New Orleans - The Dark Side - Part 2

New Orleans – Fun and Craziness in “Nawlins" - Part 2 

Please excuse the length and detail of this post - I just have SO MUCH TO TELL YOU!  I'm very excited!  Please grab a coffee or glass of wine and enjoy......10 minutes max.....I promise!

As you may have expected, there is a dark, sinister, spooky and very interesting side to New Orleans that dates back to the early 1700's.

For Example:  We visited Jackson Square during the day and it was a nice, small park with flowers and statues.  Here is a picture of me in the garden.

Note: there are NO animals visible in this picture.

Then, by night, scores of cats come out of nowhere.  The gates of the dark park are closed at dusk then the cats come out.  Very spooky.  We stopped by the gates on our second night and sure enough we saw about a dozen feral cats.  Here are 3 of them.  

AND, the Square is lined with fortune tellers, tarot card readers and voodoo practitioners.  Coincidence?  I don't think so!

 

Our introduction to the "Dark Side" was by a couple of ladies at our RV Park.  I was playing with our muttlies at the RV park's dog play area on our second (and last) afternoon in N.O.  A dilapidated and tired looking camper pulled up to the fence and the noise from the barking dogs and chirping (caged) bird was incredible.  In fact, the ruckus was so chaotic that I leashed Loki and Klio to leave and let whomever these crazy people were, run their dogs in the park alone.  One of the ladies (Paige I later learned her name) called after me to stay and have my dogs play with her dogs.  So, I turned around and went back to the dog area.  Six running dogs (three were white fluffy Bishon Frises and one was a Westie, plus our Mutts) is absolutely crazy!  Yap yap yap yap bark!  Loki and Klio had fun though.  

We people began chatting while the dogs were playing.  Then, luckily Steve showed up just in time to hear some interesting stories about this duo (so that I have proof that these conversations actually occurred).  It turns out that Paula and Lesley are PARANORMAL INVESTIGATORS and weren't shy in telling us about it.  They were in New Orleans to “do an investigation” and to check out the oldest, most famous cemetery in N.O. (called St. Louis Cemetery No. 1).  They told us about their investigations, the “ghosts” and “spirits” that they’ve encountered, their attempt at recording voices or noises at the cemetery (and being frustrated because it was overrun by tourists)…….and THEN confessed that their main objective in the voodoo/spiritual world of New Orleans was to find a way to SHAKE the spirit that haunts Paige directly.

Okay, now I'm not exactly a believer (or a non-believer) in this stuff (hail Mary full of grace), but this woman was completely convinced and concerned about the intentions of her evil bad spirit.  Here's her (short version) story:  It seems that one of her investigations went “bad.”  The aggressive, mean, persistent male (probably a violent criminal in his previous life) spirit of one of her clients has “latched himself to Paula” and is with her off-and-on everyday.  Apparently, he has sexually violated her (many times) and her mother too.  EWWWW! Lucky for you,  I WON’T go into any details (mostly because I CANNOT BEAR to think about, let alone repeat aloud, her description of events), BUT Paula's creepy and strange story had Steve and I absolutely intrigued for about an hour.  She told us about how she sought out a Tarot Card reader, named Joseph Zaba, to help her understand her predicament and OF COURSE he KNEW THINGS that ONLY she knew! Ewwwww, again.

Steve and I subsequently went looking for Frank Zappa, I mean Joseph Zaba, at Jackson Square but couldn't find him.  I was hoping to have a real-life Tarot card reading experience in 'Nawlins (so that I too could have the bejeezuz scared outta me), but decided it wasn't meant to be.  We went back to Margaritaville instead.  Ha!

Anyway, New Orleans is a mecca for people looking for spiritual answers, seeking out paranormal experiences and practicing Voodoo.  This stunning church could be seen for several blocks.....Catholicism is very much a part of Louisiana's Voodoo Practice.

St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

Okay, so everyone kept telling us to go see the above-ground tombs at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1.  "If we do ONE THING in New Orleans, this is it".  Well, as you might therefore expect, touring this cemetery is quite a commercial operation these days and during the 6 or so hours of the day when the cemetery is open, it really is super busy with tour guides and tourists (at a cost of $22 per person).  Our "friends" Paula and Lesley recommended going to the cemetery (as did two other young Canadian guys we befriended at the park) but suggested NOT taking a tour since there are so many going on that you can just eavesdrop on some of what they are saying and pointing out (saving us $44 - I'm just sayin').  We decided to do that.

