New Orleans Week

This is going to be a little different weekly wrap up post because I was busy having fun and visiting with family while enjoying New Orleans. We ate well but everyone ordered different things, so I am not keeping up with what we ate, but am mentioning where. We had a great time!

Monday: We left via car headed to New Orleans. Since TheHub's diet had changed, instead of stopping on the way to have lunch, we  (I) packed  our lunch (marinated asparagus salad) and we ate at the Mississippi welcome center on I-59. 

It is not something we have done before and it was actually a pleasant thing to do. I think we will do it more often when we are traveling. First off, it was much less expensive to use things we already had in the fridge to make it, and it just did not take as much time.

We arrived in N.O. just as the drive time afternoon traffic was beginning, and once past Lake Pontchartrain we moved in what felt like inches per hour rather than MPH.

We finally arrived at the hotel, checked in, freshened up a bit and ate dinner in the hotel main lobby bar.  We had a few hours to kill before leaving for the airport to pick up Son1's family, which is the reason we were in New Orleans to begin with. It was Pip's spring break and we love meeting her wherever they want to go.

We picked them up, went back to the hotel and sat with them while they had dinner at the same bar, then we went to our rooms for the night because we had plans for the next morning.

We were sad our other son's families could not go with us. Son2's wife could not take time from her job, and Son3 and wife are in Switzerland right now. Hopefully both will be able to join us at the beach sometime during August.

Tuesday: We had made plans and bought tickets for a hop on hop off city bus tour. Our DIL and Pip had never been to New Orleans and we thought this would be the best way for them to get a city overview, and it was.

They were already in the Quarters, so we met them there and picked up the bus at Jackson's square (1st stop of the tour). The day was gorgeous and their views from the open double deck were perfect. In fact we never hopped off at all and just made the complete loop back to a couple of blocks from the hotel, which was right on the riverwalk (final stop of the tour). 

When we booked the trip, we specifically planned it for a place with a heated pool. Pip is a water baby and loves to swim, so her afternoon was spent in the pool, while Son3 and TheHub walked to Central Grocery to pick up some muffulettas for lunch. 

Our hotel had a lovely spot on the second floor lobby with tables and chairs so we ate our lunch there while Pip and DIL1 had theirs by the pool. BTW if you are ever going there, 1/4 of the sandwich is more than enough for one person. 

After the swim and a nap (DIL was feeling a little queasy) we started thinking about dinner. After all, New Orleans is a food city. 

Mother's restaurant was just a couple of blocks from the hotel and we went there for dinner. You could tell how uncrowded the city was by how long the wait for a table was. There was no wait! We walked in, ordered and were seated immediately. I have been there before, and it would not have been my first choice, but we wanted DIL1 and Pip to experience it since it is an institution.

The food there was fine, but not spectacular

Wednesday: DIL1 had one huge bucket list item. She wanted to see a live alligator. Where better to see one than on a Swamp airboat tour. TheHub and I sat this out because we have seen alligators in lakes before. Our job was to provide transportation to said tour for them, then we explored a couple of small towns (and by small I am talking populations of 1000 or less people).

They loved the tour, especially DIL1 who not only saw gators in the water from 12 feet long down to the little 3 footers, but she also got to hold a small 12 inch baby. Bucket list satisfied!

And we loved exploring, so the day was a win/win.

A streetcar ran along the riverwalk and had a stop literally beside our hotel. We all climbed on it and went to the French Market, browsing all the things local vendors had for sale, then hit the shops nearby. In particular I wanted to so to Aunt Sally's to pick up some pralines to bring home, and to grab a jar of the olive salad from Central Grocery. (Yep I plan on making a Birmingham version of their muffuletta. It won't be the same, but at least I will have some of that incredible olive salad to smear on top of the meat and cheese)

We were amazed at how few people were around, probably because the only times we have been to New Orleans were high tourists times when every place was packed. We actually walked into Cafe Du Monde in the Quarters,  and found several empty tables. We have never seen it like that before. 

