Touring in NOLA 2013 Day 3

Wednesday May 1, 2013 

Another leisurely  morning of reading email, talking on the phone, and editing photos, led us finally to a great breakfast at Mother's Restaurant just a couple of blocks from the Belle Maison.  Michael and I both had the Crawfish Étouffée Omelet.. Oh my... :)  The coffee here and everywhere in NOLA it seems, is rich and full flavored, the best there is!  The line was out the door and around the block by the time we left.  We must have hit it just right.  We were able to just walk in, order and eat!

We really wanted to do the Segway Tour of the French Quarter.  With the weather being so iffy, we decided to go back to the hotel and check the weather channel and make a decision.. We finally decided to just go for it and lo and behold, the weather held and we were able to get in the whole 3 hour Segway ride through the French Quarter, Marigny, and Treme without getting wet.  Our cute little tour guide, Amber, trained us, entertained us, and led us in a very enjoyable journey.  Highlights included Armstrong Park and Congo Square,  the Bonaparte House, The Tennessee Williams house, the Lafite Bar (oldest in New Orleans), and finally a ride throught the French Market and down the riverfront.  It was much fun, although Michael had a little trouble with the dismount at first, the Segway kept trying to eat his leg! :)  He finally figured it out.

We were heading to dinner with Steve, Jess and Miri at Superior Seafood so we needed to find a cab.  We started walking and looking and a couple of guys overheard and told us to simply walk over to the Marriot around the corner and we'd find a cab there. Presto!  We were in the cab and on our way!

At Superior, we had a nice dinner which of course included a dozen oysters each for me and Michael, and some of the best seafood in New Orleans. Michael had skewered grilled shrimp kabobs on grits with bread pudding for dessert and I had a nice goat cheese and shrimp salad.  Excellent!

We caught the St. Charles street car back downtown and were able to get 2 blocks from the hotel.  We stopped in at Chuck's Sports Bar (It's open damn near 24 hours :) for a nightcap..  P U ... we don't need to go back in there.  We could barely breath.  Got to watch a little NBA tho...

Touring in NOLA 2013 Day 2

Tuesday April 30, 2013 

After a leisurely morning talking on the phone, answering emails, drinking coffee and editing our photo streams, we finally got out and about for breakfast. Oops, we missed breakfast and had to settle for lunch at the Commerce Restaurant on Camp Street, just a few steps from our Hotel.  Michael had a Oyster Po-boy and I had a Club.  Very good!

Today is museum day.  We walked down Magazine Street to the WWII museum to spend the day there.  We started with the Tom Hanks narrated movie, "Beyond All Boundries."  Then we lucked into a free guided tour of the main museum.  Our guide Paul, took us through the displays for Normandy and the War in the Pacific.  He was very interesting and will informed.  The tour was very good and we felt like we got to experience the best of the museum proper. 

We stopped in at The Soda Shop for some gourmet ice cream in this 50's themed eatery.  The Pro Football Hall of Fame had a nice exhibit set up and we both took that in before walking across the street to the Boing Pavilion to see the war planes on display.  It was a 4 story hanger-like structure with a B-17 hanging from the ceiling along with 5 other warbirds of various types. 

The John Besh restaurant, The American Sector, was just closing (at 5:30!!) by the time we arrived but we were able to order a beer (NOLA Blonde and Hopitoulas) and some snacks.  Michael had some greasy onion rings, a cup of Gumbo and a BBQ slider, and I had a cup of gormet fries and 2 BBQ sliders.  Everything was delicious except the poor onion rings...

We walked back to the hotel and settled in for a bit. Caught up on some emails and photo stream edits then we walked back down Decatur to Jackson Square.  After Coffee and Beignet's at Cafe du Monde and a stroll around the square taking several nice photos, we set off for a stroll down Bourbon Street on our way back to the hotel.

 We stopped in for a beer at the Barber Chair and continued down Bourbon street carrying our cups of beer along the way. I was "arrested" for carrying an open cup of beer and not being drunk... It was a come on for a local charity and I got a very cool hat for my $20. 

Touring in Nola 2013 Day 1

Monday, April 29, 2013 

Moving day.  We moved from the Quality Inn on St. Charles to the Belle Maison Wyndham on Gravier St.  Michael has a time share and was able to get Monday - Thursday and invited me to stay with him.  This worked out great and solved all transportation problems that would have occured if I'd have stayed with Steve and Jess.  

Breakfast was the buffet at the Quality Inn and then we're off to the Belle Maison.

We stored our luggage and headed out for a day of touristing.  We walked from our hotel to the riverfront (about 15 minutes) We walked to the dock for the Natchez and bought tickets for the boat ride later in the day.

