New Orleans or Bust June 5th- 7th 2010

We woke up at o'dark thirty (Todd's language) actually it was at 3:00 a.m. (until recently I was not aware that there was a 3:00 a.m. in the morning. It would come up in conversation with other people that there was but I had never seen it). We threw our clothes together in the luggage, wiping our tired eyes and questioning what possessed us to book a flight at 5:45 a.m.

Fortunately, Todd had ordered a black car service for us. We had our stuff together and headed downstairs to the empty apt. lobby. The car was there and we loaded our one big suitcase and slid in to the black Lincoln town car.

The ride was smooth and fast and the driver was very hospitable. Not sure why or how someone could be so chipper that early in the morning. More power to him!

We camped out in the Club Lounge and awaited the flight. Surprisingly, I didn't feel tired. It might've been the excitement for the trip.

We had a layover in Houston. We arrived in New Orleans, got our suitcase and headed to catch a cab. The cab driver had a thick accent and seemed more of a character out of Rockford Files. His cab was cluttered with paper, Mardi Gras beads hanging from his rear view window and a plastic fan clipped to his mirror, oscillating the hot air in the cab.

He was personable and asked us where we were coming from, hard to understand with his Southern, Cajun French accent.

He dropped us off at the Sheraton on Canal and we checked in. It's a hotel with more of a business atmosphere, with a fountain in front and a glass domed bar in the center of the lobby.

The air condition felt wonderful compared to the thick, humid air outside.

We decided to walk through the French Quarter. The buildings are Spanish Architecture with palm trees in the middle of Canal street. We took our time walking, I took note of the stores, as we passed by, some gift, some antique. Nothing quite drawing us in, but enjoying window shopping.

The air was thick and damp, sticking to our bare skins. It felt as if we were walking through damp thick air, the remanance sticking to us. I hadn't felt this thick air since living in Kansas in the summer. But this air was even more humid.

It was passed 2:00 and we hadn't eaten since breakfast. We tried getting in to a restaurant Todd had remembered eating at when he was here before. Port a Call, a hamburger joint. There was a line outside waiting which is always a good sign. It looked like a hole in the wall, but I trusted his judgment and taste. No seating for another hour and a half. We decided to try again tomorrow.

We had passed an African restaurant that looked intriguing. The place was sparsely decorated with several African paintings on the wall. Each table was covered with a tie-died table cloth. It was a very casual and laid back atmosphere. The service was slow but friendly. Todd warned me not to feel in a hurry at restaurants in the south, which I had heard and experienced on a trip last fall to Savannah, GA. People take their time, which is not what we're used to in the hustle and bustle in New York city restaurants.

I ordered the Domada which is a beef dish with peanut stew on rice (everything came with rice). Todd ordered the Shipa Shipa which was shrimp in a spicy sauce. We both ordered a ginger soda. The ginger taste had a delayed kick to it, which became stronger after you tasted it.

We both relished our meals. The sauce was thick and full of a peanut flavor (it was made out of crushed peanuts). I tried to soak up every last bite with the roll that was provided with the dish.

After lunch, we kept walking through the Quarter. We stumbled in to a Bohemian area with artsy shops I dragged Todd through. We walked through the French Market, which sold items similar to what a street vendor would on a New York City street corner, not too many original items but it was fun to look.

We walked through the Market and then we heard music playing outside the Market, so we found a place to sit on a bench and listened for a little while. I wanted to hear live music play so that was fun. We then walked around Jackson Square where local artists displayed their work. Then walked closer to the River and sat and watched boats go by. Beignets were calling our names, so we HAD to go to Cafe Du Monde and purchase a couple of hot off the grille beignets covered in powder sugar.

We decided to take the trolley to the Garden district. We rode the original trolley, which picked us up close to the hotel. All the windows were up and it looked like the original light bulbs were still in place. It had such an old fashion feel to it; we loved it. It still made a clickity clack noise as it rode across the tracks. We loved looking at the old big homes as we passed by. It was a great way to see more of the city. We rode it to the end of the line.

