New Orleans

July17 2008

Nuvi was right… 14 hours! Those last 4 hours were really tough. I just had to keep positive in order to stay awake. Brittany and Chuck, thank you for the playlists! We wouldn’t have made it with out good music to sing to. So at 4:30 AM we dragged ourselves into New Orleans. Curtis swears he heard footsteps above us, but there wasn’t a floor above us. The ghosts of New Orleans! The next morning the neighborhood looked much different! Colorful and bright, balconies filled with plants and flowers, and everyone you passed said ‘mornin’. We went exploring the French Quarter all day. We learned that woodoo and witch craft was a major tradition here and a police officer warned us about seeing a few ghosts. We found a cigar shop that hand rolled the cigars right in front of you! We found Tujague's and made friends with a couple of locals. Curtis ordered a sazerak, a classic New Orleans drink, and Lea the bartender suggested I have a Pimm’s Cup. They were both very tasty! Jim, a man who lives near by told us a few stories about the neighborhood. When William arrived, another local, Lea had his beer poured in his own special mug, waiting for him for when he walked in. He had a big white scraggly beard, hunter green wool socks pulled up to his calves with pink converse sneakers. He is a master wood worker who has lived in New Orleans for a very long time. We continued on and found an oyster spot. There was a nice man who shucked all the oysters up front so you could watch. We ordered a dozen with some french fries and it hit the spot. Later that night we went to Couchon , recommended by Jude. It was outside the French Quarter so we were able to see a little more of the city. We ordered a few small plates and shared. The alligator was pretty tough and tasteless, but everything else was delicious! Thanks for dinner! The next morning we got up for the New Orleans classic, beignets and coffee and then hit the road... Next stop Texas!