(Photo) Upper Pontalba Building.

Piece 1: French Quarter. Located just northeast of the New Orleans LA business district is the oldest neighborhood in the city, the French Quarter.

It was established in 1718 around a central square known as the Vieux Carré, and overlooks the Mississippi River to the south.

There are many well-known streets (or “rues” in French) in New Orleans, but probably none more famous than Bourbon Street. Replete with drinking establishments and music halls, Rue Bourbon (a largely a pedestrian road that prohibits motorized traffic on certain segments) is an entertaining walk to take during the daytime and at night, offering lots of visual and auditory stimulation. It does have a bawdy element, which can be fun or offensive, depending on your perspective.

A traditional stop for us (and many other tourists) on Bourbon Street is Pat O’Brien’s Bar, known for its signature Hurricane cocktail (made with rum and fruit syrup) served in a tall, curvy souvenir glass.

A little over a block southeast of Pat O’Brien’s (toward the river) is Jackson Square, a 2.5-acre park bound by Chartres, St. Peter, Decatur, and St. Ann Streets that was named for General Andrew Jackson, who led the United States defeat of the British at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815.

The Square is magnet for visual artists and street performers, and is conveniently close to The Shops at JAX Brewery (an old beer making operation now repurposed as a retail and dining center) and the Café Du Monde, famous for its beignets (fried dough squares dusted with powdered sugar) and Café au lait (coffee with hot milk).

It also offers a great view of St. Louis Cathedral, the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans.

We really enjoyed seeing the historic Pontalba Buildings (constructed in the 1850’s) positioned on opposite sides of Jackson Square. These two Parisian-style structures are each a block long and four stories high, and feature the distinctive iron-lace galleries and balconies that are architectural staples of the French Quarter. Both buildings have restaurants and shops on the ground level, and residential apartments on the upper levels.

Strolling the French Quarter area of New Orleans is a great introduction to the city’s culture and cuisine.

Some of our favorite foods here include boudin (a sausage-like rice and pork dish) and crawfish étouffée (a Louisiana stew typically served over rice). As they say in Cajun country, “Ça c’est bon!” (That’s good!)

Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World

Piece 2: Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World. Located about two miles south of Jackson Square is Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World (1380 Port of New Orleans Place).

Kern Studios was established in the mid-1940’s and specialized in building floats for many established “krewes” or social organizations involved in the city’s annual Mardi Gras celebration and parade.

Blaine Kern traveled through Europe to gain ideas for costume and float designs, and used those inspirations to produce more extravagant creations back in his New Orleans workspace.

In response to a growing public interest about the work at Kern Studios, the original Mardi Gras World was established in the Algiers neighborhood on the west bank of the Mississippi, before relocating to its more spacious location on the east bank.

We had never been in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, so visiting Mardi Gras World was a chance for us to get a sense of the experience by walking through the large collection of floats there and seeing how the float artisans do their work.

It was lots of fun; the tour culminates with visitors getting some souvenir trinkets and a slice of Louisiana-style King Cake, a delicious ring of cinnamon roll pastry topped with colorful icing.

A little porcelain (more commonly plastic) baby is traditionally inserted inside the King Cake, and the person who “discovers” it is reputed to enjoy good luck and prosperity…and maybe a broken tooth.

Marie Laveau Tomb in St. Louis Cemetery #1

Piece 3: St. Louis Cemetery #1. About a half mile northwest of the French Quarter is St. Louis Cemetery #1 (425 Basin Street).

Opened in 1789, Cemetery #1 is the oldest and most famous of three Catholic cemeteries in New Orleans named St. Louis.

Some of the more noteworthy interments there include Homer Plessy (the plaintiff in a landmark 1896 U.S. Supreme Court civil rights decision), Ernest “Dutch” Morial (the first African American mayor of New Orleans and father of Marc Morial), and Voodoo queen Marie Laveau. Her remains are reputedly within the family crypt of her second spouse, Christophe Glapion.

Because the city is largely below sea level, above ground tombs are the norm in New Orleans and many are beautiful works of art.

To protect against vandalism, access to Cemetery #1 is restricted to guided tours.

For us, this place offered a unique perspective on city history and culture; certainly worth the effort and expense to visit.

NOW…READY TO START PLANNING YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE?

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