New Orleans 2025

[Grant Lamontagne]

The adventure begins!

Or rather it began a few hours ago when our scheduled ride to the airport didn't arrive at ten after three this morning, and we had to frantically call an Uber!   

We managed to make it to the airport in time though, only to find out that we had been upgraded to Business Class to Toronto, which made for a nice flight.  Now we are sitting in the International Lounge at Toronto's Pearson Airport for a hefty layover before catching our next flight to New Orleans.

Since we have checked luggage this time I have packed a couple of SAKs- namely my Wenger Nail Clipper (if you recall our trip to San Francisco last year, I had to buy a replacement when we got there!) and a Victorinox Compact.  It's not the special modded Compact from last ear either, it's just a regular old every day Compact.

We hit some pretty good turbulence on the way here, so bad in fact that I had to hold my glass of orange juice, and still spilled some.  If i had left it on my tray table, I would have spilled all of it!   

But that's okay- it's still far from the roughest flight I've ever had!  Coming home from SHOT 2008 I got grounded in Chicago (is it bad I always want to type Chicargo?  ) then flew through that storm once it had passed.  In fact, I landed in Halifax just as the storm had as well, and then got to drive home in a blizzard!  That was a fun trip- the turbulence was so bad they cancelled in flight services because it was too dangerous to not have the flight attendants strapped in.  As we were taking off the flight crew announced that a certain passenger was 87 years old and this was his first flight.  Every time the plane bounced I figured it was very lkely to be his last!  If we got where we were going, I doubt he'd ever want to get on a plane again!   

But I digress- we have made it to Toronto, and I have a beautiful view of a cloud covered sunrise over the city.  I can't see the CN Tower from here, but that's not a big deal- I have seen it many times before and I imagine I will see it again.

Keep checking back as I will update this thread with our progress and all through our trip- just don't be surprised if some of the pics are a it blurry!

We will get to NOLA just after 3pm local time, so we will have just enough time to get to the place we are staying and drop our luggage- then it's time for some good old fashioned Cajun cooking and maybe my first experience with Sazerac.   

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Second leg started!

We just boarded the flight from Toronto to New Orleans, and we have been upgraded to Business Class again!

And now that the sun is up, I may just have an adult beverage to get things primed for when we get there!

Def

[AzteCypher]

Safe travels Grant! 

Worst flight I've ever been on was on a turbo prop plane.  When the pilot's first words when getting on the intercom were, "Folks, this is not going to be a fun ride."  We had 52mph crosswinds and the plane was hopping up and down like a jackalope most of the way.  Once we landed they had to cordon off the propellers as they wouldn't stop spinning because the wind was so strong.  On the way out the door I walked by the pilot and he was sweating from trying to keep the plane as steady as possible. 

Good times!

[Grant Lamontagne]

We have landed in New Orleans and it’s raining!

That’s okay though, it’s warmer than the rain we left in Halifax!

We are in an Uber now, headed for our Airbnb in Treme.

Def

[Poncho65]

Have fun, Boss

[Grant Lamontagne]

After getting settled in our Airbnb last night we went to the French Quarter to get a few things (milk for Megan’s coffee in the morning etc) then off to a bar called Port Of Call for a quick bite to eat.

Afterwards we turned in because we had gotten up around 3am and travelled two time zones.  It was a long day for sure!

Now we are up early as we are always early risers and we are also still on Nova Scotia time, which is two hours ahead of New Orleans time.  We have bought our transit passes so we can explore a bit today.  We will make our first stop Cafe Du Monde for a beignet!

After that I am going to have to find a place t get a light jacket as I wasn't anticipating the cold spell they are having here.  It’s a lot warmer than at home, but it’s still only a few degrees above freezing much of this week.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Yeah yeah, I know, this thread is worthless without pics!

Here are a few to get you started.  Naturally as I worked in shipping for seventeen years I am always interested in checking out the ports in cities, and here are a couple of shots from the plane as we came in.

in the airport was this cool NASA display too!

