Who dat?! It's Scout & Bear in the Big Easy

It feels like forever ago already, and wouldn’t you know it, ‘real life’ took over as soon as we got back to San Diego, but we had a blast on our 3 day stopover in New Orleans.

I have hazy memories of the French Quarter from my childhood when we lived in Mississippi and would take road trips to Louisiana for long weekends.  Even hazier are the memories from a trip to Mardi Gras during my freshman year in college (hopefully those photos never make an appearance on the Internet)…but in this visit, the French Quarter lived up to the hype, and seems even cooler than I remembered. 

Man Hole Covers in New Orleans

We made the drive from Orlando (an overnight stop at Disney to use our final park pass!) to New Orleans in one day, and at the last minute decided to check into a hotel.  The weather had a weird feeling to it, and the weathermen were spouting words like ‘tornado’ and ‘hurricane’ and ‘Katrina’…so, we thought it might be the smart and safe thing to do.  Most hotels were full within 30 miles of the city because it just happened to be the night of the SEC Championship, which happened to be held in New Orleans of all places.  But we found a cheap motel off the highway, and settled in.  I love hotels.  Especially nice ones, which this one wasn’t but it wasn’t one of the worst either.  In the end though, I found myself feeling like Loretta would have been a lot more comfortable.  And wouldn’t you know it, there wasn’t a single drop of rain! 

The next morning, we checked into the French Quarter RV Resort, which had a pool and hot tub and was located only a few blocks from the French Quarter.  It was basically a parking lot next to an overpass of a major highway, but it was walled in and gated, and had 24 hour security.  Apparently the crime rate in New Orleans has significantly diminished, but I didn’t really want to take chances and stay in a bad neighborhood.  This park was safe, clean, and in a central location – which was exactly what we needed.

New Orleans at Night

The Entrance to the French Quarter RV Resort

A Bit of New Orleans Architecture

Resort Pool and Spa

 The first day, we walked into town and explored by foot.  The, oh I want to say 10 street by 10 street square, French Quarter is the oldest neighborhood in New Orleans, and was basically the original city.  At some places around the perimeter of the French Quarter, you can still find pieces of the original wall and gate structures that were used to protect the city.  The architecture is a mixture of both Spanish and French, as that area was owned by the Spanish and French prior to becoming part of the US.  

Beautiful Details

With the exception of one end of the famous Bourbon Street, which is full of bars and strip clubs, the rest of the French Quarter is primarily residential with a nice smattering of boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants.  It’s a fantastic place to stroll around window shopping, while enjoying a cocktail – which is allowed in plastic containers on the street.  (How civilized!)  And there is always something interesting to look at!

Who Knew New Orleans Had an Issue With Cat Selling?

We also made it to a state-run museum and saw a heartbreaking but beautiful exhibition on Katrina and her effects on the city and the people of New Orleans.  The damage caused by that storm was devastating.  I’m not a Katrina expert by any means, but the impact of that storm reminded me of when I lived in Germany, and nearly every conversation I had with a stranger started with “before the war” or “after the war”…I wonder when and if New Orleans will ever progress to life where Katrina is just a distant memory. 

Another fun site that we stumbled upon (which was literally just outside the wall of the RV park) was St. Louise Cemetery #1, which is the final resting place of the Voodoo Priestess, Marie Laveau.  Marie Laveau was born a free woman in New Orleans in 1794, and she became famous as a skilled Voodoo practitioner.  Her crypt is covered in a series of triple X's (XXX); people write on the crypt when they ask Marie Laveau for a wish.  There is also a file of  'offerings' left at the door of the crypt - flowers, candy, candles, makeup, clothes...whatever people think Marie may want in exchange for granting their wish.  I left chapstick because it was the nicest thing I had in my purse at the time.     

Crypts

The Whole Gang's Here!

Hello, Jesus.

To get a better look, on Day 2 we took a bus tour.  We went back through the streets of the French Quarter, driving by the must-see destination “Brad and Angelina’s House.”  We also drove to the Garden District, where were snuck a quick peek at the old Anne Rice House, Nicholas Cage’s house (and his mausoleum…), Dan Goodman’s house, and (Scout’s all-time favorite) Sandra Bullock’s house.  While it sounds like we took a Celebrity Homes tour, we also went through the downtown (central business district) of New Orleans, drove to a few cemeteries, and then went extensively through the Ninth Ward, where the devastation caused by Katrina can still be witnessed. 

