As our first full day in Nawlins (New Orleans), we were adamant about spending it in one of the local hot spots: the French Quarter. We took the bus in so we wouldn't have to worry about ridiculous parking fees AND so we could drink guilt-free. We began our self-guided tour walking on Royal St. There are some pretty awesome art galleries and specialty shops in and around that area. We even found this gem of a gallery that features the work of Craig Tracy, New Orleans' locally famous body painting artist. His work is unique because he uses live bodies as canvases for his art. His pieces are really worth checking out and we're glad we stumbled into his gallery.
Our street explorations included the perusal of a TON of different souvenir/gift shops; one right after the other. It was both entertaining and a sensory overload. We took breaks in between by stopping to sit and admire the view of the Mississippi River. And of course our meandering around the French Quarter included not one, but TWO trips to the famous Cafe du Monde for some of their signature, delectable beignets. Yes, we went twice in one day. And yes, it was amazing. While the beignets are all the rage, their coffee isn't bad either. We recommend trying the frozen cafe au lait. It's especially refreshing on a hot, Louisiana summer night.
For dinner, we wanted to eat some authentic southern food so we Yelped some places and discovered the Acme Oyster House, and what a remarkable discovery. We ordered the recommended chargrilled oysters as well as the "New Orleans Medley," which was a nice sampling of gumbo, jambalaya, red beans & rice, and grilled smoked sausage. OH. MY. GOODESS. Everything was just so DELICIOUS. Some Yelp reviews claimed that the restaurant gets busy around dinner so we got in early - around 5:30PM - and we're glad we did because by the time we left, there was a long line out the door and down the street.
After dinner, we walked back to the Mississippi to walk off our meal and rest a bit before going to Flanagan's Pub - the meeting place for the French Quarter Phantoms tour that we booked yesterday. We found a discounted deal for the tour on Yelp AND it came witha promo for a buy 1, get 1 free for New Orleans' popular "Hurricane" cocktail - a potent concoction of light rum and dark rum, grenadine, simple syrup, and host of fruit juices. This drink will sweep you off your feet, literally, if you're not careful. It's sweet, fruity flavor makes it a tasty, but dangerous drink. Of course, we took advantage of that Yelp BOGO and got our Hurricanes in plastic souvenir cups before departing for our phantom tour. Fun Fact: New Orleans' laws permit drinking in public, but prohibit drinking from glass or metal containers. so if you've got plastic, you're good to go.
That ghost tour was impressive. That specific tour company came highly recommended on Yelp and we were not disappointed. Generally speaking, New Orleans has a rich history, but when it comes to ghosts and related tales, the city takes the crown for most haunted city in America, a close competitor with Savannah, Georgia. In fact, we were told that in New Orleans, the dead outnumber the living, 10:1. With a ratio like that, it's no wonder the city's had more than it's fair share of ghostly sightings, encounters, stories, and the like. Among many other insane, yet impressive stops, we got to see Madame Delphine LaLaurie's house. Madame LaLaurie was an infamous socialite and serial killer, who tortured and murdered slaves in her New Orleans home in the 1800s. Supposedly, not only do ghosts of the slaves still roam the premises, but Madame Delphine's ghost resides there as well, refusing to give leave her beautiful home that she was driven out of. It gave us chills hearing the story in the presence of the actual house. It's said that since Madame Delphine's death, the house has passed ownership several times and not one longer than 7 years - the length of time that Madame Delphine herself owned the place. Fun Fact: Nicolas Cage owned the LaLaurie mansion at one point. For those of you who are American Horror Story fans, Kathy Bates plays the Madame in the third season, Coven.
Our visit to Nawlins' French Quarter wouldn't be complete without experiencing Bourbon St. at night so immediately following our tour, that's where we headed. After experiencing a plethora of "interesting" people wandering the street - drunk and sober, alike - and sharing a daiquiri, we wandered onto Canal St. and then decided to call it a night and conclude a fun-filled day with a second visit to Cafe du Monde. We had to catch a taxi back after our late-night snack because our bus stops running at 10:30PM.
[TKC Road Trip Pro-Tip #6: If you're going to be traveling with a cooler, refreezable ice packs are a good idea! Every place we've stayed thus far has had a freezer so we've saved money on repeatedly buying ice thanks to our handy ice packs.]