[Grant Lamontagne]

Also in the airport were these cool cop.... scooters?  I'm not sure what to call them.  They have a triangular base, one for the front wheel and one for each foot.  I have seen unpowered scooter things like this, and you kind of undulate from one side to the other to accelerate- I assume this is the same kind of thing, but with power assist?

The airport was very welcoming as well!

Def

[Farmer X]

Sounds like a good time is being had by all. Glad you made it safely, and thanks for taking us along!

[Grant Lamontagne]

Holy craps what a morning!

We started off by trying to find a bank machine, as we had yet to get any- in act, the cash I used last night at the convenience store to get milk was left over from last year's trip to San Francisco.  I had come home with seventeen US dollars in my wallet, and was looking forward to this trip so that I could use it.

Along the way we spotted an awful lot of neat things- for starters, these things sticking out of the wall called "shutter dogs."  these may be normal to some of you (I don't know where all they are common at, but they are basically clips that stick out of the wall so that the shutters (or doors) can be locked open.

The streets remind me more of a European city than an American one, which is kind of cool.  There are many influences here, and I was even surprised to see a Canadian flag hanging outside of one of the hotels, after all, the main Canadian influence here (the Acadians, who became the Cajuns) were kicked out by the English before the country of Canada was established.

We also noticed a flaw in our trip planning- we are morning people, coming from a place that is two hours ahead of New Orleans, and this is a city that is all about the night life.  We get up pretty early, and as you can see by the utter lack of people, we were the only ones... and Megan especially had been up for hours before we ventured out!

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

We walked past an awful lot of cool stuff, including this zombie in holiday garb and some cool signage for businesses that you probably won't see in too many other places.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

That arch is Louis Armstrong Park, not far from where we are staying, and I look forward to spending some time walking around in it, but this morning we needed beignets, so it was off to the original Cafe du Monde! 

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I never would have figured there was a year's worth of diabetic shock on each of the three beignets we were served!   

Seriously, I ate a mountain of powdered sugar, and this was the pile that was leftover.  I can't imagine what their annual sugar budget is, given the amount that was wasted.

Afterwards we made our way down to the waterfront just in time to spot this paddle wheel boat setting off.  We have a tour boar in Halifax that is a paddle wheel, but it's powered by standard screws, and the wheel on the back is for show, so it was neat to see an actual one running.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Since we were in the area and it was a bit chilly, we decided to visit the Audobon Aquarium and Insectarium.  There were some very cool bugs, like this Hercules beetle (sadly no Goliath beetles) and this giant Malaysian Katydid that looks an awful lot like a leaf.  It's not often I see bugs that size, and I am glad for that!

I didn't get a lot of photos in this section as many of the insects were too small, too fast or too camouflaged to get decent pics.  I got shots of these two because they were absolutely massive!  I also got some picks inside of the butterfly habitat, but there weren't many as we are here at the wrong time of year.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

We also went through the aviary and met this giant macaw and a bunch of penguins.  Apparently the macaw was in a good mood today- some days he likes to torment and poop on people, other days he puts on a show. 

Macaws are terrifyingly huge birds that somehow always put a smile on my face.  Their beaks are extremely powerful and they can crush nuts easily.  If you got  finger in there, it would probably be the last time you saw it.  But they are absolutely beautiful and have amazing personalities, overshadowed only by their significant intelligence.  They are an absolutely amazing bird to behold.

And the penguins?  Well, they are amazing for a completely different set of reasons.  They look so silly waddling along on land, but once in the water its as if they take on a whole different form!  They are the absolute epitome of grace and speed.  These are truly amazing birds, and I am always happy when I get to see one!

 The rest of the aquarium didn't disappoint either.  Seeing these rays, some sharks and all manner of fish was absolutely wonderful.  There was even a sea turtle and an albino alligator- in separate pens of course!   

All in all the Aquarium and Insectorium may have seemed a bit pricey at first ($40 each!) but it was well worth visiting. 

