World War II Museum and City Tour March 20, 2012

After a hearty breakfast of bacon and scrambled eggs, our day began with a walk.  We took a different street from yesterday and this caught my eye.

These colorful homes are all over the place and it's just so much fun walking the different streets here.

We'd planned on taking the walking tour of the City version of Laura from the Plantation.  BUT, when we got to the assigned place on Royal, we met a Tour Director who changed our plan.  She highly recommended the VIP City Tour, which would take us all over the place.  We booked the 1:00 tour and had a few hours to kill.  So we walked, with the assistance of a very brisk wind, to the other side of town and went to the National World War II Museum.

We didn't have the time to do the museum and a film narrated by Tom Hanks, so we just did the museum.  Maybe we'll go back tomorrow and do the film.  The museum is on three levels and is mind-boggling to say the very least.  They requested no flash cameras and the light was low in most places, but I was able to take this of the morning of D-Day.  Over 5,000 ships and 2,000 planes!  The sight of this exhibit took my breath away.

It's a great museum and again, we highly recommend visiting it if you're in the area.

The VIP Tour mini-bus picked us up at the WW II museum as we'd requested, and our Tour Guide set about collecting the other tourists at their hotels.  I think we were 20 on the mini-bus and again, we lucked out with a very good guide who was very knowledgeable and fun.  We toured the French Quarter and learned all manner of good stuff.  Then, we went to Treme.  Of course, he took us through the 7th Ward and then over to the 9th Ward.  This is a memorial regarding Hurricane Katrina.

The rebirth of this area is amazing.  I couldn't get any photos of the homes as the road was bumpy and try as I might, the photos were blurred.

This is the new levee that the Corps of Engineers built to replace the one that broke.

We then went through City Park which is twice the size of Central Park.  Then he took us to Lake Ponchartrain which, of course, we'd driven over on our way into town.

Then it was time to get off the mini-bus and tour a cemetery.  What a fabulous history and great stories.

On the way to the Garden District, he kept us entertained with great stories.  I spied this house and he explained the gentlemen used one staircase and the ladies the other.  If a man saw a lady's ankles he was required to ask for her hand in marriage and if she declined she was dubbed a harlot!  My how times have changed.

Ah, the Garden District.  Here is Sandra Bullock's house.

And here's the house Peyton and Eli Manning grew up in [oops].  Archie Manning and his wife still live there.

Great tour and it was something we'd probably not done had we not met the Tour Director, Christine Morales.

Back to the hotel to freshen up and then another walk to dinner.  Oceana had been recommended by a policeman and our VIP Tour Guide as being authentic.  We both had the Taste of New Orleans platter:  jambalaya, shrimp etouffe, sausage and red beans and rice.  No, not very Paleo but hey, neither was the hurricane I had last night.  And the beignet I'm planning to have at Cafe du Mond tomorrow isn't either.  I'll get back on board on Thursday.

The weather is expected to be grim the next 36 to 48 hours with heavy winds and lots of rain.  I guess it's coming from the Dallas area.  So on Thursday, we're going to do indoor things.  

Time to turn out the lights!

River Road to New Orleans March 19, 2012

Ah, what a wonderful sleep I had - nearly 10 hours. I guess I was tired.  So, refreshed and after a breakfast of omelet and ham, off we went to Houmas House, our first plantation.

What an absolutely grand place!  Fortunately, we made it with five minutes to spare before the first tour of the day.  Our tour guide, Judy Davis, was wonderful.

She "made" the tour.  Judy was filled with so much history and since our group was small, she even stopped and played the old piano and sang.  What a voice!  Here are some shots of the interior of Houmas House.

This is an original Comfort Tiffany lamp that the owner of Houmas House has in his private office / bedroom.

Like many plantation owners in days of yore, he lives in New Orleans as well.

The grounds of Houmas House are filled with old oak trees, one of which is estimated to be 600 years old.

There is also a lovely pond and other water features.

After the tour, Vicki and I crossed River Road and climbed the levee to see the Mighty Mississippi.  I think it was misnamed.  It should be the Muddy Mississippi.  I don't think I've ever seen such a brown river before.

Then I made Vicki pose in this gorgeous bush.

We spoke with two nice ladies in the gift store who told us about Laura Plantation which is just beyond Oak Alley on River Road downriver.  We stopped at Oak Alley as they advised the oaks were the attraction, but the tour wasn't as good as Houmas House.

Just down the road is Laura Plantation and we stopped.  Our tour guide was Joey, another really good guide with tons of Laura knowledge.

Houmas House was a much grander plantation, but Laura Plantation had a more interesting history due to "Laura" and her ancestors.

Here are some of the slaves quarters and other buildings on the Plantation.

We highly recommend Laura Plantation if you're ever in the area.