BUT, unfortunately the last shuttle from the RV park was at 3:45pm and the cemetery closed at 3pm......bummer.  We were leaving New Orleans in the morning so we missed our chance!  Darn!  ............Or so we thought.........(hail Mary full of grace - out out damn spot)!

We took the shuttle to Decatur St. and asked a Pedi cab to point us in the direction of the cemetery.  He gave us a VERY concerned look, told us which way to go, and said to Steve (big 6'4" Steve) to be careful as the area around the cemetery, especially after closing, is a very dangerous place.  Oh my.  I was scared poopless.  So, we walked QUICKLY to the cemetery, saw the big wall surrounding it, saw the tops of the tombs over the wall and were happy to take a couple of photos and get the heck outta 'dere.  

Cue Louisiana Accent 'Heyre.......Now I KNOW some 'o you 'know why they bury people a'buv ground, but 'heyre is the truth...... dey bury people in tombs a'buv ground 'cause Louisiana is b'low sea level.  Don't want no bodies float'in up, y'see.  AND, this is Creole tradition tooo.  Alls families buried in same tomb. It's like real estate for the departed.  Dey all get buried together.  

Yes yes, back to a Canadian Accent.  I have to say that I'm not usually interested or fascinated by cemeteries, tombstones or dark mysteries.  BUT, experiencing the St. Louis No. 1 cemetery is something that I'll NEVER forget! I don't think Steve will either.  We had SUCH A GOOD TIME!  SERIOUSLY!  The system of above ground burial is famous in Louisiana, Mississippi and other coastal areas with strong French and Spanish influences.  The people are buried above ground because of the high water table AND because their ancestors brought this system to the U.S.  It's actually quite fascinating.  

Alright, so this is how it's done. The dearly departed person is put into a wooden coffin . The tablet on the front of the tomb is removed (or in some cases, the plaster and/or bricks are broken apart to expose the cavern inside).  Since the space is likely already inhabited with a previous departed resident (family member or ancestor), the existing casket is pulled out and replaced with the new one (for example in the nearest tomb above....the casket would be placed near the top of the tomb behind the tablet).  Then, the remains of the former person are cremated, if necessary, or if sufficiently naturally decomposed, simply deposited into a cavernous space at the bottom of the tomb.  The tombs have a second "door" or "access" near the bottom of the tomb for the combined remains of a family to collectively rest. So, you see, the newly deceased people go up top until new person dies and requires burial.  Apparently, a minimum of 1 year and 1 day must pass before a tomb can be disturbed and the current tenant removed for final internment below.  Generations of families have been buried together, in this way, in St. Louis Cemeteries.

John

Now I bet you're wondering how we gained access to the cemetery to gain this information and take photos.  Well, we walked up to the gate to take a photo or two of the insides, when a man wearing an official "St. Louis Cemetery" shirt (John) was just letting a lady and her son out.  He unlocked the padlock, opened the gate, let the lady and boy out then asked us if we'd like to come inside.  His Louisiana accent was so thick that Steve didn't even know what he said at first.  All he knew was that I nodded, smiled and walked past the gate with an apparent undertaker or security guard, just about an hour after the cemetery had already officially closed.  Ha ha!  The look on Steve's face was priceless.

What I had heard from the fellow was that the lady and boy ahead of us had paid $10 for a quick tour and if we were to offer the same, he'd take us inside.  I said "sure."  Telling Steve this news, quickly, he agreed just as we were being LOCKED (with a chain and pad-lock) INSIDE a cemetery IN a "BAD" part of town (according to the Pedi-cab guy) with no way out!  Aw, come-on Steve.....live a little!  Ha!

John has worked at this cemetery for 25 years and proudly shows us which people on this particular tablet he has personally laid to rest since starting here and which were here before his time..

So, seeing the cemetery at $22 a pop with a perky New Orlenian tour guide, looking for tips and cracking funny jokes is one thing……but, having a PRIVATE tour in a closed cemetery with one of the undertakers/caretakers is quite another.  This was an incredibly fortunate experience for us.  Care, thoughtfulness, passion for his work (yes, honestly he was passionate about ensuring that the cemetery inhabitants were remembered and honoured), discretion and respectfulness was oozing out of John.  A true Creole native with all kinds of history, information and dignity.  Sure, he was making an extra buck (as most people are doing in N.O.) by giving us the tour, but his knowledge was impressive.  Like I said, we had a great time…….IN A CEMETERY!

