly statues and the nuns were the only things missing.  We figured out those halls and our B&B  were built around the same time.

After a lovely breakfast we got on a street car headed to the French Quarter.  The whole town is gearing up for Mardi Gras. Harlequins, beads, flags etc. were everywhere! We managed to get in all the sight-seeing we needed:the St. Louis Cathedral, the Mississippi River, the bands, the art-lined streets, the art, and the people!  We ate and drank the food/drink that make the French Quarter famous.  We had beignets and cafe au lait at Cafe du Monde, ate oysters in every form at the Acme Oyster House, and ended up with Laura's Pralines, an indulgence we share with Whoopie.  We kept looking for a NBA star to have a picture taken.  We figured we would impress a few Love cousins, especially the Johnsons, but none were to be found. 

After a lovely breakfast we got on a street car headed to the French Quarter.  The whole town is gearing up for Mardi Gras. Harlequins, beads, flags etc. were everywhere! We managed to get in all the sight-seeing we needed:the St. Louis Cathedral, the Mississippi River, the bands, the art-lined streets, the art, and the people!  We ate and drank the food/drink that make the French Quarter famous.  We had beignets and cafe au lait at Cafe du Monde, ate oysters in every form at the Acme Oyster House, and ended up with Laura's Pralines, an indulgence we share with Whoopie Goldberg.  We kept looking for a NBA star to have a picture taken.  We figured we would impress a few Love cousins, especially the Johnsons, but none were to be found. 

We managed to speak with and get a few pictures of older people who certainly were not typical. As we reflected on our grandparents who did little or no travel and our parents who did travel a bit, we began to understand that this is another stereotype the boomers are out to break.  Retired boomers travel!  The kids have left the nest and so have the boomers. They visit our national treasures near and far from home and stay in tents, campers, homes, or hotels,  Although financial concerns hold some from pursuing their long-held travel dreams all of us eager to learn about our wonderful world.

On Monday we walked the Garden District.  What gorgeous homes!  The live oaks are massive that line the streets and their roots are too.  The Lafayette Cemetery is in the midst of the Garden District.  There are 30,000 people buried there, many of them infants ("Our Little Laddie").   Because of the water table all the graves are above ground. We kept looking for Lafayette's tomb. We still don't know if he's buried there! The landscaping, the garden sculptures, the trees in bloom, the Mardi Gras decorations, all helped to add to a perfect walk.

We managed to find the Irish neighborhoods and ended the day with a beer and a wine in the Irish House.  The chef/owner is from Ireland and is carrying on many traditions.  He has five daughters.  The first four are five year-old quadruplets and the fifth is a three year-old who according to him rules the roost. 

(We have many pictures but where we are right now is taking forever to upload them so I give up and will post this without them.  They are on Facebook and I will try to add them later when we have better wifi service.) 

It is now Tuesday and we are in Texas on our way to Galveston. Going across to the island on a free ferry!