Visit New Orleans

We just got back from New Orleans. Went for business and took my wife with me hoping to get some free time to see the sights. Well the business was short and sweet and we had the extra time to play.

We started out going to Bourbon St. on a Saturday night, not too crowded but plenty to see and do. Just walking up and down the street was fun. We saw all different kinds of people and heard great music. You can stand at the front door or a side window and enjoy the band for free. If you go inside you are expected to buy a drink which are not cheap but to be close to the band and listen to quality music is well worth it.

We stayed at a blues bar for awhile and were blown away at the musicians expertise. It was hard to leave but hunger was setting in. Now my wife had oysters only once before and they were raw and she did not enjoy them. When I saw Acme’s Oyster House I had to coax her to go in. The charbroiled oysters were so good she had to have them every night we were there. Believe me, I did not complain. The oysters are shucked in front of you and then taken to the grill and cooked for about 4 minutes. First in their own juices and then drenched in garlic butter and covered with Romano cheese and left to melt. Great stuff.

The next day we went back to visit some stores and take a cemetery tour. In the daylight the French Quarter is pretty dirty. They have small trucks set up for pressure washing and start at the front door if not inside and wash everything to the gutter. Guess it has to be done with all the people and everything that goes on there at night.

The cemetery tour was very educational and we got to see the Voodoo Queens vault and hear the history of this city. So much to learn, probably learned some of this in school but who was listening. The vaults are used to bury all of the family members. Sounds strange but after you think about it, it makes sense.

The river walk is along the Mississippi which of course is muddy. There are lots of ships traveling up and down the river as it still is a sea port. There are no mansions along the river which makes sense because of all the business going on. Still it is something you must do to be approached by some locals playing the saxophone and singing and trying to make a living. So throw them a buck or two to help them out, they work hard.

All in all it was a great time and we will go back again. I will break down the different things we did and give you a more detailed description in future blogs. If you need info on flights, hotels and more, please go to www.mytravelagentstore.com for your travel needs and drop us a email with your questions.