“Ju wanna see da tomb of da Voodoo Queen?”  OF COURSE I want to see the tomb of the Voodoo Queen!  (I think I have a little wee crush on John......he has a nice smile and a polite manner......and I LOVE his Louisiana accent........just kidding, Stephen)

Marie Laveau - Famous Voodoo Queen - Interned at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

I won't go into the life and times of Marie Laveau.  Suffice it to say that she was a High Priestess, the most feared, revered, powerful and persuasive of all Voodoo Queens.  You see her name everywhere in this city.

So, it makes sense that tons of people flock to her grave.....mostly to ask for favours.  You see, Marie Laveau had the power to grant fortune, misfortune, cast spells, create love potions, harm, maim, curse and bless all types of followers.  Still, today, people come to her tomb to pay their respects and/or ask for things.

When you stand b'fore Marie's tomb you do dis......ju face her tomb and ju make a wish - a silent wish. You can't never ever tell anyone yer wish.  Den, ju spin in a circle an' mark an "x', spin in a'nother circle, make an "x", den once more, spin in a circle and make a'nother "x."  Now, Marie she KNOW you ain't comin' back to her grave a'gain so, she understand and let you leave something to pay penance now - b'fore she grant your wish.  Used to be, people would come back and give her an offering, now dey pay in advance!  (I love how John says....she know.....in the present tense, like she's standing here right with us right now)!

See all the 3 "x's" on her tomb.  It was quite striking amongst all the other tombs deteriorating but sitting unvandalized and untouched.  The city considers marking these graves vandalism so you really aren't encouraged to do it.

People pay Marie Laveau a variety of offerings as "thanks" for granting their wishes.  Wonderful treasures like beer cans, beads, fruit and coins.  People are funny!

Steve asked whether or not people still believe in Voodoo and John answered with an emphatic "Yes!"  There are still lots of people practicing Voodoo and the staff at the cemetery arrive frequently in the mornings to find severed chicken heads, thrown around Marie's grave after they've jumped over the gate and sneaked inside. People are scary!

St. Louis No. 1 is a unique, twisting labyrinth of narrow footpaths which wind their way through serenely beautiful marble mausoleums, massive wall vaults, and dilapidated unmarked tombs.  John pleasantly took us through the whole place.

These tombs are called Vault tombs (look at the large structure, at center, with all the "boxes".  This type of tomb will enable more than one family to be buried in the same space.  In other words, they are “stacked” tombs.  The one in the picture is particularly special because it was created for the poor people in New Orleans who died but couldn’t afford to be buried.  The “ city’s poor” are laid to rest in this vault.  There are several types of these on the premises – for example, one vault tomb is specifically for street magician performers…..if you were a magician busker on the streets of N.O., you could choose to be buried in the Magician’s Vault.

Seeing this tomb sparked a question in me…..where were the slaves buried?  I asked John.  He said, “In 25 years I ain’t never ever been a’sked dat question b’fore.”  Well, that felt good.  So, the slaves (which, of course there were countless brought through the ports of Louisiana) were mostly buried in the family tombs of the families who “owned” them.  They were respected in death as members of the family.  Hmmmm.  I have to think about how I feel about that one.  Good, and bad.

 Next Stop......Nicholas Cage's Tomb - Hey, wait a minute, he's not dead yet!!!!

Nicholas Cage

 How creepy and crazy is this?  Nic Cage bought and built himself a tomb.  Yes, just like the ancient Egyptians, planning ahead the resting place of their body and soul, Nicholas Cage has purchased the "land" and built his pyramid.

 As you can see, there are no names or dates on the tomb.......yet.

Steve asked John how the "locals" feel about a movie star buying one of very few spots in the cemetery to be interned following his final days (another good question, honey!).  John's response was simple, if he wants to be buried here.....why not?  And, his support and love for the city of New Orleans means that he is welcome.  That's awesome.

Hurricane Katrina and the Cemetery

John told us that the cemetery was covered by 10' of water.  Over the past 300 years, New Orleans has been sinking (just as the Tragically Hip sang) and the graves show this to be true.  Some of the epitaph tablets are literally partially or fully buried as the ground has been settling and changing over time.  We saw all kinds of tombstones where just the tops were peeking out from the soil.  Very strange indeed.  