 We walked back down to Decatur Street for Oysters and Beer for lunch at My Fav, The Crescent City Brewhouse.  We got to watch the shucker do his thing.  I'm pretty sure that he shucked them just for us.  Michael was enamored of the jelly fish on the ceiling...  I had the beer sampler.

 

 

After Lunch we set off to find the Hard Rock.  We thought it was on Decatur, come to find out they'd moved to Bourbon Street.  So off we went.  Got to hear two great street musicians on the way, two girls on guitar and fiddle.  They played a nice jazzy version of "Jambalaya." 

We found the Hard Rock and had a beer and bought a pin and a church key for Steve.  Michael got a shirt, a pin, and a church key for me. Michael enjoyed the one million beer bottles that were attached to the ceiling...

After the Hard Rock we needed to get back to the Natchez for our boat ride so we hired a bicycle cab for a scenic but short trip back to the dock.  We had a very chatty ride.  The weather was sunny and warm, very nice day for a ride.

We were dropped at the dock and waited for the boat.  The ride on the Natchez was just like all the other rides I've ever taken.  The calliope played, a great little jazz band on the dock entertained us as we waited.  A homeless man with a head injury waited to get picked up by the medics while the band played on.

On the boat, we settled in for the two hour cruise down then back up the great Mississippi River.  We had Abita Amber and Budwiser, sat back and enjoyed the ride.  We explored the boat a little, going down to the engine room, visited the gift shop (got a little steamboat whistle for Miri.  She loved it!) and checked out the Dixieland band in the dining room.  We ended up back on deck and noticed the clouds gathering for a coming thunderstorm.  We were treated to a huge light show and then the rains came...  

We waited on the boat as long as we could to avoid the worst of the downpour and then made a run for The Gumbo Pot for a little early dinner.  We ate here simply to escape the rest of the thundershower.  We contacted Steve and Jess and arranged to meet for dinner at the Irish House.  This was unexpected but very nice.  Steve loaned me his guitar so I could play in the session after dinner.

We ate some very nice chef-made salads because of our early dinner at The Gumbo Pot.  Miri loved her little whistle.  Jess and Steve had fish n chips with their Guiness.  We moved over to the session area and I sat and played with the folks till 9 o'clock.  Jessica come over for two songs and we sang Step it Out Mary and The Good Man.  

We said goodnight and a taxi took us back to the Belle Maison.  We retrieved our luggage and moved in for the night.  I caught up on an episode of Survivor and we watched the after-show together then hit the sack.

Jazz Fest 2013 Day 3

Sunday April 28, 2013

Day Three of Jazz Fest

Steve, Jess, and Miri went to church.  Michael called a cab around 10:15 and picked me up and away we went for Day 3.  

We went for a breakfast of Oysters and Beer ( our favorite breakfasts of the week) at the Lagniappe.  Friends, these oysters were so big they wouldn't fit on the cracker.  One of the oysters was so big it almost didn't fit in my mouth! Amazing.

Clive Wilson's New Orleans Serenaders with Butch Thompson.  We got right up front and had a great time watching the second line and listening to Butch and the band.  

  

On to Fais Do Do and Martha Redbone Roots Project.  Wonderful performance again!  Steve, Jess, and Miri joined us and we enjoyed each other as much as we enjoyed the show.  Got some lunch while we were there.

Michael and I left for the Jazz Tent and Dianne Reeves.  This was disappointing and not what I expected.  Michael and I left early and met back at Fais Do Do.  The Rains were coming so we all left together.

We missed BB King, Earth Wind and Fire, and the Gypsy Kings because of the rain.... oh well...   The rains came as we walked out.  We got soaked but made it to the car and drove to Jena St. for dinner.  We ordered Greek food in, watched the rest of Bill Mahr and then left for the hotel.  I bunked in with Michael  at the Quality Inn on St. Charles so we could get up and start exploring the town on Monday after moving to the Belle Maison Wyndam.

Jazz Fest 2013 Day 2

Saturday April 27, 2013

Day Two of Jazz Fest..

Steve made us a nice breakfast of Eggs and sausage at home.  We picked up Michael at the Quality Inn on St. Charles.  Jess dropped us off at the Gentilly Entrance and we're off on Day 2, just the boys.

First stop, Lagnappe.  Michael gets a doz oysters and we enjoy the performance of Alex and the Samurai.  Great performance. 

We stay at Lagniappe to hear the Panorama Jazz Band, a great multi cultural, local band.  The clarinet player was 10' tall. :)

Next is Jon Cleary and funky NOLA blues.  Steve goes off to hear Michael Ward and then meets us at  Fais Do Do for the highlight of the day.  Which is:

Andrew Bird... oh my oh my.  The master of the Loop Station, whistler, guitar player, fiddler, blue grass singer....  An amazing eclectic amalgamation of virtuosity.  Wonderful set!

   

Jess picked us up on State Street after a little walk and we all went to dinner together at Midway Pizza. 

