BigWeather's Blog

We woke up and got out fairly late (as is our habit, it would seem) and called upon Port of Call on Esplanade for lunch.  I’ve been there several times over the last couple of decades and they always deliver a decent burger.  The options are limited — basically a burger, cheeseburger, mushroom burger, or mushroom cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle.  No bacon or anything fancy.  Burgers are served with baked potatoes, not fries, on which they offer butter, sour cream, cheddar cheese, mushrooms, chives, and bacon bits.  The place is neat, it really does feel like some dive a sailor would visit — dimly lit, uneven wooden floor, netting hiding the AC duct work on the ceiling.  I had a mushroom and swiss cheeseburger with a baked potato with cheese, chives, and bacon bits.  It was yummy.

Avast! There arrrrr great burgers at Port of Call!

We headed back to the unit immediately after to wash out and drop off the plastic Port of Call cups that Addison and Genetta got with their meals.  Almost immediately headed back to the French Quarter, walking along the river all the way to the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas on the far side (near Canal Street).  Along the way we saw a large tanker heading downriver as well as the impressive bridge spanning the Mississippi as well as a docked cruise ship.  The Natchez was also about to disembark and the area immediately around it was abuzz with activity.

Tanker heading downriver on the mighty Mississippi

Streetcar stop along the river front

Jackson Brewery as seen from the Moonwalk, the walk along the Mississippi

River boat Natchez preparing for its afternoon cruise

Impressive US-90 bridge across the Mississippi River

We purchased tickets for both the aquarium and an IMAX movie about great white sharks.  We saw about half the aquarium before the movie started and were pretty impressed by it.  First was a “walk through” tank presented as a Mayan reef — basically the Mayan part was just window dressing scattered about the tank and the other smaller tanks to be seen elsewhere in the exhibit.  Next up was the Amazon rainforest exhibit.  That one was interesting as they had the different habitats including the more upstream area complete with waterfalls and a elevated “tree top” walkway where we saw a few exotic looking birds.  They had piranhas, of course.  Next up were penguins, including a particular one that kept staring at a nook in the fake rock wall — guessing he was anticipating feeding time or something.  They also had the requisite anemone display with “Nemo” and “Dori” fish.  Soon after came seahorses, remarkable creatures, as well as a frog that had its hands held together like Mr. Burns from the Simpsons.

Entrance to the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas

"Mayan" reef tank

Beautiful exotic bird in the Amazon exhibit

Nemo

Awesome black seahorse

Ehhhhxcellent...

As it was nearly 3p we got our hands stamped for eventual re-entry and headed out to the attached IMAX building.  The movie was interesting, if a bit loud.  It was in 3D but it wasn’t super annoying so that’s good at least.  It was about understanding and protecting great white sharks, a species that is apparently in trouble due to over hunting for their fins.

After the movie we headed back into the museum and enjoyed the rest of the aquarium.  There were a few tanks of jellyfish including a variety of “upside down” jellyfish that have their dome resting on the ground and their tendrils sticking up as well as a species that kept moving its tendrils such that it reflected light like some kind of string of moving bulbs.  We learned that electric eels that shock too much actually go blind due to cataracts forming in their eyes.  There was a tank with sharks and rays in them that represented the habitat around the oil rigs in the gulf as well as information on the artificial reef “balls” sunk in Lake Pontchartrain.  They also had a nifty diving suit that allowed the operator to operate for up to 72 hours in case of emergency and rapidly ascend if needed.  Additionally, there was information about the Lewis and Clark expedition and a white alligator.

Beautiful jellyfish

Dive suit allowing a diver to stay submerged for 72 hours if needed

Crawfish!

Really neat fish scale water fountain in the aquarium's lobby

An exhibit also talked about wetland loss.  Eighty percent of wetland loss in the United States is in Louisiana.  The state loses an acre every twenty-five minutes, or 25 square miles a year.  By breaching levies in the delta the wetlands are able to be restored a bit as sediment pours through the breach.  After a quick stop by the restroom and the gift shop we exited the aquarium and walked up Canal Street, turning right on North Peters Street and proceeding past Jackson Square to Cafe Du Monde.

