Four fantastic days exploring the Big Easy with our Iowa friends included a tour of the city, a cemetery, beignets, a boat ride with Elvis, great food, lots of walking, and drinks on a carousel. I know this city can get hopping (and hot), so our visit was well-timed to avoid the crowds and heat, although on some days we could have used a little of that heat!

Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
To start at the beginning of this series, visit So Long Snow 2022.

(IMHO) Less Crowds = More Fun

Since crowds really aren’t our thing, we placed our visit to New Orleans at the beginning of this year’s trip in mid-January. I suppose we would love the parades associated with Mardi Gras, but the hoards of partying folks kinda creep me out. I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the atmosphere if I was always worried about getting trampled, pick-pocketed, or thrown up on, so we’ll just come and party when the crowds are less of a factor.

Our Accommodations

Checking into The Marquee on Elk Place, meant we could walk everywhere we wanted to go. We had thought about taking the trolly just for the experience of it all, but ended up putting lots of miles on these old legs instead, and we were fine as long as we stopped occasionally for a beverage (or two).

We loved the modern feel of our condo and the colors of Mardi Gras were out in full force in the lobby. Modern finishes and a full kitchen added to the convenience. Although we only cooked in one meal, we had leftovers and eat-in breakfasts and snacks which helped with the budget. The cool decor just made this a fun place. The private patio area (last photo) would have been a great place to gather if the weather had been a tad (or a lot) warmer. Maybe next time.

Saenger Theatre

The lights of the beautiful Saenger Theatre were ever present when we left or returned to our condo.

“Designed by Emile Weil, the Saenger Theatre was built by Julian Saenger in 1927 for the theretofore unheard of price of $2.5 million dollars. Advertisements of the day described it as “an acre of seats in a garden of Florentine splendor”.  Today, the interior atmospheric design creates a magnificent 15th century Italian courtyard and gardens, with arched surroundings, columns and decorative moldings. The suspension of disbelief is completed by a blue domed “sky” ceiling complete with twinkling stars. Greek and Roman statuary line the walls and statues of Venus stand on pedestals along the upper rim of the auditorium.” ~ READ MORE

Although nothing was showing at the theatre this early in the season, next year we will be there mid-March, so we may be able to (at least) sneak a peek inside or (hopefully) watch a performance.

It’s Five o’clock Somewhere!

Time for a beverage in the beautiful Carousel Bar & Lounge at the luxurious Monteleone Hotel. According to its website it’s “been spinning for over seventy years,” which makes it a little tricky when returning from the restroom!

“The famous Carousel Bar & Lounge in Hotel Monteleone is a long-time favorite New Orleans hotspot. The classic New Orleans hotel bar is the city’s only revolving bar. For decades, it has lured guests in to take a spin on the 25-seat, bright, circus-clad Merry-Go-Round. Recently, Vogue Living named our bar one of the Top 20 Bars in the World, due in equal parts to our whimsical revolving carousel and comprehensive list of cocktails. Vogue recommends our Sazerac, although our cocktail menu has plenty of other enticing options.” ~ READ MORE

Touchy Subject

Although spending part of a day in a cemetery may not be your idea of fun, our afternoon was particularly interesting. Of course I’ve always known that New Orleans is at or below sea level – especially evident during the days of Hurricane Katrina. This high water table makes it impossible to bury a coffin and above-ground tombs became a viable solution.

The French colonists that settled this area brought with them the Catholic religion which until recently did not favor cremation. In New Orleans however, bodies are placed inside the walls of tombs and because of the extreme heat, the tomb effectively becomes an oven which causes the body to decompose quickly – in about one year.

“A cardinal ruling for “one year and a day” allows only one family member to be interred in the tomb during that span of time. If multiple people of the same family pass away within that ruling, the second family member will be then placed inside of a separate temporary tomb – or Wall Vault.” ~ READ MORE

Space and Money Savings

This unique cemetery tradition allows families to add as many relatives, friends (or whoever) to a single tomb – forever. When space is needed, the oldest coffin is removed and the remains of its inhabitant are put in a bag and placed out of the way of the incoming tenant.

Many tombs have inscriptions of each individual added to it over the years, but some families save money and feel the family name is good enough. I think the last photo below may be a Society Tomb, which houses those belonging to various organizations. While some chose these tombs for membership or nationality reasons, others may not have needed or been able to afford their own family tomb.

