Giving Thanks in New Orleans

This is a very late tribute to what was a wonderful 2010 Thanksgiving. 

We stayed at the Royal Sonesta on Bourbon Street.

Our first stop for food, early upon our arrival, was the Acme Oyster House.  We loved the grilled oysters and made pigs of ourselves!  We liked it so much, we managed to return before the extended weekend was over.

I'm sorry to say that I missed this particular event.  The guys in our group stayed out later than the ladies and were rewarded for their tenacity when they heard strains of New Orleans jazz coming from the street.  They put down their drinks and joined the second line as they wended their way up Bourbon. 

During the early hours, the French Quarter is pretty empty.  Generally it was us and the street cleaners who were most gracious and welcoming.  They did a fine job removing the evidence of all debauchery from the night before.

One of our favorite stops, not directly on Bourbon Street, was Evelyn's Place.  It was quiet and full of history.  Frank, the 90+ owner, made a great host and regaled us with stories of the New Orleans of days gone by.

Things start to get more lively after dark.  This is still pretty early and a week night.  Since we were there during Thanksgiving and the Bayou Classic, the street you see above will soon be shoulder to shoulder, wall to wall people.  The morning following the Bayou Classic, we once again did our early morning stroll of Bourbon Street.  That morning the street cleaners had their work cut out for them!  And we saw a few hearty souls who must have partied the entire evening as they were still sipping their drinks as they wobbled their way back to their hotels.

One of my personal favorite spots, Preservation Hall, bona fide New Orleans jazz played with great skill and dexterity and zeal, a must stop for anyone visiting the city.

Some of the musicians we saw here were also members of the jazz group we heard at Snug Harbor, a much different but equally entertaining jazz establishment.

Another must stop for visitors to New Orleans, Cafe du Monde.  My advice is go early, find a seat where the wind can't reach you and be prepared to leave with a faint coating of powdered sugar on your clothing and skin.  The coffee and beignets are more than worth it and the people watching top notch.

The oldest restaurant in New Orleans, Tujague's, was our Thanksgiving dinner restaurant.  The meal was not the typical turkey and dressing we expected but was rather a southern version of the same.  It was good but I think we were all just a bit disappointed.

We took two tours while in New Orleans.  One took us around the city on a small bus, stopping at an above ground cemetery at one point.  We also saw the Ninth Ward and some of the aftermath of the Katrina.  I have been in New Orleans before Katrina a few times and one other time after.  That time, I stayed in the French Quarter and didn't venture out beyond the convention center.  Still I could tell the city was beaten down and tired.  On this trip, things seemed much better but taking this tour brought the reality home.  There is still much to be done beyond the Quarter and the city has a long way to go to be what it was pre-Katina.

The second tour we took was of the Garden District.  The day was wet and cool but we enjoyed seeing the mansions and hearing about the history.

An original mufaletta. 

The young men in the family recommended we head to the Abita Brewery for a tour and taste.  This is not the brewery now but it once was.  Now it's a great place to eat.

I wish I could say that we saw up close and personal the gators of this farm but we got there too late for the tour.  The picture is just a reminder of what could have been.

This is what I most love about New Orleans, the street entertainers.

This young lady remained motionless, a fanciful statue, until someone puts money in the basket.  At that time, she comes alive and blows that heck out of that horn.

Even the lightposts are tipsy!

The show at The Howling Wolf, one the older generation missed as we left before this.  The younger generation provided the picture and a reported a good time was had by all.

On Frenchman's Street. 

Also on Frenchman's Street.

Thanksgiving 2010 was a gratifying experience.  Next year we already know we are heading to Miami to enjoy sun and fun as we give thanks.