Art We Bought From a Local Artist
Named Vinsantos DeFonte

The Frames and Glass are From Katrina-impacted Homes

Us with Vinsanto DeFonte, Artist

On a lighter note (if you like Jazz, that is), we spent an evening in a very locals-friendly part of town (or so we were told), where the street was lined with restaurants and bars and every single place had a different band playing, most of which had no cover charge.  The food we had that night was terrible, which was such a disappointment since New Orleans is known for its cuisine, but the music and atmosphere were fantastic.  That was one thing that stood out to us while we were in New Orleans – there is literally music on every corner.  The city is floating on sound.  It’s wonderful.

Fats Domino's House

People have really been worried about visiting New Orleans since Katrina happened.  The crime that occurred during the storm and after turned this American city into a place of total mayhem.  New Orleans took first place in having the highest crime rate in the country.  Several years later, however, New Orleans has become quite safe again.  Our bus driver had an interesting take on this, and while I'm not sure it is true, it seems plausible.  He said that when people evacuated, they went far and wide and had to basically build interim lives while they were away.  These are people who live paycheck to paycheck, and who don't have the money to go for periods of time without working.  They moved away and found jobs and alternate housing, and now the idea of giving those things up to move back to New Orleans and deal with the mess that is now their old house, etc, seems too daunting and expensive.  The people who could afford to return, however, were mainly the wealthy.  Richer areas were repopulated almost to capacity after the evacuation was canceled, while the poorer neighborhoods remained largely empty.  And with wealth comes less crime, and a sense of revitalization.  One thing can be said for the people of New Orleans, rich or poor monetarily; they are a people rich in spirit, culture and passion.  The feeling of determination is palpable.

Foundation For Sale

Remains of a House

Just Foundation

Abandoned

These Markings Mean the House Was Surveyed by Police and Found Empty

Clean Up Crews Never Came

People Fled to Their Attics During the Flooding and Hacked Through the Ceilings.  Many Didn't Survive and Were Found Dead in the Attics.

Someone's Insurance Money Came Through.  Not Everyone Was So Lucky.

The Storm Took The Siding Right Off

This is the Ninth Ward Fire Department...

Here are a few pictures of the Ninth Ward revitalization, in particular homes built by Brad Pitt's Make it Right Foundation.

This House Has  Roof Deck Where You Can Go For Safety During a Flood

On Stilts

Stilts and Solar Panels

See the Theme?

It Can be Over $30K to Raise Your House 12 Inches

While I wish that I had more to share on our time there, like I said, life at home took over quickly and the fun of trailer life has since diminished.  We had a brief reminder of it this past weekend in Palm Springs at the Modernism Week Vintage Trailer Show, which I’ll cover in my next post…but for the most part, we are back to our regular lives and worrying ourselves with regular household things…like closet renovations, and bathroom remodels, and boring stuff like that… Gosh, we can’t really settle down, can we?  Stay tuned!

Not Sure How Bobby D Stays in Business, But This Sign Captures New Orleans Style

But before I go, 2 fun stories that we learned on the bus tour…Hookers got their names in New Orleans…They would stand up on the balconies of the houses with a fishing line and a metal hook, and as men would walk on the sidewalk below, the women would lower the line and “hook” the men’s hats.  If the man wanted his hat back, he would have to enter the brothel.  (I’m sure he said no, I have a lovely wife at home, but thank you anyway.)

There's No Hooking That Hat

The second story is how Jazz got its name.  Apparently, when jazz was created, people found that they really liked to dance to it.  Someone said that when people danced to that music, they looked like real jackasses.  So, it affectionately was coined ‘Jackass Music,’ which was soon abbreviated to J’ass Music.  J’ass was written all over the town – on walls, on flyers, on club doors and signs…and hoodlums would deface those signs and scribble out the J’, leaving only the ass.  City officials didn’t like the word ‘ass’ written all over town, so someone suggested changing the s’s to z’s, and Jazz was born! 

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