I'm not sure if you can tell but this is the very top of a grave......the soil is right up to the top!  John says the tablet and grave are probably 6 or so feet below.

So, the cemetery was flooded with 10' of water after Katrina and rumours of bodies floating, coffins drifting away and tombs being ruined were true of many parts of Louisiana and Mississippi but not as bad in this particular cemetery.  Apparently, most of those horrific occurrences were in graves that were shallow or short ones above ground (ie: just a coffin's tomb above ground not a larger mausoleum, for example).  And, this happened more in areas with wave surge (pushing over graves) rather than gradual flooding.  In any case, the staff at St. Louis were buried in dead fish, debris from the sea and city, saw a rise and shift of the soil in the whole graveyard AND many graves did suffer damage and erosion.

By the way, Steve took all these amazing photos while walking discretely through St. Louis AND asked for permission before doing so.  We were simply amazed at the variety of style, shape, size, age and condition of these tombs.  Wow!  Plus, we didn't want John to get in trouble for doing taking us on this tour.  Thank you John for taking us through St. Louis Cemetery No. 1!  It was a pleasure!

The Music - Naturally, one of the main reasons to go to 'Nawlins is the MUSIC!

The streets are ALIVE with bluegrass, blues, big band and Jazz!  There isn't a quiet street in this town, I swear.  AND, so much of it is lively and jammin' that you can't help but swagger and sway as you go down the street.  Sometimes the drinks help with that.....but, still it's quite amazing how musical this town is!

Oh When the Saints.....Ba Bum Bum Bum......Oh When the Saints.....Ba Bum Bum Bum.......Oh When the Saints Come Marching In.....Ba Bum Bum Bum!

I could write a BOOK on the culture and architecture of N.O!  SO AMAZING!

If you can believe it, this BUS FULL of KIDS were screaming so loud they drowned out the sound of trumpets and horns blaring from all the stores and shops.  They were cheering and adorable.  All kinds of people cruising around N.O.!

Yes indeed, yes indeed......I did get me some beads, too!

"Nawlins Beads!

Everyone had beads, men, women, kids, everybody!  They were being thrown off all kinds of balconies and from parade floats.  There's always a party going on in New Orleans!

An old, Creole man was walking towards us as we were ending our night and heading to our shuttle bus.  I hadn't received any beads yet as I wasn't at all prepared to do the deed to get some.  Anyway, this old-timer was laughing and shouting, smiling and spitting (literally) as he pulled a new package of beads out of his pocket.  It was dark on this part of the street and a SMART person would have been scared, but we were having fun with this guy.  He wanted to give me a strand of beads.  He sort-of asked for $5 for the beads and when he saw that Steve had a five in his cash, he started quickly putting more and more beads on my neck, then on Steve's neck, all the while laughing, talking jibberish and spitting everywhere.  He kept clumsily dropping them on the ground and I kept picking them up for him.  At the end, Steve gave him $5 for a few strands of cheap beads.  When he got his $5 for $0.50 worth of beads, he complained to Steve that he expected a tip.....anything, just so he could say he also got a tip.  Steve pulled out some change and added that to the 5 bucks. We all had a good laugh and enjoyed our "Authentic New Orleans Experience!"  

Finally, as we walked away he called after us, "Hey! Ya see dem beads over dere on da ground?"  We looked and saw a strand of red beads laying there.....he said, "dats 'is (meaning Steve's) heart layin' dere on da ground for you."  He giggled and walked away.  So bizarre!  So, I got my beads without any type of nudity!  I'm sure you're ALL glad to hear that!  Great fun.

A mask from a daytime street market.  A souvenir of a FANTASTIC 3 day vacation (which felt like a week).

We are coming home soon, ya'll!  Thanks for reading our blog........xoxoxoxxo

S&S and L&K

New Orleans - A Unique City, A Unique Experience - Part 1

New Orleans – Fun and Craziness in “Nawlins" - Part 1

Hi Everyone!

Days 58 - 61.  You know the excitement and nervousness you feel right before you are about to do something you’ve been wanting to do for a long, long time?  That sense of apprehension and bottled-up anticipation all mixed-up in your belly?  You hope that you aren’t disappointed because the experience you’ve built-up in your mind is incredible, and the mind-blowing  fun and fantastic experience you have waited to enjoy is about to happen…..  Well, such was the feeling I had when driving from Florida to New Orleans.  

