The first item on our list was to check out the RV Park we had booked while we were back in Calgary. Most of the parks we called were already booked up for Mardi Gras, so it was slim pickings, and calling this park a “dump” is being nice. It was located on a main, and noisy road, the fence it was enclosed in was falling over, it was unkempt, weedy and just not a place Carl and I would stay in, or anyone else I know. There was also a row of about 8, 20 ft trailers, all the same model, with small, broken windows and again, not taken care of. I assume this was in place of cabins, and I bet they will be full during Mardi Gras. Bottom line, I’m glad we went to check this place out and didn’t give a deposit.
Danelle, Laura and a friend are also coming out for Mardi Gras and had booked a B & B for 4 days for part of their stay, so we thought we would also check this out.
Much nicer than the RV park. The owner also agreed to allow us to park in her driveway for the 4 days we were at Mardi Gras, which is a weight off our mind because the three other RV Parks in the city were already sold out, and parking anywhere near the French Quarter during this time is almost impossible, plus this also was a fairly safe area.
We drove into the French Quarter and secured a parking spot for the day, in a lot off Canal Street. Parking for us can be a hassle because we need 2 parking spots to park the 25 ft RV, but we were lucky. We had entertained the idea of staying here overnight, as overnight parking in this lot was allowed and only $4, but upon questioning the lot attendant, he advised us against it.This lot was also located next to a large group of Public Housing that was damaged by Katrina. It is fenced off and in the process of being rehabbed, but they still have a long way to go.
French Quarter Public Housing Project being rebuilt
From here we spent the afternoon doing a self-guided walking tour of the French Quarter. At this point we decided to move the RV closer to the bars and restaurants for the evening. This was no easy feat, as parking on the street was at a premium and we always needed 2 parking spaces, plus we always had to make sure we wouldn’t get hemmed in between cars. We did drive into one parking lot with electronic arms, the arm went up to let us enter, but we still managed to” take it out”. Needless to say, we just drove straight out through the exit, nobody seemed to notice what occurred.
Legends Park
That evening we had supper at Oceans, a restaurant recommended to us. The food was delicious and the portions were huge. We stopped in at 3 different bars that evening, all featuring live bands and happy hour specials. Musicians played in the streets, which reminded me of the show Treme, that Boris had introduced us to. After a very satisfying evening we drove to the nearest Casino and hunkered down there for the night.
Bourbon Street – Washboard band
New Levee walls outside Boomtown Casino, looks like prison gates
The next morning we drove from the Casino to the French Quarter RV Park. We had stopped in here yesterday, but decided to only stay here one night, and tonight was the night. The park is located right next to a freeway, thus there will be traffic noise, but is also a short walk to the French Quarter. It is small, very clean, and has 6 foot cement walls surrounding it, making us feel very safe staying here. Shortly after we checked in, a bus giving a city tour pulled in and still had room for a few sightseers, so we decided to join the group.
French Quarter RV Park
The tour guide was informative, but tended to repeat the same thing at least 3 times, which after a while started to get a little irritating. But during this 3 hour tour we saw much of the city and felt we got our money’s worth.
We drove through the Garden District, which was home to Sugar Plantations in the past. Many of the large, old houses are still standing, some worth up to $3 million, also home to Sandra Bullock, John Goodman and Nicolas Cage.
Revitalized Home Garden District
Beads left from last years Mardi Gras parade
Tribute to Katrina
The Warehouse District contains a number of museums, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Contemporary Arts Center and Louisiana Children’s Museum. We only made 2 stops during the tour, and sadly, they were not at any of these museums. A functional Streetcar runs down Canal Street and into the Warehouse District, but due to lack of time, were not able to take a ride on it.
One of the 2 stops we made was at City Park, where we had beignets and coffee at a small cafe, both delish. A small, gated park featured some really funky statues of modern art. The second stop was at one of the 42 cemeteries located in the New Orleans area. The St Louis Cemetery # 3, has plots dating back to 1789. These cemeteries are not like the ones in Canada. They are located above ground, because of the water level and flooding, and some were Mausoleums. One of the family Mausoleums we saw set the family back over $600,000. These plots are bought to house generations of families, and many are Eternal Care, meaning they pay to have the plot looked after forever. Many of the brick and stucco headstones that are not Eternal Care, are falling into disrepair.