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

By this time we needed lunch, and neither of us was willing to eat bugs at the insect restaurant at the Insectorium, so we headed off to Napolean House where Megan had Jambalaya and I had a Muffeletta.  Or more accurately, 1/4 of a Muffeletta as they are quite sizeable.  I debated having a half of one, but when the server showed me how big they were I opted for a quarter since we still had a long walk to get back to the Airbnb!

No pictures of those, but the jambalaya was basically seasoned rice with vegetables, sausage and chicken mixed in, and the Muffeletta is a sandwich with ham and cappicola or some other sliced meats.

Not long after starting to make our way home we found ourselves on Bourbon Street.  It was still early in the day (shortly after noon) but people were already out, and the bars were starting to open.  There were people having a good time already, and we saw more than a few people walking down the street with various concoctions of adult beverages, particularly what's known locally as a hand grenade.  This is basically just a vial with a bulb at the bottom, filled with a potent drink.

I will get one at some point while we are here... you know... for the purposes of detailed reporting.  I will update this when I have partaken of it!

I am also looking forward to trying Sazerac, a local drink that is as famous in New Orleans as New Orleans bourbon is everywhere else.  I imagine I will be sure to try it all.

You know, for the sake of accuracy!

Lastly, just as we were almost back t the Airbnb we encountered a parade.  These are apparently quite common here, and we were happy to see it.  It was mostly high school marching bands and some local DJ companies, at least in the portion we saw.

After a brief rest we are now getting ready to head off to Kermit's Mother In Law Lounge, which is close to where we are staying and is quite famous.  It was also featured in the HBO show called Treme, a show Megan is quite fond of.

There we will likely eat something, drink a lot and enjoy some jazz, because if you don't do that in New Orleans then you are missing out.

Def

[old Lefty]

Really nice and interesting reporting from Big Easy (or is it still called that?),
Thanks for sharing!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Grant Lamontagne]

There's not a lot of pictures from today, mostly because we didn't actually do too much.  With the rain and relatively chilly temps we really only ventured out for a parade and the Second Line, then wandered around a bit and found ourselves in the Frenchman Market.  The market was really not as interesting as I had hoped, but it was worth walking around and taking in.

The Parade and Second Line was cool though- parades aren't the same here as they are in most places.  I am used to parades where you stand in one place and watch the floats and displays go by you.  Here, the parade itself is short, and you follow it along- nn parade people following behind the parade is called the Second Line.

The whole group stops at certain points and has a bit of a party before moving on to the next stopping point.  At each stopping point you have people barbecuing or boiling shellfish or whatever and you can buy drinks and food off the back of a pickup truck, a trailer or out of the back of a car.  Once the parade and Second Line move on, these people pack up their trucks and move to the next stopping spot.

It's very cool and well worth experiencing.  Unfortunately once I'd stopped and bought drinks I didn't have any  free hands to take pictures.  Megan did, and I'll get some of hers to share here.

After the Market we pretty much came back to the Airbnb since the rain started long before the 7pm Siri had told us about before we left.

We watched the Martha Stewart documentary on Netflix, and then a food travel show on New Orleans to make sure we weren't missing much.

Oh, and Kermit's Mother In Law Lounge last night was amazing and not to be missed if you are ever in the area.  The music was amazing and the fried chicken was even better!

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Today we are heading off to the WWII museum, which should be interesting.

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/visit/plan-your-visit?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAkJO8BhCGARIsAMkswyi0bTmUt3TR3f62a7DG0XdUUI1JiOutVZzZQ_S8S0kj72_4E0yElwwaAvu3EALw_wcB

I hear it is the best WWII museum in the US, so there should be some really interesting things there.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Yesterday as stated, we started the day off going to the WWII Museum here in New Orleans.  Honestly, the highlight was the Boeng area, which is understandable as they are probably pouring a lot of money in supporting things like this right now as a distraction for anything else that may be going on with them these days.     

