| Travel Story: New Orleans
Thursday, Oct. 25, 2001
Travel is a nightmare these days:
We only had 3 hours of sleep. Then a nightmare taxi ride to the airport at 4am. The TWA counter doesn't open until 4:30 AM. *ugh* The sign behind the counter says our flight has been canceled. *%&*#!* There was a frantic flurry of activity as soon as the counter opened up. We were actually considering canceling the whole trip when told they 'might' be able to get us into New Orleans by midnight. But then something was found closer to the time we were originally scheduled for in the evening, and they told us to rush off to the Delta counter. We do and find a huge line to stand in, but then someone came along and grabbed the last ten people, including us, and took us to the first class line. *Yay* But then we were told that we had been randomly selected to have our bags searched. *I almost cried* The process was less painful then I expected, and we were off to the gate...
But first there is the security point, where you have to show your ID for the 2nd time, and put everything on the conveyor belt for X-ray, including taking laptops out of there cases, and if you aren't ready to grab it they would just let them bounce down those metal rollers.
Rush to the gate, because we know the plane should start boarding any minute. We arrive only to learn that when you are selected to have your bags searched that means they search your carry on bags at the gate before they allow you to board. And pass the wand over you and pat you down.
Finally we board the airplane and it actually takes off right on schedule at about 6:25 AM.
Four hours later, after an uneventful flight we arrive in Cinncinati. Local time is about 1 PM (est). I'm exhausted and nauseaus at this point, due to lack of sleep and a bumpy descent and landing. I laid down on the floor as out of the way as I could and napped for about an hour. Michael went for a walk.
When I woke up I felt better and decided I should find something to eat. This was great since an hour before the idea of food made me wish I hadn't left home.
Two things caught my attention in this airport; the 'Third Fifth Bank' and the sign that indicated we were not only in Ohio, but also Kentucky and Indiana.
We had a total of three hours lay over and then a two hour flight to New Orleans which was fairly uneventful. It was about 6 PM (cst) when we arrived. It was a lovely evening and we got to watch the sunset from the taxi on the way into downtown.
We stayed at the Whitney Hotel, which was a lovely old building about five blocks from the French Quarter.
Our walk in the French Quarter
Dinner at Antoine's
tour of Antoine's
back to the hotel for a lot of well deserved sleep
Friday, Oct. 26th, 2001
Up at 10 or 11 AM
decide to take a 1 PM cemetary and voodoo walking tour
head towards the french quarter about noon
Go to Cafe Beignet for breakfast
The tour group gathers together
then we are off
a little history of the early days here and of how voodoo started
The church that was on the outskirts of the french quarter/ the city at the time, with the first cemetary behind it, St. Louis 1
St. Expidite
Storyville
St. Louis 1 cemetary
History of burial in New Orleans, the ovens, and family mosuleums, Marie Leaveux's history and her tomb
a voodoo temple and a voodoo priestess
back into the quarter and the tour ends where Marie Leaveux's house once stood
Wander past Jackson square and call Lauri
Cafe Du Monde
the Mississippi river, too late for the riverboat tour
back to the hotel for a nap
dress up a little and take a cab to Mandina's , a local restaurant that a friend recommended
a large group of locals, already fairly drunk there celebrating a 50th birthday, they were very friendly and quite entertaining
back to the hotel after, decide we're not up for a Friday night in the french quarter and just go to bed
Halloween: Saturday, Oct. 27th, 2001
Dress up a little for the day
breakfast at Cafe Beignet
walk to the far side of the french quarter
go to the french market including a flea market
continue to the other side and out into another area
very much like an actual neighborhood there, Michael says it looks more European
Lunch at a vegetarian restaurant
walk back through a different area
see the Ursuline convent, one of the only french style buildings still standing since before two great fires (the buildings after and still standing are in a french style)
Took lots more pictures today of each other and thngs in the french quarter, Jackson Square and St. Louis cathedral
back to the hotel for a nap and to drop off our loot
Dress up for dinner and the halloween goth ball we have tickets too
Dinner at the Napolean House
walk up to Bourbon street to watch people for a while
Then up the wax museum where the goth ball is being held
their not ready on time
our feet hurt a lot and there is nowhere to sit!
Michael askes one of the organizers about this and they start scrambling to get chairs out
we sit and watch people
This isn't any more interesting then going to the local goth club in Seattle on any givin' night. But it was a hell of a lot more expensive.
There was much better eye candy at the 'Prom' at the Mercury in May, then there was for Halloween in New Orleans.
The DJ was ok, and the first band didn't come on until after midnight, and they were not at all gothic, or even industrial, they were more punk.
We got more compliments on our day outfits while in the french quarter then we did when really dressed up for this event
we were too tired and not impressed so we just left
Sunday, 28th, 2001
Up and checked out of the hotel by noon, only to realize later that the time change back an hour was this morning and we could have slept in another hour. Oh well.
Off to Cafe Beignet for breakfast again
meander over to Jackson Square and relax a little
a last visit to the french market, looking for a gift or two, bought raw sugar cane pieces
back to the hotel about 2 PM to get our bags and take a taxi back to the airport
Randomly selected to have all our bags searched Again! The return nightmare. Once your on the plane your okay though. It's just long and tedious from there.
couple hours lay over in St. Louis
two hour flight to Sea-Tac
Lauri doesn't have a key to the garage where the car is, so we have to take a taxi home, Ugh!
It's Midnight by the time get to our home
Lauri made us dinner, that was really nice
we got to bed about 1 AM
~Snow Dragonwyck
See Other Travel Stories
|
