NOLA & San Antonio
this post is a “work in progress”
First, I’d like to say that we began this site focused on only the actual cities we’ve lived in. We set out to describe the day to day kid-friendly activities whether it was indoors or out and to share our best restaurant experiences with you.
That being said, we do take vacations from time to time just like when we were living in a traditional home. We wanted to share some of those “mini-trips” with our family, friends and fans. Keep in mind that when we stay on these vacations or “mini-trips”, we tend to visit the touristy to-do lists.
New Orleans
We left West Virginia mid-February to finally get out of the cold. We had a 1-night stay in Tuscaloosa, AL and then on to NOLA for 3 nights. Keli had been there a couple of times, but I had not, so I was looking forward to it. A friend that lives in nearby Metairie made us a “to-do” list.
Our first impression wasn’t the best as we came over the bridge on Rt. 10. We saw lots of boarded-up business and houses. It’s sad to see that after over 13+ years after Hurricane Katrina struck, everything isn’t rebuilt yet.
We rented a cute AirBnB in the Lakeview neighborhood. This was conveniently located to our friends in Metairie and Bourbon Street. We unpacked our suitcases and headed out to see the sites shortly after we arrived.
First, we hit Acme Oyster Bar for some raw oysters (obviously), shrimp etouffee and crawfish tails. We got there just before the crowd arrived. When we left, there was a considerable wait. Score!!
Then we headed over to Bourbon Street to see what that’s all about. It had just rained, so the streets weren’t too crowded. As we pointed out on our Instagram, don’t wear flip flops right after it rains on the New Orleans streets. Nasty! We felt pretty safe while on Bourbon Street. There was one incident where a guy put beads on Keli and Shea’s head and then asked for a “donation.” The cops came up to make sure the guy wasn’t harassing us which was good. We sampled a red beans & rice dish at one of the restaurants, but it was blah. My fathers-in-laws’ is still the best I’ve had. The highlight was listening to all of the live music, especially all of the jazz.
The next day we drove around and saw the above-ground cemeteries. If you’re not familiar with them, most of the city is below sea level, so the gravesites need to be above ground.
We went to Café Du Monde for some obligatory beignets. They were good, reminded me of zeppole’s from back in NY. Also, you could put that much-powdered sugar on a piece of bread, and it would taste great!!! They have delicious coffee too. Tips: Cash ONLY, there are no high chairs, but plenty of room to push your stroller up to the table, they’re open 24 hours-we got there at 7:30 am and had no issues getting a seat and the live jazz music in front of the place starts around 9ish. They have 8 locations now, but the one on Port of New Orleans is the touristy one!
We also went across the street to Jackson Square and walked around the rest of the French Quarter.
We had the best-fried chicken I’ve ever eaten at Willie Mae’s Scotch House. Supposedly there are lines around the block usually. We got there when they opened and lucked out. Beware of the potholes! The neighborhood was a little beat up, but we didn’t have an issue.
We ate dinner at Superior Seafood on Charles Street. Great choice. The food, the drinks, and the live piano player made it a great night with friends.
The next day, the boy and I went to the World War II museum. By far the best war museum I’ve been too. Great exhibits, presentations, and videos. We spent 2.5 hours there, but I could’ve spent 10 hours there just by myself. I definitely recommend it!
For lunch, we ate at Bears Po Boy’s at Gennaro’s in Metairie for a shrimp po boy and an alligator sausage one as well. This place was recommended by our friends who live locally. They said the place was a dive inside, true, but the food was delicious, true, and the place was packed for lunch!!
The last night, we visited Frenchman Street. Our local friends said they go to this neighborhood generally on Sundays for brunch and live music. They didn’t recommend coming with our 2-year-old at night, and I agree. We had a good meal, and then we were going to look for live music down the street. However, too many people under the influence of whatever were getting too close to my wife and son, which made it uncomfortable. Listen – I’ve been on the other side before, but I’m in a different place with my life and decided to end the night safely.
In conclusion, we had a great time. I learned that Mardi Gras isn’t one parade going down Bourbon Street. They don’t even go down Bourbon Street due to being a fire hazard where the balloons get too close to the buildings. This year there were 55 parades in the area. I’m glad we visited. I’d love to come back for the excellent food and live music. It would be great if they cleaned up some of those potholes and streets around town (my car said that!!).