Nawlins

Or as most of us know it, New Orleans .....

I met Kristin, Kristin, and Jen for a weekend getaway in New Orleans in late January. We flew in on Thursday, left on Sunday, and did plenty in between.

On Thursday night, we ordered a Hurricane from Pat Obrien's, wandered around Bourbon Street, drank more than we probably wanted to, listened to some music, played washboards with a cajun band, and enjoyed the comforts of our beds at the Roosevelt Hotel.

Friday, we started our day with a bike tour of the Creole neighborhoods. The weather was colder than we would have liked, and our tour guide, Cassady, told us more history than we probably wanted to know, but it was a great way to get some fresh air and see parts of the city that we would not have seen otherwise. Our lunch was a Po' Boy from Johnny's. After wandering around the French Quarter some more, we stopped for beignets and coffee at Cafe du Monde, which lulled all of us into a restful slumber (a 2 hour nap!). We woke up, refreshed and ready to go out for the evening (except for Kristin K, who was fighting with a headache all day). Our evening's events started at the Sazerac bar in the lobby of the Roosevelt, where Jen and I both enjoyed a Ramos Gin Fizz (probably the best cocktail I have ever had). Jen, the other Kristin, and I went to Three Muses for dinner, where we enjoyed a bounty of delicious small plates, snappy live music, and a great atmosphere. We ended our night with the late show at Snug Harbor, where we were entertained by the jazz offerings of the Ellis Marsalis trio.

Saturday, of course, started with food. We took the street car to the Garden District, where we enjoyed some greasy comfort food at Slim Goodies Diner. We wandered around the area, admiring the architecture, explored a cemetary, and tried to find the Real World house. I am pretty sure we also had a cocktail or two, somewhere along the way. Oh, and Kristin S tried to get us hooked on the geo-caching craze, but none of us really fell for it (sorry, Kris). Next, we explored the Backstreet Cultural Museum, a quirky museum (that I think was in the guy's home, but I am not sure) that highlights the cultural traditions and institutions of African-American culture in New Orleans – Mardi Gras Indians, Jazz Funerals and Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs. Afterwards, we bought some pralines, drank a Pimms Cup and Sazeracs at the Napolean House, tasted a muffaletta, and went back to the hotel to nap and watch a movie. Dinner was at Commander's House. The highlight of the meal, for me, was the soup sampler (turtle, gumbo, artichoke-crab). The bread pudding souffle was also pretty good.

On Sunday, it was time to wake up early and head home. In our short weekend, we managed to see the major sites, enjoy all of the culinary mainstays of New Orleans, and even saw a random parade on the street. All this, plus a nap each day.

Thanks, girls, for a great trip.

When can we do it again? And where?