New Orleans May 2014

I've been trying to get the gumption to post our Memphis-New Orleans trip. I didn't take near as many pictures this year.

Do you hear the Man say : Do you take the same picture every year?

Do you notice I ignore him?

Yes! I do! I love coming over the bridge into Memphis. Kiss my grits!

We've never taken a carriage ride in Memphis. Don't plan to either. LOL But they are prettier than the ones in New Orleans. The Memphis carriages are usually lit up with electric lights or decked out with flowers. I've noticed that all the New Orleans carriage rides are pulled by mules any more. It never used to be that way. Mules must be sturdier and able to handle the heat better is my guess. Memphis still has some horses. I like that better.


Below is in New Orleans. Again at Margaritaville the first night we're there. It's a tradition and yes the food is still mediocre. LOL

I got the jerk chicken this time: 

 Boneless chicken breasts marinated in authentic jerk spices and roasted island style. Served with seasonal vegetables and island rice. It wasn't too bad. I'd probably not get it again. LOL Jeff had the cheeseburger again. He's so versatile. pfffft

 

Above is a building that's being fixed up across the street. We took the picture so we can compare it to the next time we go. Probably Nov 2015. No more May weather for me. Too hot. It was 85 every day with not too bad of humidity (64-75%), but it's just not pleasant to walk around in that. The heat there is different than even humid Iowa's. And we get HOT here too. Really, really hot and humid in the summer. But I'm not walking around in it. Just in and out of work or a store. So we plan to go now later in the year since Jeff can't get off work earlier than May with his new job. It's going to a year and a half before we go back.....sniffle.

 

 

We found the Walmart in NO! (We also have a tradition to find the Walmarts in every town we visit-LOL)

I guess this is what Walmart employees in NO do for fun. I felt like a freak even taking the pic.

 

 

Lush!!! It was OPEN!! I spent about 150.00 there.

Above was a gate to a home across the street from our hotel. Homeowners add things to their gate to make it difficult for thieves to climb over. Isn't this just beautiful? Here's a bench from the same home.

We met the homeowner. We were on our balcony and he came out and started down the street with two dogs. One dog was a small young bulldog that was loose, snorting and wiggling all over,  and the other was like a terrier on a leash. They walked below us and into a parking lot and disappeared around a corner. About a minute later, this black and white cat came down the street, looked around the corner then followed them.
After a bit they came back and the cat was with them. I yelled to him asking if the cat was his. It was! He said all three were rescues and the cat always follows them! I asked their names and the male cat was named Babycake (LOL!), the terrier was named Belle and the bulldog was Monster. I told him I got a kick out of all of them, especially the cat, how it sleuthed to follow them. I remember their names because I call Stark my Babycake, our cat Mojo's full name is Mojo Howitz the Stinky Spider Cat Monster Eater, and we almost named Ava Belle. How ironic is that! The house he lives in assesses at like 1.2 million. WOWSA!! Here's the view from our balcony. OH!! We got the Honeymoon Suite again! (see last year's post) I had asked for it but they can never guarantee it.

We took the Jeep out and toured the garden district. Below are pics of houses I took while driving down the road.

Not too bad of a job considering we were going 35 miles an hour. LOL

Now doesn't this place look like fun! I told Jeff that next time we will have to stop here.

 

 

 

Below is Jackson Square. 

 

 

 

 

Below is Johnny White's Hole in the Wall again.  We always seem to get some unusual shots here. Probably because it's on BOURBON! LOL Yeah, you need to click on the pic below to get the full effect......She was carrying a bucket that said 'Pics for Tips'. 

The sunset was in Iowa--our last leg of the trip. It was much better in person.

 

 

Now I will attach some vids I took.

 

 

Above was sky-writing plane. We saw it from far away and just watched him do loops etc over the freeway as we got closer. It was cool to watch. It was south of St Louis in Missouri. Excuse the wind, I didn't realize it would be annoying.

 

 

I don't know why I always have to say stupid shit when I take videos. LOL

 

 Above is a carriage ride in New Orleans from Margaritaville's balcony.

 

 

Above is the view from our balcony. The house with the figurines on the fence and the bench is at the beginning on the corner. The parking lot where the dude disappeared with the two dogs named Belle and Monster is at the end. It's so enjoyable to be sitting up there in the early morning drinking coffee and listening to the trains and boats go by. Also at night, drinking some beers, and watching all the people stroll by.

 

 

Above is a HUGE ship on the Mississippi, we can see them from the room. I messed up and focused on the top of a building thinking it was the ship, but you can kind of get the size of it anyway in the beginning of the video.

Above was the Krewe of Cork -carnival walking parade. There was some wine fest going on. I was laughing because the woman had just tossed my husband some beads! It was a Krewe of Cork necklace. I still have it!

 

Above is Jackson Square. It's so pretty. There's all kinds of artists showing their wares and you can meander among all the painted pictures and murals. I found one that really spoke to me and would have looked hellish in our living room. It was an all jewel tone colors oil painting of New Orleans. It was magnificent. It was also $3,600.00. I can never justify that for a painting. Yeah, I'm cheap.

 

Above is an irritating band that meanders through the Quarter. They can't play worth shit and are really loud. We were in Johnnie's at the time. They had the cops called on them and the cops brought the city guy that rates the sound level. They had to move because they rated well over what is accepted. Yay, it was horrible. We couldn't even hear ourselves talk.

Johnny White's Hole in the Wall is our number one fave bar in NO. It's at the end of Bourbon where you turn around and head back toward Canal at 718 Bourbon. The original Johnny White's is still at 733 St. Peter and they stayed open during Katrina! They never close.

 

Well, that's it. More next year!!