Pip had her first ever beignet. I had told her beforehand not to wear black when going there, but she did not heed my advice. Eat and learn! She wore a little powdered sugar residue on top of her Smashing Pumpkins tee shirt for the rest of the day, and thought the taste was worth the mess. It's not like she was the only one in New Orleans wearing doughnut residue!

We   decided to head to Magazine street for dinner, since a couple of the places we wanted to go were only opened through a late lunch. It was a bummer to realize some of our carefully pre-trip curated meals  would not happen. (Note for our next trip: Make sure to plan around opening hours and not just the menu.)

We wound up at Joey K's, a quirky cajun restaurant with delicious foods.

Thursday: We had decided to head uptown to a restaurant called Cafe Reconcile for lunch. It was started as  training facility for those interested in learning all about restaurants, from the kitchen to front of the house and everything in between. It has become a "go to" spot and we planned on going. I like the idea of great food and I especially like the idea of helping a non profit, but did not realize reservations were necessary until we got there. Oops! 

Instead we headed across town to Dooky Chase's, a historical creole restaurant in the Treme district of the city. We were unable to get reservations (they had a business event booked) but they would let us order food to go, and we did.  Again we ate in the 2nd floor hotel area, and had absolutely delicious food. 

After lunch Son1's family took off to explore a little, leaving us to find whatever we were going to have for dinner.  We needed to eat in the Quarters and decided on The Royal House. 

We had a couple of criteria we had to meet. Son1 had only brought shorts to wear so restaurants with a business casual dress code were off the table, and the food had to have an outstanding reputation. When I called Royal House and asked about any dress limitations and the manager said wearing clothes and some type of footwear was all that was required we knew we had found our place. (He mentioned flip flops were fine, but I cannot imagine who would want to wear them walking around the French Quarters where every puddle is suspicious.)

It was a fantastic for dinner and people watching. Where else can you sit and eat while watching a guy push a studio upright piano covered with band stickers down the sidewalk?

Once back at the hotel Pip NEEDED to swim. It was not a long swim because the pool was much cooler without the sunlight to warm everything.

Friday: It was the final day of our trip and everyone did whatever they wanted. Son1's family watched street performers busking in the Quarters and TheHub and I did our thing. 

Alabama was playing in the Sweet 16 games Friday night and Son1's family had a suite with a table and chairs. We had planned on watching the game at the 1st floor bar, but 1,000 guests had checked in Friday for a convention and the bar was packed.

We decided to take the leftovers we had brought home from various meals to their room, eat and watch the game there. The first half was great and the second was a blowout. Bama lost but we still enjoyed being together.

Saturday: They needed to be at the airport by 8:30 for their flight back home. It departed earlier than they would have liked, but it was a non-stop which makes the time worth it. 

We woke early, packed, dropped them off, and headed back toward Birmingham. TheHub had been taking some medicine that needed to be taken with food during the morning, and had already scouted out a Cracker Barrel in Slidell (other side of the lake) on our way home. We were in no rush and had breakfast and a couple of cups of coffee (a necessity for me) before resuming the trip.

The drive was uneventful and we were in town by mid afternoon. Instead of coming straight to the house we stopped at Waldo's to pick up some grilled chicken, white beans and turnip greens for a combo lunch/dinner. That was a seriously smart move.

We headed home, ate, unleaded the car and then crashed. 

Sunday: We did our usual church thing then stopped by Trader Joe's before heading home for a quick lunch and laundry marathon. All the laundry is the downside of traveling, right?

After a day of washing drying and folding (among a lot of reading) it was time for dinner of grilled steak, asparagus and tossed salad. 

And it was time to get back into our regular routine!

Planned for the week, maybe or maybe not:

1. Beans and hamburger skillet meal, tossed salad

2. Stuffed boneless leg of lamb, asparagus, potatoes, tossed salad, rolls

3. Roasted chicken, broccoli, rice pilaf

4. Broiled salmon, rice pilaf, green beans, tomato cucumber onion salad, rolls

5. Veggie meal TBD

6. Eggroll in a bowl

7. Muffuletta, coleslaw 

Read this week:

The 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Have a great week staying on plan, going off plan, or with no plan at all.

May all your weeds be wildflowers.

Anne