One of the freedoms that comes with being an empty nester is the ability to travel unhindered by the needs of small children. No need to consider accommodating them in your travel plans, arrange child care for them, or incur the additional financial responsibility that accompanies even the smallest traveler.
We planned and booked our 2016 trip to visit friends in Mississippi with a stopover in New Orleans in less time than it takes to fill your car with gas, which was what we were on our way to do when I received a text from my Mississippi chum inviting us to visit. She suggested the sojourn in New Orleans. With our wedding anniversary approaching, we made the decision to celebrate in New Orleans on our way to Mount Olive, Mississippi. A quick search for flights on my phone and boom. Done. I remember my husband’s reply, “And that is a perk of being an empty nester…if you allow it.” (I was still struggling with my newfound status as an empty nester.)
The Big Easy
We had so much fun! We arrived in New Orleans, picked up our rental car, and checked into our room at the Bienville House Hotel in the heart of the French Quarter. It was beautiful! We loved the charm of our room done up in true NOLA fashion. The hotel boasted a delightful courtyard and featured an absolutely gorgeous swimming pool set among lush greenery. I loved the overhanging balconies trickling with ivy. The balconies serve as a true symbol of New Orleans architecture.
Hungry from our travels and eager to explore, we found ourselves at the world famous Hard Rock Cafe located right on Bourbon Street. With our history in the music business (and me as a former music major), we took great interest in their extensive collection of rock memorabilia. It was so cool to see the guitars of famed rockers, Eddie Van Halen and Peter Frampton. The boots of Ol’ Blue Eyes, Elvis’s mic, a framed picture of Jim Morrison next to the lyrics of “Crawling King Snake” that had been scrawled on a piece of scratch paper, Ozzy’s shoes (had to document that for my Black Sabbath-loving son), and the elaborate NOLA-style decor all made for an entertaining lunch.
“Jazz grew up in a thousand places but was born in New Orleans.” – Nick Larocca
We ventured through the town and a random solo saxophone “concert” emerged right in the middle of a moderately busy street. You know you’re in New Orleans when that happens! With street-side concerts on almost every corner and music everywhere, it was a true music-lover’s paradise. We saw the House of Blues. A load-out (a term we were very familiar with because of our days in the music biz) was taking place for a show that night, though we didn’t catch the name of the artist. We also enjoyed a visit to the Outlet Collection Riverwalk located along the Mississippi River.
Upon returning to our room, we were pleased to find a personalized anniversary greeting made even sweeter by the accompanying bottle of Merlot. It was a lovely surprise.
After a good night’s rest we set out on the town for another day of exploring. The rich New Orleans architecture was a delight to take in. “The Creole style, while often thought of as a ‘French Colonial’ style, in fact is an architectural style developed in New Orleans. It represents a melding of the French, Spanish and Caribbean architectural influences in conjunction with the demands of the hot, humid climate of New Orleans.” – City of New Orleans District Landmarks Commission. The ornate iron-railed balconies were my favorite.
Jackson Square revealed its open air artist colony where artists draw, paint, fashion caricatures and portraits, and display their work. We purchased a lovely piece of local art for my father.
The mule-drawn carriages were an amusing sight.
Something that caught me by surprise were the drinks-to-go. Alcoholic drinks, that is. Yeah, that’s a thing in New Orleans. You can drink your beer, or daiquiri, or Bloody Mary while sight seeing.
How about a little alligator meat to tickle your taste buds? We ate an alligator bratwurst on a stick. It wasn’t bad! Just a bit greasy for my liking.
“From Bourbon Street to Baton Rouge, the freaks come out at night in Louisiana…“ – Pat Forde
We chose to enjoy our anniversary dinner in true New Orleans style right in the heart of the French Quarter on Bourbon Street. We dined at Pier 424 Seafood Market. The food was delicious, the waitress attentive, and the sights? Entertaining at the least and a bit indecorous at most. There was no mistaking that we were in New Orleans!
A self-guided tour of the New Orleans seaside revealed the many stilted houses. We were surprised by the sight, but logic prevailed.
Finally, we met our friends from Mississippi at Cajun Encounters for an adventure-filled swamp tour. Alligators, wild boars, cranes, lush, green foliage were vibrantly viewed from our river boat. Of course the tour would not be complete with out a river boat race, which we won of course.
After finishing our river boat tour we headed to the lovely Mt. Olive home of our Mississippi friends. We filled the next couple days with pub visits, backyard bbq’s, and a tour of the lovely 1860 Longwood Mansion in Natchez, Mississippi. Read its interesting story here. The landscape was captivating, the architecture breathtaking, and the journey through time left me feeling like one of the southern belles that must have graced the ornate dwelling at one time. It was intriguing to think of the family that had once occupied the plantation, complete with servants’ quarters and a buggy long abandoned in the rundown outbuilding adjacent to the mansion.
Our trip to the French Quarter in New Orleans and then to Mississippi was a lovely outing – one we may not have taken had it not been for our friend’s invite – but one that we were glad to have added to our travel bucket list.
As travel restrictions begin to lift around the globe, where do you hope to travel to? Please feel free to leave a comment about your favorite vacation spots or ones you hope to visit soon.
2 Comments
I visited New Orleans when I was a kid. This was in the 1970s. I remember how muddy the river was at the time. There wasn’t Jazz playing in the streets but I do recall the art, the artists and those fabulous buildings. Strangely enough there was an Australia Center there where you could get Australian newspapers to read. I have no idea if it is still there. A recent documentary touched upon the origins of Jazz. Apparently the word had a sexual meaning once. Seems like you had a marvelous time in New Orleans.
The buildings are indeed fabulous!! We did have a lovely time. There is so much culture and art to take in. It was a wonderful vacation.