Life can be a lonely road sometimes, especially when you find yourself hundreds of miles away from family and friends. I cherish moments now that I get to spend with them. Recently when the opportunity arose to share a New Orleans experience with a close friend, I knew I had to do everything I could to make it happen and make it good. Although at times I did want to back out of our plans only because I’ve gained a lot of weight since my move to Hilton Head. This friend of mine, I hadn’t seen in nearly four years and I used to date her brother. I hated to have to have her see me like this. But I decided to take a chance. I really needed to hang out with someone familiar. I don’t do that at all in Hilton Head and Bluffton. In the Low Country it’s just me and my cat Jake. My life has never before been so void.
So, I work for RCI, a timeshare exchange company. I’ve been with the company for nearly ten years. With employee benefits come free resort stays. As employees though, we don’t have priority on inventory. Usually I put in a request for a resort and get on a search (or wait list) and cross my fingers and pray that a unit at my desired location matches to my request. This past June, I received an email that my search for New Orleans matched for a two bedroom (sleeps six) partial kitchen unit at the Wyndham La Belle Maison resort for the check in dates of the first week of December. I jumped on it and took the reservation, although I still wasn’t sure if I could make the trip or if I would have anyone to travel with.
I thought of my friend, although it’s been probably more than five years since I’ve dated her brother, my friend and I have kept in touch on a regular basis by phone. I tossed the suggestion out to her I think in July or August, but it wasn’t until October till she was sure she could make it happen. And once she purchased her airline tickets, I knew that there was no backing out. New Orleans was happening for sure.
The Thursday before my Monday birthday, I dropped my cat off at the kennel and then got in the car and drove down and across Georgia into Alabama and I spent the night at the Drury Inn in Montgomery. I broke up my drive with an overnight stay, because I didn’t want to be exhausted for New Orleans. This was my first stay at a Drury hotel. Usually I don’t think much about the hotel experience, because I’ve been spoiled with my resort stays over the years. But the Drury Inn was a pleasant surprise. Of course I read the reviews on Orbitz.com before I booked the reservation, but still I was impressed. The room, immaculately clean and spacious. They offer complimentary breakfast and free happy hour complete with hot snacks, also, free wireless and free long distance. This hotel blew me away. But that was just one night, on Friday morning I checked out and drove down to New Orleans. My friend arrived Friday night and on Saturday morning, our adventures began.
The Wyndham La Belle Maison resort is just a few blocks down from the French Quarter and just about everything we did was within walking distance. But boy, am I glad we brought our tennis shoes, because we walked the heck out of them. We started our Saturday morning looking for a particular tourist Center. We were looking for coupons and deals on plantation and cemetery tours. Somehow we kept missing the ‘recommended’ Visitor Information Center and by accident we found ourselves taking an impromptu self tour of the St. Louis Cemetery #1, north of the French Quarter. Here the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, Marie Laveau is interred along with other famous and notable New Orleanians in above ground tombs and vaults.
From the cemetery we made our way back toward the French Quarter and stopped for a $12 a piece breakfast of Cajun Hash Browns and bottled water at the Café Beignet on Bourbon Street. On a full stomach we were ready for a little “gris-gris” and set off in search of the historic Voodoo Museum. A little smaller than expected, we paid $5 each for an introduction to the history and origin of this magical supernatural power. According to our souvenir fact sheet,
“Voodoo came to Louisiana directly from West Africa and was first recorded in 1719 with the arrival of the first slaves. By the early 19th century, Voodoo dances in Congo Square in New Orleans were a regular Sunday event.”
Although it seems spooky, the Voodoo Museum is definitely worth the visit if you like history.
After the Voodoo experience my friend and I made our way to the Krewe of Jingle parade along Canal Street, and were treated to Mardi Gras beads thrown out into the crowds by the handfuls. Our Saturday evening topped off with a stroll down Bourbon Street with hundreds of other party-goers. Jazz, blues, zydeco, rock and hip hop blasted from bars and clubs. She and I ventured into a club or two, but we didn’t linger too long anywhere.
Sunday we awoke early again and found ourselves on a free ferry across the river to Algiers. Algiers was once a holding area for slaves till they were well enough to be sold in New Orleans. Algiers also served as a holding area for the Canadian Cajuns, after they were expelled from Nova Scotia. My friend and I didn’t see much, so after a brief walk we quickly caught the next ferry back across the Mississippi to buy tickets for a visit to the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas.
