NOLA

We loved New Orleans. It was a lot of fun and the French Quarter was really neat.  I love the balconies. Plus, being so close to Halloween, every thing was decorated. I am not sure what I was expecting but it was more than I could imagine. Mardi Gras must be a blast but way to crowded for me to want to go. Our campground was about 10 miles from the French. We drove in and parked at Harrah's. It gave Guy an excuse to gamble since we got free or cheap parking.

headed east on the I 10 there are lots of bridges passing over
Rivers, swamps lakes and basins

the Holocaust Memorial in New Orleans along the river

let the good times roll and they did

checking out the shops

the infamous French Market, smells delicious

food, shops and entertainment

our second Margaritaville on the trip, Guy liked the Gumbo

you can sit at the bar, or take your drink outside and walk down the street

many of the balconies were decked out in cool Halloween decorations

but they still had their hanging baskets out

a Spanish style with cast iron balconies is prominent in the French Quarter
The Spanish were occupying it when the fires destroyed many of the buildings (late 1700s)

on the corners, the name of the street is in the sidewalk with blue and white tile

an eclectic style of decorating

there was street signs on every corner too, but I had a hard
Time finding any numbers on the buildings

the jazz street band, a New Orleans tradition

how do they recycle these? A company in NJ does it

so meant interesting buildings in the French Quarter

recognize these musicians? Guy did, Fats Domino, Al Hirt, Peter Fountain

an above ground cemetery, since it is hard to dig 6 feet down

in the Garden District, we found the skeletons out, this was great
I bet over 30 skeletons, in various activities all labeled

try reading some, there was bone fish on the fish skeletons, two skeletons on a bench
With a kiss of death sign, a skeleton walking on the fence with dare devil sign...

a skeleton dressed as Annie holding a sign reading tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow
Very imaginative

beads were all over the trees

we got a seat on Johnny's balcony

a festival was going on at Jackson Square

a truck had taken out a balcony of one of the buildings, we assume this was it
The road was closed, scaffolding in place and debris in the street

associated with NOLA, Haiti and West Africa

somebody's watching you

partying day and night

our bartender "Sushi" we liked him so much, we went back the next day

the cast iron balcony and the beads, only in America

but drag queens are every where