New Orleans - June 11-13, 2018

We are here in the Big Easy....Nola....New Orleans, Louisiana

Monday, June 11:   We left our little campground on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, heading west on Interstate 10 for the short 1 1/2 hour drive to New Orleans.  We headed directly downtown and although our RV is a little big for the narrow streets, we had no problems.  I even found the lot where I had parked when I visited by myself in February of 2017.  I wanted to Jack to visit the National WW II Museum (part of the Smithsonian).  We toured for about 2 1/2 hours, but we are going back on Wednesday to finish up and will post photos then. 

Lake Ponchartrain campground

We drove 6 miles to our campground on the northern city limits.  On our way in from the main highway, it was through a blighted industrial area and we silently said Uh-Oh.  We arrived at the entrance, and once inside, it turned out be a lovely campground with wide sites and attractive landscaping.  It has everything we need plus a pool and hot tub - perfect for touring New Orleans over a few days.

Property also has a marina with access to Lake Ponchartrain

Tuesday, June 12:  We took the campground's shuttle to the famous French Quarter, home of Bourbon Street, where we took a carriage ride around the area to learn the history and architecture. 

Jackson Square, the heart of the French Quarter with St. Louis Cathedral

Below are street scenes of the French Quarter with ornate window decorations, iron grillwork balconies, shotgun houses (one room wide with no hallway) and shutters everywhere to keep out the heat.  Most architecture is Spanish in the French Quarter because the earlier French structures were mostly destroyed in fires in the 1700's.

This brick and wood post construction was outlawed because of fire.

Laffitte's Blacksmith is one of earliest buildings and has mostly been a bar - never has been a Blacksmith, ????

Note the yellow corn cobs in the fence.  Story was the wife was from Iowa and missed the cornfields, so her husband had this fence designed for her.

After our carriage ride, we stopped at the famous Cafe du Monde for chicory coffee and beignets (fried dough coated in powdered sugar).

 

On our way to the French Market (very much like our market in Charleston), we ran across the National Park Service's New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park.  Hmm, we wandered in and a jazz pianist and singer gave a short but totally impressive concert - voice like Louis Armstrong and played stride piano so relaxed, he made it look easy (stride is exceptionally difficult to play).

We toured the market and bought nothing as mostly non-local tourist stuff.  The heat and humidity forced us to call Uber to get a ride back to the campground rather than wait another couple of hours for the campground shuttle.  

New Orleans is all about the food and jazz and nightlife.  We had done the food (visiting two of Emeril's signature restaurants) and nightlife scene many years ago and enjoyed it, but we will pass this time through.  You know you are getting old when the nightlife no longer appeals...

Dark clouds were gathering when we got back to the RV and a number of thunderstorms rumbled through.  Tomorrow we will return to finish our tour of the National WW II Museum.