New Orleans 2012

*Some of this post has been redacted.

This weekend I went to New Orleans for my friend's bachelorette party.

Thursday evening we kicked off the trip with a pilgrimage to Mother's Restaurant.  Everyone's food was exceptionally tasty.  Unfortunately, I was starting to come down with a stomach bug, so I was barely able to touch my delicious fried oysters.  However, the red beans and rice were comforting enough.

Next, the brassy blare of street musicians lured us to Bourbon street where we sampled Cherry Bombs and I re-faced my nemesis, the Hand Grenade (by the way, one's evening ends much better with a Hand Grenade after only 2 drinks rather than 6).  After a long travel day, the evening ended a little early at Cafe Du Monde so we could catch up on sleep.

On Friday we caught a shuttle out to Jefferson Parish for a swamp tour.  Getting to the pick-up point wasn't easy since the sky opened up with torrential waves.  We waited for the shuttle at a hotel lobby, and one of the employees rushed to get us towels so that we could dry off.  Later at the bayou the rain was tremendous, but we saw a lot of gators and got to hold a small one that tried to escape numerous times.

Dinner later was tasty, but the service was awful.  I was feeling slightly better than the evening before, so I forced myself to eat since we were going to hit Bourbon Street again.

When we arrived at the French Quarter it was after 9 pm so there were many revelers that had already over-consumed.  The cat-calls and lurid yells from the men up on the balconies made us shy away from the beads being dangled.  When we approached the end of the street we could hear a traffic-director blowing his whistle that turned out to be .............. and a nice man named Ashley.  From the street we could see .................................... and were memorized by ..............................., so I paid everyone's cover and we went inside.

........... ............. . .. ......... .. .. .......... ..... ......... ............... . .... ... ........ .......... ........... . . .................... .... ........ ............. .. .... ....... ... ... .. ... .... .. .... .... ... ........... ... ................ ............. . .. ......... .. .. .......... ..... ......... ............... . .... ... Barney ........... ............. . .. ......... .. .. .......... ..... ......... ............... . .... ... ........ .......... ........... . . .................... .... ........ ............. .. .... ....... ... ... .. ... .... .. .... .... ... ........... ... ................ ............. . .. ......... .. .. .......... ..... ......... ............... . .... ...

.............. . .... ... upstairs for some more dancing ..... ..... ......... ............... . .... ... ........ .......... ........... . . .................... .... ........ ............. .. .... ....... ... ... .. ... .... .. .... .... ... ........... ... ................ ............. . .. ......... .. .. .......... ..... ......... ............... . .... ... ........ .......... ........... . . .................... .... ........ ............. .. .... ....... ... ... .. ... ... talent show. ... ........... ... .....

 Everyone ........... at ...........

........... ..........across the street ......... .. .. .......... ..... ......... ...........rainbows.... .......... ........... . . .................... .... ........ ............. .. .... ....... ... ... .. ... .... .. .... .... ... ........... ... .....

 ........... ............. . .. ......... .. .. .......... ..... ......... ............... . .... ... ........ .......... ........... . . .................... .... ........ ............. .. .... ....... ... ... .. ... .... .. .... .... ... ........... ... .....

The next morning we slept in after being out for so late.  Everyone was pretty exhausted.  We had a lovely breakfast at the same place I'd missed out on the day before (still being ill) before going to the Confederate Museum.  It wasn't as inflammatory as I expected it to be, but there were a whole lotta white people in there and not many other nationalities!

The afternoon seemed to slip away.  We had fun in a costume shop in the business district, but then barely had enough time to go back to the hotel for some primping and then have psychic readings done before dinner at Muriel's in Jackson Square.  Our meals were all excellent.  Everyone opted for the 3-course meal and everything was fabulous.  We were too full to finish our cappuccinos!

After some slow wandering around the dark streets in the Quarter one last time, we went back to ...... . . ......... .. ..... ..... .. ... ... ... ... .. .. ..... .... .. ... ....... ....... .. .... .... .......... . . ......... .. ..... ..... .. ... ... ... ... .. .. ..... .... .. ... ....... ....... .. .... .... .......... . . ......... .. ..... ..... .. ... ... ... ... .. .. ..... .... .. ... ....... ....... .. .... .... .......... . . ......... .. ..... ..... .. ... ... ... ... .. .. ..... .... .. ... ....... ....... .. .... .... .......... . . ......... .. ..... ..... .. ... ... ... ... .. .. ..... .... .. ... ....... ....... .. .... .... .......... . . ......... .. ..... ..... .. ... ... ... ... .. .. ..... .... .. ... ....... ....... .. .... .... .......... . . ......... .. ..... ..... .. ... ... ... ... .. .. ..... .... .. ... ....... ....... .. .... .... ....

...... . . ......... .. ..... ..... .. ... ... ... ... .. .. ..... .... .. ... ....... ....... .. .... .... .......... . . ......... .. ..... ..... .. ... ... ... ... .. .. ..... .... .. ... ....... ....... .. .... .... .......... . . ......... .. ..... ..... .. ... ... ... ... .. .. ..... .... .. ... ....... ....... .. .... .... .......... . . ......... .. ..... ..... .. ... ... ... ... .. .. ..... .... .. ... ....... ....... .. .... .... ....

...... . . ......... .. ..... ..... .. ... ... ... ... .. .. ..... .... .. ... ....... ....... .. .... .... .......... . . ......... .. ..... ..... .. ... ... ... ... .. .. ..... .... .. ... ....... ....... .. .... .... .......... . . ......... .. ..... ..... .. ... ... ... ... .. .. ..... .... .. ... ....... ....... .. .... .... ....

We were out way too late!  The next morning everyone very heavily and gingerly packed for the airport and we said our goodbyes.