New Orleans, Round Three

Thursday was my final day in New Orleans.  I was up early and out the door because there was a lot I wanted to get done before I returned home.



Cafe Du Monde was the first stop of the day on Thursday.  It was quite a few blocks from the hotel.  But I was out and on my way early so it was not yet so hot and humid that is was unbearable.  The big attraction here is the beignets.  There are 3 beignets per order, so I placed an order for two, giving me six beignets, and a small decaf coffee.  I must admit that these are quite tasty.  Especially with coffee.  Keeping an ever watchful eye on my blood sugar, I only had one beignet and took the remaining five back to the hotel room.  Later that night I had a hankering for a bite of another beignet and when I opened the bag, to my surprise, there was only one left.  I wondered what happened to the other four?  Then Steven came out of the bathroom with powdered sugar all over his face and I had my answer.  I guess he really likes beignets.  And who could blame him.  They are delicious.

Across the street from Cafe Du Monde was this beautiful park.  This was the sign posted at the entrance.  It is known as "Jackson Square."

I loved this oversized planter with the vine planting.  It is like a giant Chia Pet!!  I would love to have one of these at Crest Avenue.



And this magnificent palm.



When I entered the square, I found myself surrounded by these beautifully manicured gardens.  In the distance is St. Louis Cathedral.  Here is a blurb about this historic landmark taken from the cathedrals website:

"Few cities in the world are so identified by a building as is New Orleans. The city is instantly recognized by our cathedral and its position overlooking Jackson Square. The Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis King of France is the oldest Catholic cathedral in continual use in the United States. As the caretakers of the Historic place of worship, we constantly battle the elements and the aging of the Cathedral with ongoing conservation and restoration."

Another shot from Jackson Square.  I love these beautiful tropical plants.

On the way back to the hotel, the sky started to look a little ominous again.

And, before I knew it, the rains came.  Lots of lightning and thunder.  What I found most interesting about the storms in New Orleans was how long they lasted.  When we have thunder and lightning storms in the Mid-Atlantic, they usually hit hard and then quickly move out.  Not so here.  They go on and on and on.

Below are a few pictures of the storm on Thursday.



The storm eventually made its way through the city and I was able to make it back to the hotel.  I decided to stop in the CVS from yesterdays post and pick up a libation for the evening. 

I decided to go with the Skinny Girl 4-pack Margaritas.  These are really, really good.  No sugar.  They are a scant 37.3 calories per bottle.  I am constantly keeping check of my blood sugar level, so these were perfect.

And so, there you have it.  A recap of my tour through the Big Easy.  It was a fun trip.  It's always fun to go somewhere new and explore all the area has to offer.

Next trip will be to Las Vegas in January.  It has been a few years since I've been to Las Vegas, so I'm sure I'll have lots to blog about.

New Orleans, Part Deux

On Wednesday, I ventured out to see what this city was all about.  Our hotel was one block away from Rue Bourbon, so that's where I made my start.



This picture is not out of focus.  The windows in the gift shop in our hotel were foggy because of the cool air inside the hotel and the hot, humid air outside.  This is one hot and humid town, but surprisingly not any worse than what we have experienced here in the Mid-Atlantic this summer.  What I noticed in New Orleans is that they are not afraid to use air conditioning.  The hotel, the restaurants, even the little souvenir shops were all kept nice and cool.  That is a big difference from many places in and around DC.  Establishments here are very stingy with the cool air in the summer months. 





Upon crossing Canal Street and starting my venture down Bourbon Street, this was one of the first things I saw.  The Hustler Hollywood store and a little further down, Larry Flynt's Hustler Club.  I mean, it's all right out there for anybody looking to participate in such.  New Orleans is very much an adult playground.



A little further down Bourbon Street, I came upon these wonderful buildings with beautiful balconies.

After a beautiful walk early in the morning, I turned and started making my way back toward the hotel.  As I reached Canal Street, the sky starting looking ominous.



This is never a welcome sight.

 I made a mad dash for the Voo-Doo Mart and hung out in there until the storm had passed.

Finally, the rain stopped and I ran into CVS to pick up a few essentials.  Making my way to the checkout I noticed that the CVS in New Orleans sells a different selection of items that the CVS at home.



Quite an extensive selection of pain killers!

 So I made my way back to the room.  The storm passed but it was cloudy and raining off and on for the rest of the day, so I decided to spend the afternoon catching up on the episodes of Dallas that I had missed in preparation for the season finale that night at 8:00 PM.  It was a good day.

Make sure and come back tomorrow for a recap of day three in the Big Easy.

