New Orleans. The Big Easy. NOLA. Call it what you will, but my trip to Louisiana was one of my favorite family vacations EVER!
The reason we ventured here was for the
wedding of my dear friend Jill Dimond (yes, the sister of my backpacking companion Dan)! The couple looked absolutely beautiful. But more on this later.
The first thing we decided to do after arriving in Nawlins on Wednesday evening was attend a wine and cheese party hosted by the bride's parents: Mike and Diane. It was great to see everyone, and build anticipation for exploring the city in the days to come.
We slept soundly that night in our room at the
Omni Royal, right in the center of the French Quarter. My parents, Phil (my boyfriend), and I shared a room, while Brett (my brother) and Liz (his wife) were in the room across the hall.
The next day, we went on a tour through the historic cemeteries and homes of the Garden District. My mom and I had been planning it I ever since we finished "The Witching Hour" by Anne Rice. So. On the tour, we saw the homes of Anne Rice herself, as well as Sandra Bullock, John Goodman and even Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor.
After the tour, we were all feeling pretty worn out, and in need of a serious pick-me-up! The tour guide recommended a restaurant called
Joey K's, saying it was great for "local Cajan goodness." He was right! Liz and I both got the Southern Fried Chicken with a side of red beans and rice, with spicy Andouille sausage mixed in. It hit the spot, and almost completely debilitated us from moving for the next 2 hours.
In fact, I was only able to move after I glanced out the window to see an antique shop-- these are my weakness. I went in and explored the space, touching everything from 60's style couches to 50's diner booths and retro lampshades. Then I got to the clothes-- these are also my weakness. I spotted a red dress with black buttons, very reminescent of Mad Men's
Joan Holloway... I had to get it. And so I did.
That night, Brett and Liz (who I often refer to as Briz), Phil and I decided to check out the famous Bourbon Street. I don't think we realized how crazy this street really is. From magicians to drag queens, tarot cards and Hurricane drinks, it was a night none of us will ever forget!
The magician we met had dubbed himself "Z Daddy," and amazed us with his slight-of-hand tricks, and robbed Phil of $5 (with my help I'm ashamed to say). Phil wasn't convinced by Z Daddy's miraculous abilities like the rest of us, so he challenged Z Daddy. He asked Z Daddy, "Alright. What's my middle name? If you tell me that, I will no longer doubt your powers." Z Daddy looked at me. I looked at him. I mouthed the word "JOE-SEH-FFFF" and he gave a knowing look like he understood. I nodded back. Then Z said, "I'm feeling a J..." (Phil's jaw drops). "A Joe... Joeseph?" Phil was so shocked he had to stand up and pace. He then came back and--before I could say anything-- he had given a happy Z Daddy a happy $5 and that was that! I toyed with the idea of keeping this exchange an inside joke between Z and I (that's what I call him), but my conscience said nay. Nay, Josie. And Phil was a little disappointed in me after that.
We also encountered someone who introduced herself as Ashley the Bourbon Street Queen. I think the picture says it all.
The next day, our family decided to go on a fan boat tour through the swamps of Louisiana, where we fed marshmallows to alligators and got extremely acquainted with our tour guide Kevin. He told us of his unusual hunting habits, from alligators to deer and everything in between. Maybe he got a little too comfortable with us, but we were too entertained to notice!
That night my father took the family out to celebrate a fabulous trip with fabulous people. So it was only fitting that we went to a fabulous restaurant:
Arnaud's. The location was right on Bourbon Street, and featured a 3-piece jazz band that came around to each table asking for requests. Our's was "Summertime." The waiter was hilarious, celebrating his 13th year at Arnaud's. He asked if we were hungry. We said yes. He said he wanted to play a game. We said yes. He told each of us what we were going to be ordering, from appetizer, to main course, to dessert. We said yes.
Turns out, he knew us well! We were all extremely pleased with our meals; Brett even enjoyed his turtle soup! My favorite was the Banana's Foster that he chose for me, and then mixed and created himself... even the roaring flames by the table, with which he made sparks fly from burning brown sugar.
After a stupendous meal, Phil and I decided to hit up the French Quarter once more for its well-revered jazz scene. We traveled from bar to bar, street to street... We even stood between two incredible jazz outfits battling for fans! Both had a slue of dancing jazz cats, drinks in hand (yes- open intox is legal there)! We even met up with Angela, a dear friend I met when I was traveling in Nice, France! She's now attending Loyola of New Orleans for law school, but don't worry. She's not afraid to let loose in that city. Then again, who couldn't? All in all, another amazing night in NOLA!
And then it was finally the big day: the wedding! The ceremony was at the famous
St. Louis Cathedral. After that, we danced in a second line parade through the streets of the French Quarter to
Broussards, a charming restaurant with an outdoor courtyard. This was where the reception was held.
There was another jazz outfit that played for us dancing fanatics, and an open bar to lead us on! The bride and groom were beautiful, and very much in love. All was well!
So there you have it. New Orleans. Now one of my favorite cities in America-- possibly the world!
