Where We Have Been - USA - New Orleans

Once we had finished with Memphis it was time for an Amtrak, (it’s an American Icon), to New Orleans for New Year.

We stayed at Le Pavillon which we selected in part because we were intrigued by them offering PB&J’s every evening from 5:00pm in the foyer. PB&J’s were a David stable when he was growing up. Le Pavillon was very conveniently located near the Streetcars and a reasonably short stroll from the top of Bourbon Street.

We enjoyed our time in New Orleans although felt that Bourbon Street was loud and overrated. We much preferred wandering through other, quieter, areas of the French Quarter, being entertained by the street musicians, and along the Mississippi Riverfront.

Given it was New Year we decided to eat out New Year’s Eve and then watch the fireworks over the Mississippi as we, and thousands of others, welcomed in the New Year. We expected to have trouble finding somewhere to dine but lucked onto a restaurant called Napoleon House in the French Quarter which has a very interesting history.

After dinner we made our way to the Mississippi Riverfront with drinks in hand to enjoy the fireworks which were spectacular. The attitude to drinking in public was a pleasant surprise as in New Zealand it will land you in trouble with the authorities as liquor bans are prevalent. If may be that the high police presence we encountered everywhere in the USA means people are better behaved in public areas.

The Steamboat Natchez, which we took a cruise on the Mississippi on, playing Auld Lang Syne on her whistles was a new, and uniqure, experience for us.

It might seem a strange thing to do on holiday but we also visited St Louis Cemetery No. 1 which is the oldest extant cemetery in New Orleans (established in 1789). In New Orleans they found that they needed to bury people above ground as the high water table created unexpected, and unpleasant, results. It was an interesting tour and well worth the time. We were shown tombs of a number of famous people as well as the supposed resting place New Orleans’ Voodoo Queen and also Nicholas Cage’s (the actor) pre-purchased tomb.

In New Orleans we once again stumbled onto a College Football parade, this time, the Allstate Sugar Bowl. 

They certainly know how to put on a show. The parade included the Texan team mascot, a Texas Longhorn Steer named Bevo, who was in his float, the University of Texas Longhorn Band which is apparently over 400 strong, a number of other bands and in New Orleans they take the opportunity to bring the Mardi Gras floats out as well. The difference between this parade and the Liberty Bowl Parade we experienced in Memphis is that in New Orleans they throw strings of plastic beads to, actually make that at, the crowd.

After enjoying our time in New Orleans it was back in a rental car to travel across Louisiana and Texas.

Tip: Don’t just visit Bourbon Street, get out and explore the French Quarter and also view some of the grand historic mansions that are found in New Orleans.

Highlight: Experiencing another New Year, a time we both consider special, together, in spectacular fashion in another amazing locality.

Memory: Probably the luck of getting in to Napoleon House for dinner on New Years Eve, and also the eve of our Wedding Anniversary,

Closing Thought: New Orleans you are another place that surprised us. We will be back, hopefully to experience Mardi Gras.