I don’t even know exactly where to start with New Orleans. It is a fabulous city with a dark, twisted (and intriguing) past. This trip was taken this past summer and the school year has just now slowed down enough for me to blog about it. Between teaching, football season, cross country season, and graduate school, Dalton and I stay swamped during the fall. We are looking forward to a slower-paced spring and summer with our newest addition to our family: Dax Wyatt Murray, due April 11, 2015! I can’t wait to take our little man on our upcoming adventures.
Back to New Orleans- prepare to be amazed at the architecture. The city is old and the French Quarter (where we spent our time) is like walking around Paris in the heat of a Southern Summer. We arrived in the afternoon and found a parking spot (be prepared to pay generously for parking if you want a safe lot) and had a late lunch at Antoine’s restaurant on Saint Louis Street, a treasure for those looking for genuine French-Creole food. After stuffing ourselves, we walked around some nearby streets before checking into our hotel. We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn in the FQ and it was fantastic- aside from the breakfast bar which was outrageously expensive.
We only stayed one night as we were on our way to Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. However, we definitely made the night count. We had dinner at NOLA where the famous (infamous?) Emeril Lagasse serves up “creative, modern Louisianan food” per Google. It was fantastic! We ventured from there to Bourbon Street, something we had heard about since college but never experienced for ourselves. I wouldn’t suggest taking children, but it was a lot of fun. It’s basically one big party on the street. While Dalton and I are not big ‘drinkers’ we still enjoyed ourselves. There are lots of old pubs (mixed in between the new ones) including one that has been there for hundreds of years that is reportedly haunted by the pirate that once owned it back in the 1600’s. (COOL.)
After a very fun night out, we settled in at the hotel, wishing we had another day to explore. If you ever get the chance to visit and you are limited on time, I suggest you stay in the French Quarter for a true ‘New Orleans’ experience. Arrive early, have brunch, shop and take in the sights, take in the nightlife, and plan to get some rest in the close future. It’s a fantastic city and we can’t wait to go back!
Traveling From Texas 