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Published: August 3rd 2010
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New Orleans
The French Quarter We are just settling in tonight for a quiet night in New Orleans - allowing me to update my travel blog and Jim to catch up on photos. This city is SO fun and we have had the best time. We have had great meals, fantastic jazz including an invitation from our bell captain whose father is a very famous jazz legend playing at a local hotel. He has all but bent over backwards to keep an eye out for us, including schlepping all our stuff from the car. I will, without a doubt, be writing a letter about this service - it is out of this world and has made this stay extra special.
But it is oppressively hot. At least 100+ with 85-90% humidity.
Our day yesterday started with a Jazz Brunch - and if I had my Weight Watchers wheel with me, I am sure that an intervention would immediately follow. But we did try some new things: crawfish (and yes, we sucked the heads!!), duck a l'orange, duck liver pate, oyster stuffing. My only negative comment about food is that some of the shrimp have tasted over-chlorined - not surprisingly. I
New Orleans
Jim and I at Acme Oyster House imagine that some of the restaurants are having really hard time keeping shell fish stocked in light of the gulf oil spill. But the OYSTERS!! Fantastic!! We made friends with a man who shucked at one of the oyster bars and each of the past two nights he has lined us up with 15-18 oysters on the half shell and charged us for a dozen. They are so cheap - $10 to $15 a dozen. We tried to order some in Texas and the waiter cautioned us that they were market price and a dozen would run us $30 - we passed and I am glad we did. These little devils were worth the wait! We haven't taken the car out even once - walking everywhere we go.
Today, we went for a trolley car ride to the garden district today and boy was it ever hot! I know when we drop down into Southern Utah it will be hot, but so dry that it will seem like nothing in comparison. In the garden district we saw the home formerly owned by Anne Rice (author of the book Interview with a Vampire) and supposedly now owned
New Orleans
Our new best friend - the oyster shucker! by Sandra Bullock. We also visited the famous Columns hotel where Pretty Baby was shot (Louis Malle directed and a very young Brook Shields). It's where the mint julep was created and we had one in the oak paneled bar of this very old and very famous hotel.
Tomorrow is Jimmy's birthday and we may go on a riverboat dinner cruise on the Mississippi River to celebrate. It's a perfect place to be for a birthday celebration - five million totally strangers pile into the streets each night - some dressed to the nines, others in shorts and tank tops - and no one is a stranger. I am already dreaming of our next visit to New Orleans. The stories recounting the Saints win during the super bowl has proven a city VERY in love with their football team. Guess the streets erupted when they won the bowl.
Last night we stayed out quite late and ended the night with Beignets - these very hot doughnuts dusted with white powder sugar. Cafe Du Monde was standing room only with at least 100 other people enjoying these very guilty treats. So glad that
New Orleans
The Garden District - Anne Rice's House everything I remembered from my first trip here 5 and half years ago had remained largely unchanged....and that I got to "show Jim around" a bit.
We have one more day and one more night before we continue on to Memphis. We have both fallen back on editing and posting pictures - too much fun and time spent with the experiences themselves.
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