Thanksgiving Week Trip: Day Two

New Orleans, Louisiana:  The second day of our New Orleans trip began with me still struggling to adjust with the time change.  Last night I fell asleep on New Orleans time however this morning, my body woke me up at my normal Florida work schedule time which was much to early for this late rising town.  We had another full day of exploration however nothing opened until 9:30-10:00 and I woke up at 4:40.

So I sat around the hotel room working on photos until the restaurant in the hotel opened.  It is pretty handy staying at a hotel that offers full breakfast and a partial dinner as part of your amenities. 

After breakfast we headed out to walk around the city.  Even though nothing was open, it was still a great opportunity to enjoy the sights of the city without the crowds.  During the walk, I paid a visit to the New Orleans Fire Department Engine 29 crew that protects the French Quarter.  Once we left the station, we walked up to Jackson Square where we toured the St Louis Cathedral.  The interior of the cathedral was stunning, the details in the architecture was amazing. 

As we got later into the morning and attractions began to open, we started our day of touring.  The first stop was to pick up our passes for hop on/hop off bus tour and then grab a seat on the bus for an overview of New Orleans.  Hop on/hop off tours are my favorite way to explore a city I have never been in before.  Not only to they provide a very informative look into the city, they are very convenient for getting around. 

The plan was to take one entire lap around the city before hopping off at any stops.  However when we got into the Garden District, the stop was timed with a walking tour of the district so we jumped off and took the walking tour.  The Garden District walking tour was a 45-minute tour that showcased the homes of the Garden District.  The homes here were very fancy and I enjoyed walking and seeing the distinct architecture.  Some of the highlights from the tour were the home from season three of American Horror Story, the home that inspired Walt Disney's Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland and the home of Archie Manning which was the childhood home of NFL stars Payton and Eli Manning.

When the walking tour was over, we hopped back onto the bus and took it the rest of the way around to the Jackson Square stop.  Here we toured the collection of museums that are part of the Louisiana State Museum system.  The first museum was the Cabildo which housed artifacts that played an important role in the history of New Orleans.  One of the most popular items in the museum was Napoleon's death mask.  The second museum was the Presbytere which continued to tell the story of the history of New Orleans.  The first floor was dedicated to Hurricane Katrina while the second floor was devoted to Mardi Gras.  The third and final museum surrounding Jackson Square was the 1850 House which was frozen in time, depicting life in the city during the 1800's.

After completing the museum, we walked though the French Market on the way to the Old US Mint.  In addition to the exhibits on the mint operations, it also houses an exhibit that spotlights the jazz history in the Big Easy.

At that point, my appetite was getting the best of me so we hopped back on the doubledecker bus and headed to eat.  Today's restaurant to try was Mother's Restaurant.  Here I decided to try a New Orleans favorite, the Po' Boy.  I had the shrimp and my son had the catfish.  They were really good and they were huge.  I would have been full with just the half of a sandwich.  I was a little hesitant about the cabbage on the sandwich but it turned out delicious.

After dinner we headed back to the hotel for a little to rest before the final adventure of the night.  A ghost tour of the French Quarter.  We met our guide Clint and hit the dark streets of the French Quarter listening to tales of murders and haunts that make New Orleans one of the most haunted cities on America.  The most gruesome of which was the LaLaurie House where the rich socialites tortured and killed slaves in acts so gruesome it made first responders sick.  The home was later home to actor Nicholas Cage and the acts became the basis of American Horror Story: Coven.  The final stop of the tour was the Providencal Hotel which was once a Civil War hospital that is believed to be haunted by soldiers.  This hotel was the runner up for our accommodations for the trip. 

Once the tour was over, we took the two mile walk back to the hotel to wrap up day two of our trip.  Be sure to check back tomorrow for new adventures in NOLA.  I will also have photos from the trip online as time allows.