Our journey to New Orleans included a few days staying in Louisiana State Parks and a private RV campground on the banks of the Mississippi. The little towns of Delhi and Vidalia were fairly impoverished which seems to be a theme through Mississippi and Louisiana. Poverty Point State Park (that’s really the name…:( ) was beautiful and a quick tour through Natchez MS made those stops worthwhile, but it was clear there isn’t a lot of investment in the towns or lucrative jobs or employment. Two highlights were Fat Mamas Tamales in Natchez for the famous tamales and margaritas and walking along the Mississippi at dusk was beautiful. We had another great spot in Bogue Chitto State Park and then it was on to New Orleans.
We stayed in St. Bernard State Park just outside New Orleans, very close to the Lower Ninth ward. It wasn’t our favorite park…very old sites with narrow driveways, we backed right up to the swamp, warnings about alligators and it wasn’t a very pleasant park to walk in BUT…..it was close to New Orleans which we visited for four days. We were there from Feb 1-5th so were fortunate to hit one of the first Mardi Gras parades, the Chewbaccas Krewe and it was hysterical. Chewbaccas is sci-fi and fantasy based but they also allows other to join for free so it became a mishmash of fabulous costumes. We found a spot on Elysian Fields in the green space and were surrounded by sci-fi dressed fans, a pop up hot dog cart and across from a gay bar hosting Hunk-a-mania! We met wonderful people who loved that it was our first parade and helped us understand the protocols of getting cool shit! The parade was wild and the Krewe hands out all handmade swag so we were given cool stickers, buttons, blocks (to go on a bandoleer…that you have to be gifted and is apparently quite the catch) Most of the costumes were lost on Tim and me. Max and Eli would have known most of them and it was clearly their scene, but we loved it! Great energy, wonderful people watching, lots of laughs, plenty of drunk folks….
The next day was a fabulous brunch at Le Petit Grocery on Magazine Street and then walking/browsing/shopping all down that street. Darling little shops, great boutiques, stopped at The BullDog tavern for a beer and just enjoyed a sunny day. Next day was WW II museum and dinner at GWFins which had been recommended for its seafood and ambience, and was delish. The restaurant is right in the French quarter which was heavily patrolled by police, national guards, etc…given the upcoming Super Bowl, the New Years eve tragedy, etc… We couldn’t believe the police presence and the next day at Jackson Square there were military helicopters patrolling the Mississippi and hovering over the French Quarter. Put a bit of a damper on the festivities but we managed to get a beignet at Cafe Du Monde, a cocktail at LaFitte Blacksmith Bar and hear legendary jazz at Preservation Hall. Our final night we went to another venue recommended by our Mardi Gras peeps called Bacchanal which was a wine store/music venue in an extremely run down neighborhood but charming as hell. You walked through a tiny but well stocked wine bar, chose the cheese and meat you wanted for charcuterie and then they made up a board and brought it to you while you listened to music in the backyard. Seriously darling and simple and a great idea. Wish SLC could create a similar vibe somehow.
The swamps of LA are getting a bit thick for us….we are in two more state parks and then heading to Texas. More to come…
