So New Orleans was amazing.
The flights getting there were surprisingly smooth, and then we took the airport shuttle (driven by a SPLENDIDLY accented fellow) to our hotel, where we were checked in by a legit tranny. Or crossdresser. Someone who was clearly a man but wearing makeup and a wig. Troy.
The hotel was beautiful and the beds were comfy and it was great.
We hit the town and got food at the Palace Cafe on Canal St. where I ordered lobster cheesecake and Jenn had this crawfish thing that came with tomatoes and fresh mozarella and had this awesome sauce on it. We both also had beer and then were given complimentary bread pudding which was AMAZING.
Then we walked around the French Quarter, Bourbon St, Jackson Square... met some artists and watched some street performers, browsed some gift shops, and had beignets which were SO GOOD. Did a bit more exploring after that and met some delightful possibly gay dudes who said Jenn's skirt was "very rawr" (so yeah I guess they were definitely gay).
Needless to say, we slept very well that night after all that and the fact that we had left NYC at 4am... lol.
The next day was begun with brunch on a Bourbon Street balcony at Le Bayou. We had the fried alligator appetizer, and then both ordered salads for the main course. Again, super tasty. And I got this coffee/alcohol beverage which was DELISH.
Then we frolicked about.. walked all around the riverfront, looked at boats, did some souvenir shopping, took pictures in a photobooth, ate nachos, lots of frolicking. Oh yeah and we also went over to the Garden District and looked at pretty houses.
That night we went on a ghost tour which was fun but lots of straight up history and not enough GHOST stories for my taste. When I do those I want to be freaked out, not necessarily too informed. lol. But it was interesting and did have its spooky moments! After that we grabbed a late dinner where I had red beans and rice which was DELISH and Jenn got this seafood sampler thingy. And we also both got hurricanes, which is a famous NOLA cocktail. Also delicious. Oh yes and then we went to a bar and Jenn got a hand grenade (a famous, SUPER STRONG cocktail) and I got this one called the Tropical Itch. Good times.
Day 3. We woke up a bit earlier, grabbed breakfast at this place called The Ruby Slipper which was right by our hotel and so so tasty. I had the Florentine Omelet which had mushrooms, spinach, and fresh mozarella. Yum. :)
Then we were off- we went to the St. Louis Cemetery where we received a tour from a rogue cemetery employee who was absolutely not a licensed tour guide.. but he was hilarious and delightful. The gist of his message to us was, "NAWLINS is sinkin' erryday.. we still do burials here erryday, I'll prove it to ya. Let me show ya somethin'."
..So that was fun.
After that we went to the aquarium! I love aquariums so it was a delight. and we got there just in time to see the penguins get fed!
That night we had dinner at Desires Oyster Bar, where I had jambalaya which was delicious, and then we pa-roused Bourbon Street and ended up hanging out at Pat O'Briens courtyard bar for quite a while, just talking and having fun. It was a really great night, and Jenn introduced me to her AMAZING Irish accent. Just drinking hurricanes and bestest friend company! After that, we attempted to go ghost hunting. You see, one of the ghost tour stories featured a ghost named Eloise who hangs out in a schoolyard which used to be a graveyard. It is said that she died of yellow fever at 17 and was buried there.. we took like 50 pictures trying to catch a glimpse, but sadly got nothing.
The next day was plantation tour day! We rode about an hour outside of NOLA to this tiny town where we visited the Oak Alley and Laura plantations. Oak Alley was stunning.. Interview with the Vampire was filmed there! And Laura was really interesting and fun.. and also lovely in its own right!! So that was a fun and informative and very full day. We got back from all that at like 6pm, then found this awesome restaurant called the Gumbo House where I had.. guess what? Gumbo! It was delicious. After that we did some light bar browsing, and eventually ended up at Pat O'Briens again where I had a couple cocktails- the rainstorm and the rainbow! lol. The rainstorm thing was SO GOOD.
One last full day! We woke up pretty early, grabbed Ruby Slipper breakfast (I had Migas which was AMAZING), and took the streetcar out to City Park. We visited the sculpture garden, the great lawn, creeped on the botanical gardens and storyville, and then hit up the art museum! Lots of walking around but all delightful. After heading back into the French Quarter, we grabbed a beignet because I was starving, and then took the shuttle to Mardi Gras World which was SO COOL. We got to try on Mardi Gras outfits and see the warehouse where all the props for the floats are made. It was totally badass.
That night, we decided on dinner at the Royal House and oh my word. Best decision I have ever made, hands down. I got the shrimp creole and it was literally the best thing I have ever eaten. I cannot even explain how good it was. We of course had cocktails as well, and had Bananas Foster cheesecake for dessert. Major food coma.
Then Jenn decided to get a tarot reading which was really fun for me to watch because I've never seen one of those as it happens, so it was cool to like.. see the methodology behind it and such.
For our final night on Bourbon, we went to this other outdoor bar where live jazz was playing and had drinks and took pictures.. it was lovely. A great way to end the trip!!
So, all in all, NOLA was perfect.
And now I want more shrimp creole.
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