We got to New Orleans precisely at the 4:00 check-in time.  We're at the French Quarter Landmark Hotel, a Best Western property.  It's on Rampart Street across from Louis Armstrong Park and within walking distance of pretty much everything we wanted to do.  After unpacking, we headed out for a pre-dinner walk.  The architecture is just amazing here.

We stopped in a few galleries, check out some stores and ended up at Orleans Grapevine for dinner.  We ate in the courtyard which was filled with flowers, herbs and twinkling lights.  So charming.  A lovely martini was enjoyed by moi!  The rib-eye steak is mine and the double-cut pork chop is Vicki's.  Both were polished off by each of us, and very delicious.

Our waiter, Devin Gribbons, is an aspiring writer originally from Boston.  Adorable, fun, enthusiastic - all the stuff twenty-somethings are filled with.  Oops, I ended a sentence with a preposition.  Oh, well - he won't see this.

Bourbon Street called, so we did some more walking.  We ran into a very sweet family from Warsaw, Poland who'd just gotten married.  Chris is originally from Michigan but went to Poland seven years ago to teach English and he met Asia and the rest is history.  Alexy was who drew me to them.  He's a real charmer.

After the requisite hurricane at Pat O'Brien's and lots of people watching, it was time to turn in.  We enjoyed the evening but to me, and I think Vicki, Bourbon Street is a one time thing.

Tune in again for more.

Vicki Arrives at Chalfont Place

On Thursday, March 15, Vicki arrived for her annual visit to Chalfont Place in far north Dallas, Texas.  Of course, there were a few hitches - such as AA.com showed her coming into Terminal A and when I got there, the ARRIVALS board showed her coming into Terminal C.  Of course, I'd set an alert but didn't hear from AA until I was pulling into my new parking spot at Terminal C.  She came in nearly an hour early so I was thankful for my Catholic schooling which makes me early for every event.  At the baggage claim area, I met Captain Jason, his wife, Stacy, and their daughters, Cameron age 6 with few front teeth, and Aubrey, 3 who were waiting for Stacy's parents who were on the same flight as Vicki's.  I only had to wait ten minutes before Vicki joined our conversation.  Her bags were on the carousel in quick order so off we went.

Nothing much to report for the rest of the day other than unpacking, catching up and dinner.

On Friday, the 16th, after a night of tossing and turning on my part, we headed to The Apple Store at Stonebrier Mall where, after less than a 30 second wait, I was escorted inside and purchased the New iPad.  Vicki and Jay both heard that they were in low supply and I would probably have to place an order.  Nope! I was in and out of the store, after set up and a little help from Amanda, in about 20 minutes.  This is my first iPad but I'm already loving it.  Since I'd purchased the Kindle Fire when it came out in November, Vicki is now the proud, and might I say happy, owner of the Fire.  So the rest of the day was spent picking up a few groceries for dinner and then heading home to play with our toys.

Saturday, the 17th, we were back out looking for a particular pair of shoes for Vicki.  No luck, but at least we have a plan of attack.  Our neighbors, Ann and Terry O'Hara hosted a lovely St. Patrick's Day Dinner of corned beef and cabbage and other wonderful fare.  We were having a great time and so enjoying the conversation, but Vicki and I needed to get home to complete our packing.  Also, I needed a good night's sleep before our Road Trip to New Orleans.

Sunday, the 18th:  we left the driveway at about 6:25 a.m. after loading the car with snacks and our "stuff" [no iPad for me as I've got the MacBook Air for photos].  We stopped in Kilgore, Texas for gasoline and coffee where Vicki engaged in a lively conversation with this fellow.

Back on the road.  It's been a very long time since I've been in East Texas and it was so green and beautiful.  Rolling hills - just lovely.

Our trip, thankfully, was uneventful with both of us just enjoying each other's company, the scenery and catching up on the Rosie O'Donnell Show on OWN.  We'd planned on stopping in Baton Rouge for the night so we can take our time driving to New Orleans.  We want to stop at a few plantations along the way and do touristy things.  We got to Baton Rouge earlier than anticipated but since I was a little tired, decided to stop, have a little rest and then walk to one of the restaurants in the area.  While I was parking the car, I spied this in the parking lot:

I asked the Desk Clerk if Newt was in the building but he advised it was just the bus. [insert your own joke]

So, we're resting now and will probably dine high on the hog at Chili's in a little while and then crawl into bed for early "lights out."  The next couple of days should provide opportunities for more photo taking.

March 12, 2012 The Countdown Begins

After several days of rainy weather and coolish temperatures, it looks to be a very nice day today.  However, there won't be much outside time today as Vicki arrives in just a few days and there are a ton of things to do to make the old homestead ready for her arrival.

Vicki arrives on the 15th and after a St. Patrick's Day party at the O'Hara's on Saturday, we plan to head out on our road trip on Sunday.  I've been keeping an eye on the weather and if there are too many days with rain in the forecast, we may delay our trip for a day or two.  New Orleans is our destination but our first night will be in Baton Rouge.

Stay tuned for photos and updates.