There are lots of things about the Big Easy that aren't that easy, but we had a great time. It takes some planning to actually see alligators and casinos and eat shrimp at Deanie's on Lake Pontchartrain. We ventured far off the beaten path on this trip and had a grand time. We had a funny little orange Kia, and we explored a lot of places we didn't get to go to on other trips to New Orleans. I was able to find a wonderful bead store on Magazine Street, have a pedicure across the street with the locals, and have a very memorable lunch at Commander's Palace. I even had a massage at the Riverwalk while George shopped for a Fleur di Lis whirligig for his garden. I think, after five trips to New Orleans, we are finally learning our way around.
The weather was 85 degrees and sunny with a drippy dew point of 70. New Orleans is a lot hotter than Massachusetts, and that's the way we like it. It was fun to wear shorts and sandals and hide under our straw hats. The casino is air conditioned, and we found a couple of machines that gave us more quarters back that they took. Amazing. I won't say we made a profit, but we didn't lose anything.
We had oysters at Acme Oyster House, a great barbecue shrimp lunch at Deanie's, and muffalata sandwiches at Joe's in the French Quarter. We listened to Cajun radio on our way to Breaux Bridge, where we knew just where to look to see the alligators. We took pictures of the beautiful old trees outside Laura Plantation, and took a tour of the Creole house. We watched boats on the Mississippi and managed to stay far away from the motorcycles at Bike Week New Orleans. Who knew? They neglected to mention that it was Bike Week in any of the online tourism sites. But the noise didn't bother us that much, because we were ensconced on the 33rd floor of the Marriott in a beautiful corner room that was cushy and cool. A wonderful trip! Worth savoring. I want to go back!
Have a great day.
