A few weeks after I turned 30 Aaron had to go to New Orleans for work to attend a conference. When he first told me that he would have to go, I instantly said "I want to come". But I brushed it off thinking that it probably wouldn't happen. Well we got to talking and I asked my mom if she would come watch ALL three kids for a week for my birthday present this year. She said yes (she was hesitant, she was sure she was not going to make until the end of the week).
It was really nice to have a week with no kids. Since Aaron was in classes all day each day we were there, I filled my time taking walking tours and just walking and exploring on my own. I have always wanted to go to New Orleans. I am so glad that I did. But I don't really want to go back again. It smells really really really bad.
Beads! There were beads everywhere along the parade route. They were even embedded in the dirt on the ground. EVERYWHERE!
In New Orleans there are still the old street car lines. There are three that run. I rode the street cars everyday. It is super cheap transportation. $10 for the whole time I was there. Sometimes I rode the street cars just to sit and relax and people watch, other times I rode them to get somewhere. These were the best at night with the cool breeze coming through the windows.
On my first walking tour, I went into the French Quarters. This building is the Supreme Court, but was built from marble imported from Greece. Such a pretty building.
The details are amazing. This building is very very large. It takes up the entire city block!
Benjamin Latrobe designed the inside of this branch of the Louisiana State Bank. It was designed so that if you stood at a particular spot you could what was being said all the way across the room. (the yellow building)
There were quite a few street performers. There was one guy who was playing a 5 quart plastic bucket. When he played it, it sounded like a full drum set. Amazing.
The other side of the Supreme Court building. And below are more beads. It seems that my pictures loaded out of order.
This is the Napoleon House. My guide said that the Louisiana Purchase happened in this building. I loved how rich and full of history everything seemed to be.
Pharmaceuticals originated in New Orleans. This building was the first Pharmacy.
This is a soda fountain. Not sure why it was in the Pharmacy Museum.
Different view of Napoleon House.
These gas lamps were every where. Even in the garden district. I think they are super cool. I would love some on the outside of my house, however I think they would look out of place.
This is the oldest restaurant in the U.S. A LOT of history in this place.
More beads and the street car. (not sure why they got out of order and I am too lazy to put them back in order)
My tour touched a little on Bourbon Street, we also had dinner one night. That is the night that Aaron tried oysters for the first time in his seafood gumbo. I actually like the sausage gumbo, but not so much the jambalaya.
I love the look of the buildings. I just wish they didn't allow cars, it would make it more authentic.
These horse poles were in varies areas of the French Quarter and the Garden District. When horses were the preferred form of transportation there were areas set up to tie up you horse. Now for tourists they put horse heads on top of the poles.
When the French Quarter was mostly inhabited by creoles, there was a definite separation between them and the 'Americans'. Neither liked each other. The French Quarter was mostly creoles, Spanish, or french people where the Garden District was the American section. Technically they were all Americans, but anyway, Canal Street separated the two areas. It is super wide so as too not confuse where the boundary is. The creole woman are gorgeous and of course the American men wanted them. So the Creole dads put these hook/spike things on their homes, so when the American men tried to climb to their daughters room damage would be done.
May Bailey is the first woman business owner in the U.S. Since the French Quarter mostly lived on French laws even though they were part of the U.S., women were allowed to own businesses and land.
This is last known active brothel in U.S. It was disbanded in the 60s.
This is the tomb of Marie Laveau, a voodoo queen. People still believe in her and daily lay trinkets or other important items to them at her tomb. Sadly every night kids from the near by projects hope the walls of the cemetery and take the items left at her tomb as well as other dead voodoo artists tombs.
This is the tomb that Nicolas Cage has purchased for when he dies.
There is a movie that was filmed in this cemetery and as part of the movie they really cut off the heads of these statues, since then, the catholic church has not allowed any movies to be filmed in this cemetery.
Family members have to pay to keep the family tombs maintained, if not they fall apart.
This is the most recent burial in this cemetery.
This is where Marie Laveau lived and raised her kids and worked as a Voodoo artist while she was alive.
The St. Louis Cathedral with the statue of Paul Revere on his horse.
An empty tomb, you can fit hundreds of family members in one tomb.
Most recent burial in this cemetery in the Garden District. 2012
One of Sandra Bullock's houses.
This is the house where Payton and Eli Manning's parents live. People take off the pointy parts of the fence as souvenirs.
The French Consulate in the 'American' side of New Orleans.
A place for the horses in the Garden District. I was a little bummed that on my tour of the Garden District you couldn't go into any of the homes, because as I found out they are all privately owned and currently lived in. Bummer. I would have loved to see the inside of a few of those gorgeous homes.
Parades erupted on an almost nightly basis on Bourbon Street.
A must have in New Orleans. Beiginets. Soooo yummy. I think I need to make these at home!
The Mississippi River. It sure is big.
Proof that Aaron was with me.
The Vieux carre is the organization in charge of restoration in the French Quarter. Their goal is to keep everything as authentic as possible.
