De-Junked In New Orleans: My Trip

[littleacorns]

I arrived Louis Armstrong on Tuesday afternoon. After checking in to my hotel, we had dinner at a little tourist trap in the French Quarter and then got sucked in to Rue Bourbon and a couple of jazz and blues clubs, where I met Satchmo's great nephew while he played his trombone. (could've been a midnight tale), and then finished it off at Pat O'Brien's with a Hurricane.

Wednesday morning, Robert Cangelosi, Jr., a famed architect, gave us a walking tour of the French Quarter, starting at the Cabildo. Three hours later, we went straight to Central Grocery for a Muffaletta. That night we had dinner at Emeril's NOLA. There is nothing quite like Shrimp'nGrits, Herb Crusted Redfish and Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins along with Spanish white wine. Cruised over to Frenchman Street where little bars have live jazz.

Thursday morning consisted of a taxi ride Uptown through the Garden District to the Camillia Grill for breakfast. Then we walked by Tulane University. On to the Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference at the Morial Convention Center. Now for the good part...

In the afternoon. I taxied out to City Park. The four golf courses that made up City Park are closed since Katrina. When you pull in, you imagine what Scotland must've looked like before the lawn mower. The Oak Tree's with hanging moss, the rough indication of fairways and bunkers and greens. All is overgrown, wild. I was in heaven.

At Filmore Avenue and Wisner Boulevard sits a trailer. Inside, I got a bucket of balls to get warm for my lesson with Brian. I hadn't been near a golf course in two weeks, so I was fresh and Brian Just got back from Kentucky for fall/winter. After a few swings, Brian just went to work on my swing. Nothing was wasted. He explained and demonstrated and I just did it. Sometimes you get in the way of your talent. That big coconut thinks it's right. You need help. In between the thunderstorms and rainbows, I realized I got de-junked. Sometimes in life, a teacher is more than a teacher, he is a friend.

That night, we went to Dauphine Street in the Lower 9th Ward for a Gumbo Gala put on by the Traditional Buliding folks. If you have not been there you need to go. I walked on the Levee and walked through the streets to see what it looks like over there. One of the homes they rebuilt was the sight of the gathering. An example of what can be done by people who care. De-junked again.

Friday morning I hung out in Cafe Beignet drinking coffee and reading the Times-Piccayune, and then spent the afternoon on Royal Street going in and out of antique shops. That night was quiet and ended at the Palace Cafe for Pecan Crusted fish and Popcorn Rice and White Chocolate Bread Pudding.

Back home Saturday after I got de-junked twice in New Orleans; once at City Park, and once in the Lower 9th Ward.

Rick

PS Thanks Brian and Lisa for the ride.

[2mongoose]

I was in New Orleans in June for work but did spare some time to take a look at Katrina's damage. Almost two years later I was amazed at how much work still needed to be done. CNN and NBC due no justice and I cannot imagine how bad it must have been those days, weeks and months that followed.

Perhaps the one sight I will never forget is the Six Flags........empty as a ghost town........or the FEMA trailers........or the shutdown schools.......or the still visible water stain on the houses..........or the spray paint on the houses used by the troops to mark the date the house was checked for people........

Thanks for the trip report littleacorns.

[mb6606]

Originally Posted by littleacorns

I arrived Louis Armstrong on Tuesday afternoon. After checking in to my hotel, we had dinner at a little tourist trap in the French Quarter and then got sucked in to Rue Bourbon and a couple of jazz and blues clubs, where I met Satchmo's great nephew while he played his trombone. (could've been a midnight tale), and then finished it off at Pat O'Brien's with a Hurricane.

Wednesday morning, Robert Cangelosi, Jr., a famed architect, gave us a walking tour of the French Quarter, starting at the Cabildo. Three hours later, we went straight to Central Grocery for a Muffaletta. That night we had dinner at Emeril's NOLA. There is nothing quite like Shrimp'nGrits, Herb Crusted Redfish and Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins along with Spanish white wine. Cruised over to Frenchman Street where little bars have live jazz.

Thursday morning consisted of a taxi ride Uptown through the Garden District to the Camillia Grill for breakfast. Then we walked by Tulane University. On to the Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference at the Morial Convention Center. Now for the good part...

In the afternoon. I taxied out to City Park. The four golf courses that made up City Park are closed since Katrina. When you pull in, you imagine what Scotland must've looked like before the lawn mower. The Oak Tree's with hanging moss, the rough indication of fairways and bunkers and greens. All is overgrown, wild. I was in heaven.

At Filmore Avenue and Wisner Boulevard sits a trailer. Inside, I got a bucket of balls to get warm for my lesson with Brian. I hadn't been near a golf course in two weeks, so I was fresh and Brian Just got back from Kentucky for fall/winter. After a few swings, Brian just went to work on my swing. Nothing was wasted. He explained and demonstrated and I just did it. Sometimes you get in the way of your talent. That big coconut thinks it's right. You need help. In between the thunderstorms and rainbows, I realized I got de-junked. Sometimes in life, a teacher is more than a teacher, he is a friend.

That night, we went to Dauphine Street in the Lower 9th Ward for a Gumbo Gala put on by the Traditional Buliding folks. If you have not been there you need to go. I walked on the Levee and walked through the streets to see what it looks like over there. One of the homes they rebuilt was the sight of the gathering. An example of what can be done by people who care. De-junked again.

Friday morning I hung out in Cafe Beignet drinking coffee and reading the Times-Piccayune, and then spent the afternoon on Royal Street going in and out of antique shops. That night was quiet and ended at the Palace Cafe for Pecan Crusted fish and Popcorn Rice and White Chocolate Bread Pudding.

Back home Saturday after I got de-junked twice in New Orleans; once at City Park, and once in the Lower 9th Ward.

Rick

PS Thanks Brian and Lisa for the ride.

Nice report. I am taking my family of four to NOLA in December for a week of building with Habitat for Humanity group. I have not been there in many years
and excited to go. My sons are both avid golfers and if we have some free Brian could be in the cards as a reward.