New Orleans, LA. Feb 2nd - 9th

Not even sure where to start about New Orleans, but sit back and enjoy the highlights.

Our timing was perfect because the first week of Mardi Gras had started, so lots of activity in the city. Add perfect weather (we actually slept with the windows open a few nights) and you had a receipt for good times!

Let's start with accommodations. The best thing about French Quarter RV Resort is LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. It's a ten minute walk to the French Quarter! It's a small park with about fifty sites. Level sites with full hook ups. All pavers throughout the resort. We chose a premium site that included grass for the dogs and a gazebo. Nice pool area and hot tub that are open until 11:00pm. Friendly staff.

For full disclosure, it has some cons as well. It's not in a nice area. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't have some concerns as we got closer to the resort. It's RIGHT next to (almost under) the 10 freeway. So close that it actually has a giant billboard in the back end of the park. There are no trees so I imagine it could be lacking for shade in the summer. But the resort is gated and felt very safe. We had no issues walking during the day but we used Uber at night. If you stay there, I recommend paying for a premium site which are located furthest from the freeway and closest to the pool area. For my friends in SoCal, I'll compare it to USC. Beautiful campus but the surrounding area is....well, not so great. Would we stay there again? Absolutely!

I'm sure many of you have been to New Orleans, NOLA, Nawlins, The Big Easy, The Crescent City, The Birthplace of Jazz, The Paris of the South, The City that Care Forgot, or any of the other nicknames. The nicknames are all accurate and depict the diversity of the city. WAY to much history to write about here but we learned a LOT on our History and Food Tour. Fascinating. And it's safe to say the city is very liberal and bohemian. Incredibly friendly people who may refer to you as "Darling", "Love", "Honey", or some other enduring name. I'm not sure that I've been to any place in the world that better encompasses Blues and Jazz music, Cajun and Creola food, and a carefree and accepting environment!

I've been to New Orleans several times but this was the first trip where I actually drove in the city. HOLY COW! Soft sandy soil, lots of rain, roots from massive trees, lack of maintenance and budget issues have made the streets and sidewalks some of the worst in the US. Hang on with both hands!

Now for what we did while we were there. We were busy so here goes:

History & Food Tour: Delicious gumbo! Red beans with rice and some other local favorites. A stop at the local hot sauce shop where you literally have to sign a waiver to try the hottest sauce. Apparently it makes habanero chiles seem mild. I'll pass!

Multiple Mardi Gras parades: What a blast and the real craziness doesn't start until next week!

City Park: 1,300 acres of nature including botanical gardens, some of the largest oak trees in the US, and small bridges crossing bayous. The girls loved it!

Lunch at Commanders Palace: Considered one of the nicest restaurants in New Orleans and tough to get a reservation. No jeans. Collared shirts required and jackets recommended. On Fridays they have 25 cent martinis at lunch so we had several. 😁

Garden District Walking Tour: Garden District is the upscale neighborhood in New Orleans and the historical mansions (not plantations) are amazing.

Frenchman Street: Three blocks of multiple bars and restaurants with live music. Got the dogs fed and snuggled in for the night before we headed out for a great night including stops at The Spotted Cat, Snug Harbor, and others! In the "Pictures" section, check out the video of the security guard getting involved in this night.

A Day in the French Quarter: Boarded the dogs for the day. Then game on for day drinking! We "visited" multiple iconic bars including FIVES Raw Bar, Pat O'Brien's, Carousel Bar at Hotel Monteleone, Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar, Napoleon House, Jewel of the South, and others that I don't remember the names of. And we saw our first Mardi Gras parade that day! There's a few videos in the "Pictures" section of street performers from that day and I was blown away by the guy who was truly a one-man band. That dude played four instruments (guitar, drum, symbol, harmonica) AND sang at the same time. Impressive! Or at least I thought so after several cocktails.

Super Bowl Sunday: Started with brunch at Antoine's, another iconic restaurant that's rich in history. I'm not a mimosa fan but Melissa definitely enjoyed the bottomless mimosas. Our server made sure that she never saw the bottom. 😛 Then walked back to pick up the girls before heading to Barkus, a Mardi Gras parade for dogs. Then back to the RV where we settled in with wings, salad, snacks and drinks for the game and commercials. Great day!

Sorry for the long post but, like I said, we were busy in New Orleans. On Monday, we continued West for a few hours to Lafayette where we're supposed to stay for a week. We explored Lafayette today, but we're not happy with the resort (more on that in my next post). So we're gonna enjoy dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse for an early Valentine's celebration on Wednesday night, but then we're heading to Texas on Thursday morning.

Stay tuned!