Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

We have just completed our first full day here in New Orleans and we are tuckered out! But, though it is our first day as tourists in New Orleans, we have been in Louisiana since last Wednesday night. (Probably part of why we are tired - this is a stay-up-late-and-eat-and-drink-lots kind of place!)

At the airport!

We flew into New Orleans on the one non-stop flight from Salt Lake City per day and spent our first night at the airport Days Inn. We had our first-ever meal at a Denny's - our choices were strictly limited. Then Thursday morning we picked up our rental car and headed to Lafayette for our friends' wedding.

We traveled along I-10 across the Atchafalaya Basin, stopping for an excellent lunch of Cajun seafood along the way.

Rob in Loft #5

We had excellent accommodations in Lafayette at The Buchanan Lofts in loft #5. It is an old building that has been renovated into short and long term stay condos. Most of the out-of-town wedding guests stayed here, as well as the bride and groom, so we all had a good time hanging out. We spent our first afternoon walking around Lafayette's downtown area.

In the evening we were included in a Toasting for the bride and groom and had the chance to meet Caleb's and Juliana's families. It was great fun talking about who looked like whom!

The Ceremony

The wedding took place on Friday at Acadian Village. The ceremony was sort of modern hippie and beautiful. The music was not at all traditional - the bride walked down the aisle to The Beatles' "All You Need is Love". The ceremony included a Choctaw sealing to celebrate their Native American heritage and connections. And, of course, the food and dancing that followed were exactly what you would expect in the middle of Cajun country!

Plant at Vermilionville

On Saturday we visited Vermilionville, which is a created village of houses and shops moved from elsewhere and recreations of "typical" buildings to demonstrate early life in the area. Vermilionville was Lafayette's original name. We then drove out into the countryside (lots of sugarcane out there!), stopping for a few minutes in St. Martinville. This town is connected to Longfellow's Evangeline: An Epic Poem.

On Sunday we took Highway 90 back to New Orleans, stopping to tour Rip Van Winkle Gardens and House. It is beautiful with long vistas made possible by its position atop one of the handful of salt columns found in that area, creating an "island".

We also, of course, stopped at Avery Island, home of the world famous Tabasco Sauce. We toured the factory and shopped 'til we dropped at the Country Store. It really was interesting to see how the sauce is made and a key component is the salt that is mined right there on the island.

Then it was time to head for New Orleans and our digs for the week, ditch the rental car and grab some dinner.  Our Home-Away-From-Home is in the north end of the French Quarter just south of Louis Armstrong Park in an old house that has since been divided up into apartments. It is on a fairly quiet street conveniently located across the street from a little corner grocery store, i.e. a booze store that sells a few other things.

St. Louis Cathedral

Today we walked around Jackson Square and walked through St. Louis Cathedral. Then we walked over to the Warehouse District reading about buildings of historic import along the way. We also stopped for beignets as we went.

Our destination was the National World War II Museum. The museum is excellent. The only problem was that we ran out of time. We arrived about 12:15 and also purchased tickets for the 4:00 showing of "Beyond All Boundaries: The War that Changed the World." We only saw the exhibits on the European and African theaters of war and never even made it to the exhibits on the war with Japan! The museum closes at 5:00 so we were done for the day. So we went to dinner to console ourselves. Consoling oneself with food is easy to do here in New Orleans!

In fact, we are so well consoled that we are spending the evening in our Home-Away-From-Home rubbing our fat bellies and planning the rest of the week!