St. Patty’s Day in NOLA
This was my first ever trip to Louisianna! I was so excited to go. I went with the Ulmers, who have family (Mike’s dad, step-mom and brother) that lives right off of one of the parade routes. It was such a blast!
The trip down there…well, I wouldn’t say that part was a lot of fun necessarily. Poor Braden was stuck in his car seat the entire time (something like 12+ hours over 2 days) and not happy about it. He did really well for a 2-year-old, but still. He didn’t enjoy being in that car seat and I wasn’t much happier about being in the seat next to him. 🙂
We finally made it New Orleans though and I was immediately in love with the city. It has this feel of the South and Europe all wrapped up into its own unique culture. The buildings and cemeteries alone…this was definitely a city I could get lost in and be completely content.
Everything was within walking distance, shops, restaurants, cemeteries, the parades… Nicole, Mike’s step-mom, has lived in New Orleans her whole life and is quite the history buff. She took me for a walk through the Garden District (where their home is) and showed me so many things and told me so many stories. I saw the (former) home of Nicholas Cage, Sandra Bullock, Trent Reznor and, most importantly, Mark Twain. I was told the story of the Corn fence and the “shotgun” homes. I could’ve walked with her all day.
One morning, Sarah and I decided to walk to Starbucks and ended up stopping and exploring a cemetery along the way. I mean, that’s the kind of place I want to live; somewhere with all that history just waiting to be explored mixed in with the everyday, modern world.
Another day, we all went down to the French Quarter and Bourbon Street. Bourbon Street has its own unique feel (and smell), so it was neat to check out. I made sure to visit Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo. I didn’t get a reading there, though I would love to do that one day. I did have a tarot card reading in the nearby square, where I also picked up some art by local artists. I only wish I had more money with me or I would’ve gone home with a lot more.
The parades were fun as well. I caught a cabbage! Apparently, that’s significant, though I’m still not sure why really… The music and people were so much fun!
I truly fell in love with New Orleans! I hope to go back soon, both to experience Mardi Gras and sometime when it’s not as crazy with tourists so I can really take the chance to explore!
