The Big 4-0 in the Big Easy!

WHAT I LOVED ABOUT NEW ORLEANS:

1. The ARCHITECTURE was stunning.

In the Garden District:

The wrought-iron balconies were a.maz.ing

2. BEADS WERE EVERYWHERE. I asked a local why someone doesn't come around after Mardi Gras and take down the beads that accidentally land on the trees, street signs and stoplights. She looked at me like I was crazy - "Why would we???" I loved seeing trees covered in beads!

Where else in the entire WORLD would you find this?

3. The JAZZ MUSIC was as ubiquitous as the iron work in the French Quarter, and I could have sat for hours and just listened to all the street musicians. (Although for every fabulous jazz ensemble, there was someone standing around singing off-key hoping for some cash.)

We spent an evening at Preservation Hall, this little dive that consisted of nothing more than wooden benches and great jazz.

It was such a tiny place, and we were able to get seats right up front, next to the Emmy award winning drummer.

4. The HISTORY was fascinating. We were able to see a couple old sugar plantations, including the original slave homes. (The US History teacher in me was totally intrigued by this!)

Diamond in front of Oak Alley Plantation - beautiful! (Gorgeous 300 year old trees!!!)

Plus the French Quarter has a ton of buildings that date back 300+ years. Love it!

5. It's a BUCKET LIST thing. I've been to almost every state in the US, but somehow have never made it to the deep South. Plus Diamond had wanted to go and see what it was like. Since he was turning 40, and half in the grave (see below!) it was fun to see someplace new.

LaFayette Cemetery #1, famous for all the mausoleums. (We also got to see the grave of Judge Ferguson, from the precedent setting Plessy v. Ferguson case.)

6. It's a PARTY TOWN. I love that people on their balconies were randomly throwing beads into crowds on an ordinary Tuesday afternoon. And I felt ridiculously cool that I managed to catch some of those beads while in New Orleans!

What I did NOT like about New Orleans:

1. OH MY GOSH it is HOT! 90' and 90% humidity left me wilting and grouchy. Add that to the fact that since we stayed in the French Quarter we walked everywhere. I was plain exhausted a good bit of the time.

Even if it never rained, I swear all this greenery could just drink in the air!

2. While everyone goes on and on about the great FOOD in Nola, I'm not a fan of seafood and was homesick for some ol' Colorado type Mexican. (I ordered nachos at Hard Rock Cafe - loser, I know!) The one exception were the super delicious beignets at Cafe du Monde. Yeah, had those twice.

3. BOURBON STREET certainly deserves its reputation as one of the world's biggest party streets. I could handle the bars and the drunks, but when a strange woman began to solicit my husband with (I swear I'm not kidding) "Hey Big Boy!"?!? Eww. Eww. Eww.

All in all? Although I have no particular desire to go back, I'm glad we went. But I do wonder if we maybe did it wrong - there was so much to see and we pushed pretty hard to see it ALL, up early every morning, and going strong all day. It was not much of a "Big Easy" trip for us. I kinda wish we could have figured out a way to come on business - less pressure to see everything, more down time....

No matter. It was a great surprise for Diamond, and a fabulous way to turn 40!