Swamp Tour with Elvis

And now for something completely different at last! This was one of the days we could have used a bump up in the temperature. Since my winter coat was in our car (back at the condo) (not an option), I’m no baby so I zipped up my hooded sweatshirt over my other hooded sweatshirt and toughed it out. We boarded our vessel at the Louisiana Tour Co. and right away I longed for my gloves! Pockets it is, and luckily they were installing some plastic “windows” to help with the wind.

Our guide was a hoot and loved his job. I knew from our gator-lesson last year that our chances of seeing gators was zero (temps need to be at least 70 for a while), but it was fun anyway! Listening to our guide talk about some of the questions he’s been asked, and some of the stupid things people do while in the presence of alligators was just crazy. There were no leaves on the trees and no Spanish Moss hanging from them either like on their website, but it was still a lot of fun, especially when our guide brought out Elvis!

Random Pics

“Voodoo first came to Louisiana with enslaved West Africans, who merged their religious rituals and practices with those of the local Catholic population – a.k.a. Voodoo-Catholicism. It is a religion connected to nature, spirits, and ancestors. Voodoo was bolstered when followers fleeing Haiti after the 1791 slave revolt moved to New Orleans and grew as many free people of color made its practice an important part of their culture. Voodoo queens and kings were spiritual and political figures of power in 1800s New Orleans.

The core belief of New Orleans Voodoo is that one God does not interfere in daily lives, but that spirits do. Connection with these spirits can be obtained through various rituals such as dance, music, chanting, and snakes.” ~ READ MORE

The streets look pretty deserted here today, which was fine by us! As the afternoon progressed, music was heard way before we reached the open doors of Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar and it was packed! We opted to snap a few photos and head on down Bourbon Street. We had hoped to grab a beer at the oldest bar in the U.S., so clearly this place deserves another visit!

Jean Lafitte

“Jean Lafitte – privateer, entrepreneur, sailor, diplomat, spy, hero of the Battle Of New Orleans. Lafitte led a colorful and mysterious life in the New World. It is unclear where and when Lafitte was born, but his presence in New Orleans and Bartaria dates about 1770. He was the man to see for whatever one wanted.

In 1814, as the British lay at the mouth of the river, Lafitte rushed powder, flint, and troops to General Jackson at Chalmette. Rather than a poorly supplied, out-manned force, the British stepped into a screaming hell of pirates, woodsmen, Indians and free people of color, under cover of a dense fog and an even more dense anti-British attitude. The British were routed. His good deed done, the “hero” headed to sea and more familiar deeds.

Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop

Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop – built between 1722 and 1732 by Nicolas Touze, is reputed to be the oldest structure used as a bar in the United States… Between 1772 and 1791, the property is believed to have been used by the Lafitte Brothers, Jean and Pierre as a New Orleans base for their Barataria smuggling operation. The legend is based on the fact that the property was owned by the family of Simon Duroche a.k.a. Castillon and the wily privateer Captain Rene Beluche. Castillon was a rather record-shy adventurer and entrepreneur. Captain Beluche commanded his ship “Spy” in Lafitte’s Baratarian fleet.

Although the owners of the property, Jean Baptiste Dominica Joly LaPorte probably lived on the premises, it is within reason that the Lafittes could have used the place as city base for negotiations with potential buyers of their goods. It is unlikely that a wealthy Creole would agree to meet at home on Royal Street. Bourbon and St. Phillip was probably regarded as a safe and convenient neutral ground. Like most New Orleans legends, Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop is a gumbo of truth and French, Spanish, African, Cajun and American embellishments.” ~ READ MORE

Best Meal of the Trip

After another stop for Happy Hour at the Coterie, we finished off the day (and the trip) at Deanie’s Seafood, where we had the MOST delicious Stuffed Flounder, accompanied by the MOST delicious Bloody Mary, and followed with the MOST delicious King Cheesecake with four forks. Do you think we enjoyed this day the MOST? MOST definitely!

In Conclusion

We had so much fun that we decided to end next year’s trip to the southeast with another stop in New Orleans. By mid-March, some flowers will be blooming, trees will have leaves and the gators will be terrorizing the swamp tour like they should be. Tomorrow morning we’ll be moving on to San Antonio. Stayed tuned!

Up next: Alamo City

Happy trails,
Barb