Bourbon Street … Can You Say Tawdry!

Thursday, 21 March (Part II)
Aviation arbor Famcamp — NAS JRB New Orleans — Belle Chasse, Louisiana
Temps: Lo 44F / Hi 63F (7C / 17C)

After touring Mardi Gras World (post here), the shuttle returned us to the CBD (Central Business District) and dropped us off at the corner of Canal and Bourbon streets. We were starved, so we headed to Oceana, which bills itself as a Cajun/Creole restaurant. As it was still early, we had no trouble being seated on the second floor, where we were able to get some good “eats,” and I was able to continue my quest to photograph murals. (To be featured in a future post.)

I ordered the shrimp po-boy; Mui had the restaurant’s signature redfish dish;
we shared the yummy chocolate Kahlua mousse cake.
[the po-boy photo is courtesy of Oceana’s website]

After dinner, we meandered around the French Quarter and eventually ended up at Pat O’Brien’s — home of the Hurricane, a drink that originated here in the 1940s, and is named for the hurricane lamp shaped glass in which it is served.

On the recommendation of our friend, MBZ, we enjoyed our beverages in the courtyard. Drinks here are served in souvenir glasses, which are automatically included in the price of the drink. No worries; you don’t have to keep them if you don’t want to. We didn’t, so we returned them to the bar and got $3 back for each of the glasses … made the bar bill more palatable!

The Hurricane (left), served only in a 26 oz (.76 liter) glass, includes 4 oz (.12 liter) of rum blended with Pat O’s secret hurricane mix … sipping this potent drink slowly is essential!

The mint julep (right) is served in a much smaller (14 oz [.41 liter]) “Lightning” Glass;
Mui said he preferred my Hurricane to his own drink … next time!

By the time we left Pat O’s, dusk had fallen, so we decided to stroll the length of Bourbon Street. Too bad this street seems to be synonymous with New Orleans! It is a tawdry, dirty, and noisy street. Don’t get me wrong ... mixed in with tacky souvenir shops, and sex shops and shows, are some decent hotels and eateries. But as we strolled from one end of the street to the other, I couldn’t help but wonder at the reaction of guests booked into the Hyatt French Quarter located just down the street from Larry Flynn’s Hustler Club! Maybe it was different in its heyday, but Bourbon Street won’t be on our itinerary next time we’re in NOLA.

Left: Neon-lit streetscape of Bourbon Street.
Right: I wonder what she’s selling for $1/piece? Then Again, maybe I don’t want to know!

While there were a few street performers attempting to play jazz …

… hip-hop and break-dancing seem to rule the night on Bourbon Street for some clean fun.
[65 second video]

So as not to leave you with a totally negative impression of the French Quarter …. here are a few of the beautiful historic buildings, which can be seen on some of the other streets. We didn’t do a tour — guided or on our own — this time, so I can’t identify these buildings, but I loved the wrought-iron details and the hanging baskets decorating the balconies. I especially loved the buildings with the wrap-around balconies … I can see myself sitting on such a balcony, sipping a cool beverage, and enjoying the cool breezes while watching the goings-on in the streets below.

Hidden gardens like this one at Beauregard House are small oases in the midst of chaos.

Hoping to capture the St Louis Cathedral (which is really a basilica) lit up against a dark backdrop, we decided to conclude our evening at Jackson Square. Turns out the wrought-iron gates that allow visitors to stroll around the square during the day are locked at night. Oh well; the church wasn’t list up much anyway. Still, we managed to capture a shot from the platform of the Washington Artillery Park.

St Louis Cathedral & the equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson, for whom the square was named.
Jackson, a hero of the Battle of New Orleans, was the 7th president of the US.

On that note, we walked over to the Canal Street Ferry Terminal for the quick ride across the Mississippi River and drove home.

The forecast calls for overcast and rain the next couple of days, with the possibility of thunderstorms. We’re going to use this as an excuse to stay home and take care of those household chores that need to be done whether you live in a mobile or stationary home!

P.S. I keep mentioning featuring murals in a future post. These posts will be in the Two to Travel’s Viewfinder blog, where I participate in a “Monday Murals” meme. If you’re a fan of murals, you might want to follow that blog as well. I promise those posts won’t have nearly as many words ;-)