Day 3 New Orleans

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Another hot muggy day in N’Oleans. We walked into the French Quarter to John Lafitte National Historic Park and took the ranger led walk/talk about the history of New Orleans.  We were up on the river levee and saw an alligator who apparently got pushed in from Isaac.  He went right over to a boat that was tied up there, apparently he is accustomed to people.

  We learned about the blending of cultures in New Orleans from the different people who were here, from the French, Spanish, Indian, British, Acadian(French people who were kicked out of Nova Scotia), Croatian,  prisoners released from the Bastille, and how the blending of the cultures really makes New Orleans what it was and is today. She described if by comparing it to gumbo and how the different cultures put different things into the pot.  It really is a diversity of cultures that make the city what it is.  We also learned about the Battle of New Orleans where Andrew Jackson and his 3000 men defeated the mighty British Army of 6000. The War of 1812 was actually over (Treaty of Ghent had been signed) but the document did not arrive for 2 months.

We went to café du Monde for beignets and coffee with milk. What a treat.  Walked down Royal Street and bought some gumbo file at the grocery store.  I have to try to create some of the wonderful food once I get home.  Looked in shop windows and eventually back to our room and took off in the car.  Drove through the infamous lower 9^th ward where Hurricane Katrina flooded.  It is a neighborhood trying to recover but still many buildings abandoned and ruined even 7 years later.  So many people left, never to return. 

9th ward

FEMA trailers

Went to the Chalmatte Battlefield where the Battle of New Orleans was fought.  The park was actually closed due to Isaac damage but that didn’t stop us.  Took a picture of a huge oak tree on the plantation house where Andrew Jackson’s headquarters were.  We saw the trench were the American line was and walked the battlefield even though it was closed.  We walked to the Mississippi and saw another levee and ship traffic on the southernmost part of our trip.

We came back to the room and took a nap from the heat.  Walked back down to the distant end of the French Quarter and had dinner at Coops.  I had this amazing jambalaya with rabbit, sausage, shrimp and crayfish.  Jack had fried chicken.  We walked around, found Preservation Hall , up and down Bourbon Street and then back to Frenchmen street, and the Spotted Cat.  Music not as good tonight, but lots of Husky fans around.  That made the night entertaining.  Continued up and down Bourbon Street and ran into Dan Oliver and wife Kathy who are also down for the game.  Tried to hook up with Nick but his plane was delayed and by 11:00 we were beat.  44,000 step day.  We are nuts.  Our legs are going to fall off, but if we didn’t keep moving we would gain 40 pounds from this amazing food.