??
We had the Close-pin now the Safety-pin
$ 650,000 Masoleum
Cemetery row of crypts
One of the areas hardest hit by Katrina was the area known as Treme. A few years ago tour buses were allowed to drive into the streets of this area, but due to complaints from people residing in Treme, this was put to a stop, and rightly so. We still were able to see many abandoned and boarded up houses and buildings. There is still much revitalization taking place, but it is a slow process.
Treme homes
Treme coming back
Some of the restored homes
We also passed through the hard hit 9th Ward, newly built Musician’s Village and viewed where the Floodwalls and levee’s were breached, what an eye-opener.
New Musician’s Village
New 9th ward housing
Site of Levee breech
Houses behind the breeched levee
Old 9th ward homes
After being dropped off at the RV Park, we walked back into the French Quarter. The tour bus had taken us past a museum I wanted to see, so we headed back to Museum Presbytere. The first floor was titled Living with Hurricanes: Katrina and Beyond, and gave us facts and information on what occurred during Katrina. Videos featured people that survived the ordeal, and pictures depicted the devastation caused by the hurricane, and errors that were man-made and made the situation far worse than it should have been. This is a museum not to be passed up on.
Fat’s Domino’s piano as it was found, displayed in museum
Mardis Gras costume
In contrast to the first floor, the second floor featured articles and the history of Mardi Gras. Very elaborate invitations, costumes and parade floats were on display. The invitations blew me away, they were fancier than any wedding invitation I have ever seen, not garish, but usually in some type of shape, such as a fan, and very expensively created. Did you know there was even a parade for dogs, Krewe of Barkus? Unfortunately we won’t be there to see this one.
St Louis Cathedral
St Louis Cathedral
Café du Monde -The original Coffee stand
Next stop was St Louis Cathedral Basilica, center-piece of Jackson Square. We joined in on the public guided tour which described the history of the church and it’s people. Since it was the end of the day, we will have to stop in with the girls and get the full tour. Well worth a second visit.
We walked around a bit longer, and later stopped for supper at Mulate’s, a restaurant located just off the French Quarter. The food was good, but not as good as the previous nights. That evening we went to Frenchmen Street, where we were told all of the locals go. We stopped at a happening bar, featuring a live band and people dancing up a storm. As we were leaving we stopped to listen to a street corner group playing, when an older fellow in a suit and overcoat asked to borrow a trombone and started playing with them. After a fun evening we hopped a cab back to the RV Park.
Popular restaurant, Warehouse District
Frenchmen Street Entertainment
Corner band with stand-in trombone player
Today we went to visit one of the many plantations located in Louisiana. The Oak Alley Plantation featured a quarter mile of 300 year old live oaks framing a classic antebellum mansion. The trees were actually planted prior to the house being built, and there is no history of a house in this location in the past.
The house was originally a gift from a wealthy Creole sugar planter, Jacques Roman, to his bride, Celina, in 1839. The house was owned by 2 other families since the Romans, and was totally renovated by the last owners, and lived in, until 1972, when the Oak Alley Foundation took over. The surrounding lands are still growing sugar cane.
Oak Alley Plantation
Oak Alley Plantation
Oak Alley Plantation
A Slave Marker is located where the original 2 rows of 10 slave cabins began. It depicts records filed at St. James courthouse upon Jacques Roman’s death (1848) which includes a listing of all the slaves on the plantation at that time. After the abolition of slavery, and death of Jacques, the family lost the home.
Many other plantation homes were either burnt to the ground or fell into ruin, if they were not taken over by foundations of some sort. A few that we passed were in rough-looking condition. We were told that squatters would sometimes enter these homes and light a fire indoors to keep warm, causing a house fire.
After the plantation we drove into Baton Rouge to spend the night.