We had the kids keep a journal about their trip experiences
Derek and Todd relaxing on the front porch in the morning
Taking the streetcar to the French Quarter
Lunch at The Court Of Two Sisters
Derek and the mighty Mississippi
Helen tries on sunglasses at The French Market
Cafe Du Monde of course
Winding it down on Bourbon StreetMonday May 26
On Monday we took a day trip with Katie to New Orleans, which is about an hour east of Pierre Part. We parked uptown near Tulane University and took the streetcar down St Charles Street to the French Quarter.
We spent some time looking for a visitor center that was marked on our map. We couldn't find it until we realized it was in the police precinct. It turned out not to be much of a visitor center - just a small bookshelf in the corner with some pamphlets. The policeman weren't very friendly either.
We went to The Court Of Two Sisters for lunch. We hadn't planned on it being a big brunch, but we decided to try it. The food was very good, the ambiance in the open courtyard was very nice, and there was a wide selection of food so everyone could find something they liked. However, nobody really ate enough to warrant the price - as is usually the case with us and buffets. It's bothersome to see Adam get a plate full of cheap fruit or something, when I know it's the expensive stuff like the shrimp where the value is to be had. I can usually get my money's worth - given enough time, but everyone else is usually ready to go long before I'm full.
We walked around the French Quarter and stopped in a number of shops. We walked through the French Market (a big flea market) where Katie and Helen got some cheap knockoff designer sunglasses and Katie bought a purse. Then we walked over to check out the Mississippi river. We stopped at Cafe Du Monde for some beignets, of course, before checking out Jackson Square and walking over to the Riverwalk mall. We were all tired, but toughed it out and strolled over to Bourbon Street as night was falling. The kids were a little shell shocked by all the activity, but nothing too inappropriate. We could still hear the music playing as we waited for the streetcar to take us back uptown. We were glad that the kids got to hear the Bourbon Street music - something truly authentic New Orleans.
The boys were complaining that they were starving so we looked for a nice neighborhood place to eat. We were lucky enough to stumble upon The Camilla Grill. It reminded me of the old Junior's Grill from my Georgia Tech days and we saw plenty of what looked like Tulane students. A place with some character, great food, and friendly service at a reasonable price - perfect.
All in all the trip to New Orleans was ok, but a little touristy, especially after our authentic Cajun experience the day before. We found that many towns had the usual children's museum, aquarium, etc. designed to attract the tourists; I'm sure those places would have been fine, but we tried desperately to find those authentic experiences that made each town unique in what seems is an America that is turning into one big homogenous place with the same big name chain stores, restaurants, and hotels.
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