We dropped Michael at his hotel and back home we went.

Jazz Fest 2013 Day 1

Friday April 26, 2013

Jazz Fest Day 1!  It's moving day for Michael.  Steve, Miri and I had a quick breakfast at Satsuma Cafe, bought Michael a muffin and coffee to go and picked him up at his hotel.  His room was ready at the Quality Inn Belle Maison on St. Charles, so we took him there, dropped off his luggage and took off for Jazz Fest.  Steve dropped us off at the Gentilly entrance.

We headed first for the Liagnappe and the Oyster Bar.  We enjoyed the first of several oyster feasts during our time in NOLA.  A nice Pilsner Urquiell washed it all down.  If there was ever a dessert for breakfast, this was it!

   

There was no music going on, we arrived too early for the first show, so we went on down the row to the Gospel Tent.  We sat in on the Zulu Gospel Male Choir as they finished their set, just enough to get a taste of the Gospel tent.  We never made it back.

We walked through the grounds checking out the sights and sounds, finding the venues and checking out the food courts and craft stations. We picked up a couple of beers and headed to the Peoples Economy Tent for our first set. 

The weather is warm and sunny, we are in short sleeves and shorts… Little did we know that this would be the exceptional day and not the norm!

The Original Dixieland Jazz Band.  Michael saw his first second line and got some nice pics.  This was original, traditional, and a perfect beginning for our Jazz Fest.

Leroy Thomas and the Zydeco Roadrunners - Lagniappe

We stopped by the food court for a taste of the fine New Orleans cuisine.  Michael had Crawfish Pie and I got the Red Beans and Rice.  We sat and ate outside the Peoples Economy Tent.

Blues Tent - John Mooney and Bluesiana

On to the Fais Do Do.  We stopped first at the Fest T-Shirt Store and bought our Festival Shirts.  I bought this year's shirt "Brass in the Grass," and "Nome de Plume" from 2008.

We were treated to the highlight of the first weekend.  Le Vent du Nord (The North Wind).  An amazing French Canadian band from Quebec gave us a very energetic set of folk and original tunes and couldn't get off the stage until they had played three encores!  This is a very rare occurrence at Jazz Fest because of the time factor… It just never happens, but it did for this fine group!  I was right up front for the whole gig. Amazing!  Instrumentation was Bass, Hurdy Gurdy, bouzouki, guitar, fiddle and foot percussion.  WOW!

We finished day one at the Gentilly Stage in the Wayyyy back watching Band of Horses.

We walked back out the Gentilly entrance where Steve picked us up and we all went to dinner at a nice burger place called TruBurger.  We dropped Michael at the Quality Inn and went on home. Steve and I tried to watch Bill Mahr but I fell asleep on the couch (with my shirt open, jaw sagging and making strange sounding snoring noises or so says Steve.. :)  It was gross, so Steve woke me up, turned off the TV and we went to bed.

Arriving in New Orleans

Michael and Brent on the way!

Thursday April 25, 2013
The Amtrak picked up Michael at 6:00 in Toccoa, Georgia and we met and found seats together.  We munched on a breakfast bar and then decided to work a little on Michael's new book.  We tweaked some of the visuals and reviewed the text.

I had downloaded a movie for the trip down, so we put away the book and watched "Les Miserables."  In interesting premise…. "How about we do a movie opera with actors who can't sing… " It was a compelling story and the crummy singing didn't really affect my enjoyment of the movie.

We spent the rest of the trip chatting, reading, and napping.  We almost missed dinner as we waited until 6:00 to eat before we arrived in NOLA.  The had one cheeseburger and one plate of chicken left so we got to eat a little before we got off the train.

We arrived in NOLA at 7:30 PM.  Son-in-law Steve picked us up, we dropped Michael at his hotel, The Belle Maison Wyndam, and went on home.  Daughter Jessica was away on a field trip, so Steve, Miri, and I had a nice visit.

To Jazz Fest in New Orleans

Wednesday April 24, 2013
To Jazz Fest!
I'm riding the train to NOLA this year, meeting up with my good friend Michael Nichols, for Jazz Fest 2013.  We'll be attending both weeks!  Here we go!

Amtrak C'ville

Ariana Grill Kabob House

Karen dropped me at the Amtrak in C'ville at 5:30 PM for an 8:52 departure. With that much extra time on my hands, I walked back into town to a great little cafe, The Ariana Grill Kabob House.  I had a nice dinner including chick peas, brown rice and spicy chunks of chicken.  A couple of mugs of Starr Hill Amber on draft washed it all down..

Starr Hill Amber Ale

Wild Wing Sample Tray

I walked back to the station and still had some time to kill so I dropped by The Wild Wing Cafe next door to the Amtrak Station and sampled some more of the local brews.  I found the train and away….