There were some cool equipment displays, but not as many as I would have expected.  In Canada, most museums have a lot more in the way of tanks, planes, Jeeps, cannons etc in addition to the small stuff like watches, glasses etc.  It was cool to see the pilot's typical EDC (or more accurately, issued equipment!) but as a bit of a  WWII buff, I really didn't learn much.  In fact, I felt like I could probably correct a few things, but those details are probably a matter of perspective than anything else.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Anyone who is wondering what I mean above should probably take a trip to the War Museum in Ottawa.  Or visit Worthington Park in CFB Borden.  Or the Military Museum at CFB Shearwater, Nova Scotia.  I will personally walk you through that one if you make the trip!

There were a lot of weapons, which one would expect in a war museum, and there were a lot of interactive exhibits. 

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

As I said, the Boeng section was great, and offered a perspective on some f these aircraft that probably hasn't been seen since they were in combat.  I unfortunately suffer vertigo at heights nowadays, so I didn't get to appreciate the Level 3 views as much as I would have liked.  I'll pretty well always regret not exploring it more, but it is the highlight of the trip for any of you that are considering it.

It was great to see a Lancaster and a Flying Fortress (relatively) up close.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

The next thing to look forward to is the Submarine simulator experience.  Having worked in shipping for many years and from my upbringing as a military rat, I have actually been on submarines, and I was glad to see that this "simulation" wasn't as tight as the real thing.  As I am a bit horizontally challenged these days I appreciated that.   

Megan tends to be very hands on, and so she appreciated this exhibit as she was able to hit buttons, turn wheels, crank levers and look through the periscope. 

I got my pictures out of order, sorry- still in the Boeng section they had this old Jeep and Seep.  The amphibius Jeep (nicknamed the Seep) was amazing, and I would really love to have one.  Currently I live on a penninsula and work on all side of the water.  The two bridges that connect each side get backed up quickly at rush hours (and whenever there is an accident) and many times I have wished for an amphibious car to I could get where I need to be in a reasonable amount of time!

We also took the transit system which wasn't as effective as many of the others we have been on.  This may be due to construction or other problems, but we really found it complicated and inefficient.  We did however find it very pleasant- the drivers and operators made for an excellent ride.  They take their role as ambassadors for their city seriously, just as the cable car operators did when we were in San Francisco last year.  Where I live, some bus drivers are nice, but many just grunt at you as if you getting on the bus is inconveniencing them.

We also drove past the area of the recent incident here, but we didn't stop or get any pictures.  The area is quite interesting looking and I would like to explore it later- well, as much as I can anyway.  There are still areas cordoned off and big memorials placed all around. 

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Since I arrived I have been searching for a SAK or other pocket knife to buy to commemorate the trip.  Last year in San Francisco I got a Victorinox Nail Clipper and the year before in Athens I got a Spartan.

So far all I have found was this terrible hammer tool that I spotted in the Museum Gift Shop and couldn't bring myself to pay actual money for, and an unmarked, ordinary Vic Classic SD I found in an Ace Hardware we happened to be passing.  I wasn't about to pay full retail on a Vic Classic that didn't have New Orleans or something on it, so I passed, and so far I have completely failed to get a SAK on this trip.  I am glad I brought a Compact, but so far it has seen absolutely no use.

While making our way back to the Airbnb I was able to check yet another item off the New Orleans Must Do list- I got my first Po Boy of the trip!  Megan had a pulled pork one and I had braised beef.  I feel like it would have been a very good sandwich, but it was a bit heavy on pickled onions and green beans.  Not being a big fan of either kind of ruined it for me.  I was expecting lettuce, onions and tomatoes, which is what most of the shows we watched before coming to NOLA said would be on it.  It also seemed like the sandwich was deliberately made to be extra sloppy for no reason other than to be sloppy.

I don't mind  sloppy sandwich, but it seems like they expect people to want it to be sloppy so they made it extra sloppy just because.  It won't be my last Po Boy, but probably will be from that place.  We did however have a very good drink that was basically vodka (a lot of vodka) and lemonade.  I didn't catch what they called it, but after drinking it I probably couldn't have caught anything!