New Orleans, Part Deux

On Wednesday, I ventured out to see what this city was all about.  Our hotel was one block away from Rue Bourbon, so that's where I made my start.



This picture is not out of focus.  The windows in the gift shop in our hotel were foggy because of the cool air inside the hotel and the hot, humid air outside.  This is one hot and humid town, but surprisingly not any worse than what we have experienced here in the Mid-Atlantic this summer.  What I noticed in New Orleans is that they are not afraid to use air conditioning.  The hotel, the restaurants, even the little souvenir shops were all kept nice and cool.  That is a big difference from many places in and around DC.  Establishments here are very stingy with the cool air in the summer months. 





Upon crossing Canal Street and starting my venture down Bourbon Street, this was one of the first things I saw.  The Hustler Hollywood store and a little further down, Larry Flynt's Hustler Club.  I mean, it's all right out there for anybody looking to participate in such.  New Orleans is very much an adult playground.



A little further down Bourbon Street, I came upon these wonderful buildings with beautiful balconies.

After a beautiful walk early in the morning, I turned and started making my way back toward the hotel.  As I reached Canal Street, the sky starting looking ominous.



This is never a welcome sight.

 I made a mad dash for the Voo-Doo Mart and hung out in there until the storm had passed.

Finally, the rain stopped and I ran into CVS to pick up a few essentials.  Making my way to the checkout I noticed that the CVS in New Orleans sells a different selection of items that the CVS at home.



Quite an extensive selection of pain killers!

 So I made my way back to the room.  The storm passed but it was cloudy and raining off and on for the rest of the day, so I decided to spend the afternoon catching up on the episodes of Dallas that I had missed in preparation for the season finale that night at 8:00 PM.  It was a good day.

Make sure and come back tomorrow for a recap of day three in the Big Easy.

New Orleans, Part One

I posted last week that WTCA was headed to New Orleans.  We arrived on Tuesday afternoon and did not waste any time making our way around the Big Easy.  The following photos and videos will take you through our time in this most unusual and fun city.


Yours truly at the airport in Atlanta waiting, patiently, for them to start boarding our final leg to New Orleans.  Flights were delayed going and coming, but such is air travel these days.  So you just adapt and move on.



The lobby at the Roosevelt Hotel.  This really is a beautiful hotel.



And a beautiful room.

We did not waste any time making our way over to Mother's Restaurant.  I was given a tip by a good friend to have at least one meal here while visiting New Orleans, and it turned out to be a very good tip indeed.  There was a long line of people waiting to give their order.  As you can see from the pictures it is very casual but the food is to die for.  I had the crawfish etouffee with red beans and rice and fries and a Diet Coke.  Steven had the World Famous "Ferdi" sandwhich which was a stacked sandwich with ham, roast beef and cole slaw.  Both were extremely delicious.  I snapped a picture of some celebrities who also like Mother's Restaurant (Steve Irwin and his wife and LeAnn Rimes.)  If you are in New Orleans I strongly suggest a meal here.  You can find out more about the restaurant at www.mothersrestaurant.net/.

So this was how we spent our first few hours in New Orleans.  Make sure and check back tomorrow for the next installment.

New Orleans, Part One

I posted last week that WTCA was headed to New Orleans.  We arrived on Tuesday afternoon and did not waste any time making our way around the Big Easy.  The following photos and videos will take you through our time in this most unusual and fun city.


Yours truly at the airport in Atlanta waiting, patiently, for them to start boarding our final leg to New Orleans.  Flights were delayed going and coming, but such is air travel these days.  So you just adapt and move on.



The lobby at the Roosevelt Hotel.  This really is a beautiful hotel.



And a beautiful room.

We did not waste any time making our way over to Mother's Restaurant.  I was given a tip by a good friend to have at least one meal here while visiting New Orleans, and it turned out to be a very good tip indeed.  There was a long line of people waiting to give their order.  As you can see from the pictures it is very casual but the food is to die for.  I had the crawfish etouffee with red beans and rice and fries and a Diet Coke.  Steven had the World Famous "Ferdi" sandwhich which was a stacked sandwich with ham, roast beef and cole slaw.  Both were extremely delicious.  I snapped a picture of some celebrities who also like Mother's Restaurant (Steve Irwin and his wife and LeAnn Rimes.)  If you are in New Orleans I strongly suggest a meal here.  You can find out more about the restaurant at www.mothersrestaurant.net/.

So this was how we spent our first few hours in New Orleans.  Make sure and check back tomorrow for the next installment.

