New Orleans

---

On my way to New Orleans I had a stopover in Shreveport as New Orleans was too far to travel in one day. New Orleans was an amazing time and I may need to re-visit it some day. Probably not during Mardi Gras but December was a really nice time to visit.

I took a drive along the great river road and visited two plantations. The first was Laura Plantation which was a Creole plantation and which was my favorite. It isn't real fancy but it shows what it was like back in the early 1800s when it was built. There are 12 historic buildings, gardens, banana grove, and the slave quarters where the African folk tales of Brier Rabbit was recorded.

The second plantation was Oak Alley Plantation completed in 1839 after three years of slave labor primarily. It is a Greek Revival style of home and much more ornate than the Laura Plantation. At the front of the house is a quarter mile long alley of 300 year old Virginia Live Oaks. The trees are truly impressive. This was a more commercialized plantation with a full restaurant on the grounds. Many of the buildings and gardens were added by later owners in the 1900s.

I did the Hop-on Hop-off bus in New Orleans to get an overview of the city. I did a walking tour of the Garden District and saw some amazing homes including Sandra Bullock's. I walked through the Lafayette Cemetery to see all the old and new tombs. I spent half a day at the National WW II Museum. It is a tremendous museum with 4D cinematic experiences, interactive exhibits, aircraft and personal histories. I could have easily spent the whole day or more there. It is well worth the cost and time, especially if you had a family member that served during that time as I did.

I spent a lot of time walking around the French Quarter which is wonderful. I did some shopping in the French Quarter Market and other stores on the boulevard. Made a trip to Café de Monde to have the famous beignet and café late. Dinner was a shrimp po'boy and a bowl of gumbo at the Gumbo Pot. I sat on the steps at Jackson Square and watched the street performers and also saw a wedding parade come down the street. I walked down Bourbon Street during the day and Royal Street. Sat on a bench and watched the ships move up and down the Great Mississippi River. I took the Natchez Steamboat Jazz bunch cruise which was okay, but found the food not that good. Rode a street car up Canal Street to the City Park which showed a different part of the city. Visited Mardi Gras world and saw where all the floats are designed for the parades.

---