New Orleans, Louisiana

My good friends and I planned a girls trip to New Orleans so celebrate our collective 40th birthdays.  I have know Pam and Sara since 4th grade and we have been blessed to be able to stay connected and get together about once every 5 years.  This year we all turn 40 so we wanted to go someplace special.  I have always wanted to go to New Orleans and sort of convinced my friends to come with me.  It was such a fun city!  I loved all the live music, artists, sunshine, food and vibe of New Orleans.  I would definitely go back and explore some more...one weekend is simply not enough time!

April 21:

Pam and I wandered around the French Quarter.  It's a very different place at 9:00 AM as opposed to 9:00 PM.  Very quiet and peaceful.  Lots of old buildings and beautiful flowers on peoples balconies.

Funny sign we spotted

This is really a city of Art.  You see artwork everywhere, people are dancing in the streets and so much live music!

We took a walking tour of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1.  I have always loved old cemetery's but this one was amazing!  Instead of burying people in the ground (which is impossible because the water table is only 3 feet underground) they bury them in these really cool monuments.  It really makes sense that in New Orleans they call their cemeteries "Cities of the Dead" 

Some of the monuments were just beautiful and well taken care of.  Others were really falling apart.  I guess if the family that owns the monument moves away or die out there is no-one left to care for their little "house" and it really falls apart.

We got to know our way around this city riding on the street cars.  Super fun!

Sara flew into New Orleans in the afternoon and joined us.  RSP...back together again!  

RSP...Rachelle, Sara, Pam...Really Special People 

We walked along the mighty Mississippi

We had to make a stop at Cafe Du Monde...

...to try the delicious beignets:)

As the sun went down the party started on Bourbon street.  It was so fun to walk around, listen to all the live music and enjoy the pulse of night life as the city came alive at night

April 22:

We took a guided walking tour of the French Quarter.  It's a really unique city because it went from French to Spanish to French to American.  There are so many styles and interesting architecture because of this.  We also learned a lot of history of the city and heard some fun stories.

Sara was excited to try some original New Orleans craft beer:)

Tennessee Williams wrote "A Streetcar Named Desire" while living in New Orleans so Sara and Pam showed us some desire while riding the street car!

These plastic Mardi Gras beads are everywhere!  I liked how the trees had beads hanging in their branches

We took a quick glance into the Court of 2 Sisters.  They were setting up for a wedding but they let us in for a very quick peek.  It was a beautiful courtyard

Another night on Bourbon street.  We went to a piano bar and enjoyed the music and singing along to the tunes

Had to buy a New Orleans king cake...yum!!!

April 23:

We decided to take a walking tour of the Garden District.  It started in another cool old cemetery, Lafayette Cemetery No. 1.  I could probably spend a whole day wandering in these cemeteries...so cool!

The Garden District is where all the old, big beautiful homes are.  When the Americans came to New Orleans they hated the crowded together streets and living quarters of the French Quarter so they created their own neighborhood.  It's a completely different vibe in the Garden District, but still so much beauty and culture.

I tried alligator on a stick:)

The smell of these Jasmine flowers was so amazing.  I don't know if they smelled so strong because of the time of year we went or if they always smell this amazing but it was beautiful.

After seeing all the big beautiful houses of the Garden District we went over to the 9th Ward.  This was the neighborhood that was hardest in by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  It's crazy how many houses are still abandoned or boarded up.  People can't afford to remodel them after the flood destroyed their homes.  It's super sad

There is a little museum dedicated to telling the story of the 9th Ward.  It's an amazing community with deep roots.  Generations of people have lived in the same place, and it really feels like a community that looks out for each other and helps each other out.  I hope they can rebuild again.

Back on Bourbon street loving all the live music

We saw quite a few wedding parades while we were here.  I guess for a price you can walk down the street followed by a band and all your wedding guests.  People clap as you go by and it's a super festive way to celebrate a wedding

Pam and Sara were getting cold waiting for our "Haunted Tour" to start.  My sister Paige told me I had to book a haunted tour while in New Orleans.  She was right, it was super fun, a little creepy but I loved all the spooky stories that we heard.

Supposedly there was a crazy ghost that was causing havoc at this restaurant.  The owners hired a medium to try and find out what was going on.  The medium said the ghost was angry because there was always a party going on in the restaurant and he wasn't invited.  So now the restaurant sets this special table for him each night with bread and wine.  You can pay an extra $50 and eat at this table.  If you look closely you can see some purple "orbs" in this photo.  Those are supposed to mean that some supernatural spirit is in the photo...what do you think?

This is us with our haunted tour guide.  He was great!

Touchdown Jesus!!

April 24:

Very sadly our trip had to come to an end.  We took a photo outside our cute little airbnb house

Sara enjoying a bloody Mary for breakfast.  Pam had to catch a ride to the airport right after breakfast was done.  It was so sad saying goodbye but I know we will get together again...love that girl!

Sara and I did a little more exploring before she had to leave.  We visited the St. Louis Cathedral

We also went out to the Metairie Cemetery to see the "Weeping Angel" monument.  I think I want one just like this for my grave.  After this Sara had to head out.  Again, it was super sad to say goodby to my good friend...love that girl!  I was left alone in New Orleans for 5 hours until my flight left

I decided to hop on the ferry boat that leaves New Orleans and heads across the Mississippi river to the Algiers district.  It was fun being on the muddy Mississippi:)

I took myself on a self guided walking tour.  Again, such a different and unique neighborhood.  Nothing like the French Quarter or the Garden District.  I really liked it, it was a lot less busy than the other side of the river.

Cool old gas station.  After walking around Algiers I got myself to the airport and headed home.  I had such a fantastic weekend with my friends.  It was wonderful to catch up and to enjoy being together.  I love the history we share and the good time we have to look forward to in the future!