Dee Dee and I had the opportunity to go to New Orleans for a business conference and what a grand time we had. New Orleans was one of my mother's favorite places we learned so much about this amazing city while we were there.
Our first night there we didn't hesitate to hit Bourbon Street in search of something fabulous to eat. We ended up at Mambo's for some amazing New Orleans cuisine. We almost didn't eat there because there was a guy riding a hoverboard around in front of the restaurant with a HUGE snake around his neck. I was like NOPE I'm out!
We decided that we didn't want to eat food that we could get at home so we stayed open to trying new things. I even convinced her to try gator bites.
We were amazed at how colorful the city was. Every building boasted artistry in some fashion. The buildings were super colorful or decorated with amazing iron work. There was also some fantastic architecture all over the city.
We started our second day there with breakfast at Café Du Monde. The line to order was pretty long but I expected that. This seems to be one of the recommended stops if you are visiting NOLA. Whatever you do, don't wear dark clothing if you plan to dine here. Copious amounts of powdered sugar awaits you. We did learn from our tour guide that Beignets are just donuts with a fancy name and no hole.
We walked around taking in the sights and did a little shopping the rest of the day then got ready for our evening event.
Our group met up Friday evening for a meet and greet mixer at the Bourbon Orleans Bar. We are fortunate to be a part of an educational group of artisan business owners like ourselves. Most of us have been interacting in our Facebook group for years but this was the first time we were able to meet in person. We all had a blast getting to know one another while listening to some amazing musical artists.
We also spotted some things you don't see every day. I should have thought to check if these still work!
Saturday was spent in our conference at the Bourbon Orleans getting motivated and learning how to take our business to the next level. That is a blog post all on its own. We did run into the Mad Hatter afterward though.
Sunday we started out with breakfast at The Court of the Two Sisters and then we decided to take a tour of the city.
The Court of the Two Sisters was an amazing experience. The courtyard was covered in vines and had a fountain and wishing well. It was such a beautiful way to enjoy breakfast. We enjoyed a wonderful brunch buffet then made sure to touch the charm gate as we left. I even ended up drinking my coffee from a wine glass!
We toured the area that Jazz music originated in and learned about the history of Jazz music. As you travel through New Orleans you'll notice that the homes are narrow and long. This is due to the way they were taxed. Homes were taxed by their width so a great majority of the homes there were built narrow and long.
We also saw some of the aftermath of Katrina on our tour. Several homes had markings by the door that indicated when they were inspected and by whom. These markings also indicated how many people and pets resided there.
The tour of the cemetery was fascinating as we learned about how they buried their deceased. The tombs have a compartment at the bottom. These tombs are used instead of the traditional burial. The deceased are put into the tomb for one year. When that year is up they are removed and the remains are crushed and pushed back to drop into that compartment to make room for the next family member. Each family is responsible for paying maintenance fees on the tomb. If the fees aren't kept up the tomb is sold. There are even ones for the nuns. Check out the one with all the names on it.
We had a bonus stop at the Sacred Heart Chapel (now a Catholic school) where Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini cared for the children orphaned during the Yellow Fever outbreak. Did you know she was a tiny but mighty woman?
We also made a new friend. Every time we walked by him as he rested we stopped to love on him.
All in all we had an amazing time. we saw so many amazing artisans and their work. this is definitely a city for artists. We also saw some interesting things like bumpers on the side of the road and a wheel imbedded in a tree trunk.
We do plan on going back at some time in the future.
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