New Orleans: Day 2
Started the day by hitting up the continental breakfast at the hostel. Opted for a light meal – oatmeal, a banana, and a soothing cup of tea. We intentionally kept it light, saving room for the massive amount of creole cuisine we planned to indulge on for the rest of the day. Checked out of the hostel, and luckily, our hotel allowed early check-in. A short walk away, we passed bleachers being set up for the upcoming Mardi Gras parades, and the streets sprinkled with people already dressed in the gear at 10:30 AM.
Arrived at The Eliza Jane, our hotel, and it is impeccably-styled, from top to bottom. The interior design struck a chord with us, sparking inspiration for our own home decor aspirations. We settle into our room, capturing some shots before we head out for the day. We hopped on the trolley headed to City Park, with a quick detour for lunch at Parkway Bakery and Tavern. I get the James Brown Po'boy and Matt, a bowl of Gumbo, whih absolutely hit the spot. Parkway claims to be the birthplace of the Po'boy, a fun fact we learned while casually chatting with a Louisiana-bred local, whose mouth seemed to defy gravity as he spoke. We pass on our table to him and his family, and we hopped back on the trolley, reaching City Park.
Within the park was a remarkable sculpture garden showcasing contemporary pieces from artists worldwide. Matt and I walk aimlessly, eagerly flexing my photography skills after what felt like too long since I picked up my camera. Following a local tip from Reddit, we treated ourselves to coffee and beignets from Cafe Du Monde inside the park, successfully avoiding the usual long lines at the flagship store in the center of town.
As our hotel was quite far from City Park, we left near sundown to ensure we had enough time to freshen up before our dinner reservation. After a quick glam session, we hopped back on the trolley just as the sun set. As we rode on the trolley, we saw some of the fanciest houses in the city - huge and gorgeous mansions that lined the streets.
We arrived at Brigsten's, a restaurant almost disguised as a typical New Orleans home. Our enthusiastic waitress provided a detailed breakdown of the menu and we ended up choosing a house salad, a seafood platter, and the King's cake bread pudding for dessert. Personal favorites were the scallop with grits for me and the salmon and shrimp for Matt. We chose not to take any pictures, instead allowing the experience to settle into our memories.
After dinner, the temperature had dropped even further. We tried to catch the trolley, but it passed us by without a care, a familiar situation from our Baltimore adventures. Instead, we took a Lyft back to our hotel, and our driver spoke at us, seamlessly transitioned from discussing the weather to diving into 9/11 conspiracy theories—classic. Along the way, I spotted the Super Dome, a symbol forever etched in my memory by the haunting images of Hurricane Katrina. The contrast between the opulent mansions and the destruction caused by the hurricane was not lost on me.
After returning to our room, we took a shower to wash off the day's adventures and settled in for a good night's sleep, excited for the next day, Our first Mardi Gras parade!
