Ariel and I spent three nights and close to three days in the Mardi Gras capital and I'll preface the story of our time with the fact that in New Orleans it's legal to have an open alcoholic beverage in public. For those of us used to the customs of normal states this news came as a bit of a shock and we were certain to take full advantage of the liberties given in this city.
We got in a little late but after meeting our hostesses Dani and Allyson we went out to Frenchman St. This area was described to us as the "Bourbon St for locals." We got a couple drinks and listened to a funky, jazzy brass band. Then we simply walked outside with our drinks and down to the next bar with live music! All down the street was live music, cheap drinks, and people having fun in the sticky warm nighttime air. The music scene here was thrilling and I couldn't get enough of it. We would be watching a band and in the middle of an instrumental jam some seemingly random guy would walk in with a trumpet or sax or trombone and start jamming with them. These gypsy musicians typically had just left their own band's gig down the street and popped in to jam while walking by. I could've stayed at these bars all night and day for the whole weekend but we had much to see.
The next morning we got brunch at a cafe and ordered Bloody Marys from the bar next door. The food was delicious, especially the grits, and when we left we got another Bloody for the road. We just couldn't believe it was legal to walk down the street with a cocktail in hand and made the most of it. Although legal, we did find out that people find it odd when you do this in a residential neighborhood on a Saturday morning, as evidenced by the hair dressers in a salon laughing as they saw us strolling by.
We explored the river front and Audubon Park and returned to the apartment to get ready for Midsummer Mardi Gras which just happened to fall on this Saturday that we were here. Dani has a great costume trunk and Ariel and I were able to pull together some killer outfits before heading out. We got to the parade beginning and joined the roughly thousand other people with daiquiris in hand. There were some hilarious costumes and floats, like Bar-2-D2 which rolled by with drinks. We paraded for a bit and ended in a park with everyone else where we enjoyed hanging out and garrulously chatting with others until we stumbled back home for the night.
Sunday we ventured out for another brunch which was of course delicious. Then, feeling the richness of the food wearing on us, we went for a run down the streetcar tracks as many do. It was hot and absurdly humid and when we returned from our several mile jaunt and stopped creating our own breeze, starting sweating profusely. Ariel showered first and I just stood in the kitchen over the floor mat so as not to create a flood on the hardwood. I don't think I've ever sweat as much, I was completely soaked as if I'd fallen in a pool and then when I got out a pool had fallen on me. There was no end, even after I showered, and both of us ended up laying on the bed under the ceiling fan for awhile to cool down.
Once we had gathered ourselves we ventured out to check out Bourbon Street and the French Quarter. The area was really fun and we saw some live music at House of Blues and wandered the Quarter. There were many street artists and cute storefronts, and we did some souvenir shopping along with Cafe Au Lait and beignets at Cafe Du Monde and then searched out some oysters. Everyone had recommended Acme Oyster House but there was a line and we had a show to go to soon. The decision to go across the street to Felix's was a great one and the guy behind the oyster bar immediately shucked us 7 oysters each even though we were only ordering a dozen. He showed us how to efficiently and safely shuck oysters and we enjoyed the low key nature of the guy and place. The Po' Boys were good and the guy even gave us a couple pieces of the slice of cake he had been given by the kitchen.
We paid and hustled off to a show that Steph had helped us find after fruitlessly searching on our phones. What she came up with was a Mario Brothers themed burlesque show! It was the last night they were performing so we took this once in a lifetime opportunity. This was my first burlesque show and it was a mixture of hilarious and sexy, with emphasis on the former. They got the crowd into it and we were all laughing throughout the hour. After the show we walked back to Bourbon Street and got a beer at Lafitte's, the oldest bar in America having been founded 15 years before our country. It doesn't seem to get too crazy since it's at the end of Bourbon but it has a great atmosphere. We were stunned by all the activity on Bourbon on a Sunday night and the live music was great.
Monday morning was our last and we started it with a swamp tour. The Louisiana swamp was stunning and wild and we saw upwards of a dozen alligators which the guide coaxed right next to the boat with the promise of hot dogs. We learned some local history, saw turtles, herons, and miles of Spanish moss. Afterwards we returned to NOLA and had a luxurious yet good priced lunch at Commander's Palace which, during weekday lunches, can be accompanied by tasty 25 cent martinis! Being the driver I only had one but since Ariel would soon be hopping on a plane he was good about consuming a dollars worth. The mood about the place was interesting since Hurricane Isaac was nearing and most businesses had their windows boarded up. It was fortunate that Ariel's flight was today because tomorrow the storm would touch land and all flights were cancelled. But unfortunately the coming of a hurricane prompted many to voluntarily evacuate and it took us and hour and a half to drive the 15 miles to the airport. He left his luggage with me to avoid the time to check a bag and I dropped him off with less than an hour until takeoff, thankfully he made the flight.
I've been fortunate to have friends and loved ones who have met me along the way on this long journey and Ariel's company through the past week was the best way to drive a couple thousand miles. We had some boring stretches but overall the music was thumping and we had a fantastic time seeing the South and nearly literally drinking in New Orleans.
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