We really had a fabulous time in Florida (absolutely LOVED Daytona Beach, Miami’s South Beach, the Everglades, Key West and the Florida Keys) and were sad to say goodbye to the wonderful climate, ever-changing scenery, wild animals and beautiful tropical waters.  But, because we were headed for New Orleans a new excitement was building.  Heading to the Big Easy.  Dat’s right!  And boy-oh-boy did we ever have a good time!  Where to start?

Way Down Yonder on the Chattahoochie – KOA

We stayed, our first night driving home, at a KOA (Kampgrounds of America) location on the Chattahoochie.  For those in the know, there is a hit country single about the Chattahoochie River and I had fun singing it as we stopped in this picturesque forest spot overnight.

The southern U.S. bayous are beautiful and sometimes creepy as you know that deadly snakes and alligators inhabit them.  Photo above is in Alabama.

Back on the road, the drive from Chattahoochie, Florida to New Orleans was nice.  We left on a mostly cloudy day and met thundershowers off-and-on while crossing the Florida pan-handle, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.  The huge, mostly-boring Florida Turnpike turned into the infamous Highway 10.  

Highway 10 

RV’ers grumble about Highway 10 because its condition is notoriously awful.  Rough, pot-holed, terrible pavement (in parts) is brutal on the RV and its contents.  Causes all kinds of things to shift, move and bump around.   In our case, the worst part (the Louisiana portion of the highway) caused our motorcycle (which is mounted on a hitch on the back of the 5^th wheel trailer) to bounce and put one of the handlebars right through our trailer’s back window.  And, what’s worse is that the first time on the Louisiana roads it went through the outside pane of glass, and the second time, it went through the inside pane of glass.  A shattered window is what we found when we stopped at our New Orleans RV park.  Damn!

Anyway, back to the drive.  As we headed west, the scenery turned from tropical and lush to swamp water and bayous.  Very cool!  As I was taking swamp pictures from the highway I spotted my last alligator of the trip.  He was sunning himself on a swampy shore and I’d guess he was about 8’ long.  So cool!  We crossed over the mighty Mississippi , this time during daylight hours, and were super excited to see the river and river boats.

Mississippi has the nicest rest stop areas!  Beautiful.

Hurricane Katrina - So Sad

Heading on the bumpy, bump, bump roads into New Orleans was a bit apocalyptic.  A super long highway road/bridge takes you from the Louisiana “mainland” down to the city.  Once over the rough bridge, evidence of Katrina starts to show.  COUNTLESS buildings are boarded up, marked with spray paint, in a state of complete or partial collapse and many sit abandoned.  It’s quite astonishing really.  People literally lost their homes, cars, possessions, jobs, livelihoods and 7 years later, some of the areas are like modern-day ghost towns. For those fortunate enough to rebuild, evidence of people moving-on or moving-forward is all around.  BUT, imagine re-building your nice home ONLY to have boarded up neighbouring houses with plywood over the windows, collapsed roofs, debris all over the yards, spray paint on house walls saying "1 dead" or "dead dog" and big "x's" indicating that the building had been searched and its condition.  

All over the city, abandoned houses sit between inhabited homes.  People live next door to awfully depressing and disturbing places.....and the incredible fact is that this isn't confined to just one neighbourhood (some are worse than others) but this is a city-wide problem.  The population dropped by approx 200,000 people after Katrina. People simply abandoned their destroyed homes and moved where they could find jobs and/or start over.  So sad.  Most went to Texas.  Interestingly enough, ALL the people of N.O. have their own hurricane story.  It's not something that happened where they may know someone affected.....they were ALL affected.  Over 80% of the city was underwater.

Trinity Yachts – The Birthplace of the MY “Nova Spirit”

Following the GPS, we finally turned off the highway towards our RV park (located on the Pontchartrain Lake and River which leads into the Gulf of Mexico).   The street we turned onto, called France Street, looked dark, gloomy and unsafe with nothing but boarded up buildings (most with partially collapsed roofs, gaping holes in the roofs and smashed windows).  THEN, I noticed the sign on the exterior wall of the group of buildings saying “Trinity Yachts.”  No kidding!  This was the birthplace (a place I’d heard a hundred stories about) of Jimmy’s yacht.  It was built in New Orleans, and at the time, was a newer yacht building name without much notoriety, but today is a prestigious mega-yacht builder.  I couldn’t believe it.  I didn’t expect to see the shipyard while down on this trip, but yet it was the first place we came across!