Later that day and probably the highlight of our Sunday, we attended Chanukah at Riverwalk for a traditional Israeli music and lighting of a twelve foot menorah. With my first experience of such a traditional Jewish event and holiday, it was even more delightful with a taste of a latke pancake. Served for free (with optional donations) at one of the booths. The latke is a potato pancake that is traditionally eaten by Jews during the Hanukkah festival. I believe my friend topped hers with sour cream.
We left the lighting ceremony around 6pm and although dark now, my friend and I were in the mood for more adventure. With a little help from the concierge at the resort, we found ourselves south on Canal street boarding a streetcar for a trolley ride to the historic Cemeteries district, where we passed a cemetery of victims from Katrina. From that ride we transferred to the St. Charles Streetcar which took us through the Garden District and gave us a look at huge magnificent homes.
Monday, my birthday, and we were not tired at all. Over the weekend we had basically walked from sun up to past sun down and yet Monday morning, we were still ready to see more. Taking our time, we left the resort around ten and walked through the French Quarter to 1100 Chartres Street for a tour of the Old Ursuline Convent. Completed in 1753, this building is a part of the Catholic Cultural Heritage Center of the Archdiocese of New Orleans and once was home to Ursuline Nuns and later priests serving the local Italian community.
The most beautiful part of the Convent I found to be the sanctuary of St. Mary’s Church (attached to the convent). This church completed in 1845 was a center of worship for the French, Spanish, African-American, German, Irish and Italian communities. Entry to the grounds of the Convent including the church is only $5.
Leaving the Old Ursuline Convent we had every intention of taking a ride on a lunchtime Harbor Jazz cruise on the Steamboat Natchez, but the weather in mid 40’s to low 50’s kinda turned us off from cruising the Mississippi that day. We took in a movie instead at The Theatres at Canal Place, where they serve you a meal and drinks while you relax on reclining chairs with feet propped up on a comfortable ottoman in front of a mid-size movie screen.
After the movie we dashed across the French Quarter to the St. Louis Cathedral for a free jazz concert performed by Ellis Marsalis of the legendary Marsalis clan.
Before I dropped my friend off at the airport the next day we had lunch at the Copeland Cheesecake Bistro which gives my favorite restaurant, The Cheesecake Factory a run for its money.
My friend is a very private person, and that is the reason I have not used her name in this post. But I am grateful that she flew down to spend time with me for my birthday. I think all my life I’ve been surrounded by loads of family and friends that in the past I may have taken for granted. Now that I am in South Carolina all alone, I now realize that friends are important. Just like family, friends do feed the soul and this soul is currently full from a great trip with a wonderful person down in New Orleans.
So, I work for RCI, a timeshare exchange company. I’ve been with the company for nearly ten years. With employee benefits come free resort stays. As employees though, we don’t have priority on inventory. Usually I put in a request for a resort and get on a search (or wait list) and cross my fingers and pray that a unit at my desired location matches to my request. This past June, I received an email that my search for New Orleans matched for a two bedroom (sleeps six) partial kitchen unit at the Wyndham La Belle Maison resort for the check in dates of the first week of December. I jumped on it and took the reservation, although I still wasn’t sure if I could make the trip or if I would have anyone to travel with.
I thought of my friend, although it’s been probably more than five years since I’ve dated her brother, my friend and I have kept in touch on a regular basis by phone. I tossed the suggestion out to her I think in July or August, but it wasn’t until October till she was sure she could make it happen. And once she purchased her airline tickets, I knew that there was no backing out. New Orleans was happening for sure.
The Thursday before my Monday birthday, I dropped my cat off at the kennel and then got in the car and drove down and across Georgia into Alabama and I spent the night at the Drury Inn in Montgomery. I broke up my drive with an overnight stay, because I didn’t want to be exhausted for New Orleans. This was my first stay at a Drury hotel. Usually I don’t think much about the hotel experience, because I’ve been spoiled with my resort stays over the years. But the Drury Inn was a pleasant surprise. Of course I read the reviews on Orbitz.com before I booked the reservation, but still I was impressed. The room, immaculately clean and spacious. They offer complimentary breakfast and free happy hour complete with hot snacks, also, free wireless and free long distance. This hotel blew me away. But that was just one night, on Friday morning I checked out and drove down to New Orleans. My friend arrived Friday night and on Saturday morning, our adventures began.
