Our Trip to New Orleans

September 2001

We left Glen Carbon on 18 September, heading for a quilt shop in Paducah, Kentucky. Then we took back roads from Paducah to Memphis.

 We stopped for lunch just south of Memphis. Everything that was left over (national American dish) in the refrigerator and could fit between two pieces of bread was in that lunch. And some old Doritos left over from the trip to New York on Labor Day!

Ron stuffing a beignet into his mouth at Cafe du Mond in New Orleans.

Our hotel is a former orphanage, built after the Civil War to house all the orphaned children. It was a real dump, but it was cheap. And it came with a full breakfast. Fortunately we weren't there except to sleep or bathe.

 St. Vincent's is located on Magazine Street, the premiere shopping street in its day. The street passes through the Garden District which has very distinctive antebellum and Victorian houses. The area immediately around the hotel is however very dilapidated.

 We took the Jazz Walking Tour offered by the National Parks Service. It was a very hot and humid day.

 The minute the walk was finished, we were in the air-conditioned bar of the cruise ship. Rolling down the river.

Our own Delta Queen

 Angel said, "You call this a margarita? Doc Otis tastes better than this!" And while I am thinking of it, Ron says we have a new house rule. When guests buy beverages, they have to drink them up before they leave. This rule was created while Ron was drinking the remaining bottles of Doc Otis.

This mime and his 'doggie' met the boat and performed before and after every trip.

 Here Iskra is feeding birdies in a cafe.

 Next she tried to feed the 'gator in the French Market. Actually we were shopping for hot sauce.

This is the cathedral on Jackson Square, named for General Andrew Jackson (see man on horse in front of cathedral), who saved the city in the Battle of New Orleans, the last battle of the War of 1812. The Jackson Square brewery is across the street and Jax is the name of a New Orleans beer.

Looking for the elusive mint julep.

We left New Orleans and headed toward Natchez, Mississippi. We stopped to tour Rosedown Plantation. That is Spanish moss hanging off the live oaks. The gardens were full of rhododendrons, azaleas, and camillias.

Near Rosedown is Oakley House.

As you can see, Oakley is not as grand as Rosedown. It is also much older.

Eating again, this time at Rosedown. The menu is muffaletta sandwiches from Central Grocery in New Orleans.

There was an encampment of soldiers and their followers on the Oakley grounds. They were imitating the period of the French occupation of the Louisiana Territory. The tents and costumes and food were of the period. They also performed some dances. We had to hold Iskra back.

This is a Mississippian site near Memphis. The Mississippians were a group of Native Americans who lived from 1300 to about 1700. They were gone by the time explorers reached this area. They settled along the Mississippi River and built mounds. Some of the mounds were for religious ceremonies and others served as burial sites. Here the museum has recreated a village based on what the anthropologists found on the site.

Hello? Anyone home?? What's for lunch???

Well, this concludes our exiting adventure to New Orleans. Join us again for another trip somewhere, sometime.