Louisiana Travel Blogs | Travelogues | Travel Journals

Alas, ‘tis true.  I had to go home.  But before that, I had brunch at brennan's (see review) with j girl, baby, j1 boy, l1 girl, c girl, ruthie, g girl, k girl and r girl.  Thereafter, we staked out Brad Pitt’s house and listened to l1 girl’s palm reading.   The palm reader also gave me an impromptu palm reading.  I then had my last bloody mary before heading back home. I was tired but I had such a great time.  I also met wonderful new f...

Now on to Lake Charles for the end of the day. Or so we thought. Actually all the places in that area were full, so we headed on east and then north to Kinder, LA, where we found a room at a small motel named the Scottish Inn. No internet, only one queen bed and no in room amenities that we are used to, like a microwave, refrigerator, coffee maker, and an alarm clock. There was TV and a hair dryer. This truely was a 1/2 star single story motel. Dinner was special. In Kinder is a great place ...

Sunday finally arrived and was the last official day of our New Orleans adventure.  Gary and Grace already left for the airport.  The remainder of the group, 10 people to be exact, met for Breakfast/Brunch at Brennan's.  Several people told me that this was a must and that I had to order their Bananas Foster dessert.  I'm not a huge, sweet dessert fan... but when in NOLA...  Breakfast was on the pricey side, but well worth it.  The 3-course Prix Fixe menu wa...

Today was free of everything. I had no tours booked because I figured that we would venture on foot. I hadn't planned in all the walking we had already done the nights and days before. My feet were killing me. lol When we stepped out of the hotel on this day we almost immediately wanted to turn around and go back to the cool hotel room. The humidity was kicking our butt. We have humidity in Virginia but this was ridiculous. After a small breakfast/lunch we headed for the waterfront. I suggest...

Ahhh, the day finally arrives when I can meet up with all my new friends and listen to the great music!!!! Friday.  I joined this website (yes, another one that has meetups).  It was the chat page off the NOLA Jazz Fest site.  The people on this site call themselves Threadheads.  I'd been talking to them online for about 6 months.  A planned pre-fest meetup at Liuzza's (by the Sauvage St entrance).  So great to put faces with names.  And, they all had lagni...

  JAZZING IT UP IN N’AWLINS   I had the privilege of attending my 7th and 8th TravBuddy meetups the last week of April in both N'awlins and the Big Apple. 13 of us gathered in the French Quarter of the Crescent City on Thursday, April 24 on Jazz Fest eve.   The party occurred at the Crescent City Brewhouse on Decatur Street. Opened in 1991, it became the original brewpub in New Orleans and the first brewery to open in the area in over 72 years.   I arrived ea...

Finally, Mardi Gras is here. It was the last day of this party weekend! There were some parades programmed, but that's it. Everything was supposed to end early, because the next day was a regular day and people had to go back to work and it was a Catholic Holiday too - Ash Wednesday. After a "busy" weekend it was time to gave a break to my body. I didn't want to drink any alcohol or eat much that day. Adam had to drive back to the school too, so we decided to meet for something quiet.  ...

I'm sure this is the part everyone wants to read.  What is it like in New Orleans 10 months after Katrina?  To tell you the truth, I can only say a few things.  First, the city worked very hard to clean up the area around the Convention Center to make our conference a huge success.  Canal St and the Upper and Lower French Quarter showed few signs of hurricane damage.  Occassionally there were buildings being repaired, but the repairs were contained and only&...

I am sitting here thinking of everything that has happened in my life and the changes since Katrina went through the Gulf Coast, the damage to New Orleans and the remainder of the coastal areas, the levies failing in the 9th ward, the media coverage, the times I have been back to New Orleans and the people I met. I remember the day like it was yesterday, I was at home on crutches after shredding my Achilles tendon and having surgery.  I was supposed to go back to New Orleans for Hallowe...

So for our last day on our trip we really wanted to plan something cultural. We started off with breakfast at Cafe Du Monde and decided on a tour of some plantation homes. Since we didn't have a car, we got hooked up with a tour that includes a driver that will pick you up at your hotel. Our first stop was at Oak Alley, one of the more picturesque plantations in the area. It certainly was beautiful! I loved the grounds surrounding the plantation, as it is lined with 28 perfectly spaced oak t...

We had a short day, so we concentrated on one particular area. I have lived in the New Orleans area my whole life, so I thought I would highlight a few things for those who would like to visit our great city! We started out with a visit to Cafe du Monde for the world famous beignets. For those of you who don't know what that is, it is a type of doughnut, square in shape, deep fried and covered in powered sugar. When you top it off with a cup of cafe au lait (coffee with milk), you ha...

The French Quarter in New Orleans   Writing about the French Quarter has turned out to be a difficult and confusing task.  My mind spins and twirls with facts, history, myths, legends, ghosts, tours, food and more.  There is a plethora of architecture to enchant the mind and leave the soul spell bound.  Do I start on the atmosphere and smell of the Quarter which is unlike any location I have ever experienced? After a few moments of deliberation I thought of using coins,...

Thanksgiving with my father exploring New Orleans post Katrina and the surrounding area.

Even after all this time, in a lot of areas affected by Huricane Katrina, it still looks as if it just happened! One can not imagine the extent of the destruction unless you have witnessed it with your own eyes! It seems sometimes that it is just too much, that it is impossible to ever overcome all the destruction caused by this tragedy. But, with the help of volunteers locally and from across the nation and the determination of those personally affected, I know that New Orleans an...

In the morning, I took the streetcar back toward the Garden District. I went down to Magazine Street, and walked all the way to Audubon Park. Magazine Street is full of antiuque stores, boutiques and unique independant shops. I got an adorable circle skirted peacoat and my heels redone at a cheap shoe repair place. Audubon Park is an adorable stretch of urban park, dotted with oaks, and home to a cute little lake. There's lots of friendly animals -- squirrels, ducks, geese and weird ...