The Wyndham La Belle Maison resort is just a few blocks down from the French Quarter and just about everything we did was within walking distance. But boy, am I glad we brought our tennis shoes, because we walked the heck out of them. We started our Saturday morning looking for a particular tourist Center. We were looking for coupons and deals on plantation and cemetery tours. Somehow we kept missing the ‘recommended’ Visitor Information Center and by accident we found ourselves taking an impromptu self tour of the St. Louis Cemetery #1, north of the French Quarter. Here the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, Marie Laveau is interred along with other famous and notable New Orleanians in above ground tombs and vaults.
From the cemetery we made our way back toward the French Quarter and stopped for a $12 a piece breakfast of Cajun Hash Browns and bottled water at the Café Beignet on Bourbon Street. On a full stomach we were ready for a little “gris-gris” and set off in search of the historic Voodoo Museum. A little smaller than expected, we paid $5 each for an introduction to the history and origin of this magical supernatural power. According to our souvenir fact sheet,
“Voodoo came to Louisiana directly from West Africa and was first recorded in 1719 with the arrival of the first slaves. By the early 19th century, Voodoo dances in Congo Square in New Orleans were a regular Sunday event.”
Although it seems spooky, the Voodoo Museum is definitely worth the visit if you like history.
After the Voodoo experience my friend and I made our way to the Krewe of Jingle parade along Canal Street, and were treated to Mardi Gras beads thrown out into the crowds by the handfuls. Our Saturday evening topped off with a stroll down Bourbon Street with hundreds of other party-goers. Jazz, blues, zydeco, rock and hip hop blasted from bars and clubs. She and I ventured into a club or two, but we didn’t linger too long anywhere.
Sunday we awoke early again and found ourselves on a free ferry across the river to Algiers. Algiers was once a holding area for slaves till they were well enough to be sold in New Orleans. Algiers also served as a holding area for the Canadian Cajuns, after they were expelled from Nova Scotia. My friend and I didn’t see much, so after a brief walk we quickly caught the next ferry back across the Mississippi to buy tickets for a visit to the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas.
Later that day and probably the highlight of our Sunday, we attended Chanukah at Riverwalk for a traditional Israeli music and lighting of a twelve foot menorah. With my first experience of such a traditional Jewish event and holiday, it was even more delightful with a taste of a latke pancake. Served for free (with optional donations) at one of the booths. The latke is a potato pancake that is traditionally eaten by Jews during the Hanukkah festival. I believe my friend topped hers with sour cream.
We left the lighting ceremony around 6pm and although dark now, my friend and I were in the mood for more adventure. With a little help from the concierge at the resort, we found ourselves south on Canal street boarding a streetcar for a trolley ride to the historic Cemeteries district, where we passed a cemetery of victims from Katrina. From that ride we transferred to the St. Charles Streetcar which took us through the Garden District and gave us a look at huge magnificent homes.
Monday, my birthday, and we were not tired at all. Over the weekend we had basically walked from sun up to past sun down and yet Monday morning, we were still ready to see more. Taking our time, we left the resort around ten and walked through the French Quarter to 1100 Chartres Street for a tour of the Old Ursuline Convent. Completed in 1753, this building is a part of the Catholic Cultural Heritage Center of the Archdiocese of New Orleans and once was home to Ursuline Nuns and later priests serving the local Italian community.
The most beautiful part of the Convent I found to be the sanctuary of St. Mary’s Church (attached to the convent). This church completed in 1845 was a center of worship for the French, Spanish, African-American, German, Irish and Italian communities. Entry to the grounds of the Convent including the church is only $5.
Leaving the Old Ursuline Convent we had every intention of taking a ride on a lunchtime Harbor Jazz cruise on the Steamboat Natchez, but the weather in mid 40’s to low 50’s kinda turned us off from cruising the Mississippi that day. We took in a movie instead at The Theatres at Canal Place, where they serve you a meal and drinks while you relax on reclining chairs with feet propped up on a comfortable ottoman in front of a mid-size movie screen.
After the movie we dashed across the French Quarter to the St. Louis Cathedral for a free jazz concert performed by Ellis Marsalis of the legendary Marsalis clan.
Before I dropped my friend off at the airport the next day we had lunch at the Copeland Cheesecake Bistro which gives my favorite restaurant, The Cheesecake Factory a run for its money.
My friend is a very private person, and that is the reason I have not used her name in this post. But I am grateful that she flew down to spend time with me for my birthday. I think all my life I’ve been surrounded by loads of family and friends that in the past I may have taken for granted. Now that I am in South Carolina all alone, I now realize that friends are important. Just like family, friends do feed the soul and this soul is currently full from a great trip with a wonderful person down in New Orleans.
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