New Orleans

Hi y'all from "Nawlins"!

We arrived in New Orleans yesterday afternoon after our overnight in Houston.  We are staying in a very nice state park just south of the city.  New Orleans has long been on my bucket list to visit and I was in awe over actually being in the historic French Quarter.  It was a busy, busy day seeing all the sights and then having a great dinner at a downhome Creole-Italian restaurant with several of Ralph's relatives who live in New Orleans.

Ralph's nephew, Alan, warned us about one of the oldest cons to get tourists.   If someone says "I bet you a dollar I can tell you where you got your shoes", the best response is to tell them you got them on your feet on this street.  

The New Orleans Jazz festival is going on right now.  We considered going but our camping neighbors had gone last weekend and it was wall to wall people - they could barely move and after going to get something to drink, it took them an hour to get back to their seats.  It was canceled in 2020 and 2021 so people are flocking to it more than ever this year.   Taking all of that plus the heat into account, we didn't think we would enjoy it.

Tomorrow we will go to the World War II Museum (which is supposed to be amazing with surviving veterans there to speak with people about their experiences).  Also plan on seeing the Edgar Degas house.  I tried to talk Ralph into a swamp tour but it was a no go.

Pictures of the French Quarter.  Loved the planter boxes everywhere.

Enjoying a Beignet at Café Du Monde.  It's dough that is fried and then covered in powdered sugar. 

The Mississippi River with a river boat in the background.

St. Louis Cathedral and the Cabildo (former seat of the Spanish government and now a museum recounting Louisiana history).  The cathedral is the oldest practicing cathedral in the US.

We took the street car out of the city center where Tulane and Loyola universities are literally right next door to each other. The darker building on the right is Loyola and the lighter one shrouded in trees is Tulane.  This picture is taken from a beautiful park across the street.

Also along the street car route not far from the universities is the Garden District with some of the city's most beautiful homes. 

Our great dinner with Ralph's nephew Len, his niece Christie and her daughters Stephanie and Brooklyn.  After dinner we went over to Christie's house and also spent time with her husband, Scott and son Jonathan.  Thank you all for a great evening.