The Commoner and the Best Trip Ever (New Orleans Edition)

The City List Project is going along this fine.  But honestly?  All the other cities are going to have a hard time keeping up with New Orleans.  Since I was a little girl I've wanted to go there.  I have no idea why-it's just a place where I've wanted to go.  I've thought and thought how to write this blog and do the trip justice.  The best strategy I think is to pick some of my pictures.  

We had a bit of a night a bit of a morning and two full days.  The first thing we did was go to the Concierge and that guy set us up!  We took the street car down St. Charles Street and got to see the beautiful houses in the Garden District.  This is where the rich southerners of New Orleans live.  Also it's where Brad and Angelina live.  I could live here!

Family is pretty huge in New Orleans.  We took the trolley and got off at Audubon Park.   We noticed this statue that a family had built to honor their father.  It would be great if my family did this for me.  I'm just saying.

We took a two hour bus tour.  Our guide was Henry.  If you go to NOLA take this tour, but make sure you have Henry to guide you.  This house was destroyed in Katrina.  The Ninth Ward was something to see.The water rose over the roof. I have nothing else to say about that.

This is the St. Louis Cathedral.  I like to go to churches when I travel.  I liked this church because you can see it from both Bourbon Street and Jackson Square.  The Louisiana Purchase was signed in this church.

I could easily live near Lake Ponchetrain.  The way I see it I live on a Fault Line-I obviously take nature chances.  I loved New Orleans that much-I'm not even lying.

Okay listen.   You can take your Bella and RPatz -bear eating vampires.  You can take your Stephanie Meyer wimpy Vampires.  You can take your crappy 50 Shades of Grey.  Long before they were turning out crap there was Anne Rice.  There was The Vampire Lestat and her freaky Snow White Sex Stories.  She lives in this house.  Henry recommended The Feast of All Saints.  Someday I'll have time to read it.  I actually really love her.  I would have sat on her porch and drank lemonade with her if I could.

We attended the Louie Armstrong Jazz Festival.  I think one of the things I always was intrigued with was the music of NOLA.  Music is every where.  It's great too.  I wonder how so many talented musicians could come from one place.   The music drifting from the clubs, restaurants, hotels, and street corners draws you in like a magical siren.  You lose yourself in the talent.  

On Thursday we ate at NOLA's.  It belongs to Emeril.  I love him I always have.  The food was outstanding.  That food and the service may have been the best restaurant meal I've ever had.  This picture is not from NOLA.  This is from some terrible Italian Restaurant on Bourbon Street.  We went in because they let us sit on the balcony.  The balconies look just like you think they will.  It's the most fun ever to be on Bourbon Street on Friday night.

Beignets-eat them.  They are heavenly.

I believe in Voodoo.  The real kind.  Of course I do.  Anyway I searched everywhere for a real voodoo doll.  A very specific one.  I wanted to poke needles in it and seek my revenge.  Guess what.  You can't buy them.  Henry told us the best real voodoo shop to go to (it's not this one).  We asked her about it.  She said it was illegal to sell evil voodoo dolls in New Orleans.  You could only buy the ones that bring you luck.  She had them-she couldn't sell them.  That's how you know its true.  Someone got off lucky.

There was so much more to this trip then in this travel blog.  I'll probably do another one some day.  But I'll tell you this.  This was hands down the BEST time I've ever had.  There's something special about New Orleans and it's people.  I was a very smart little girl to have always wanted to go here.  You should go too.  I will probably write more some day.  Because I haven't told you about the Hurricanes, The Hand Grenades, and the Grave Yards.  Or the Wolf.  

I heard this song today while running.  It reminded me of Bourbon Street and Friday night-and the band and the dancing and the singing.