Then we started walking back, looking for a place for dinner. We looked on Todd's phone at the Zagat's listing at I spotted a place that looked appealing. It was called Mat and Addie's. Then we went on a hunt to find the Mat and Addie's. It was a little hard to find since we were walking, but we did find it. It had a more casual, relaxing atmosphere, compared to the previous place. Friendly service and we didn't have to wait long to get seated. It was a cottage turned in to a restaurant. It was a little hard to hear (there was a large group behind us) but after they left, we could hear each other better. They served hot bread to start (I always like places that serve bread). I ordered the stuffed shrimp-stuffed with roasted corn and ham with spinach lettuce in mango sauce. Excellent! It melted in my mouth full of flavor. Todd ordered the fried oyster salad and he liked his as well. The waitress was friendly. Unfortunately, we were too full to be tempted with dessert. But the dessert menu looked just as appetizing. I would definitely recommend this place.

Then we took the trolley back to the hotel, walked around a little bit to see the night life on Bourbon Street. Then went back to the hotel and collapsed! Sunday was just as eventful. We decided to explore the opposite direction today towards the Warehouse District. Todd showed me the building he stayed in while he worked here. It was very humid again. I was having a hard time getting used to the thick humidity. When we walked outside from our apt., it felt like we walked in to a big warm shower and had a film of water on us. It didn't seem to bother Todd as much (or he just didn't complain about it like I did!).

We took a bus all along Magazine Street, the upcoming artsy area, with unique stores. Todd had said this area was completely abandoned when he was here before, so it was neat to see it coming back to life. We took the bus all the way to the end of the line and walked back up Magazine-which ended being several miles! We stopped for a smoothie at Dixie Bee's Smoothies which had just opened that day! It was pretty good-I would recommend going there. They mixed the smoothy with soy milk to make it healthier. We struck up a conversation with one of the ladies and she said she was from the midwest. I asked her where and she said Kansas City!! Small world.....

We continued walking...and walking...and then we walked some more. We came to a place for lunch, __________. We split a sandwich. It was pretty good. There weren't a lot of places to chose from. There were more retail shops than restaurants. We came to the end of Magazine and I was about ready to collapse. We walked to the Convention Center so Todd could get his materials for his convention. Oh yea, that's why we're here.... Went back to the hotel and got hooked on a show about truck drivers in Alaska driving the North Slope. It was fascinating how they get through driving in winter. They have to drive in winter because the ground is more solid. They even drive over the ocean. Learn something every day.

Then we went to find a place for dinner-the perpetual debate. Found August. It was upper scale but had seating for us. It was 9:00 p.m. and we were having a hard time finding places that were open. Some places close early on Sunday evenings. Again, we're spoiled. The food was excellent. Todd ordered ___________ and I ordered the gnoochi. Then we ordered coffee and it was from Argentina. Excellent. Very smooth and rich.

Monday morning rode with Todd to the Convention Center to say our goodbyes. I was going to go see "Dinosaurs 3-D" at the IMAX but it was closed on Mondays. So, I was lead to go back to the hotel for breakfast. The lady I sat next to asked me to watch her purse as she got up to go to the buffet. I said sure and didn't think anything of it. Then, when she came back, we struck up a conversation and had a wonderful time, talking about a wide variety of things. We ended up talking for an hour and a half and exchanged contact information. And her name was Robin too.

I discovered there was a house that Edgar Degas lived at for four months while he visited New Oreleans that they give tours of. After the breakfast encounter, I took a cab to the Degas house and was given a tour. Fascinating to think that this famous artist lived and worked at this house. Grateful to have gotten to see it. Took a cab back to the hotel and had 10 minutes before the shuttle arrived to take me to the airport. Todd's conference lasts through Thursday so he wouldn't be home until Friday. Overall we loved New Orleans. Hope to not bore you with too many details and hope you enjoyed reading about this trip! Until next time. Happy travels!