Exterior of the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas

Street cars on Canal in the later afternoon sun

Buggies parked in front of Jackson Square

We found a seat quickly at Cafe Du Monde though it took a bit before one of the waitresses spotted us waiting to order.  We got four orders of beignets (so, twelve total) and some drinks (I had cafe au lait, coffee with milk).  It was quite yummy.  On our way out we quickly watched the workers making beignets by cutting them out rapidly on a table then tossing them in a fryer behind them.  Headed into the French Market and bought some candy (including a few more pralines) at Southern Candymakers and also stopped by the Christmas store for Genetta.  Headed back to the unit and rested a tiny bit.

Interior of Cafe Du Monde

Beignets at Cafe Du Monde

Making beignets at Cafe Du Monde

About 6:30p the six of us headed off to Mona Lisa pizza just a couple of blocks away on Royal Street.  I had a garbage pizza (a “supreme” at Pizza Hut — ham, sausage, pepperoni, onion, green peppers, mushrooms, etc.) and it was excellent.  The garlic bread we had for an appetizer was great too.

Headed back to talk with the parents, blog, etc. but then decided to investigate some music that was coming from down the street.  Across from Praline Connection on Frenchmen Street there was a band playing for a couple of hours and the whole intersection was crowded with people watching, drinking, and dancing.  Just one of those things that happens in New Orleans that you see on TV but can’t believe really happens.  It does, though, and it is pretty amazing to see such a celebration of music at 10p on a Monday.  Wonderful.

Night-time street corner concert on Frenchmen Street, Marigny

We got out a little earlier today, about 10a or so, and headed to the food street fair.  This time I headed straight for Miss Linda the Yakamein Lady (as featured on Food Network’s “Chopped” her business card proudly states).  The broth was a little slow to heat today but the small wait was well worth it; the Yakamein was delicious!  The salty broth and chunks of beef and onions worked great with the spaghetti noodles and the hard boiled egg at the end, by then completely saturated in the broth, was a real treat.  I finally located the rest of the family also eating tasty treats — mom some roasted garlic, Genetta some brisket and thyme and cheese fries, Addison some spiral fries, Michelle an excellent brisket sandwich called the “Percival”, etc.  I then went and bought myself a iced coffee snoball and Genetta a spearmint one.  She really did not like the spearmint one and, after tasting my iced coffee one, promptly went and got one of those.  It really was great.

Afterwards we walked down Decatur towards Jackson Square.  Dad walked ahead and we promised to meet him.  After a few minutes in a Christmas store with the rest, however, I was ready to head to the square myself.  I didn’t immediately see dad so instead walked around and through the park taking pictures of the statue of Andrew Jackson, Saint Louis Cathedral, the gorgeous live oaks, and the art on display.

Classic picture of the statue of Andrew Jackson in front of Saint Louis Cathedral

Saint Louis Cathedral from within Jackson Square

Another shot of the statue and cathedral

I finally found dad and we watched a magician slowly try and build a crowd of onlookers.  It took a while but to his credit he finally got one going.  I don’t think his crowd was as big as the one gathered for the “human robot” (basically a guy dressed in silver spray-painted clothes and pads), though.  Robots 1, Humans 0.  I went to the Tabasco store and got information on tours in case we head that way later in the week.  On the way back I saw the rest of the family walking up.  We checked out a toy store which had a few interesting things like Batman figurines (on his 75th birthday, no less!) and some painted soldiers.  A doll store that Michelle had liked had closed since 2012.  We all sat on the steps of Saint Louis Cathedral for a bit and enjoyed people watching in the beautiful mid-70s partly cloudy day.

