Impromptu Trip to New Orleans

I was suffering from cabin fever due to the winter storm that hit the Southeastern United States last week and kept me working from home for four days. Thankfully, I booked a last-minute, weekend trip to New Orleans to hang out with Tyler, who is at a job site in Mississippi. I'll give you guys a brief breakdown of the weekend, and also share some of the pictures I took.

It was a short Friday-Sunday weekend trip, but I was definitely going to make the most of it. I solicited friends and family for recommendations of how to spend my weekend...everyone's consensus was that NOLA revolves around eating and drinking. So that's what most of this post is about. And it started all on the flight. I sat next to an older man who travels the world as a consultant. We chatted all things NOLA and Taiwan, and he even gave me some free Delta drink tickets.

Friday

Arrived at a quaint, rustic hotel in the French Quarter area. While waiting to meet up with Tyler, I enjoyed a few drinks at the hotel bar, where there was a great bartender and even better company. I chatted with cruise-goers, marathon runners (the Rock 'N Roll marathon was going on), and a bartender who loved IPAs. He introduced me to Abita's Grapefruit IPA - definitely a new favorite of mine!

After Tyler arrived, we headed straight to Coop's Place, a dive bar with authentic, local food. Come as you are - this place is laid back and fun. Example: the bartenders stopped what they were doing to belt out Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody (the whole song). I had their signature Taste Plate, which included a cup of seafood gumbo, shrimp creole, cajun friend chicken, red beans & rice, and jambalaya with sausage and rabbit. Everything was spicy and flavorful. The jambalaya was my favorite. Who knew rabbit was so good?

We ended the night on Bourbon St. While Mardi Gras season technically doesn't start until 2/15, this place was still rockin'. The streets were packed and everyone had a to-go cup in hand (no open container laws - woo!). What a party! So many bars, eclectic (and some strange) people, and sights to see. A legendary hand grenade from Tropical Isle sent me over the edge. We turned in much earlier than those who partied til 5-6 am.

Saturday

I spent the first half of the day hugging the porcelain throne. Bourbon St. got the best of me.

Whoops...


Later in the afternoon we got lunch in the Warehouse District at Cochon Butcher. This place was super hip, with a NYC vibe. The food was fantastic (I really needed something in my stomach at this point...). Tyler and I shared a sandwich with house meats and herb vinaigrette, and a side of spicy pancetta mac n' cheese. Just what I needed! They also had a surprisingly good Sweet Potato Habanero Sauce at each table. I'll be back at Cochon next time I'm in town for sure.

Quirky Prince-themed table number

After lunch, we tool a stroll through the Garden District to 'ooh' and 'aah' at all of the elegant, intricate homes. This area was designated a National Historic Landmark - it's worth taking a walk or drive through the neighborhoods.




We ran right into Layfayette Cemetery #1, a cemetery from the 1800s, which was on my list of must-sees. Seems weird, but it was cool. Due to NOLA's high water table, people are buried in above-ground vaults. If you buried them in the ground, coffins would begin to float. I guess you can't keep some people down! ;) Anyway, these vaults looked like small houses, some with fences, lined up like streets. Hence why NOLA cemeteries are often called 'cities of the dead.'



So, my first question was, isn't it expensive to bury someone in a huge vault? Nope. That's because a whole family can be buried in one. How can that be? This is creepy, but here goes...

-Someone dies. You put them in a coffin inside the vault.
-When the next person dies, as long as the previous person has been dead for ~1 year, their remains are moved to the back of the vault, and the new person is loaded in.
-As the body in the back decomposes, it falls off a ledge into a pile of family bones.
-If a family has to bury more than one person in a year's time, they must rent a temporary vault to let one of the bodies decompose.
Weird, right?


We then headed to the French Market, where we enjoyed views of the Mississippi River while browsing local artists and merchants. After, we took a walk to Historic Jackson Square, named in honor of Andrew Jackson. Jackson Square was a beautiful park in the heart of the French Quarter, surrounded by the St. Louis Cathedral and other historic buildings.

St. Louis Cathedral - Jackson Square

Then it was time for the world famous cafe' au lait and beignets from Cafe du Monde. A beignet is a French donut and is similar to a funnel cake (but better!). We waited in line for bit, while listening to street musicians playing "When the Saints Go Marching In" - how appropriate! The coffee and beignets were perfect. You must visit Cafe du Monde if you haven't already!

I think I'm still recovering from Friday night, so I'll finish up with a Part 2 post soon.