Riding Tour of New Orleans

Normally we walk the city. With Carol's foot still acting up we search and find an alternative.  It's a van tour that will take us to parts of New Orleans we've never explored. Our driver, Justin, is personable, knowledgeable, and often humorous. The tour begins across the French Quarter waterfront before delivering us to the Katrina ravaged Ninth Ward with its long narrow "shotgun" and "double barrel (duplex) homes. Homes were taxed not on square footage but on their width. They are quite colorful.

 

 

 

There are numerous signs of the height of the water damage; usually on telephone poles or the walls of abandoned buildings. Justin claims vans aren't allowed into the section of the Ninth Ward that was most hard hit; perhaps the devastation is still too politically unpalatable.

We exit the van at one of the city's largest cemeteries. With most of New Orleans underwater, bodies are placed in tombs where in the New Orleans's heat the decompose.  One year and one day later the ashes are removed and placed in a special chamber in the tomb along with those of the family that passed before them. The place is somewhat a reminder of Recoleta in Buenos Aires.

 

 

The names on that one tomb are of ALL the people buried at that tomb. The ratty wall above represents the tombs of the poor or the "hood" as Justin calls it.

The next stop is City Park and Morning Call café for a toilet and beignet stop. We park next to the sculpture garden.

 

Next we pass through some of the wealthier neighborhoods that were also hard hit by Katrina and get a good view of the pumping stations, canals, levies, and Lake Pontchartrain.

After a high speed run along the expressway past the Superdome, a tour of the Garden District along St. Charles street concludes our tour.

CJ's found a concert in the old church on Jackson Square.

 

 We attend it and head for our dinner selection.  Finding a total of zero people in the dining room at seven, we decide to eat at the Bon Ton Café and its an excellent choice; an authentic Louisiana restaurant.

 

A tale of two Sundays

Carol is still weak and elects to remain in the room to regain her strength.  CJ decides to return to his youth and take a good old-fashioned street car ride.  New Orleans has the same street cars (trolleys) as they had in Pittsburgh during the 50's and 60's.

 

Of the numerous NOLO routes he elects the one crossing the Garden District down St. Charles St. It's likely the most interesting and picturesque route.  It runs through Lee Circle only a block from the WWII Museum, through a number of small commercial neighborhoods of restaurants and small businesses before entering a long stretch of beautiful mansions, quaint small homes, and churches.

 

 

 

At the far end the three attractions are Tulane University, Loyola University and the huge Audubon Park. Under better circumstances we'd be out hiking Audubon Park.  It's a 350 acre park that extends all the way to the Mississippi River and includes an 18-hole golf course, two mile walking track and zoo. From the trolley it looks like a great area to explore.

For some reason, CJ's trolley doesn't go all the way to the end of the line but turns back to the city shortly after passing the park and universities.

 

Exiting the trolley back at the foot of Bourbon St. CJ once again walks the French Quarter. There is significant river traffic today. and the usual craziness in Jackson Square and along Bourbon St.

 

 

 

 

 

Carol finally ventures out for dinner where we're one evening late for the entertainment. From CJ's window seat he can see the burned out hulk of the car that caught fire during last evening's dinner service. The restaurant had to evacuated diners from the room we're in and close the pocket doors for safety.

This evening's dinner at R'Evolution begins with a crispy sweetbreads appetizer.  Carol has a redfish and crawfish Napoleon, crawfish boulette in an oyster stew.  Both delicious.

 

Decades ago Chef Roberta Donna served us the best single sea scallop we've ever eaten.  Tonight the sea scallop and foie gras dish erases the magnificent memory of that scallop of long ago.

 The wine list in this place was amazing; and with amazing prices. The cellar leaves no world class wine unexplored and some in vertical's never before seen on a restaurant wine list. At these prices the poor folk have to drink wine by the very expensive glass and sip slowly.

The return walk takes us back down Bourbon St. by evening and to the Roosevelt Hotel Christmas display.

 

A tale of two days

It's a tale of two days. A bug hit Carol overnight and she's spent the day in bed. CJ went for a long walk of exploration in the morning. He located Lafayette Square, fooled around on the banks of the Mississippi, and found the gingerbread creation in Harrah's Hotel (after transiting the entire casino).

 

 

After returning to check on Carol, he criss crossed the French Quarter for a couple of hours in the afternoon finally finding a place for lunch at 3pm.

New Orleans is a one of a kind place.  The streets are overflowing with people walking about with drinks in hand.  There are strange people wearing strange costumes throughout the Quarter.  And the weddings; aah the weddings.  Apparently (since CJ observed it five times) the tradition here is after the ceremony, the bride and groom take to strutting the streets followed by a traditional jazz street band (there are dozens of them about) with the guests in trail. And by the way, just how do they tie up the street?  With an escort of one or more motorcycle cops from New Orleans finest, of course.

Jackson Square is abuzz with artists, street performers, bands and more wedding parties not to mention the tourists and strolling locals.

Bourbon St. has to me the most unique street in the world. It's classic trash.  It's Sodom and Gomorra meets any street outside a navy base in the 1950's. It's Hustler magazine meets assembly line frozen drink dispensers. It's neon light heaven meets wall to wall music; good and not so good. It's unlike anything else.

 

 

After finding an hours long line at the Acme Oyster House (real name no shot), CJ finally finds a restaurant with crawfish etouffee for lunch. On his return to the hotel the line at Acme is even longer; and it's 4pm.

He walks to Lafayette Park after dark for a light show. We didn't know that they only project them on the hour.  He arrives as one is ending.

 

 

 

 

A bowl of gumbo on Bourbon St. serves as dinner. The drinks have come out to play.  CJ retreats to the hotel where at some point the sound of cannon fire turns out to be fireworks over Jackson Square.