New Orleans, for one night only…

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New Orleans, for one night only…

New Orleans, for one night only – we wish it could have been more. Our journey to Houston started in Orlando, and as it is a long drive we decided to make two stops on the way. One was close to the wonderful Grayton Beach, while the second one was in New Orleans.

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We were curious to see what this lovely city was like, not just because of its cultural history – this is the home of jazz – but also to see for ourselves how the city has recovered from Hurricane Katrina a few years ago.

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As we mentioned above we didn’t have much time to explore the city, but from what we saw jazz is more alive than ever, not only in night clubs and bars but also on the streets. Tourists are everywhere too, and that´s a sign that this brave city is doing its utmost to heal the wounds left by that tragic hurricane.

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We spent the night in a lovely house we found on Airbnb where the host greeted us in a great way and made us feel comfortable as if it was our own home. After a good night’s sleep, Linda prepared a delicious breakfast with bread, scrambled eggs, bacon, juice and fruit, among other things. All that fuel was welcome for the day ahead. We packed the few things that we had taken from the car and started exploring the city in the short time that we had.

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We spent two very worthwhile hours in the famous French Quarter. This is a lovely place full of bars and restaurants and where the streets and buildings have so much character.

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Family Travel Secret
The French Quarter is one of the most famous sights in New Orleans, and Bourbon Street (in the middle of the French Quarter) is a street were you should definitely spend some time checking out the stores and buildings. If you are lucky you’ll get to listen to the live music that it is played in some of the bars and restaurants.

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Music is everywhere in New Orleans…

We continued walking through the streets and could hear the first group playing jazz that day. One of the musicians even invited Noah to play with him, but our little one was too shy and tired at that moment. Then we walked to a park called Louis Armstrong where there was an event with food and music. Music is everywhere – not just jazz, but also creole music which we suppose was inherited from slaves.

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We also tried to visit the San Louis cemetery, which seems to be a beautiful cemetery, but unfortunately it was closed and it looked like you have to go with a guide.

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Visiting the plantations of New Orleans and region

That was it for New Orleans as we were still a long way from Houston, but we couldn’t leave without seeing some old manor houses where in the past, just before the Civil War, slaves worked to grow sugar, oak, cotton and other products for their masters. The area’s past is dark, but it has left a beautiful inheritance with amazing plantations and even more amazing manor houses.

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Family Travel Secrets
These days most of those places allow tourists to look around, but as it was out of our budget and we were short on time we left this for a future visit. However, Ruth’s research indicated that the visits are well worth doing.

 

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One of the most famous is the Oak Alley Plantation. The house is very imposing and one wonders what it was like during times of slavery.

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Other plantations that we passed were St. Joseph Plantation and Laura, a Creole Plantation.

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It was a short visit to New Orleans but it seemed a nice place. Next stop … Houston!!

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