Saint Louis Cathedral beyond a dead tree covered in Mardi Gras beads

Massive live oak and art in Jackson Square

Addison, mom, and dad headed off to the unit while Michelle, Genetta, and I continued our walk down Decatur all the way to Iberville.  After stopping by a Walgreens for aloe we turned right on Royal and soon came upon Cafe Beignet.  As we were tired and thirsty we took a break and had some beignets, strawberries, and sweet tea (water for me) for a bit.  Excellent, though I prefer Cafe du Monde’s less doughy beignets truth be told.  While there we saw a few birds flitting about and resting on the metal chairs in the courtyard adjacent to the cafe where we sat.

Beignets at Cafe Beignet -- yummy!

Awesome interior of Cafe Beignet

Taking off again we visited several clothing stores (Genetta was looking for a dress or skirt and would eventually find one) and the site of the store I used to love to visit, the Sword and Pen, that had apparently gone out of business.  It is a real shame as I had visited this store each time we visited the French Quarter since I was a very young boy and I’d always buy a painted soldier to take home with me.  An employee at the new store, a shoe store, had no idea what happened but said that they got lots of questions about what happened to the old store.

We then went to the store where Michelle found a lamp in 2012.  We saw another one we liked, this one with a fleur-de-lis motif.  It was half-off (likely bringing it in line with what it should have been to begin with) and we agreed this could be our 20th wedding anniversary gift (April 16th).  I talked with one of the shopkeepers who had been there since 1983 and remembered an awesome restaurant that the French Quarter had way back when called “Anything Goes.”  It had all sorts of crazy booths made up for different themes and costumed waiters and waitresses.  They also had either an animatronic or human dressed up as ape in a cage in the entrance way.  Great fun.  She also told us that the owner of the Sword and Pen (or Le Petit Soldat as it was known before that), a man named Dave, was still alive but had sold the business due to his age and that that business had eventually failed.  Shame.

We headed down Royal a distance further seeing many interesting things like a real estate sign proudly proclaiming “Haunted” as a selling point, lamp posts covered in beads, and the angel dispensing bubbles again — I got a better picture this time!  I also got a couple of better pictures of the Cornstalk Hotel’s fence and fountain.  We took a right and headed back to the food fair for one last iced coffee snoball for me and a cherry one for Michelle.  Headed back to the unit for a few minutes to rest around 5p.

Only in New Orleans is "Haunted" a selling point...

Corner of Royal and St. Ann, some colorful fleur-de-lis flags

Mardi Gras beads adorn a Royal Street lamp

Cornstalk Hotel fountain viewed through the famous cast iron fence

Gate of the Cornstalk Hotel

Got a better picture of the Angel of Bubbles today than yesterday

Metal signs in the French Quarter

About 5:30p we left for dinner at Praline Connection a short distance from the unit.  The road near the unit was blocked off by a fire truck and a sheriff’s van and there were cameras and such set up as well as a large wood cutout that was several stories high.  We didn’t know what was happening and after a while headed to the restaurant.  I had red beans and rice with Andouille sausage — very tasty!  Michelle and Addison had fried chicken, Genetta fried shrimp, dad and mom had po boys I think.  Great food!

Red beans and rice and Andouille sausage

After dinner dad headed back to the unit while the rest of us went to a art flea market type of thing less than a block away.  They had a number of interesting things there like wire art, bottle cap jewelry, paintings, metal yard art (though a bit pricey), spoon art, these melted / flattened bottles that acted as wind chimes, you name it.  They even had light up furniture and a girl scout trying to sell cookies.  That was really odd — a bit of normalcy among all the other stuff.  Addison got a utensil-art scorpion that was really cool while Genetta got a really neat art print that was music-themed.  Michelle and I liked that so much that we each got small prints as well (they were only $10 each) and talked with the vendor a while.  He had gone to school as an audio engineer and played bass and apparently spent about 20 hours on each piece of original art (that sells for hundreds each).  Really nice guy.

