Driving through the states is one of my favorite past times. Especially when its not me doing the driving. When I last drove with friends from the midwest to Louisiana for St Patrick day, I found that as I got more into the south the more I got to see Waffle houses! They have broad distinctive signs and usually serve pretty good food for the weary car drivers and passengers. I was terrified that the car was going to break down on the long bridge over Lake Pontchartrain into southern Louisiana. It is the longest bridge over water in the guinness book of world records but once again I digress into trivia. The car stayed in one peice but the traffic was pretty horrid. When we got to New Orleans we stayed a couple of blocks off Bourbon street (stumbling distance some might say). When you are researching which hotel to stay in make sure you find out if parking is included in the price or how much it is. We stayed in the quarter but not on Bourbon street and saved a bunch. We got a one bedroom with pull out couch with a kitchenette so we wouldn't have to eat EVERY meal out to save money and store our soda and munchies. New Orleans is a fun city. Not only for the partying and the breast baring, bull rides but for other things too. Things just run a bit slower in the big easy so its something to get used to. I love love love the architecture in New Orleans, you have so many different styles on the same block its amazing. I love the graveyard tour I learned alot about the ghouls of New Orleans past, learned some history and got some exercise in. OK and who doesn't love the food in New Orleans??? The seafood, the cajun food the french food the mmm...its all so good you can't really go wrong in the french quarter and there you can get some shrimp etouffee, listen to the sounds of smokey jazz as the sun is setting, find the 3 for one bars... I thought it meant three drinks for one price but it was a triple shot of whatever you wanted. These kinds of deals you can find in the afternoons at some of the bars in the French Quarter. There is such a mix of music you can start out a little bit country and progress to rock and roll. We even found a bar that plays metal music and got to head bang abit. Of course we went to a strip bar where my girlfriend was seduced by one of the dancers there. You should have seen her with that dollar....
The St Patrick day parade was very fun, if you need beads that's the place to get them. They are throwing them left and right or exchanging them for kisses....you might also watch out for the flying cabbages and other things to put in a stew... and you may just get a paper flower from a handsome man in a tuxedo. You can get a green beer just about every where, the bars, the restaurants the corner grocer... and of course there are the green beer specials. You can .find the best parade in the Irish channel but go early to get a good spot up front.. The last MUST do thing is to go to the free French Market 5 full blocks or shopping paradise. The artwork the culture, the availability of ethnic foods, I can't say enough about the market, you can also find some cheap souvenirs there as well. Its so much fun to just wander lazily around. We would typically get up early spending the morning site seeing, take an afternoon nap and then go out for dinner and fun. I wouldn't go during mardi gras unless you plan to stay on one part of Bourbon street and get pushed alot like cattle. Lesson learned.... So there is something for everyone, in every price range in New Orleans..Have fun!
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