If it's one thing I appreciate about New Orleans, it's that alcohol is readily available and no one is stingy about it.  While we haven't hit many of the night spots (yet) we have noticed that the residents seem to be responsible with it, and the only ones making idiots of themselves seem to be tourists.  Thankfully Megan and I are responsible drinkers and not idiot tourists, so we enjoy the liberty of walking dwn the road, casually enjoying an adult beverage.

It really does make one wonder why so many other cities (at least in NA) are so restrictive regarding alcohol.  Here it is readily available and the residents are not wandering around in a drunken stupor 24/7 as  we are lead to believe will happen everywhere else.  We noticed much the same thing in Athens when we were there- alcohol was available everywhere and we really didn't notice any issues with public drunkeness or vomit all down the street like you see in Halifax after St Patrick's Day or during Frosh Week.

I also appreciate that bars here still free pour- in most other places (again, in NA at least) the bottles all have attachments that limit each pour to a specific shot size.  This may be easier for the bar owners and accountants to accurately keep inventory, but it does add a clinical element to fun, which shouldn't have a clinical element to it. 

You know, unless you are into that kind of thing, but it's okay, I don't judge.

Speaking of which, this is one of the states that has blocked certain adult websites unless you go to an even sketchier website and input your driver's license and credit card to "verify your age."  Naturally I don't go to those websites and all of this is just what I am hearing from others  but that really does seem pretty restrictive.   If I was to be into all manner of weird things, I really wouldn't want to register with the government or some third party agency for their permission to look at it.

You know... if I was interested in that kind of thing.... which I am totally not.  I am just as pure as everyone else here.....

But getting back to my earlier point, when we went to the Mother In Law Lounge the other night, I ordered a Jamieson and Coke (I started drinking Jack and Cokes a while back as it was the drink of choice for a god friend of mine who passed away, but the bar didn't have Jack Daniels) and it came in a plastic cup.  First they filled the cup with ice, then filled the cup about 2/3's of the way up with Jamieson and then literally just splashed in a bit of Coca Cola- just enough to kind of color it like a Coke. 

With pours like that, no wonder the cover charge is so high!

But you'd also think that would lead to public intoxication issues as every drink is a double (and then some) but again, we haven't really seen any issues.

At any rate, time to cut this off as we are getting ready to head out on today's adventure!

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

We are in a bar with a sign over the fireplace that says “PLEASE DO NOT SIT OR STAND ON THE FIREPLACE” and we are drinking purple frozen drinks filled with vodka, listening to Iron Maiden and Motörhead and someone just walked by (in the bar) with a rottweiller.

I’m not sure life will ever get any better than this.

I can die happy right now.

Just FYI, I am getting pretty loopy so moderators please feel free to free to delete any more posts i might make tonight.

PLEASE delete any more posts i may make tonight!   

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Yesterday I started my day with my favorite breakfast when I am in the US- Biscuits and gravy.  It's not something we do in Canada, so it's always a treat.  I first discovered biscuits and gravy in 2008 when we had our Sebago Meetup in Maine and HawkChucker's wife made it for us. 

It was good, but not as good as Mrs Hawkchucker's!

Afterwards we got on the St Charles streetcar, which is the oldest streetcar in the world and toured the Garden District.  This area is absolutely gorgeous, with these giant old trees, immaculate lawns and lots of history.  It's no surprise that many celebrities either live or have lived here, including Anne Rice, Sandra Bullock and the house below is currently the residence of John Goodman, which he bought from Trent Reznor.

The coolest thing about these trees is that the city was built around many of them, and yet the trees have overgrown the space allotted to them. The roots look like candle wax that has melted over and absorbed the concrete and bricks, showing us that even our best and toughest materials don't mean smurf where Mother Nature is concerned! 

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

The signage everywhere is also very cool- in a city with a lot to look at, the signs need to stand out to be noticed.  This Huge Ass Beer one particularly appealed to me as it reminded me of a classic Simpson's moment.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=y3kVTUHRbWM&pp=ygUSc2ltcHNvbnMgaHVnaCBqYXNz

It's also funny in it's own right, but made funnier by one of Bart's signature pranks.