Marigny cafe and tattoo parlor

Marigny art show / flea market

Headed back to the unit.  Along the way discovered that the thing near the unit looked to be some sort of party for the gallery and there was an artist on a cherry picker using two blowtorches to burn a design into the large wooden cutout — looks like it was to be an angel or something.  Really neat, hopefully I’ll get a nice picture of it tomorrow.  Went upstairs to blog, rest, and eat a praline or two before bed.

Marigny art gallery party

Artist at work on the giant wooden cutout

After a pretty rough night (headache plus just not feeling well, compounded by an amazing batch of thunderstorms) I slept in late, we didn’t really get going until about noon.  Genetta did go to breakfast with my mother and bring back a biscuit and some strawberry jam for Michelle — that was really sweet of her.  The four of us headed out for a street food fair on Decatur just a few blocks from the unit.  The day started out cloudy but quickly turned bright blue with puffy clouds and a decent breeze.

Cool old building in the French Quarter, home to Louisiana Pizza Kitchen (where we'd end up eating dinner)

We had all kinds of food.  I personally tasted some of Addison’s (and later, Michelle’s) beef brisket as well as some of Addison’s fried mac and cheese.  I also got a small bowl of Andouille sausage and chicken jambalaya that was wonderful.  Addison and Michelle each got some fried chicken that was too spicy to finish (they claimed they didn’t know it was going to be spicy, but c’mon — the fried skin was glowing red) and Genetta had some yakamein.  Yakamein are spaghetti noodles in beef and onion broth and half a hard-boiled egg.  Hers had some shrimp which led me not to share, but I resolved to have some on Sunday when we (inevitably) return.  We finished up our food fair with small sno balls that were wonderful.  I had the strawberry and they were very, very generous with the syrup!

Beef and shrimp yakamein, known to the locals as "Old Sober" for its hangover helper properties

A quiet place in Latrobe Park to enjoy our food

Andouille sausage and chicken jambalaya, very tasty!

Latrobe Park, French Quarter

Statue of Joan of Arc near the French Market

As we were too full for beignets we walked past Cafe du Monde (it was packed anyhow) and watched some performers near Jackson Square in front of St. Louis Cathedral from the Washington Artillery battery.  We ended up briefly checking out some art hung on the fence surrounding Jackson Square.

Saint Louis Cathedral

Art vendor at Jackson Square

Jackson Square with Saint Louis Cathedral beyond

A street car with the Mississippi beyond

More art near Jackson Square

We then proceeded up Decatur  to Walgreens (for various supplies) and then to Southern Candymakers and bought some treats — gummy worms for Addison, some chocolate for the ladies, and pralines for me.  Along the way we also stopped at the Jean Lafitte National Park headquarters and, after a brief sweep through the visitor’s center, enjoyed their quiet courtyard.  That all done, we headed up Conti and at the intersection of Royal happened upon a wedding second line.  Unfortunately we missed the bride and groom but did manage to catch the wedding guests dancing and waving their white wedding second line handkerchiefs just in front of the band pulling up the rear.  Really lucky of us to stumble on to that!

Wedding Second Line parading up Royal Street

We headed back to the unit via Royal and saw a few shops we’d definitely be visiting in the days ahead like Cohen’s coins and antiques store, a store that has many Tiffany-style lamps, and a vintage clothing shop that Genetta is interested in.  There were also some interesting street performances to be seen in addition to the normal street musicians — a guy dressed up like the Invisible Man sitting on an “invisible stool” as well as two men sitting at desks with typewriters offering to type out poems for people.

Invisible man sitting on an invisible stool -- freaky!