Our street explorations included the perusal of a TON of different souvenir/gift shops; one right after the other. It was both entertaining and a sensory overload. We took breaks in between by stopping to sit and admire the view of the Mississippi River. And of course our meandering around the French Quarter included not one, but TWO trips to the famous Cafe du Monde for some of their signature, delectable beignets. Yes, we went twice in one day. And yes, it was amazing. While the beignets are all the rage, their coffee isn't bad either. We recommend trying the frozen cafe au lait. It's especially refreshing on a hot, Louisiana summer night.
For dinner, we wanted to eat some authentic southern food so we Yelped some places and discovered the Acme Oyster House, and what a remarkable discovery. We ordered the recommended chargrilled oysters as well as the "New Orleans Medley," which was a nice sampling of gumbo, jambalaya, red beans & rice, and grilled smoked sausage. OH. MY. GOODESS. Everything was just so DELICIOUS. Some Yelp reviews claimed that the restaurant gets busy around dinner so we got in early - around 5:30PM - and we're glad we did because by the time we left, there was a long line out the door and down the street.
After dinner, we walked back to the Mississippi to walk off our meal and rest a bit before going to Flanagan's Pub - the meeting place for the French Quarter Phantoms tour that we booked yesterday. We found a discounted deal for the tour on Yelp AND it came witha promo for a buy 1, get 1 free for New Orleans' popular "Hurricane" cocktail - a potent concoction of light rum and dark rum, grenadine, simple syrup, and host of fruit juices. This drink will sweep you off your feet, literally, if you're not careful. It's sweet, fruity flavor makes it a tasty, but dangerous drink. Of course, we took advantage of that Yelp BOGO and got our Hurricanes in plastic souvenir cups before departing for our phantom tour. Fun Fact: New Orleans' laws permit drinking in public, but prohibit drinking from glass or metal containers. so if you've got plastic, you're good to go.
That ghost tour was impressive. That specific tour company came highly recommended on Yelp and we were not disappointed. Generally speaking, New Orleans has a rich history, but when it comes to ghosts and related tales, the city takes the crown for most haunted city in America, a close competitor with Savannah, Georgia. In fact, we were told that in New Orleans, the dead outnumber the living, 10:1. With a ratio like that, it's no wonder the city's had more than it's fair share of ghostly sightings, encounters, stories, and the like. Among many other insane, yet impressive stops, we got to see Madame Delphine LaLaurie's house. Madame LaLaurie was an infamous socialite and serial killer, who tortured and murdered slaves in her New Orleans home in the 1800s. Supposedly, not only do ghosts of the slaves still roam the premises, but Madame Delphine's ghost resides there as well, refusing to give leave her beautiful home that she was driven out of. It gave us chills hearing the story in the presence of the actual house. It's said that since Madame Delphine's death, the house has passed ownership several times and not one longer than 7 years - the length of time that Madame Delphine herself owned the place. Fun Fact: Nicolas Cage owned the LaLaurie mansion at one point. For those of you who are American Horror Story fans, Kathy Bates plays the Madame in the third season, Coven.
Our visit to Nawlins' French Quarter wouldn't be complete without experiencing Bourbon St. at night so immediately following our tour, that's where we headed. After experiencing a plethora of "interesting" people wandering the street - drunk and sober, alike - and sharing a daiquiri, we wandered onto Canal St. and then decided to call it a night and conclude a fun-filled day with a second visit to Cafe du Monde. We had to catch a taxi back after our late-night snack because our bus stops running at 10:30PM.
[TKC Road Trip Pro-Tip #6: If you're going to be traveling with a cooler, refreezable ice packs are a good idea! Every place we've stayed thus far has had a freezer so we've saved money on repeatedly buying ice thanks to our handy ice packs.]
Click to enlarge the pictures and view their captions. Apologies that the vertical pictures are frustratingly horizontal, apparently Weebly isn't advanced enough to alter picture orientation. Just tilt your head to the left.
After all of that, we have to say, the French Quarter did not disappoint.
Looking forward to exploring more of New Orleans tomorrow!
Nics & Riks
After all of that, we have to say, the French Quarter did not disappoint.
Looking forward to exploring more of New Orleans tomorrow!
Nics & Riks