It was a very long walk going around and seeing all of the particular houses of note, and made longer by the fact that I don't walk all that well or fast (both ankles having more titanium than bone in them these days) and suffered an accident early on- always watch your feet in New Orleans as the sidewalks are atrocious!   

But we made it around, and on the way back home we walked up Canal Street (right where the incident was) and I spotted this mascot outside of Voodoo Chicken and Daquiris.  I keep meaning to go in as it is a local chain and there are a bunch of them, but we were in a bit of a hurry to get back.  ur feet hurt pretty bad and our bladders were overflowing!

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Neither of us are heavy drinkers, and haven't done any significant drinking since we have been here.  Sure we have had a few beverages and were past the legal limit for operating heavy machinery, but as we didn't bring any heavy machinery that wasn't much of a concern. 

Last night we decided to go out for a few drinks and supper.  We stopped at the Lafitte's Blacksmith bar and were greeted with some Motorhead on the juke box.  I hadn't expected to hear Mootorhead in a city famous for Jazz, but I am all for it.  We sat down near the fireplace where there literally was a sign asking people not to sit or stand on the fireplace.  You know they only put up signs like that because someone made it necessary to put up signs like that.   

Megan got us some drinks from the bar- I don't know what they were called but they were basically a grape slushy with a generous amount of Vodka. 

The juke box went from Motorhead to Iron Maiden and then to Van Halen and I was in absolute heaven- someone had great taste.

At some pint someone walked by (in the bar) with a rotweiller, which was also awesome.  I love dogs although you never see them in bars, at least not in any of the bars I have ever been to!

I finished my drink and then I finished Megan and by then we were both starving so we went down to the waterfront and into a restaurant and bar there.  I don't recall the name there but they had a lot of seafood on the menu.  As I don't eat seafood, I ordered a cheeseburger and was promptly made fun of by the staff.   

I don't mind, it was a good burger. 

By the time we finished eating we were too exhausted to keep on with our plan of having a few more drinks, so we went home and went to bed shortly afterwards.

All in all, another great day!

Def

[Farmer X]

The WWII museum is the sort of place I could spend hours in. And biscuits and gravy is a favorite of mine. I'm a little surprised to hear it's not too popular in Canada. It was great catching up on this thread. Thanks again for taking us along!

[Grant Lamontagne]

No problem amigo- what's the pint of a forum if we don't share our experiences?   

Yesterday we started off by heading back to the Garden District to a place we meant to have breakfast the other day, but for some reason didn't.  This meant passing through the Business District, where the quaint old European feel of the French Quarter abruptly ends in favor of modern office buildings.

Megan and I ordered biscuits and gravy and a fried chicken sandwich and we split them.  It was kind of a hipster place, so it's traditional food with some kind of fusion neuveau modern twist.  The biscuits and gravy was okay and had Miso sausage in it- it was good but when I want biscuits and gravy I want traditional old family Southren style biscuits and gravy.  It was good though, and the fried chicken sandwich was also great.

We got on the St. Charles streetcar again (as mentioned above, the oldest operating streetcar in the world) and, after breakfast ended up in Audobon Park, which is also where the Audobon Zoo ad a golf course are.  Megan didn't bring her clubs and I don't golf without holes that include windmills or gorillas, so we just enjoyed the park.  We felt that the zoo was an option, but as we didn't get the zoo pass when we went to the Aquarum (cheaper in a bundle) we didn't want to pay extra.

The park was absolutely beautiful and it was nice to see all of my ducks in their other home!

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

While walking through the park we found this bike repair station that I figured everyone here would want to see in some detail.

The smaller post on the left is an ar pump and the post on the right features a bunch of wrenches and allen keys for more serious repairs.  It was a really good and handy looking setup, and while I appreciate that everything has to be chained down, I feel that the steel cable attached to everything may be a bit inconvenient.

Still, any port in a storm and inconvenient tools are much better than no tools at all when you need to fix something.  I think there's a whole website and forum dedicated to "good enough" tools that perform multiple functions that can be carried almost anywhere..... 

If not, there should be. 

Def