The front of the first building at Trinity Yachts.  The sheds all looked like this….except way down at the end of the yard.  The building below has a 120’ yacht inside (you can just see it to the right) – according to the Trinity fellow we chatted with, they’re in for a refit.

 

Turns out, the buildings here suffered 10 feet of water flooding after the levees broke during Katrina and the buildings suffered terribly.  This was one of the deepest areas in the flood zone.  A Trinity employee was trapped in a boat shed with one of the two yachts in production at the time.  He was presumed dead until 3 days later when discovered, staying aboard one of the yachts (the one below....M/Y Zoom Zoom Zoom).

 

The boat had food, shelter, TV, etc.  Apparently, he managed to stay on a platform during the storm, but with the serious flooding became trapped…..on a mega yacht.  Not too shabby!  They shut down their yacht building operations in New Orleans and moved to Gulfport, Mississippi.  A year later, the New Orleans and Louisiana governments were desperate to attract investment and businesses back to the area, offered to sell the port land to Trinity Yachts for a “good price” if they’d open business in N.O. again.  So, they did.  The “smaller” yachts (approx 120’ and under) are built or re-fit in N.O. while the larger yachts are being built in Mississippi.  We took a few photos and chatted with Trinity employee at the gate.

The water, during Katrina, was over 10’ high…..it was a couple feet above the gate rooftop you see in the background.  The whole area was underwater (standing 5' tall - this is one Sue standing on top of another).

I put on my Nova Spirit jacket so that (hopefully) we wouldn’t get kicked out!

It’s always fun meeting people from different cultures, experiences and backgrounds……and traveling to New Orleans certainly meant that we were about to meet some “characters.”  

Da People of Nawlins!

Dese is big time funny-talkers down hea-y-re.  You have to listen VERY CAREFULLY to figure out ‘alf of what dey 'r sayin’.  So fun!

Here is a sampling of some of the most interesting people we met in the Big Easy:

The Spoon Guy - My favourite street performer – Dancing up a storm on Bourbon Street…..this guy must burn 10,000 calories an hour.  He was incredible (and performed during the day and night, both times we went downtown!

Homer Simpson – Sometimes he put the beer bottle in a pretty rude location…..

down ‘dere.

 Scary Skeleton Guy -he DID put a bone down 'dere! 

The Hand Grenade Guy – According to this bar/restaurant, the hand grenade is the most potent drink in New Orleans.  We didn’t investigate their claim.

The Thieves - Well, we were warned many, many times to be wary of pick-pockets and thieves for the crime in New Orleans is quite infamous.  Seeing how desperate some of the people must be, we were careful, but also decided to offer several dollars to street vendors, buskers and a pan-handler or two.  Mostly, we found all the people to be very interesting and friendly.  However, when seeing this bike we couldn't help but wonder whether it was stripped by a thief or whether the owner took the tires and bike seat with him/her.  Hmmmmm?

Breakdancers – These guys had a funny and AMAZING routine.  Haven’t seen breakdancing like that since the 80’s.  They asked the crowd to give donations – told anyone who couldn’t do what they were doing to donate $5 - $10.  Told the “white folk” to give $20.  Told the rich “black folk” that they should give $30.  They said to remember that "dese donations keep us outta da poor house AND yer house!"

 Party By Day

The Party-goers!  The streets were filled with March Madness basketball fans and St. Patty’s day partiers.  And when I say full, as the night went on and on, the streets swelled with lively, happy, intoxicated people.  And, this wasn’t even Mardi Gras.  Beads were flying around and people were just generally having fun.  We saw a parade one evening with 20+ floats, dancers and loud music.

Party By Night

The Parrot-heads (like me) - Flocking to yet another one of Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Cafes was a must for Steve and I.  We enjoyed such great food & atmosphere that we came back both nights to eat at Jimmy's restaurant!  I had jambalaya - Louisiana style baby!  It was hot and yummy!

This story continues on the next blog.....so that I can show you even MORE interesting pictures of New Orleans......bear with me.....you're almost done.........Part 2 to follow........

Just WAIT until you hear about our above-ground Graveyard experience.......