Leslie and I headed down to New Orleans for spring break. We spent a day in Memphis to break up the trip.
In Memphis, Leslie got some Memphis BBQ, and then we stopped by Beale Street. They were having a St. Patrick's parade. We watched a bit of that, and had a few drinks.
The next day, it was time to hop in the car and finish our journey to New Orleans. The long bridge over the bayou brought back memories of the first time I went to New Orleans and signaled that we had arrived.
A little more driving, and we arrived in the city. We quickly found our way into the French Quarter and tried to cross the steady stream of pedestrian traffic on Bourbon. Luckily, a tranny in a miniskirt performing in the street was willing to help direct traffic, and we were able to get to our hotel.
We stayed in the heart of the Quarter (at the Bourbon Orleans). The rooms are a little small, but the location is great. We were seconds from Jackson Square and Bourbon Street. To me, the key is being able to walk around the Quarter, and then being able to go back to your room if you like. If you stay outside of the Quarter, once you leave, you generally don't go back, or don't go back for a while. Kind of a bummer if you get bored and just want to walk around and get one more drink.
"You gotta get out of the Quarter." This is a constant refrain you hear from locals and travel experts, but I'd tend to disagree in a way. Yes, New Orleans is a city rich in culture and diversity, but the Quarter is the most fun place to be. In the past, we went to the Garden District, Magazine Street, took a swamp tour etc., and they were all nice places to visit, but you always want to return to the Quarter. There's nothing like strolling through the streets, finding a bar, getting beignets, looking at the shops, sitting in Jackson Square, and repeating the process again.
Since it was nice weather, the NCAA tournament was in town, and St. Patrick's was going on, there were a lot of people in town that week. We thought about taking our car out a few times, but after thinking about it, decided to have some bloody Marys with breakfast and just walk around instead.
The day of St. Patrick's, there were a lot of people and parades throughout the city. A lot of green could be seen everywhere. That night, some loud engines of some dune buggies signaled that the parade was coming down Bourbon. Next came the floats. It was like a mini Mardi Gras. It was a fun surprise for our last night there.
The morning we left, we finally did get out of the Quarter, and went to Magazine Street for a while. We then made the long journey home, hitting famed Lambert's Cafe in southern MO for some "throwed rolls"
New Orleans is a fun city, and I'd go back again and again.
(The first few pics are Memphis, and the one beginning with the police station is New Orleans)