Street band on Royal

Royal Street poets-on-demand

We passed the Cornstalk Hotel, across from which a balcony had an angel statue blowing bubbles on to the street.  Made it back to the unit just before 4p and got ready to go to the Fais-Do-Do, a Cajun event with music (often zydeco) and dancing, at Maison on Frenchmen Street.  Though it was a bit too crowded inside we all enjoyed the music (along with others) from the street.  Genetta and I, later joined by Michelle, went to the nearby Louisiana Music Factory.  Louisiana Music Factory is a wonderful music store specializing in the thriving New Orleans music scene — everything from jazz and zydeco to even the local metal acts like Goatwhore and Down.  Genetta bought a zydeco CD and a sticker for her cello case.

More art, this time behind Saint Louis Cathedral

Cornstalk Hotel fountain

Balcony angel bestowing her bounty of bubbles!

Neato sign for the famous Blue Nile on Frenchmen Street, Marigny

Events board for Maison on Frenchmen, is that a bottle drunk from drinking another bottle while chopping a rainbow next to a flying saucer? What?!

Zydeco performers at the Fais-Do-Do at Maison on Frenchmen Street, Marigny

Late afternoon sun really brings out some of the color of the Marigny

After heading back to the unit for a few minutes to freshen up we headed back into the quarter to the Louisiana Pizza Kitchen.  We had some really good ciabatta garlic bread and I had a personal pepperoni and cheese pizza.  For dessert I shared some of Michelle’s chocolate cake.  Heading back we talked in the courtyard for a bit then headed up to bed to relax and to blog.

We woke up early and got the kids off to school, leaving the parents to pack and get ready for our trip to New Orleans.  Michelle picked them up early from school, between 12p and 1p, and Adrianne took us to the airport by 2p.  Check-in went smoothly as there were not very many people at the airport (or at least in that particular terminal, occupied only by Southwest / AirTran).  The flight, on a 737, went smoothly though the entire route was pretty much clouded-in.  We first flew to Nashville then (on the same plane) on to New Orleans, arriving about 6p local time.  We booked travel for the four of us on the airport shuttle to downtown hotels and thought it to be a bit pricey — until we saw that the cab prices were quite comparable.  Oh well, beats walking — Louis Armstrong Airport is many miles west of our hotel just outside the French Quarter.

After a long shuttle ride through much of the French Quarter (as there were other hotels reached before ours — the last stop) we arrived at the Courtyards Inn on Royal Street.  We’ve been coming here for years (in particular three times in the last 4 years — 2010, 2012, and 2014) and it is a great base for exploring not only the French Quarter but also Marigny (the first suburb of New Orleans, built on a former plantation).  It is, in my opinion, on the best side of the Quarter, the east side.  This side is far more residential and less commercial than the other side bounded by Canal Street.  Marigny is also home to many fantastic restaurants and great music (much off of Frenchmen Street).

The Courtyards Inn itself is a collection of six units around a charming courtyard.  My parents were already here when we arrived and, after a quick break to move the luggage to the unit (on top of theirs, a change from the usual unit on the third floor at the front of the inn) and freshen up we headed out for dinner.  We had intended to eat at Praline Connection as it is only a few blocks away but the wait was an hour or so.  We instead headed to a restaurant they had dined in earlier in the day, the Marigny Brasserie and Bar.

Though we didn't eat there (yet!), I really like the neon sign

The place was nice, with a bar / music stage in the front and more traditional dining space in the rear.  After some of the best mozzarella sticks any of us had ever eaten (with a sweet tomato Creole sauce), I had a wonderful Andouille sausage po boy.  Addison had a burger done medium rare that looked perfect as it had a soaked lower bun.  Yum!  For dessert I shared a chocolate mousse cake with Genetta.  While we were eating a band started playing in the front.  There were three of them, a drummer, a saxophonist, and a person playing this really large odd instrument.  The waitress (who was excellent) told us it was a kora, a traditional African instrument with 21 (!) strings.  It had a wonderful sound.

Band (with kora on the left) at the Marigny Brasserie and Bar

We headed back to the unit after that, briefly talking in the courtyard before heading up to bed exhausted from the day’s travels.