MASS Exodus - Day 8: Party Time

When we first began planning this trip, there were a couple of things we wanted to do- visit family and friends, see Savannah, and spend some time in New Orleans, NOLA, for short. As such we only traveled 80 miles on this day, with a plan to enjoy our stay. We got a motel on the outskirts of the city, checked our cat in and headed downtown. We arrived at Jackson Square and let the party begin.

We started off just walking around for a while, people watching. Finally we went to an outside cafe for a Cajun plate - andouille sausage, Cajun chicken and cheeses. When done we walked a block further to visit Cafe du Monde  for beignets and coffee. As is the tradition, they come piled high with powered sugar which can be seen all over the tables, the floor and the patrons! After this we continued to tour the square, with the artists, saw a wedding procession from the church and walked over to Bourbon Street.

Bourbon Street is not for the faint of heart. NOLA has no open bottle laws so everyone is carrying beers and drinks out in the street. The bars serve drinks in to go cups to help . One end of the street contains the strip clubs and men's clubs, about one every eight feet. Mrsfabp saw a woman who was wearing a painted on shirt - no blouse, just a painted on short. Unfortunately, I missed that one. After a couple of blocks, the clubs gave way to bars and music clubs, again, one every 8 feet or so. There really is nothing else going on there but the party never stops.

We moved over to the St. James trolley and took a long ride to the other part of the city. This included the Garden district and Mansion district with beautiful homes and oak linrd streets. When we got back we were hungry and took a cab to Mulates, recommended by the visitor center people. It serves real Cajun food and live Cajun music. The meal was fantastic - I had shrimp bisque and a shrimp quarter platter with cocktail, grilled, fried and a shrimp casserole. When done, we sat in the front of the stage and listened to great music and were treated to some traditional dancing too. Special thanks to my family who gave us some gift cards which paid for the evening's entertainment

After supper we took a cab back to Jackson Square and went on a carriage ride. The driver was well versed in the areas history and pop culture and also displayed the gruff Cajun side when dealing with crazy pedestrians or crazier drivers. 

By this time we were exhausted but happy. We left the French Quarter and went back to the motel to collapse...

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MASS Exodus: From Here to Serenity / "The Car, Cat and Clothes Tour"

Good friends, good food, good times!

The dream of Las Cruces, New Mexico is becoming a reality !