Day 3 Continued: New Orleans

We arrived in New Orleans just after noon.  Our hotel, the Prince Conti, was more than I could ever have hoped for.  A beautiful European-styled hotel in the heart of the French Quarter.   Once settled and after a short nap we explored the Quarter a bit.  Its a beautiful city with an old-world European style... it felt like being back in a bohemian French town.  We went down to the waterfront and then to Cafe du Monde for the requisite beignets and chicory coffee.  It's as good as everyone says, if not better!  We had dinner at a local hole-in-the wall, I had a shrimp po-boy that was quite good.  After getting cleaned up it was time to hit the bars on Bourbon Street.  Now, being mid January I didn't expect much of a night life but the bars were hopping, despite a bit of light rain (it was in the 60s though).  We started at Pat O'Briens, birthplace of the Hurricane, to sample one of the famous drinks.  It was good, and expensive and touristy, but the place was cool and we had a nice outdoor seating.  The timeline from here on out is a bit fuzzy as we went to several bars, all with live music and large cheap drinks.  The pictures here can tell more than words, so feel free to insert your own dialogue.