Time to Trim the Sago Palm

The sago palm (cycas revoluta) is in need of some attention.  While the common name for these plants is "sago palm" they are actually related to the conifer and Ginko trees.  Each season they put out new fronds, and this year is no different.  As you can see this palm has outgrown its place on the table on the patio.

The new growth is making its way out of the center of the leaf cone. So we trimmed off the fronds that were starting to die and what we were left with was this lovely new growth.

I just love these palms.  With each years new growth, you trim off the previous years growth and that continues to build the trunk.  These are hardy palms.  I bring it inside every winter and pay little attention to it.  It goes dormant and once it is returned to the outdoors in the spring, it flourishes.  They can be left outside in temperate zones in the south and have been known to survive down to as low at 15 degrees in the winter.  However, I do not suggest you try that as each plant will differ and you could end up losing it.  They enjoy the hot temperatures and the humidity, which we have plenty of here in the Mid-Atlantic.  They can and do survive in heat as high at 110 degrees.

For those with pets, please be certain to keep this plant elevated somewhere the pet cannot easily reach it.  I do not suggest using them in the landscape other than in pots that you can control the placement of if you have pets.  Most every part of the plant is dangerous to dogs.  The problem is that most dogs explore the world with their mouths and if they decide to chew on this plant it could result in liver damage and/or death.  Little Baxter does not seem to have any interest in it.  The fronds that I cut off of this plant were placed in a clear trash bag (which the town requires us to use).  He is usually very inquisitive but this did not capture his attention.  The fronds are very hard and spiky once they have matured.  I'm sure he would decide that it was not worth the effort to get involved with something like that when there are perfectly good and delicious treats in the refrigerator.  But that's just Baxter.

Time to Trim the Sago Palm

The sago palm (cycas revoluta) is in need of some attention.  While the common name for these plants is "sago palm" they are actually related to the conifer and Ginko trees.  Each season they put out new fronds, and this year is no different.  As you can see this palm has outgrown its place on the table on the patio.

The new growth is making its way out of the center of the leaf cone. So we trimmed off the fronds that were starting to die and what we were left with was this lovely new growth.

I just love these palms.  With each years new growth, you trim off the previous years growth and that continues to build the trunk.  These are hardy palms.  I bring it inside every winter and pay little attention to it.  It goes dormant and once it is returned to the outdoors in the spring, it flourishes.  They can be left outside in temperate zones in the south and have been known to survive down to as low at 15 degrees in the winter.  However, I do not suggest you try that as each plant will differ and you could end up losing it.  They enjoy the hot temperatures and the humidity, which we have plenty of here in the Mid-Atlantic.  They can and do survive in heat as high at 110 degrees.

For those with pets, please be certain to keep this plant elevated somewhere the pet cannot easily reach it.  I do not suggest using them in the landscape other than in pots that you can control the placement of if you have pets.  Most every part of the plant is dangerous to dogs.  The problem is that most dogs explore the world with their mouths and if they decide to chew on this plant it could result in liver damage and/or death.  Little Baxter does not seem to have any interest in it.  The fronds that I cut off of this plant were placed in a clear trash bag (which the town requires us to use).  He is usually very inquisitive but this did not capture his attention.  The fronds are very hard and spiky once they have matured.  I'm sure he would decide that it was not worth the effort to get involved with something like that when there are perfectly good and delicious treats in the refrigerator.  But that's just Baxter.

WTCA goes to Louisiana

That's right.  We're off to New Orleans; the Crescent City; the Big Easy; "Nawlins."  And we're looking forward to a week of beignets and cajun gumbo and the nightlife that this famous southern city is so renowned for. 

Two things are a must for this trip.  A walk down historic St. Charles Avenue, home to the city's most beautiful homes.  And a visit to the Gardens of New Orleans, in particular Longue Vue House and Gardens.  This Classic Revival-style mansion is surrounded by eight acres of breathtakingly landscaped gardens designed by some of the finest outdoor architects of the early 20th century.

So stay tuned for updates from the French Quarter!

WTCA goes to Louisiana

That's right.  We're off to New Orleans; the Crescent City; the Big Easy; "Nawlins."  And we're looking forward to a week of beignets and cajun gumbo and the nightlife that this famous southern city is so renowned for. 

Two things are a must for this trip.  A walk down historic St. Charles Avenue, home to the city's most beautiful homes.  And a visit to the Gardens of New Orleans, in particular Longue Vue House and Gardens.  This Classic Revival-style mansion is surrounded by eight acres of breathtakingly landscaped gardens designed by some of the finest outdoor architects of the early 20th century.

So stay tuned for updates from the French Quarter!